Arts & Entertainment

Space Needle at 50!

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Today begins a six month celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the World’s Fair and the Space Needle… as a Seattle, Washington symbol and attraction.  The celebration runs April 21 – October 21st, 2012.

The Seattle Center showcases festivals, sporting events, fireworks at the Needle on New Year’s Eve, arts & entertainment, and holiday happenings.  The Seattle Center is changing and leaving behind some history with it.  One thing that the Space Needle represented fifty years ago is the future (space age), and today in 2012, the anniversary celebration takes on “The Next Fifty” in which the city will be focusing on the areas that will promote future development and well-being for the area.  Many human interest stories and other are being showcased right now… whether it be the iron worker that helped build the Space Needle, the shuttle drivers, or of those that came to enjoy the rides.  It was just recently that the amusement part of the Seattle Center has been removed.  Elvis Presley showed up at the fair in the late summer to shoot “It Happened At The World’s Fair”.  There have been books published.  The local newspapers, magazines, and news stations of the Puget Sound are featuring these stories.  Check out their websites for past photos, stories, and a list of events.

A number of events, publications, and attractions that are surrounding this celebration are:

I could go on and on about all the activities, both those that regularly occur here, as well as those that focus on the 1962 World’s Fair 50th Anniversary.  To help you gather your itinerary and make your plans:  www.spaceneedle.com; www.seattlecenter.com; www.pacificsciencenter.org; www.thenextfifty.org; www.mccawhall.com; www.chihulygardenandglass.com; www.seattlemonorail.com; www.keyarena.com; www.empsfm.org; www.2daysinseattle.com; www.visitseattle.org

Whether you are 20 or 90 years of age, take the time to learn or to remember, and you will no doubt find it fascinating.  This was and is both a local and international celebration.  So cool!

Hello April!

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It is April 1st and it is a time to think ahead to sunnier days and the upcoming festival season.  Have you started getting tickets to the plethora of summer concerts?  Did you know that this March was the 3rd wettest on record for March in Seattle history?  Why am I thinking Summer when it is Spring?  It’s the time of year to Spring ahead, right?

Looking for something to do this month?  Here is a sampling of ideas:

  • Head to Mount Vernon (and surrounding towns) to see the tulip fields – the largest display in the great US of A
  • It’s National Park Week – admission to the National Park’s is free all week April 21 – April 29th
  • Enjoy a new restaurant during Seattle Restaurant Week – April 8 – 12th and 15 – 19th
  • Washington Artisan Cheesemakers Festival – April 7th at the Seattle Design Center
  • The Space Needle starts their 50-year celebration this month (a separate post coming soon)
  • Pike Place Market – April 20th Arcade Lights: a celebration of artisan food, beer, and wine
  • Support a cause – how about the MS Walk on April 15th? Alaska Airlines Arena/UW
  • Go shopping for a pop of color
  • April 21st – World Class Crab Races and Feed, Westport, WA
  • Moooove on over to the Spring Fair in Puyallup – April 19th – 22nd
  • See the Pacific Northwest Ballet perform Carmina Burana and Apollo at McCaw Hall
  • Check out the 3rd annual Mt. Rainier Spring Wine Festival in Ashford, WA on April 28th (2-8 pm)
  • Astoria, OR hosts the 30th annual Astoria Warrenton Crab, Seafood & Wine Festival – April 27, 28, 29th
  • Take a walk on a trail closest to you…or maybe within four hours reach?
  • It’s baseball season – get in to the swing of things with a Seattle Mariners game at Safeco Field
  • Check your listings for an Earth Day event
  • Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival 2012 at the Seattle Center

Exotic Wines Festival

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The 3rd annual Exotic Wines Festival took place at Teatro ZinZanni, Tuesday, February 21st, 2012.  As this evening was also Mardi Gras, there were attendees in costume and many of the wine reps were wearing masks, hats, beads…all which made it very festive!  And the location at Teatro ZinZanni was perfect! 25 Washington wineries poured some of their more unique wines using these exotic grapes.  These include Tempranillo, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Viognier, Mourvedre, and more.  I had the opportunity to try a number of these and my favorites came from Brian Carter Cellars, Five Star Cellars, Kerloo, and Pleasant Hill Cellars.  A special performance by the beautiful and fabulous Vita Radionova, with the use of hula hoops, was a special treat!  Also, the guests enjoyed getting their pictures taken with the sexy Manuela Horn.  So much fun!  Proceeds benefited the ZinZanni Institute for Circus Arts (ZICA).  http://dreams.zinzanni.org/

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Downtown Seattle – Holiday Lights Tour

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Downtown Seattle is a must see during the month of December. 

