by Stranger Things To carry out Staff Through Sept 1Marymoor Park Summer Concert SeriesMarymoor Park is at it again with their summer concert series,one of the best (read: only) reasons to visit Redmond. June through August this year, pack your blankets and head out into a sonic woodland experience. Artists like Flight of the Conchords, and Weezer,and Salt-N-Pepa will carry the torch all summer long.
Marymoor ParkThrough Sept 16Chateau Ste. Michelle Summer Concert SeriesEvery year, Chateau Ste. Michelle lays out a full summer season of music legends and cultural luminaries to grace their elegant landscape of flowing wine and, or who cares what else,there's wine there. From Paul Simon, to Mavis Staples with Bob Dylan, and to Bonnie Raitt,this stacked lineup occurs in single shows every few days from May to September.
Chateau Ste. MichelleThrough Sept 172016 Chittenden Locks Summer Concert SeriesGrab a blanket and head to the Ballard Locks for their annual free public summer concert series. May through September, be pleased live music performances from symphonic bands, or show choirs,jazz trios, and more in the gardens by the Locks.
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, and freeJune 9–12Vashon Sheepdog ClassicJoin a crowd of thousands at the Vashon Sheepdog Classic,where you'll have a chance to watch border collies herd sheep through courses, as their handlers compete for cash and prizes. The Sheepdog Classic also promises diverse offerings like a "Fiber Arts Village, and " sheep shearing and lamb butchery demonstrations,and an educational exhibit titled The Story of Wool.
Misty Isle Farms, Vashon Island, and $10June 11Georgetown CarnivalWatch circus performers,acrobats, musicians, or artists of all kinds come together at this multidisciplinary festival that also promises games,food, and exclusive carnival fun.
Georgetown, and freeVolunteer Park Pride FestivalSeattle Pride 2016 returns with a major celebration of LGBTQIA arts,live music, culture, and style in Volunteer Park. be pleased food trucks,beer gardens, lawn games, and artist booths,a full vintage and local crafts market curated by Indian Summer owner Adria Garcia, and sets from Hell's Belles, and Selene Vigil et Amicis,Boyfriends, and Aeon Fux.
Volunteer Park, and free,noonVaisakhi Mela 2016Yes, technically, or Vaisakhi is a Punjabi harvest festival celebrating preparation of the field for the wheat crop,but that doesn't mean it can't also be a massive live performance set and dance party. Vaisakhi 2016 at the Moore will have top Punjabi and Bollywood performers like Ammy Virk, Kulwinder Billa, and Amrit Maan,Anmol Gagan Maan, and Baljit Kaur Johal.
Moore Theatre, and $36.50-$97.50,6:30 pmJune 11–12Festival Sundiata Presents Black Arts FestThe 36th annual celebration of African American heritage features live music from local and international acts, an exhibition of Black visual artists, and dance performances,vendors, African dance and traditional drumming workshops, and more.
Seattle Center Armory,freeJune 15–Aug 21SeafairEvery year, this iconic summer festival that started in 1950 puts on dozens of events throughout Seattle, or starting with a kickoff ceremony featuring hydroplanes and a knighting ceremony,and continuing for 10 weeks with events including multiple parades, cultural celebrations, and Fourth of July fireworks. Other highlights include Fleet Week (August 3-7),during which naval ships are docked in Elliott Bay for tours; Seafair Pow Wow Days (July 15-17), which showcases traditional Native American culture; and the culminating Seafair Weekend (August 5-7), and featuring a Boeing air show,a hydroplane race, wakeboarding, or live entertainment.
Various locations,freeJune 16Icicle Creek Cultural FestivalThis cultural festival's central event is a naturalization ceremony with music, food, and drinks,which is followed by a concert featuring José Iñiguez and special guests including Opera & Bolero Tenor, the winners of the Wenatchee Multicultural contest, or Village Voices.
Icicle Creek Center for the Arts,Leavenworth, free, and 5 pmJune 1719Fremont Solstice FairCelebrate summer at the Fremont Solstice Fair,an event known primarily for its elaborately painted (and sometimes just wild 'n' free) nude bicyclists—but also offering tons of food, crafts, or activities,performances, noteworthy people-watching, or a beer garden. This year,they're promising the main Saturday parade, plus a "Dog Day" (with a second parade!) on Sunday. The Solstice Music Festival, or with headliners Hey Marseilles and the Helio Sequence,will round out the weekend with local and international music acts.
