Our arts critics have already recommended 57 great things to do this week and our music critics have picked the 43 best music shows, but there are still hundreds more events happening. To prevent some of the quirkier and more extraordinary ones from slipping through the cracks, we've compiled them here—from the Horrible Art Gala to the Rock Lottery, and from Peat Week to the Ursulmas Medieval Faire. For even more options this week, check out our complete Things To Do calendar.
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- Cinderella: PNB Immersion Experience
Go behind the scenes of the Pacific Northwest Ballet's Cinderella by witnessing Company dancers rehearsing excerpts, sitting in on a Q&A with PNB artists, and getting an exclusive look at the costumes. READINGS & TALKS
- J.S. James, W.H. Cameron
Two Northwest mystery writers with excellent mystery-writer names will share their latest novels.TUESDAY-SATURDAY
FOOD & DRINK
- Peat Week
Westland Distillery will celebrate their yearly "Week of Reek" (seven whole days devoted to smoky, odoriferous peated whiskeys) with a bottle release, a symposium, and a cocktail competition.WEDNESDAY
COMEDY
- Laugh Rehab Comedy Show
Staking a claim on the "rawest, most unlawful stand-up urban comedy ever," this showcase will feature Jaylee "DoShe" Thomas and Justin Hayes. FOOD & DRINK
- Beer and Bees
If you've ever dreamed of tending your own hive of bees, learn the finer points of apiculture over pints at this event led by beekeeper Jason of Woodland Bee Company. GEEK
- Astronomy on Tap: Searching in Astronomy, for Literature and Planets!
Keyan Gootkin will kick off this edition of Astronomy on Tap with a discussion of his quest for a perfect citation. After that, Diana Windemuth will give you a glimpse into the future of exoplanet science observations. PERFORMANCE
- Seattle All Star Drag Show by Dragtours.biz
Join local drag queens LaSaveona Hunt, Amora Dior Black, Miss Mila Skyy, Stacey Starstruck, Dion Dior Black, and others for the first of a new monthly drag show hosted by Dragtours.biz. SPORTS & RECREATION
- Mappy Hour SEA: Snowshoeing 101 / Explore More Challenge Launch
Sip some adult beverages and learn how to make the most of the great Pacific Northwest outdoors from Colton Whitworth, a snowshoeing expert and Forest Service representative of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY
PERFORMANCE
- Steel Magnolias
Six strong Louisianan ladies share friendship and love at Truvy's beauty shop in Robert Sarling's stirring tale of empowerment, best known for the Dolly Parton film adaptation.THURSDAY
COMEDY
- Jokes Inside: A Comedy Show Benefitting the EEU
Susan Jones has toured with Rob Schneider and Dana Carvey, has been featured on NBC and RideTV, and now will headline a night of chuckles with local comics Scott Cavazos, Ann Elise, Dan Hurwitz, Bernice Jing Ye, Stephanie Nam, and Kyle Stevens. Proceeds will benefit the Experimental Education Unit, an inclusive early-education school for kids of all abilities. COMMUNITY
- Empowering Refugee Students: How We Can Help
The World Affairs Council will organize a workshop with young activist and educator Isra Chaker (featured in the We the Future exhibition) about helping refugee students. FOOD & DRINK
- Fruit Sour Revelry
Sip some refreshingly fruity, pucker-forming brews, including Anchorage An Eternity (marionberry), Cascade Sang Noir (grapes), Dwinell Fruit Machine (cherries), Matchless Blackberry Barrel, Stillwater Insetto (plum), and Urban Family Guava Dawn. GEEK
- Warmest Regards: Schitt's Creek Trivia
Geeks Who Drink will put on a special trivia night dedicated to the life and times of the Schitt's Creek family. Best wishes and warmest regards! MUSIC
- Committed - A Rock n Roll Photography Exhibit
Check out lively work by music photographers Travis Trautt, Jake Hanson, Rachel Bennett, and Eric Tra, and sate your inevitable craving for rockin' with a DJ set from Acid Tongue, a live set from NYC's the Advertisers, and an additional surprise guest. PERFORMANCE
- Opera on Tap: Head in The Clouds
Opera on Tap presents all the professional talent of a night out at a fancy theater without the fanciness or the theater. Tonight, enjoy a program featuring "thinkers, dreamers, and... maybe a few space cadets" with sopranos Ksenia Popova and Sarah Fletcher, tenor Brendan Tuohy, baritone Jonah Spool, and David McDade as the one-man orchestra. READINGS & TALKS
- James Meyer: The Art of Return
Meyer uses "art criticism, theory, memoir, and fiction" to explore that most revolutionary of decades, the '60s, with an emphasis on artists and writers born during this era who did their best to understand and evoke it in retrospect. - Survival by Degrees: 369 Species on the Brink