  • Gingerbread Village at the Sheraton
  • Stay at or visit the Fairmont Olympic Hotel…beautifully decorated for the season
  • Viewing of the bright star on the Macy’s store
  • Get a coffee or hot cocoa at the 2nd busiest Starbucks on the North American continent (corner of Pine and 4th)
  • Shop, view the decor in the window displays
  • see a musical at the 5th Avenue theatre… like Cinderella (we did!)
  • See the snow fall at Pacific Place, nightly at 6 pm
  • grab a bite…plenty of options.  We stopped at pnk Restaurant & Ultra Lounge this year, located at Pacific Place. Ambitious but missed the mark.  The calamari gets a thumbs up.
  • Pike Place Market
  • And what fun “tourist” event was enjoyed?  the Ride the Ducks Holiday Lights Tour:

Ride the Ducks of Seattle, known for a tour of Seattle by amphibious landing craft, does a Holiday Lights Tour during the holiday season.  Go with a participatory attitude and you’ll likely have a good time. Meg “Nog” was our wacky driver.  The music played was a mix of fun holiday music, 1999 by Prince, and what really made it for me was the Rock N Roll All Night (and party every day) by KISS – Whoo Hoo!  Awesome!  They provided warm blankets, bell ringers, and a duck quacker to add to the festive ride.  Bundle up. It is a short tour (30 minutes) and would suggest that they could go to/around the Seattle Center/Space Needle for more “lights”.  Find a coupon.  If you want more Seattle history and landmark discussion, take the regular tour.  It was a fun addition to the season.  http://ridetheducksofseattle.com/ 

See the December 4, 2010 post for more fun things to do during the holiday season.

 

Madrona… glassybaby, st. clouds

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glassybaby is where it all happens!  The Madrona studio showcases the art of glass blowing and the amazing creation of beautiful pieces of art.   glassybaby is located in Madrona, Bellevue, University Village, and New York City!  glassybabys can be purchased here.  Check out a road show too.  Maybe you want to rent a group of glassybabys for a special occasion?  We attended an event at glassybaby Madrona to benefit the Madrona Community Council…also sponsored by Leschi Market.  One thing you will want to note is that a number of glassybabys are designated to their own particular charity.  For example, if you purchase Wet Dog, a portion of the sales would go to the Humane Society.  There are others…  On the home page of their website,  check out “How to Light a glassybaby”… doesn’t it make you want one?  Under the goodwill section, ingest the message “As a company, we are determined to stay true to our mission, we are grateful to our community for sharing in our journey, remembering that as each of us moves through our own story, it is our own voice we must listen to, it is our light that must shine.”  http://www.glassybaby.com/home.aspx   All I can say is… So cool!

Afterwards, a stop was warranted … St. Clouds, who also offered up a number of snacks at the studio, also offers comforting foods, seasonal menus, subdued lighting and music to go with… The Beautiful Sunsets played this particular evening.  We stopped by for a light bite…Caramelized Onion/Grilled Fig and Goat  Cheese Bruschetta and Rusty’s New York Cheesecake with a half bottle of wine to top it off.  Another word for St. Clouds … Community.  View the Community section of their website for more information on the mission…charitable donations,  homeless cooking, putting people to work.  Check out all the inviting info at:  http://www.stclouds.com/

I will explore the Madrona neighborhood in more depth at a later date as the shops and other dining options are calling…. http://madronaseattle.com/

Suncadia Resort

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Suncadia Resort sits just over the Cascade Mountains, 80 miles east of Seattle in the Cle Elum/Roslyn area.  Need a day away?  This just might be it.  On this weekend in October, the 6th annual Suncadia Harvest Festival is a buzz. 

The history in this area abounds.  It  housed the hunting and fishing grounds of the Yakama First Nations people as well as to the former Coal Mine Number 9.  Suncadia has included remnants of the coal mines.

The Suncadia Harvest Festival offers the little tikes a fun time…a straw maze, pumpkin patch, pony rides, and more.  There are arts and crafts, brews and brats, musical entertainment, and mechanical bull and bouncy houses.

Dine – Hoist House Restaurant – an energetic vibe exists, sit indoors or when the weather permits, enjoy the views and fire pits on the patio.  Fifty 6 degrees – located in the Lodge, enjoy a ballgame, happy hour, Wine Flight Wednesday, Prime Rib night or an afternoon of hangin’ out in the afternoon.  Portals, located in the Lodge – a nice selection and beautiful views makes for a nice lunch out with a friend, family, a date with a special someone, or a corporate dinner.  A friend and I enjoyed our time at Portals – great service and menu selection.  The menu changes seasonally.  There are more options…check out the dining section on their website.