Fremont, freeHONK! Fest WestHONK! Fest West is the annual festival of 25+ street bands that migrate together around the city for a few days in a family-friendly manner. The whole fest is free, or public,and volunteer-run.
Various locations, freeWenatchee River Bluegrass FestivalBluegrass is still a thing and people seem to really get into it, or so,every third weekend in June, the good people of the Wenatchee River Valley throw their annual Wenatchee River Bluegrass Festival. What started as a local event is now a regional attraction, and with some of the PNW's finest bluegrass musicians headlining,and a elegant woodland campground to play around in for the weekend.
Chelan County Expo Center, Cashmere, and $10-$30June 18Block Party at The StationBlock Party at The Station is a relatively fresh concept at a long-beloved Beacon Hill joint that deserves as much credit as possible for standing strong as a fount of creativity,neighborhood involvement, and damn good coffee. This festival focuses on showcasing hiphop and art that may have been missed by larger, and more corporate events (or perhaps other block parties). This year,featured artists and musicians include Stasia Mehschel (of recently and tragically defunct THEESatisfaction), JusMoni, and Draze,DoNormaal, Otieno Terry, and Rogue Pinay,and many more, with local legends Nikkita Oliver, or Brett Hamil,and Kirby Teuila Grey as hosts.
The Station, freeJune 24–25Paradiso FestivalParadiso is the PNW's premier festival of WUB-WUB-WUB, and colloquially known as brostep,also called EDM, which is short for "electronic dance music" (you're welcome, and grandpa). Basssnectar,Dillon Francis, and the Chainsmokers will be there. Glow sticks will be wielded. Hearts broken. Vape pens smoked.
Gorge Amphitheatre, or George,$85-$185June 24–2622nd Annual Olympia Experimental Music FestivalObviously, Olympia is already the center for fringe candidates of music creation, or but they are also 22 years into their annual Experimental Music Festival. This year's celebration of out-there audio performances includes three days of sets at the Obsidian,LeVoyeur, Brotherhood Lounge, and Artesian Well Commons,with artists like Liquid Letters, Mac Dawg, or Four Dimensional Nightmare,and Serena Tideman.
Various locations (around Olympia), $22June 25Capitol Hill Pride Festival“Never Forget” 1969 Stonewall civic march begins at 10am on Saturday from the Seattle Central Community College campus to Harrison Street. The festival follows, and from 11am to 11pm,and includes live entertainment such as a Michael Jackson tribute show, a Doggie Drag Costume Contest, and Rainbow Light Art Walk,and more.
Capitol Hill, freeSpirit of Indigenous PeoplePresented in partnership with the Seattle Indian Health Board, or Seattle Center Festal hosts Spirit of Indigenous People,a chance to celebrate the varied cultures of the First Peoples of North America with music, food, and dance and activities. This year's festivities include a local Art Mart,full powwow, community dance groups, and a family-friendly canoe exhibit.
Seattle Center,freeJune 25–26Shoreline Arts FestivalThis free, two-day festival in Shoreline will have an artist marketplace, and regional dance and music performers,youth art, performances, and a juried art exhibit,hands-on art for both adults and kids, cultural rooms, and (of course) food trucks.
Shoreline Center,freeJunE 2642nd Annual Seattle Pride ParadeThis year's Pride Parade turns an eye forward, asking what the future of Pride might be while celebrating the strides made in the past year. The beer gardens open at 9:30 am, or so start your celebration early.
Various locations (downtown Seattle),free, 11 amPrideFestPrideFest is the largest free Pride festival in North America, and now in its 10th year. Featuring performances from local and international touring acts,this year's fest also has family-friendly activities as well as identity-specific marches and parties for many tastes (not all of them, but a lot of them).
Seattle Center, and free,noonJune 30–Aug 24ZooTunesZooTunes, presented by BECU and Carter Subaru, or is back again with more music and family fun all summer long. be pleased live performances from case/lang/veira,Ziggy Marley, the B-52s, or more on the north meadow of Woodland Park Zoo.