Learn how climate change is affecting North American bird species in Washington State and what actions you can take to save them. - Who Can We Trust? Technology's Impact on Democracy
Technology is great, but as social networks and digital platforms become more advanced, privacy issues abound. For this talk, reps from the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public will discuss solutions for building trust in the digital age.THURSDAY-SUNDAY
SPORTS & RECREATION
- Northwest Yoga Conference
Yogis can immerse themselves in five days of workshops and talks that cover everything from meditation to the chakra system to yoga for chronic pain.FRIDAY
FOOD & DRINK
- Mead Release! Spicy Strawberry Lime with Ghost Pepper
With kicky ghost pepper, sweet strawberries, and punchy limeade, this new flavor from the Sodo mead purveyors couldn't be further from the Old English variety. Other available options include a spicy ginger-cardamom number, a lavender concoction, a bean berry situation, and more. Once you're a little boozed up, stay on for a dance party with Flow Studios. - Robert Burns Scotch Dinner at the Anderson School
Do Rabbie Burns proud by savoring Scotch, including Auchentoshan American Oak, Bowmore 12-year, Laphroaig 10-year, Bowmore 15-year Darkest and Laphroaig Lore, paired with a menu created by the McMenamins Anderson School chefs. - Saturnalia 2020
At this bacchanalia, revel in the age-old tradition of Saturnalia, an ancient Roman pagan festival traditionally celebrated in December in honor of Saturn. To pay homage to the agricultural deity, Chef Killian Drake will prepare a lavish "phantasmagorical feast" sourced from local gardens, ethical butchers, and local farms and wineries, and digging in with your hands is recommended for maximum hedonism. Guests are encouraged to dress to the nines with period costume or fancy clothes and bring along siggilaria (a small wax pottery figurine given as a Saturnalia gift) to bestow upon servers and chefs at the event. MUSIC
- 100% That Queen - A Dance Party of Lizzo and Other Queens!
Local drag performers will join you for a dance party paying tribute to Lizzo and her divine contemporaries. DJ Pretty Please will be on the decks. - Beijos do Mar
Local DJs will spin and local artists will show work at this fundraiser for the Brazilian marine environmental learning network PainelMar. - Weener, Green Floyd
This cover night twofer will bring you live sets from Ween tribute Weener and Pink Floyd tribute Green Floyd. PERFORMANCE
- Interdisciplinary Performance Series
Katrina Wolfe's performance series will feature a variety of solos and duets. Tonight, Wolfe will dance solo with music by Amy Denio with a foraged pine cone installation hanging from the ceiling, which "will be transformed and ultimately deconstructed as the piece progresses." SPORTS & RECREATION
- Daybreaker SEA // Soaring 20s
This early-morning yoga session and dance party will get a dose of vintage glam in honor of the new and old '20s. Healthy snacks will be provided. VISUAL ART
- Art Battle Seattle City Championships
The live painting series will invite the 2019 season finalists to compete for a spot in the US Art Battle National Competition in Texas in April. Buy some of the resulting 20-minute paintings in an auction.FRIDAY-SATURDAY
COMEDY
- Ivan Decker
Previously featured in the weed-fueled Gateway Show, LA-based comic Ivan Decker will take the stage in a less blazed state (maybe?). MUSIC
- School of Rock
The tiny musical treasures of School of Rock will perform classic metal, Beatles hits, and Pink Floyd jams. - Seattle Pop Punk Festival
Shake off that winter chill and get your energy levels up for two days of double digits' worth of pop punk bands, both local and national, including the reunion of Sicko. PERFORMANCE
- Teasy Like Sunday Morning: An Easy Listening Burlesque Experience
Though it will not, in fact, take place on a Sunday morning, this burlesque show will relax some muscles even as it...ahem...stimulates others. Enjoy performances by Jessabelle Thunder!, Eartha Quake, Velvet Ice, Faggedy Randy, Ernie Von Schmaltz, Seraphina Fiero, and Iva Handfull, plus aerials by Anna Clara Buoyant and music by Lisa and Eric "Travis" Wilson. Rebecca Mmm Davis will host.FRIDAY-SUNDAY
FESTIVALS
- Lake Chelan Winterfest
Lake Chelan hosts two weekends of wintery fun for the whole family, including ice sculptures, live music, wine and beer tastings, a polar bear splash, snow yoga, a massive beach bonfire, and a fireworks show.SATURDAY
COMEDY
- Give ICS Money! An Improv and Music Benefit Show!