Swiftwater Cellars  – When you visit, you’ll see the varied and appetizing menu at The Hoist House and visit The Boutique at Swiftwater.  Enjoy the wine tasting, $10 for their second label, No.9 and for $14, try a flight of the Pick Axe line-up.  The Rope Rider Golf Course is now open!  The pro shop is located here too.  Live music on Friday and Saturday evenings and happy hour is served up from 3-6 pm on weekdays.  http://www.swiftwatercellars.com/

Stay – The Lodge at Suncadia.  Enjoy the Glade Spring Spa.  Rent a vacation home.  Purchase a condo or home.   If you have a wedding or corporate event, reserve The Inn at Suncadia.  Beautiful views and a rustic elegance interior invites…I happen to feel right at home here.

Recreation – A swim and fitness center, motorized scooter rentals, ATV tours, bike rentals, boat rentals, hiking, geo caching, a bike scavenger hunt, golf (Prospector, Tumble Creek, Rope Rider), fly fishing, horseback riding, CampCadia for those 4-12 yrs. of age, and more.  Depending on the season, there is plenty of fun to keep you busy, or relaxed.  In the winter, enjoy ice skating, snowshoeing, skiing, a rope tow tubing hill, snowmobile tours, winter fly fishing…now this all sounds really fun!

My favorite part of their marketing is “Four seasons of fun” http://www.suncadiaresort.com/

Poverty Bay Blues and Brews Fest

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The Des Moines Rotary presented the second annual Poverty Bay Blues & Brews Festival, September 10th at the Des Moines Beach Park.  Also, on this day, the Des Moines Farmers Market and Poverty Bay Arts Festival took place.  Come rain or shine.   Blues?  they got it!  Brews?  they got that too!  This year’s line up was Little Bill and the Bluenotes (excellent!!!), Rod Cook and Toast, Fabulous Roofshakers, and Left Hand Smoke.

Breweries participating were Odin, Big Al, Hood Canal, Harmon, Elliott Bay, Airways, Stone, Scuttlebutt, Georgetown, Fish Brewing, and M.T. Head.  Masset Winery poured two varietals.  My favorites (based on what style was being served) were M.T. Head and Fish Brewing Company…especially Reel Ales Starfish Imperial Red Ale and Spire Mountain Apple Cider.  This was a nice event to try new styles and breweries.

B & E Meats, as a sponsor, was cooking up their tri tip beef at the Poverty Bay Blues and Brews Fest.  If you want a great selection of fresh products, stop by (or go out of your way) for Steak, Roast, Spareribs, Ground Beef, Ham Shanks, Pork Sausage, Wieners, Fryers, Whole Turkey, Crab Cakes…and more!  http://www.bnemeats.com/  While you are making a day of it in Des Moines, be sure to stop by B & E Meats and Corky Cellars!  Both located on Marine View Drive.  Corky Cellars has an inviting decor and a varied selection of wine, beer, and gifts.  Tastings occur every Saturday 11 am – 5 pm.  Ric and Dianne are the best!  Stop by, say Hi!, enjoy a taste, and bring some home with you!  http://www.corkycellars.com/

Check out http://www.dmrotary.org/events.php  for a list of sponsors and more event info. No pets.  Age 21 and over.  Free Parking. Bring your chair and/or blanket. Located near the beautiful scenery of the Puget Sound.  Proceeds benefit Highline Music 4 Life. http://www.highlinemusic4life.org/.

Bumbershoot 2011

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Do you know what a Bumbershoot is?  it is an umbrella.  Seattle hosts (and One Reel organizes) this an annual three-day music festival on Labor Day weekend called Bumbershoot…which lists both local and international acts.  It is located at the Seattle Center, which has the grounds and venues to carry it off.   The format changes a bit each year.  2011 was more indie focused with less well-known (but high quality) acts.  The headliner for Monday, Labor Day was Daryl Hall and John Oates.  This year, for the first time, Bumbershoot hosted Youngershoot…activites and music for the family.  There is also art, film, and of course, food.  The type of music often depends on which stage they are performing on…whether it be the Starbucks Stage , the Fountain Lawn Stage, the Fisher Green Stage, the EMP Level 3 Stage, the Exhibition Hall, the Intiman Theatre (comedy), or the Bagley Wright Theatre (dance, theater)… and others.  Most stages has its own sponsor.  The Key Arena hosted the mainstage acts.