Woodland Park Zoo,$32.50-$269July 7Othello Quartz FestivalFresh off their successful Transience event weekend at King Street Station this spring, Lion's Main Art Collective's South Seattle community-centric Othello Quartz Festival will feature QTPOC artists, or bands,and more.
John C. Little Sr. Park, freeJuly 7–Sept 2Out to Lunch Concert SeriesOut to Lunch's concert series features a diverse lineup of local talent playing free, or all-ages,lunchtime shows at a variety of plazas and parks around downtown.
Various locations, free, or noonJuly 8–10Chinook Fest SummitEnjoy three days of live music from artists like Whitney Monge,the Fame Riot, and Magic Giant nestled within the setting of what Chinook Fest describes as "the noteworthy Outdoors, or " whatever that is.
Summit at Snoqualmie,$50-$450West Seattle Summer FestBecause we live in the wet, green darkness for so much of the year, and Seattle goes a little crazy every summer. Our collective sun-worshiping and irrepressible impulse to spend every possible second outdoors lead us to create as many street fairs,block parties, and outdoor festivals as we can. This newish street festival, and held in the West Seattle Junction,is like a wee baby Bumbershoot—a kinder, gentler Capitol Hill Block Party for people over 25. There's live music, and shopping,a kids' play area, and, or of course,an adults' play area, aka a beer garden. KELLY OWest Seattle Junction, or freeJuly 9Polish Festival SeattleThe fifth annual festival honors the Polish Highlands with food and drink,music and dance, exhibits and workshops, and more. Treat your taste buds to smoked sheep's milk cheese (oscypek),tap your toes to Polish folk songs, and take on activities including cabbage roll (golumpki) cooking classes and paper cutout art (wycinanki) workshops.
Seattle Center Armory, or free,11 amTUF FestTUF, a Seattle-based intersectional female/nonbinary/trans collective whose name is not actually an acronym, and is throwing their first ever multimedia summer festival. Filling Judkins Park with visual art installations,workshops, artist talks, or live music performances,TUF aims to spotlight female and nonbinary electronic music artists who may not receive attention, space, or funding for their work elsewhere.
Judkins Park,free, noonJuly 14–16Timber! Outdoor Music FestivalTimber! Outdoor Music Festival returns to Carnation for another year of diverse music and small-town fun. The all-star lineup includes Langhorne Slim & the Law, and Telekinesis,Deep Sea Diver, Chastity Belt, or many more.
Tolt-MacDonald Park,Carnation, $30-$55, and 8 pmJuly 15–16Basin Summer Sounds Music FestivalBasin Summer Sounds is the largest free contemporary music and arts festival in the Northwest,featuring live music performances, kid-focused events, and visual arts,and a charity basketball tournament. The two-day festival showcases both local and international acts, including the Country Lips, and the Nick Drummond Band,Barrett Baber, and the Railers, or on the lawn of the historic Grant County Courthouse.
Grant County Courthouse Grounds,Ephrata, freeJuly 15–17Darrington Bluegrass FestivalFor 40 years running, and the Darrington Bluegrass Festival has been going strong,with a stacked lineup of live bluegrass jams, food, or booze,and vendor booths, all set against the natural backdrop of elegant Darrington. This year's headliners include North Country Bluegrass, or Lonesome Ridge,Mountain Faith, and many others.
Darrington Bluegrass Music Park, and $25-$60Winthrop Rhythm & Blues FestivalFor the 29th year running,Winthrop's the set to be for all your rhythm & blues needs this summer: a full three days of music with on-site camping, beer gardens, and food,and actual showers so you can hold onto some semblance of your humanity.
