Although Washington’s statewide mask mandate has been lifted, venues may have their own health guidelines in place. We advise directly checking the specific protocols for an event before heading out.

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Jump to: Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Multi-Day

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FRIDAY

FESTIVALS

Bibliophilia Festival
Past Event Like List Writer, performer, and educator Jekeva Phillips presents this fresh festival, which blends poetry, prose, and improv theater to celebrate all things literary. With both livestream and in-person attendance options, expect an interactive theater performance that touches on everything from Kurt Vonnegut's satire to book clubs and pop quizzes. (If you're a lit whiz, you might win a prize!)
(Seattle Public Library - Central Library, Downtown, free)

FILM

All the Colors of The Dark Past Event Like List
There's nothing quite like Italian horror from the '70s. You want occult paranoia, psychedelic tailspins, and sexual tension? You got it. Prime example: Sergio Martino's giallo masterpiece, All the Colors of the Dark. Check it out at this screening, and expect black masses, alluring covens, and devilish detours à la Rosemary's Baby.
(The Beacon, Columbia City, $12.50)

FOOD & DRINK

Casual Friday Live Past Event Like List
Tune in for a deep dive into Seattle's food scene at this live taping hosted by Patricia Murphy, host of the KUOW podcast Seattle Now. The event will revolve around "Seattle’s evolving culinary culture and some of the people shaping our region’s good eats" and promises to add at least a dozen new restaurants to your culinary bucket list.
(Town Hall Seattle, First Hill, $10)

Honduran Pop-Up Past Event Like List
Enjoy Honduran fare and freshly made aguas frescas from the new food truck La Casa de Amigos.
(Shelter Lounge, Ballard)

Traditional Cupping: Ethiopian Coffee Past Event Like List
Fuel's director of coffee will school you in how to taste coffee traditionally at this free "sip session." You'll get to compare two similarly processed Ethiopian coffees so that you can see for yourself how coffee production can influence flavor.
(Fuel Coffee, Miller Park, free)

GEEK & GAMING

Spelldown After Dark: An Adult Spelling Bee
Past Event Like List An ambitious new nightlife series is kicking off in West Seattle: Spelldown After Dark is the Skylark’s new weekly adults-only spelling bee, featuring cash prizes. Every Friday in September, up to twelve spellers will compete to demonstrate their mastery of letters, with a thrilling championship finale on September 30. Contestants will be divided into two groups—one group will spell from the stage while the other spells from the audience—and players will be given opportunities to "pass" and "punt" challenging words to their competitors. STRANGER STAFF WRITER MATT BAUME
(Skylark Cafe & Club, West Seattle, $10-$15)

LIVE MUSIC

Slang, Black Ends, and Rachaels Children Past Event Like List
Portland supergroup Slang, consisting of Janet Weiss (Quasi, Sleater-Kinney), Drew Grow (Pastor's Wives, Modern Kin), Kathy Foster (The Thermals, All Girl Summer Fun Band), and Anita Lee Elliott (Viva Voce, Blue Giant), blends their separate histories to create a single cosmic rock quartet. The band will jam tunes off of their debut album, Cockroach In A Ghost Town, alongside "gunk pop" trio Black Ends and theatrical punk quartet Rachaels Children. 
(Sunset Tavern, Ballard, $15)

PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE

Innerflight x Cherry Present: Manfredas
Past Event Like List Renowned Lithuanian DJ Manfredas will light up the Cherry Nightclub dance floor with electronic, house, and industrial beats with local support from veteran DJ Kadeejah Streets and KK/Nark.
(Cherry Nightclub, Downtown, $11.33)

ourHOUSE
Past Event Like List The house rules for this queer-geared dance night are simple: they play house music (interspersed with disco and funk tracks), you dance to it. DJs YourMOM, ShortSTACK, and Olivia Aivilo will soundtrack the evening. 
(Kremwerk, Downtown, $11.33)

Sorry For Party Rocking
Past Event Like List We are almost far enough away from the 2010s to where the pop music of the period sounds nostalgic and not like dated radio trash. Almost. Embrace the era that brought us neon skinny jeans, nerd glasses, uncle-nephew duo LMFAO, and galaxy print everything at this themed dance party. Neon attire is encouraged!
(Chop Suey, Capitol Hill, $0-$15)

