Seeking: a design festival, a new waterfront brewery, and rentable boats
+ an invitation to Pickle Bánh
Hello friends! Is everyone staying cool? It’s been an uncharacteristically hot summer in the PNW so far. Usually, it doesn’t heat up like this until the end of July/August, but things are a little flip-flopped this year — it looks like we’ll get some relief starting now through next week.
Before we get into this week’s recs, I have a few announcements and a hot tip for you:
I’m guiding a new series for Real Roots starting with a Meet & Greet next Tuesday, 7/23! It’s a fun summer series with some experiences that I’ve personally planned (eek!), so it will hopefully be a good time. My first group was incredible and fully converted me to this unique way of making friends. They match people by hand so there’s no guarantee you’d be in my group if you sign up, but all the guides I’ve met are amazing. Let me know if you have any questions about it!
I’ve been hosting a weekly pickleball meet-up with my boyfriend this summer and now that it’s an established fun time, I’d love to invite any of you to attend our August sessions. It’s hosted on Thursdays at the Mount Baker courts from 6-8 pm and called Pickle Bánh (we bring bánh mis for anyone who opts in since it occurs over the dinner hour).
FYI: It’s beginner-friendly and we always have extra paddles for people to use. If you’re unsure, I recommend RSVP-ing as a “maybe” so you can get text reminders about it (you can always update it later).
🔥 HOT TIP: I just got an email from Do206 announcing their partnership with THING Festival and links to get 50% off day ($64.75) or weekend ($174.75) GA passes. Sharing the links below, but if they don’t work reply to this email and I’ll forward it to you!
Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Weekend
*This post is a little long, so don’t forget to expand if it gets cut off in your email!
💎 Local gems
Seattle Design Festival | SLU
Last year I volunteered at the Seattle Design Festival and was amazed that such a cool, thought-provoking event is free to the public (I made the reel above during my volunteer shift!). The festival was founded to celebrate all the ways that design makes life better for Seattle and brings together creative people from so many sectors to reimagine different aspects of our city and world. Not only are the installations beautiful (and make for a great photo op), but they also have important messages or questions for us to ponder.
The festival feels even more important in a year where we need a little hope and inspiration. This year the theme is “What If?” and will be hosted on August 17th and 18th in the park near the MOHAI in SLU. Highly recommend stopping by before getting lunch or dinner — you’re guaranteed to have plenty of things to talk about while you eat.
If you’re interested in volunteering, you can still sign up here as onboarding starts at the end of this month. If you volunteer, you’ll get a free ticket to the closing party which I’m helping to plan this year!
Halite | Uptown
Last weekend I went to Zoe Kahn’s film photography show at Halite, a vintage shop in the Northwest Work Lofts that regularly hosts local artists. I was there to see Zoe’s work IRL, but the curated vintage selection of clothing, home goods, and gifts also caught my eye.
This Saturday they’re hosting a big summer sale with tons of discounts and pop-up tattoos. I recommend stopping in before or after getting pizza at the MOTO Pizza next door.
👀 On my radar
Gasworks Brewing | Fremont
tipped me off to this new brewery on Lake Union and I’ve been dying to go. It’s right next to Westward and Bowriders Grill (another spot I’ve been wanting to try) and is already very popular (I heard lines are long and tables are hard to find on weekends) so I’d recommend going earlier in the day or on a weekday.
What the Dance | Various locations
My friend Ben plans awesome themed dance parties all over the US but he has quite a few coming up in Seattle this summer at Nectar Lounge and High Dive:
7/20 | UNCRUEL SUMMER | All the girly pop hits
7/25 | CLUB XCX | It’s a Charli xcx brat summer y’all
7/27 | GOOD LUCK CLUB | An unapologetic party of queer pop hits
8/17 | WORK IT! | 90s/00s R&B and Hip Hop throwbacks
8/22 | GAME, SET, PARTY | Challengers-inspired, wear your tennis skirt
8/30 | TEASE, TEASE, TEASE | Flirty pop night
Get My Boat | Various locations
A few weeks ago I featured a platform where you could rent a stranger’s pool. The natural evolution of this is a site where you can rent a stranger’s boat. This seems similar to the peer-to-peer car-sharing platform Turo but it’s definitely a little more complicated than getting access to a pool for a few hours.
To take it out on your own you’ll need a boater’s card (although some of the owners can provide a 24-hour card?) but for those of us who are intimidated by the responsibility, you can also opt to include a captain. If you’ve done this, let me know how your experience was!
Timeleft: Dinners with Strangers | Various locations
Another social connection startup has been popping up in my IG feed recently. This one is called Timeleft and they host dinners for strangers across the world every Wednesday. They just launched in Seattle!
The gist is that you complete a quick personality test and then an algorithm matches you with five compatible guests to have dinner with. They make the reservation and the app provides you with conversation topics during dinner. The freaky part is that after the dinner, you RATE your dining companions, and if you mutually hit it off, you unlock in-app chatting.
That feature is a little too Black Mirror-esque for my tastes and I’m more inclined to do something like Real Roots, but the community builder in me kinda needs to see what this is all about. Maybe it’s not as dystopian as it sounds?