I was able see a variety this year… the Trey McIntyre Project, Legendary Oaks, Quadron, Wayne Federman and The Gregory Brothers, Dennis Coffey, Charles Bradley, Fitz  and the Tantrums, and part Daryl Hall and John Oates and The Reverend Horton Heat.  All were great choices and I’d have to say my faves were Dennis Coffey (funkn’ it out), Charles Bradley (the Screaming Eagle of Soul), and Fitz and the Tantrums.  That is what is interesting (and fun) about Bumbershoot, there are so many genres and options.  There are so many choices, that you undoubtedly miss those you wish you could have seen too, especially if you only go one day.  You could certainly enjoy something each day of the festival. 

You can bring your own chair and food in, which is helpful if you’re there for all day, which you should be!  Park across the street and you’ll have access to your vehicle without much trouble.  This year mind you we had 80 degree weather… but whether rain (Bumbershoot needed) or shine, you’ll have a good time and see a band, comedy act, dance troupe, or other that you haven’t seen before.

If you didn’t get to it this year – maybe try it next year!  Cool!

A Day of SEA

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A day spent visiting places or seeing things beginning with SEA.  The Seattle Art Museum, Seatown, and the Seattle Seahawks!

The current exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum  http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/   is Beauty & Bounty:  American Art in an Age of Exploration runs June 30 – September 11, 2011.  Yes, you have only one week left to see it.  This exhibit was mainly made up of oil on canvas with some photography and sculpture thrown in.  It also contained the exhibit Reclaimed: Nature & Place Through Contemporary Eyes.  Not my favorite exhibit but I did enjoy the following works of art:

  • Northwest Field Recording (2010) – ink on paper, Victoria Haven  http://www.vichaven.com/  Side A and Side B.  I would love this for my home, office or other…
  • Estes Park (1869) – oil on board, Albert Bierstadt
  • Afternoon along the Shore (1878) – oil on panel, Herman Herzog
  • Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (1878) – oil on canvas, Thomas Moran

Seatown – this restaurant is located on the busy corner of Western and Virginia in Downtown Seattle.  Just a hop skip and a jump to Pike Place Market or across the street to the park where the waters of the Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains can be seen.  Seatown is a Tom Douglas creation and offers prime viewing of the hustle and bustle of a summer’s day (perfect for the tourist in all of us).  Based on the menu selection and the competition around every corner, I can recommend it for lunch or a late afternoon bite.  The not so pleasant part of the escape – our server had a nonchalant attitude and she took her time with getting us our bill.  What we did enjoy however, besides the location, was the Dungeness Crab Cocktail, Oyster combo, and the Dahlia Bakery bread (with butter and rosemary lardo).  Check out the menu here:  http://tomdouglas.com/index.php/restaurants/seatown

Seattle Seahawks –  the Seattle Seahawks played their longtime West Coast rival, the Oakland Raiders.  I have a hard time not saying Raiders without ESPN’s Chris Berman’s take on it.  They played at CenturyLink Field in the last preseason game before starting the regular NFL season next Sunday.  The sunset this evening was a beauty.  Prior to the game, Safeco Field’s “The Pen” opens for happy hour where you can quench your thirst and snack on a slice of pepperoni pizza at APizza (or other).  Good stuff!  Seahawks won 20-3.  Next up – Emerald Downs (see May 2010 post)

Art in the Garden

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Bellevue Botanical Garden’s second annual Art in the Garden was August 26-28th.  It was a nice location for such an event as there is plenty of space for the showing of mosaics, ceramic luminaries, cast iron and steel sculptures, cement leaves, and copper water features, among others.  The price range for most of the outdoor art was $50 – 1000’s (with a few less than).  I especially liked Aiko Vail/Poul Erickson’s fused glass as well as Alison Hoagland’s blown glass garden ornaments.  Another favorite was John Daoura’s wine barrel furniture (Dakota Craftworks) – the quality is apparent in these pieces, whether it be the chair, table, or other.  The chair has a space for a wine glass too. 

The Bellevue Botanical Garden boasts 53 acres of display gardens, woodlands, meadows, and wetlands.  The Art in the Garden gave us an opportunity to view what was in season, which was mainly the dahlias.  The land that makes up the Bellevue Botanical Garden also hosts those looking for outdoor recreation, with trails such as the Lake to Lake trail, Lost Meadow Trail and the Loop Trail.  Stop in to visit The Trillium Gift Shop or in December, the festive Garden D’Lights.   http://www.ci.bellevue.wa.us/botanical_garden.htm  http://www.bellevuebotanical.org/fmvisitor.htm