READINGS & TALKS

Hugo Lit Series—Reincarnation: Omar El Akkad, Lilliam Rivera, Joshua Mohr, Brenna Bruce
Past Event Like List After the last few years, the idea of "rebirth" sounds pretty appealing. This season's Hugo Literary Series Past Event Like List draws on rebirth as a conceptual theme, inviting writers of all stripes to reflect on revival and resurgence through prose, poetry, and songs. This session will feature writers Omar El Akkad, Lilliam Rivera, Joshua Mohr, and Brenna Bruce presenting new works based on the juicy sub-theme of reincarnation.
(Hugo House, Capitol Hill, $5-$15)

Poverty Skolas in Person at Clara's Books in Seattle! Past Event Like List
Hailing from Oakland, poverty "skolas" will head to Seattle to discuss their writing and work with POOR PRESS, a "poor people-led/Indigenous people-led, grassroots, nonprofit arts organization dedicated to providing revolutionary media access, art, education, and advocacy to silenced youth, adults, and elders in poverty." Organized by the Freedom Socialist Party, street newspaper Real Change, and House Our Neighbors activists, the evening of readings and discussion will revolve around ways to empower communities and fight for affordable housing. (Head to the Social Justice Film Festival Past Event Like List afterward for more inspiration!)
(New Freeway Hall, Rainier Valley, free)

VISUAL ART

Public Opening: New Exhibitions Past Event Like List
Head to the Henry on Friday for live music, libations, and, of course, art. Current exhibitions, like Donna Huanca's immersive Magma Slit Past Event Like List and pensive group show everything was beautiful, and nothing hurt. Past Event Like List , will be on view alongside fresh fall shows like PNW x PNW Past Event Like List , Nina Chanel Abney: Fishing Was His Life Past Event Like List , and yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective's this was a densely wooded hill Past Event Like List . 
(Henry Art Gallery, University District, free)

SATURDAY

COMEDY

Gram Worthy
Past Event Like List Many of our social media profiles may be public, but it still sounds pretty perilous to have our online presences picked apart by comics in front of a live audience. Gram Worthy does just that, but this time around, they're focusing on famous influencers—they'll put your faves on the chopping block to razz their music festival duds and brunch pics. For this performance, influencers will head to the stage to explain their "brands" while improv comics riff off their interviews.
(Here-After at the Crocodile, Belltown, $15-$22)

Mad Science! A Science-Based Improv Comedy Show
Past Event Like List At this evening of surprisingly scholarly laughs, you'll first learn a few factoids from a selection of STEM smarties, then hear from a wacko cast of improv comics who twist scientific research into something hilarious.
(Here-After at the Crocodile, Belltown, $15)

COMMUNITY

First Caturday Seattle
Past Event Like List In Korea, cat owners often refer to themselves as butlers. It makes sense—we live to serve our feline overlords. If your kitty is comfortable on a leash, in a stroller, or hanging out in their carrier, they might enjoy this outdoor event, where they'll sniff around and catch a few rays while you socialize with other butlers. Catnaps and bug chasing encouraged.
(Cal Anderson Park, Capitol Hill, free)

FILM

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 Past Event Like List
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is a bit of a departure from the non-stop terror fest of the first film—Tobe Hooper's sequel tells a story that's somehow even weirder, complete with gallows humor, surreal visuals, and a punky soundtrack featuring The Cramps and Oingo Boingo. The flick kicks off with the grisly murder of two football fans, and an unhinged Texas Ranger (played by Dennis Hopper) goes on a grimy mission to knock off the gore-lovin' Sawyer clan forever. Good luck, dude!
(The Beacon, Columbia City, $12.50)

FOOD & DRINK

U District $4 Food Walk and Street Party Past Event Like List
Meander through the U District and sample $4 bites from over 60 participating bars, cafes, and restaurants. You'll also get to check out live music performances, a breakdance battle, and other entertainment on the Xfinity Main Stage and groove to DJ tunes at a street party with $4 cocktail and drink specials.
(University District, University District)