June is the First Fall | C-ID
My friend and Seeking Seattle reader David (who I met through the Seattle Design Festival!) is co-directing this play at the Theatre Off Jackson in the C-ID. It tells the story of Don, “a gay Chinese man, who returns home to Hawaii to rediscover missing memories of his family that he moved away from. This return opens up wounds that never healed, revealing the struggles in this family to find love, acceptance, and belonging.” Beautiful!
The play runs almost nightly from 7/18 - 7/27 and the 7/21 show includes a discussion panel to explore themes and deeper insights of the play.
Old Street Malatang | Capitol Hill
I’m a sucker for build-your-own anything, so this BYO Szechuan hot pot spot from FOB Poke Bar is right up my alley. Instead of building one large pot together, you get to build your own “Malatang” by weight at $12.99/lb. They also offer a dry hot pot if you’re not feeling broth (like now when it’s 80+ degrees outside). Their fresh ingredient count is currently sitting at 48, but they hope to reach 60 soon. Excited for another casual but interesting option on the hill!
📆 This weekend’s events
Secret Cinema | Thursday, 7/18 | Columbia City | Free
Jefferson Jumpstart | Thursday, 7/18 | Beacon Hill | Free (one of my favorite neighborhood events, recommend getting a takeout pizza from Bar del Corso to enjoy while you watch!)
Summer at Sam: Live Music & Art | Thursday, 7/18 | Belltown | Free
Tasting Notes with Chef J. Kenji Lopez-Alt | Friday, 7/19 | Downtown | $20-125
James Vincent McMorrow | Friday, 7/19 | Belltown | $35
Chinatown Food Walk | Saturday, 7/20 | C-ID | $20-125
Bagels & Shmear Workshop @ The Pastry Project | Saturday, 7/20 | Pioneer Square | $150
West Seattle Float Dodger 5K & Grand Parade | Saturday, 7/20 | West Seattle | $0-50 (I’ll be running this with a few friends! I’m not a runner, but the concept sounds fun: you run the 5k before the parade and then get to watch it from a brewery)
Columbia City Night Market | Saturday, 7/20 | Columbia City | Free
Hootie & the Blowfish | Saturday, 7/20 | Auburn | $43+
Summer at Sam: Yoga, Live Music & Book Club | Sunday, 7/21 | Belltown | Free
Reggae on the Way Music and Arts Festival | Sunday, 7/21 | Tacoma | $69-169
GeezerFest | Sunday, 7/21 | Georgetown | $15-20
Chinatown Seafair Parade | Sunday, 7/21 | Georgetown | $15-20
Multi-day:
Sister Act | 7/18 - 7/20 | Greenwood | $25-62 (the show on Saturday has an optional beer tasting you can add on)
Shakespeare in the Park | 7/18 - 7/21 | Various locations | Free
June is the First Fall | 7/18 - 7/21 | C-ID | $20-50
Alki Art Fair | 7/19 - 7/21 | Alki | Free
Dubsea Fishsticks | 7/19 - 7/21 | White Center | $13.50
Bite of Seattle | 7/19 - 7/21 | Seattle Center | Free
Capitol Hill Block Party | 7/19 - 7/21 | Capitol Hill | Free
Seafair Indian Days Powwow | 7/19 - 7/21 | Discovery Park | Free
Bon Odori Festival | 7/20 - 7/21 | Central District | Free
Vashon Strawberry Festival | 7/20 - 7/21 | Vashon Island | Free
What’s next:
7/23 | One of my favorite authors, Carmen Maria Machado, is in the last Clarion West Summer Reading Series session at Town Hall.
7/24 | Pac Sci is hosting a Summer Nights Happy Hour that includes after-hours access to their Laser Dome, Planetarium, and Tropical Butterfly House with drinks for purchase. The next one will be on 8/24.
7/31 | Pac Sci will also host LASER BRAT SUMMER at their Laser Dome with a Charli XCX and Chappell Roan show.
8/2 - 8/3 | Conor Byrne is hosting their grand reopening as a co-op with The Moondoggies as headliners and other supporting acts.
9/6 - 9/7 | The 13th annual Cider Summit will be hosted on the SLU Discovery Center Lawn right on the lake which sounds lovely.
11/10 | Will 2024 be the year when I finally see David Sedaris live? He just announced his return to Seattle this fall.
🚨 ICYMI
Cheers! Hong Kong is taking over the previous Lionhead spot on Capitol Hill. One of my favorite Korean spots, Oma Bap, is closing down after 10 years. Canlis is turning into KENLIS on August 9th and 10th (unfortunately tickets are already sold out but there is a waitlist you can join). The Seattle Kraken just announced their schedule for the 2024/25 season. The Washington Ensemble Theatre also shared what plays are part of their 21st season.
🌟 Seek of the week
New section alert! Trying something new here where I ask YOU for something I’m seeking. This week it’s the best spots in the city to paddle board (+ swim). I’m a new SUP owner and after driving aimlessly up and down Lake Washington Boulevard on a hot summer evening this week, I’ve acknowledged that I need help from the pros.
Madrona Beach!!! 🤝🤝🤝🤝
thank you for including our shop!! 🤍🤍