Enjoy music and improv in this benefit show for Immanuel Community Services, which helps out homeless people in South Lake Union. COMMUNITY
- Civic Saturday
Eric Liu will host Civic Saturday, described as "a civic analogue to church": a service that celebrates the American civic tradition through readings, songs, silent reflection, poetry by Naa Akua, and a sermon by Liu himself.
After witnessing a lion dance, take a "passport journey" through the museum to make crafts with local artists, learn about the Asian zodiac, win prizes, and discover all the different ways the Lunar New Year is celebrated around the world. FOOD & DRINK
- Lunar New Year Malasada Pop-Up
In honor of Lunar New Year, Super Six will stuff malasadas (a kind of Portuguese doughnut, dusted in crunchy granulated sugar) with a filling made from White Rabbits milk candies, a nostalgic Chinese sweet. - Roaring Twenties Party Cruise
The only thing that would've made Jay Gatsby's parties better is if his house were a boat that sailed along Lake Washington. Make him roll over in his imaginary grave with jealousy by attending this throwback affair in your best 1920s garb for a night of drinks, fancy appetizers, and live DJs. MUSIC
- Best You've Ever Seen "Enter The Void" re-scored by 'nohup' & Surrealized
In this series, one band and one DJ invent a new score for a popular film. This time, it's Gaspar Noé's trippy 2009 fantasy-drama Enter the Void, scored by electronic artist nohup. - Billy Idol & Duran Duran Tribute Night
Pay tribute to two iconic '80s rockers as Whiplash Smile and Tiger Tiger take the stage for one night to play the hits and relive the glory days of a bygone era of rock 'n' roll. - Daft Punk vs Basement Jaxx Dance Party
Celebrate two iconic dance music duos with DJs Streeter, Nathan Detroit, Ben Tactic, and Parker Mills. - Guitar Gods Review
Guitarist Rod DeGeorge will bring back hits from Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and others in this "virtuosic-drenched tribute show." - Poppy
Bizarro pop Barbie web artist Poppy has racked up hundreds of millions of views on YouTube for her many surreal Technicolor videos. She'll be performing tracks off of her last album on her I Disagree Tour. - Rock Lottery
Twenty-five musicians are organized into five bands through a lottery-style selection, and are then released to their respective practice locations. The musicians have 12 hours to determine a band name and create three to five songs (only one of which can be a cover) before returning to the venue for a performance. Proceeds benefit Black Fret Seattle, a nonprofit that provides financial assistance to up-and-coming musicians. PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE
- Onesie Pub Crawl
Slip your arms and legs into a singular garment for this wild annual bar crawl, where you could win prizes for your outfit. PERFORMANCE
- Josephine: A Burlesque Cabaret Dream Play
This one-woman musical tells the story of the iconic civil rights activist and entertainer Josephine Baker. Michael Marinaccio directs.
- Nightingale: A Musical
In honor of the pioneering nurse Florence Nightingale's 200th birthday, the Washington State Nurses Association and the nonprofit HEARTS: Health & Arts will present a touring production of a musical based on her bold, dramatic life. - Opera From a Sistah’s Point of View
Angela Brown stars in this one-night production co-presented by Seattle Opera and the Northwest African American Museum. With the goal of exposing diverse communities to the art form, Brown will perform a "hilarious, educational narrative" interspersed with charming arias. - Paper Moon: A Vintage Cabaret
Get those nostalgia wheels a-turning at this old-timey, speakeasy-style cabaret. RESISTANCE & SOLIDARITY
- Tax Amazon Action Conference
District 3 Councilmember Kshama Sawant and her coalition of progressive, labor, and renters' rights organizations invite you to join a discussion of Amazon Tax proposals, including how much it should raise annually and what it should fund. SEX
- Consent Fest 2020
How do you and the people around you practice consent, and how can we all do better? Explore these and other questions through games and discussion at the fourth annual Consent Fest. SHOPPING
- Altar Space Crystals Pop-Up Event
Is your wellness altar looking a little shabby? Shop for crystals and other mystical wares from this pop-up. SPORTS & RECREATION
- Flatstick Pub .5K Fun Run 2020
More fun than run, this event invites you to walk or jog a zippy half-mile course in Pioneer Square and finish with a post-race party complete with live DJs, games, and a raffle. Costumes are highly encouraged. - Jello Evolved: 'Break the Mold!'