LIVE MUSIC

Filth is Eternal, Glass Boys, Insecure, and Fell Off Past Event Like List
Fremont's new "dog-friendly dive bar" will host a free concert with local grind quartet Filth is Eternal jamming tracks off of their latest album, Love is a Lie, Filth is Eternal, after opening sets from lo-fi pop-rockers Glass Boys, hardcore group Insecure, and punk outfit Fell Off.
(Ronette's Psychedelic Sock Hop, Fremont, free)

Michael Shannon, David Stanford, and Joey Largent: An Evening of Drone
Past Event Like List Local experimental heavies Michael Shannon, David Stanford, and Joey Largent will join forces for an evening of nonstop improvisational drone music that aims to explore the "deeper subtleties of sonic exploration."
(Chapel Performance Space, Wallingford, $5–$15 donation at the door)

Queens of Pop Dance Party Past Event Like List
Dance the night away to all your favorite 2010s pop songs by Carly Rae Jepsen, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, and other pillars of 4X4 perfection with DJ Baby Van Beezly.
(Sunset Tavern, Ballard, $12-$15)

READINGS & TALKS

Chris Stedman with Dave Wheeler — IRL: Finding Our Real Selves in a Digital World
Past Event Like List Religion and philosophy professor, writer, and community organizer Chris Stedman will head to Seattle to discuss his new book, IRL: Finding Our Real Selves in a Digital World, with Dave Wheeler, associate editor at Shelf Awareness. The tome digs into authenticity and meaningful relationships in our tech-happy age. Bring your questions for the audience Q&A session, and snag a copy of the book that Buzzfeed deemed "a must-read" to get it signed by Stedman.
(Third Place Books, Seward Park, free)

VISUAL ART

Chloë Bass and Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore in Conversation Past Event Like List
Soft Services Remind Like List conceptual artist Chloë Bass will chat with Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore, author of the genre-shirking book The Freezer Door, at this outdoor event. They'll touch on their mutual interest in "everyday intimacies" and the ways in which colonialism, alienation, and policing prevent interpersonal care and empathy. Bass will provide additional context on the somatic experiences possible within Soft Services, and Sycamore will share readings from The Freezer Door (the book was described as "language...wielded in expert hands" by The New York Times).
(Volunteer Park, Capitol Hill, free)

Marita Dingus: Baby Giants
Past Event Like List Dingus’ sculptures are made entirely from materials no one else wants, and their political power is found in this economic devaluation. The pieces have been discarded, they have been found, and they have been transformed into striking expressions of the Black imagination. There is something post-human in the Baby Giants sculptures. One even has an insect-like quality. In this sense, the radical heterogeneity of Dingus’ found materials not only reimagines Blackness but humanness itself. In this respect, the cultural becomes biological, and the biological, cultural. STRANGER SENIOR STAFF WRITER CHARLES MUDEDE
(The En, Columbia City, free; closing)

Mike Egan: May Death Leave Us Be Past Event Like List
Contemporary artist and former funeral director Mike Egan brings death and darkness to the canvas—but like, in a fun way. See for yourself at May Death Leave Us Be, an exhibition of Egan's surprisingly delightful paintings on view through October.
(Roq La Rue, Capitol Hill, free; opening)

SUNDAY

COMEDY

A Shadow on the Door: An Improvised Film Noir
Past Event Like List Fans of pulpy stories, smoky bars, and dark noir flicks will love this improvised performance, complete with deadly love triangles and seedy bandits on the run. Based on audience suggestions, A Shadow On the Door will play off classic noir tropes to construct a new tale that's as moody as it is hilarious.
(Unexpected Productions' Market Theater, Pike Place Market, $15)

FOOD & DRINK

Swedish Pancake Breakfast Past Event Like List
Enjoy some lively Swedish music from Sølje Sisters, Skandia Kapell and Karusellen and stuff yourself full of authentic Swedish pancakes laden with lingonberries, ham, and other toppings. Tote along a can of food to donate to the Ballard Food Bank and receive $1 in "Viking money" (which can be applied to future meals, drinks, or membership payments).
(The Swedish Club, East Queen Anne)

LIVE MUSIC

Lovers Weekend Records Showcase: Swish Blade, Local Tourist, and Rob Joynes
Past Event Like List Federal Way-based indie label Lovers Weekend Records will showcase some of their finest talents with performances from electronic/noise project Swish Blade, indie folk band Local Tourist, and singer-songwriter Rob Joynes. 
(High Dive, Fremont, $12)