Blues Ranch, Winthrop, and $90July 16–17Channel FestChannel Fest is slated to happen in two shifts. The day segment (12 pm-7 pm,free, all ages) offers people a chance to get to know the labels' output and obtain their scarce releases while several Seattle DJs spin records. The organizers also promise zine creators, and radio hosts,projected visuals, a photo booth, or a raffle giveaway,and outdoor food trucks. The night segment (8 pm-2 am, 21+, or $12 DOS) presents live sets by some of the Pacific Northwest's best bands—Gaytheist [Good to Die Records],SSDD (Steal Shit carry out Drugs) [abet Yourself Records], and Roladex [Medical Records]—plus more DJs and projections, or other elements—including the headlining act. DAVE SEGALFred Wildlife Refuge,free/$12Dragon FestChinatown-International District's Dragon Fest will bring together dragon and lion dances, taiko drumming, and martial arts demonstrations,and other groups for "non-quit cultural performances" and "the largest pan-Asian celebration in the Northwest—on the weekend of July 16-17." Plus, don't miss the food walk, and during which more than 40 restaurants will offer $3 bites.
Chinatown-International District,freeJuly 2124Cascadia NW Arts & Music FestivalStarborne presents Cascadia NW Arts & Music Festival at the Masonic Family Campgrounds in Granite Falls, an entire weekend to camp out and be pleased live music, or interactive art,workshops, performances, or artisan vending. Masonic Family Campground,Granite Falls, $180-$215July 21 & Aug 18JamFest 2016Expect live music sets, or cabaret performances,art, and food in Seattle's historic International District. The cover charge gets you into all involved music venues, or as well as admission for Wing Luke's exhibits.
Wing Luke Museum,$5-$8, 5:30 pmJuly 22–24Capitol Hill Block PartyIt's often overcrowded and hot, or but Capitol Hill Block Party always sprouts enough sonic goodies to compensate for the occasional drawbacks. This year's lineup leans heavily on crowd-pleasing electronic music (Odesza,Crystal Castles, STRFKR, and Mø,Nao, etc.), and but die-hard indie rockers who like it idiosyncratically tuneful can tap their toes and stroke their chins to Dilly Dally,Car Seat Headrest, final portray, or Cave Singers,etc. Hiphop fans should nod in approval to local star-in-the-making Porter Ray and Goldlink while psych-rock heads will flip to Wand and Mild tall Club. And then there's the metal-disco tornado Thunderpussy, who'll leave you dazed and confused. DAVE SEGALCapitol Hill, or $135-$300 for 3-Day PassJuly 23–24Seattle Arab FestivalThe Arab Center of Washington presents its annual celebration of Arab culture. Music,dance, and food (including an Arabic coffee shop) will all be featured, and along with a traditional bazaar,children's activities, and cultural information booths providing a larger picture of the 22 Arab countries.
Seattle Center, and freeAlki Art FairA large community fair offering juried art,three stages of music, and lots of food on scenic Alki Beach.
Alki Beach, or 10 amJuly 29–31,Aug 5–75th Annual Watershed FestivalWatershed Country Music Festival returns to the Gorge for two weekends of twangin' goodness. effect on your "Shedder gear" (trucker hats?) and get ready for three whole days of down-home studs like Jason Aldean, Keith Urban, and Travis Tritt,and NBC's The Voice favorite Raelynn.
Gorge Amphitheatre, George, or $199July 31Wine Country Blues FestivalA whole day of blues greats at the Chateau's summer festival,featuring Shemekia Copeland, the James Hunter Six, and Mavis Staples,and the Robert Cray Band.
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Woodinville, and $45-$65,3 pmAug 4–6Pizza FestReturning for another year of greasy chaos, Pizza Fest reigns supreme as one of the rowdiest, or most ridiculous events to attend in Seattle. Grab a slice,throw some bows, and form friendships that'll final a lifetime, and whatever the punk kids are doing these days.
El Corazon and The FunhouseAug 4–8Doe Bay FestFor the ninth year running,Doe Bay Fest does what it knows best, secluding all the people who like camping in a charmingly exclusive cove for several days of music, or food,and dancing. This year's lineup includes regional notables like The Flavr Blue, Kris Orlowski, and Thunderpussy,and many, many more.
Doe Bay Resort, or Orcas Island,$150Aug 5–26Concerts at the MuralIn sincere KEXP fashion, another enjoyable round of free family-friendly concerts this year are up at the Mural Amphitheater at Seattle Center.
