Things to Do in Seattle

Seattle’s renowned chefs rotate through guest spots at nonprofit FareStart, each bringing a tailored three-course menu. The dinners, from cooked by folks like José Garzón of Bad Chancla and Nathan Lockwood of Carrello and Altura, routinely sell out weeks before the tasting menus make it to the table. 

Seattle’s expanded roster of weekly neighborhood farmers markets is in full summer swing; coming up, hot sauce master Papa Tony drops by Columbia City,  chef Hand Yahya leads a demo in Magnolia, and Phinney plays host for Iranian-American cook the Caspian Chef.

Art forms collide in the annual mashup of culinary genius and chamber music. Celebrated local chefs—Mutsuko Soma, Kenji Lopez-Alt, and their peers—lead onstage demos backed by live chamber music. This year, the event boasts a family-style four-course dinner so ticket holders can watch, listen, and taste. 

The annual seafood returns to Ballard, touting a refreshed name that centers the festival’s other big to-do: music. Much stays the same: local seafood vendors line NW Market Street, the beloved salmon barbecue dishes the alder-smoked fish, a beer garden sits opposite the main stage, and the lutefisk speed-eating contest continues its entertaining tradition.

Stand face to face dozens of chameleons, compare wingspans with a Japanese spider crab, and peer at mandala-like compositions of everything from butterflies to birds. Using immaculately preserved specimens, artist Christopher Marley hosts a gallery show just across from the Seattle Ferry Terminal where creepy crawlies turn into works of art. 

Ethereal installations from Lotus L. Kang land at the free First Hill museum this summer. Poetic reflections on memory, translation, and inheritance take the form of huge floor-to-ceiling photography film sheets intentionally exposed to light. 

Monochromatic paintings by Samantha Yun Wall are both haunting and captivating; their inspiration draws from a Korean folk tale of loss and familial ties, a flower motif weaving together the pieces that speak to stigmatization and taboo. 

Imagine an ice cream truck, but replace the looping jingle with intimate concerts from world-class pianists, violinists, and cellists. Chamber music comes to parks (Gasworks, Seward, Hing Hay) and outdoor venues (Seattle Chinese Garden, the Salish Steps, Washington Park Arboretum) with four engaging, family-friendly programs.

Nothing screams summer quite like a concert under PNW skies; from season-long series on the Chateau Ste. Michelle lawn and Woodland Park’s ZooTunes to one-off fests like Capitol Hill Block Party and Bumbershoot, the Seattle area takes tunes outside, and our outdoor concert guide chronicles every date. Next up, July kicks off with a live album recording at the Seattle Center Mural Amphitheatre from Shelby Natasha. 

Three days of nonstop local music—from noise rock of Zookraught to True Love’s funk and soul—fills California Avenue, not to mention the requisite beer gardens, vendors, and merch booths. A dedicated kids zone hawks inflatables, arcade games, and soccer, in keeping with the theme of the summer. 

In a tale of a 13-year-long friendship, five Iranian women look inwards to the support of each other when uncertainty and unrest rises around them. The show will make you want to call your best friend in the cozy West Seattle theater. 

An ode to Seattle’s gay disco of the 1970s, a multi-week art activation at Pioneer Square’s Actualize Space studios pairs visual art with drag performances, a disco roof party, a film screening, and dance performances.

The circus is for the birds—in the most dazzling, creative, entertaining way. The returning cabaret show stars poultry and feathered friends in burlesque and acrobatic feats in Green Lake’s historic theater. A family-friendly 2pm show drops the adult-eyes-only acts for more circus magic and silliness. 

Ballard’s adorable Majestic Bay Theatre pairs their iconic marquee and PNW-themed retro decor with classic films crowdsourced by social media. Up next, a veritable marathon of Lord of the Rings installments screen.

A 2019 documentary combines remastered footage of humanity’s “big leap,” stitching together the story of the first steps on the moon with interviews, Mission Control footage, and behind-the-scenes tapes inside the spacecraft. As it’s Free First Thursday, the screening—and admission to the Museum of Flight—are no charge.

Hiccup and Toothless take flight in Benaroya Hall, accompanied by the thrilling, Oscar-nominated score played live by the Seattle Symphony. The concert music infuses new magic into the adorable adventure fantasy tale. 

Escape room meets true crime podcast in the newest immersive Fever exhibit to land in Seattle: psychology deep dives, recreated crime scenes, and a virtual reality forensic lab lend a peek into the minds of over 20 serial killers—including locals like the Green River Killer and Ted Bundy.

Seattle plays host to six FIFA World Cup matches at Lumen Field, but watch parties, celebrations, and themed specials go into play all across the state. For where to catch a game—or avoid crowds—in Seattle, check out our guide.

In cahoots with the pop culture museum’s new exhibition of Janette Beckman’s photography, a members-only day digs deeper into her iconic artist portraits, street fashion photography, and activism. Hearing from the voice behind the museum’s installation, exhibition lead Amalia Kozloff screens a short documentary, leads a discussion, and hosts a guided tour through the gallery. 

Class is in session among the newest SAM gallery, a gentle trek through the Pacific Northwest art and artists of the 20th century. Guided tours on Thursdays and weekends offer behind-the-scenes trivia and deeper dives into artwork crafted in our backyard.

Anonymous, pink-masked Chuck Tingle of Bury Your Gays and Lucky Day returns for another summer at Third Place Books. Past visits have brought riotous, can’t-miss multimedia presentations; this visit, in support of supernatural fiction release featuring a fashion influencer moonlighting as a grave robber, promises equally high energy.

Part book release party, part community storytelling event, author Rachel Karp unveils her tome and its stories from 38 lesbian bars around the country. She’s not the only one telling tales; anyone can contribute stories ahead of the Wildrose-hosted event.

On days with particularly low tides, tide pool creatures come out to play, and expert naturalists from the Seattle Aquarium don boots and head down to the shoreline. From the Olympic Sculpture Garden Pocket Beach to Golden Gardens, naturalists station at six area beaches to help tide poolers identify finds, lend fun facts, and teach about keeping the shore’s creatures safe.

It’s back, 70 minutes of pure feline greatness. SIFF screens the compilation, curated by indie film company Oscilloscope Laboratories, wherein funny, musically-talented, and downright cute cats get their moment on the big screen. 

Held beneath the tree canopy at the whimsical Rainier Beach Urban Farm, Tilth Alliance’s final Seasonal Table meal of the summer is marshaled by Mezzanotte’s Devon Capocelli. The en plein air family-style meals support the organization’s mission towards a sustainable, equitable food future.