MULTI-DAY

COMEDY

No Strings Attached: An Improvised Puppet Show for Grown-Ups Past Event Like List
Listen up, puppetheads—this "adult puppet show" delves into the bawdy hijinks of marionettes and sock puppets alike, sharing what they really get up to after singing drippy children's songs all day and stuff like that. Turns out they're a rowdy bunch, and for this performance, they'll share "mature" songs and jokes based on audience suggestions.
(Unexpected Productions' Market Theater, Pike Place Market, $15, Friday-Saturday)

FESTIVALS

53rd Annual Salmon Days
Past Event Like List Since 1970, Issaquah has celebrated the grand return of salmon to Puget Sound's lakes and streams with an annual festival. This year's offerings include live music, a salmon barbecue, an all-ages obstacle course, beer and wine gardens, and flying dogs, plus (of course) salmon viewing at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery.
(Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, Issaquah, free, Saturday-Sunday)

FILM

Moonage Daydream
Past Event Like List Brett Morgen's technicolor odyssey stays true to the tour de force that was David Bowie. Centering his experimental, forward-thinking vision, Moonage Daydream, the first "officially sanctioned film" about the artist, includes rare and never-before-seen footage guided by narration from Bowie himself.
(SIFF Cinema Egyptian, Capitol Hill, $11-$14, Friday-Sunday)

FOOD & DRINK

Kill The Kegs: A Closing Party Past Event Like List
Georgetown's Counterbalance Brewing is bidding adieu after seven years of business. Pay your respects by visiting them one last time and helping them empty their kegs of every last drop.
(Counterbalance Brewing, Georgetown, Friday-Saturday)

GEEK & GAMING

BrickCon Expo Past Event Like List
Whether you're a Lego enthusiast or the word "minifig" brings to mind a tiny Fig Newton, we can all agree that the iconic building toy is pretty cool. Visitors can revel in nostalgia at this expo, where they'll find custom sets for sale and Lego enthusiasts from around the world gathering to share their masterful models.
(Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, Uptown, $16, Saturday-Sunday)

SHOPPING

Big Spooky Salvage Art Show
Past Event Like List So what if it's only October 1?! Slap on your Halloween costumes and get weird at this salvage art show celebrating all things ghastly. DJ Coffin Birth and DJ Starseed will keep the ghostly jams going throughout the two-day celebration, which includes boozy bevvies, garishly good treats from Lovely & Dapper Desserts, and "scary good brew" from Badger Coffee for the caffeine inclined. Over 20 creators will share their so-good-it's-spooky artwork made with salvaged materials.
(Second Use Building Materials, Industrial District, Saturday-Sunday)

VISUAL ART

Nina Chanel Abney: Fishing Was His Life
Past Event Like List Nina Chanel Abney describes her work as “colorfully seductive” and “deceptively simple,” and she's not wrong—influenced by modern media, Abney's works may seem subtly familiar, but they contain a depth of embedded critique on politics, race, sexuality, and celebrity. Recently, Abney has drawn from pastoral painting traditions, centering Black subjects to celebrate their resilience and draw attention to histories of exploitative labor; for Fishing Was His Life, she focuses on Black fishing culture and labor through painting and collage. As part of this exhibition, Abney will also apply her bold aesthetic language to the Henry's exterior banner.
(Henry Art Gallery, University District, By donation, Saturday-Sunday; opening)

PNW x PNW Past Event Like List
Artists have attempted to capture the beauty of the Pacific Northwest for centuries, but no one quite knows the place like the locals. In this photography exhibition pulled from the Henry's permanent collection, regional artists like Imogen Cunningham, Eirik Johnson, Mary Randlett, and Darius Reynolds Kinsey do justice to the land we call home through moving landscapes and more.
(Henry Art Gallery, University District, By donation, Saturday-Sunday; opening)

this was a densely wooded hill
Past Event Like List yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective's this was a densely wooded hill looks closely at the displacement of Native peoples and the role institutions play in continued displacement through a material embodiment of grief. The installation uses organic materials like oyster shells and tree stumps, which will be returned to the land when the exhibition ends in a "small gesture of reversal."
(Henry Art Gallery, University District, By donation, Saturday-Sunday; opening)