Seattle's Outrageous Gelatin Gladiators will lay waste to a pool of cherry-flavored Jell-O. Want to show off your own amateur wrestling skills? Wear a wild costume and enter the pit, if you dare. There will also be Jell-O shots for comsuming. - Rainier Roller Riot's 2020 Season Opening Bout
The newly minted Rainier Roller Roller Riot will take no prisoners in this 2020 kickoff bout against Northwest Derby Company. VISUAL ART
- 3rd Annual Horrible Art Gala/HAG!
The subjectivity of "good" and "bad" art will be put to the test at this no-holds-barred show that aims to strike up a dialogue about gallery politics. If something strikes your fancy, get ready to bid on featured works in auctions throughout the evening.SATURDAY-SUNDAY
FESTIVALS
- Ursulmas Medieval Faire
Experience all the fun parts of the Middle Ages at the 38th annual Ursulmas Medieval Faire, where you'll be surrounded by feats of chivalry, fine arts, entertainment, and a marketplace.SUNDAY
FILM
- Mamboniks
This documentary reveals how, in a segregated and anti-Semitic America, Jewish dancers went crazy for Latin dance. Come early for an optional dance class plus drinks and tapas. - The Sequel: What Will Follow Our Troubled Civilization?
Who couldn't use an optimistic view of the post-economic collapse? Drawing on work by David Fleming, this film imagines a thriving civilization that shows resilience in the face of hardship. FOOD & DRINK
- Bad Hunter
Chicago's New American restaurant Bad Hunter, known for its vegetable-centric menu and low-ABV craft cocktails, will team up with Navy Strength for an Omakase cocktail tasting. Tickets include two rounds of tastings paired with Navy Strength bites. Later on, à la carte options will open up to the public. - Machine House Bake Off 2020: Cookies
At Machine House's "mildly competitive" monthly potluck, watch contestants vie to turn out the best cookies, judged by votes from other participants and patrons and by guest "celebrity" judges from Cloudburst Brewing and Proper Fish. - Sweet Home Chicago Beer Event
Try a Chicago-style hot dog that's "fully dressed and ready to party" alongside The Art of Holding Space (a 3% ABV table beer from master cicerone Averie Swanson's Chicago mixed-culture beer project Keeping Together, rarely found outside Chicago), plus two unusual Seattle beers from Half Acre Beer Company and Off Color Brewing. - Valhalla Beer Dinner Series with Fremont Brewing
Feast like a Norse seafaring warrior with a hearty six-course dinner with five beer pairings from Fremont Brewing. MUSIC
- Hip-Hop Orchestra
Thee Phantom & the Illharmonic Orchestra will "combine the raw energy and passion of hip-hop, with the beautiful sounds of live, orchestral accompaniment." The group will be joined live by the Amazon Symphony Orchestra. PERFORMANCE
- Dear Galileo
In this Enroot Theatre Project production, three women "linked through time" write letters to dead scientists, search for missing astronomers, and care for aging parents. - The Top Drawer
Feeling seasonally affected? Tackle your winter blues with steamy burlesque performances by the likes of Apollo Vidra, D Dynasty, and D'Monica Leone. READINGS & TALKS
- Josephine Ensign: Catching Homelessness
After losing her job as a nurse at a medical clinic for the homeless, Josephine Ensign became homeless herself. Decades later, she's visiting Seattle with her memoir Catching Homelessness: A Nurse’s Story of Falling Through the Safety Net. - Pavel's War: Escape, Survival, Assimilation
Local author Peter Curtis will read from his new book, Pavel's War, a novelized account of the author's family's escape to England from Nazi-infiltrated Prague WWII. - Robert Herold: The Eidola Project
Nigel Pickford goes from breaking up a phony psychic medium's séance to investigating the afterlife with the Eidola Project, a group of scientists delivering into uncharted territory, in this new novel from Robert Herold. SPORTS & RECREATION
- Sunday Funday: Yoga, Brunch & Day Dance Party
Squeeze all your Sunday activities into one with an hour-long, all-levels yoga class followed by a brunch buffet and a dance party with DJ Joy.