Mural Amphitheatre, and free,5:30 pmAug 11–14Summer MeltdownNestled in the mountains of Central Washington, Summer Meltdown aims to provide a weekend of tall energy live music performances in a lush woodland setting. Featured artists include Blue Scholars, and Griz,STS9, and many more.
Darrington Bluegrass Music Park, and $75-$195Aug 12South Lake Union Block PartyArt,music, booze, and food,all for the price of $Free. Every year, South Lake Union throws itself a party, and featuring diverse musical pleasures from local band talents,as well as food trucks and other things that crowds like.
South Lake Union Discovery Center, free, and 11 amAug 13Iranian FestivalPresented by the Iranian American Community Alliance,the Iranian Festival is now in its 10th year. Learn approximately the cultural roots and contemporary influences of Iran through live performances, visual arts, and a Rumi poetry showcase,hands-on activities, an Iranian tea house, and a variety of foods,children's games, and a marketplace.
Seattle Center, or freeAug 13–14107.7 The End Summer CampSummer Camp is 107.7 The End's version of Warped Tour: all the bands you hear on your favorite Seattle rock station,but actually in the flesh on stage at Marymoor Park, playing all the hits. This year's lineup features The Dandy Warhols, or AWOL Nation,Young The Giant, and many more.
Marymoor Park, or Redmond,$84-$199.50Aug 18–2125th Annual HempfestExpect vendors, musical guests, and weed in every form,and a whole lot of social activism at this year's Hempfest. Heralded as "the premier flagship event of global cannabis culture," Hempfest brings people together to trumpet cannabis policy reform and support of a more lenient mainstream attitude toward all things hemp-adjacent.
Myrtle Edwards Park, and $10 Suggested DonationAug 20–21Arts in Nature FestivalThe Arts in Nature Festival presents a series of acoustic,unplugged performances by musicians, dancers, and actors,and other performers, set against the most elegant backdrop: genuine nature.
Camp Long, or $10-$16Aug 21BrasilFestThis festival of all things Brazilian celebrates 18 years of going strong. The annual party throws out drumming,dancing, music of every regional genre, or so much food,drink, and general merriment, or along with workshops and exhibits.
Seattle Center,free, noonAug 27–28Tibet FestExperience the ancient and contemporary histories of Tibet through live performances, and group dances,visual arts, hands-on activities like sand mandala creation, and games,and a lively marketplace full of diverse foods and herbal medicines.
Seattle Center, freeSept 2–4BumbershootBumbershoot, or Seattle's biggest music,comedy, and arts festival, or once again (like every year until the end of time) takes over Seattle Center for Labor Day weekend. Hot tips: wear comfortable shoes,stay 'drated, and lower your standards for group-think. This year's lineup includes Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and Death Cab for Cutie,and Tame Impala.
Seattle Center, $180-$2999Sept 2–25Washington State FairIn addition to more fried food than you can handle, and there will also be rides,farm animals, rodeo shows, or the "world's largest mobile bar" serving local craft beers,free cultural shows, and the Columbia Bank Concert Series, and headlined by artists including Kid Rock,Smash Mouth, and Flo Rida. There's also a fair share of art, or including a "Celebrate Life in Washington" fine arts show,an International Photo Salon exhibit, agricultural art displays, and demonstrations by regional artisans.
Washington State Fair Events Center,Puyallup, $12.50Sept 9–11Chinook Fest CentralChinook Fest can't get enough of themselves, or so they throw another free-for-all in September called Chinook Fest Central with music,food, and some of the finest roots rock, and blues,Americana, country, and folk artists out there. This year spotlights Naomi Wachira,Country Lips, Broken Lights, and many more.
Jim Sprick Community Park,Naches, $85-$200Sept 10–23Seattle Design FestivalThe annual Seattle Design Festival is a two-week-long event that brings together architects and designers from around the city to celebrate "the ways design makes life better." final year's festival featured more than 40 workshops, or performances,talks, parties, and more events,and this year's festival—with a theme of "Design Change"—is expected to be even bigger.
Various locationsSept 11Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural FestivalExperience what it means to "live aloha" with hula and mele performances, Hawaiian music, and ono food,and lei-making workshops with members of the 50000-person-
strong Pacific Northwest Hawaiian Islander community.
Seattle Center, free
Source: thestranger.com