Now in its 6th year  Arts-A-Glow brings the magic and wonder of lantern art to Burien.  Join in the celebration on:

Saturday September 10th, 5:00-10:00pm

This is a FREE event.

This year the festival has changed locations and is presented in the lovely Dottie Harper Park, 421 SW 146th, ‘a magical evening in the forest.’

It will be a breathtaking walk in nature with lanterns created by many talented artists, those you create on-site, or lanterns you bring to join in the interactive procession (MAP).

This event will include lantern making , performers, face painting, tea leaf reading and treats for everyone to sample.

A special performance by Lucia Neare’s Theatrical Wonders is also planned.

Don’t miss it!

The Aki Matsuri Festival (or “Fall Festival”) now in its 14th year, is a celebration of the rich cultural heritage of Japan and is presented yearly by the Eastside Nihon Matsuri Association (ENMA).

The Aki Matsuri festival will be on Bellevue College’s main campus this weekend

Saturday, September 10th (10:00am-6:00pm) and

Sunday September 11 (10:00am-4:30pm.)

Admission & parking are FREE!

The festival features several special events such as a leather artist, Kimono presentation, Mikoshi Gishiki (full scale Omikoshi from Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America) and Taiko drum presentations.  Bonsai, Taiko, and Japanese garden presentations as well as puppet shows.

Be sure to catch the West Cascade Puppet Brigade’s ‘The Inch-High Samurai’ a tale of a tiny young man who sets off in the world to find his fortune.  He proves to be braver and more clever than the largest and scariest of foes.

See ‘The Inch-High Samurai’ on

Saturday September 10th in the Carlson Theater at 12:30pm & 2:45pm

& Sunday September 11th in Room E129 at 1:45pm & 4:00pm.

Please note that the times and venues are not the same for each day.

ENMA (Eastside Nihon Matsuri Association) is a non-profit organization of volunteers who want to preserve and further the arts and crafts of Japan for the enjoyment of the greater Seattle community.

The Labor Day weekend, harbenger of the end of summer, brings North America’s largest urban arts festival, Bumbershoot to Seattle.

Now in the 41st year,  Bumbershoot is world renowned for showcasing musical talent.  And while there are a myriad of music choices, Bumbershoot by it’s very name is an umbrella of the arts (from the slang: bum•ber•shoot —n. informal An umbrella.)

So be sure not to miss:

The Magic Show at the Center Pavilion everyday from 11am-8pm, a multimedia exhibit that explores illusion, conjuring, levitation, and transformation.

Get your guns up with 2010 Stranger Genius Award winner Marya Sea Kaminski’s Bonnie and the Robberi, a collection of rock covers, original songs, and monologues that explore societal themes of women with firearms, love, and violence and is backed by the musical talents of Landlords Daughter.

Bumber by Number a fully interactive color by number show featuring some of Seattle’s favorite visual art talents and is curated by the beloved Marlow Harris & Jo David.  Pick up a veggie and join in the communal art creation.

Movies at SIFF Cinema and McCaw Hall feature projects: Films4Families, 48 Hour Film Project, Nerds Unite, and Animation for Adults, just to name a few.

Just in case you spend all your Bumbershoot days watching movies, seeing visual art shows, eating and shopping the vendor booths.  You can still catch a fabulous line up of musicians at Bumbershoot After Dark, a collaboration with Decibel, One Reel,  Seattle Center, & Kaos Theory.  This late night (10pm-4am) celebration at Exhibition Hall, features some of the most acclaimed electronic music performers and deejays.  Saturday brings the musical stylings of Craze, Claude Van Stroke, Jokers of the Scene, and The Dowlz. Sunday’s line-up is Z-Trip, Four Tet, and Dam Funk. Bumbershoot After Dark is boasting this collaboration “to be the most adventurous stage configuration that any of the organizations have ever produced throughout their 100+ years of collective experience.”

Be warned if you go to Bumbershoot expecting to get a glimpse of John Oates fabulous mustache, you will be disappointed.  It has only been seen once in the last 25 years: last year’s National Moustache Convention where he was a special guest.  

For a breakdown of all the Bumbershoot events & happenings check the official SCHEDULE. Hall & Oates take the Bumbershoot main stage on Monday.

A SHADOW PUPPET PLAY
BASED ON AN APPALACHIAN FAIRY TALE

JACK & the DRAGON

by the Oregon Shadow Theatre

is now showing at the Northwest Puppet Center.

There are many stories about Jack and his Ma in the Appalachian Mountains. In this fairy tale, after swatting 7 flies at one whack, Jack is hired by the King to hunt some pesky varmints, like a Giant Hog and a Unicorn, before he has to face the meanest varmint of all. He still finds time to kick up his heels with the King’s daughter at a barn dance. Colorful shadow puppets, live old time American banjo and dulcimer music and a barrel of laughs send Jack and the Dragon running down the hollow.

SHOWTIMES:

Saturdays & Sunday

1:00 PM & 3:00 PM through February 20

The Northwest Puppet Center is located in the Maple Leaf neighborhood at

9123 – 15th Ave NE, Seattle, 98115

For advance tickets, click here or call:
1(800)838-3006

http://www.nwpuppet.org/

'Jack and the Dragon' by Oregon Shadow Theatre

Explore artists’ studios in the wilds of Kitsap county!

See artists in their native environment not just caged up in a gallery!

Art in the Woods is a self guided tour of Kitsap County artist studios.  The artists laire is one rarely understood and you have the chance to visit with these rare specimens, ask them questions, maybe even see a demonstration of their amazing talents.

You can view a full color brochure of the ARTISTS with open studios and a MAP of their native surroundings.

This is an annual event, scheduled the second week of November.

If your unable to make it this weekend, put it on your calendar for next year.

Art in the Woods is is created with the help of  Cultural Arts Foundation NW.

This Sunday offers some fine one-day shopping opportunities for those on your lists with tastes toward the “alternative.” Club Motor (SoDo) hosts the gothy “Mourning Market” from noon to 6pm, and the Transcendent Church of Bass (Interbay) hosts the “Bizarre Bazaar” from 3pm to 7pm. Both are free to attend and feature a good selection of local alternative artists and craft people.

“It all began at Crypticon ’09… A group of us sinister crafters had crossed paths before but had not yet been contained in one room. So at the end of three days filled with horror and zombie filled goodness, we said goodbye until next time. But when will that be I wonder? Portland’s community had many events for us to sell our wares. But we all call Seattle our home, so why is it all business and no fun?! Miss Ginger called on the ladies to attend Dark Tea where we plotted and schemed… Mourning Market was born!”

“The Bizarre Bazaar is a community-supporting Alternative Market and Visionary Art Opening, featuring a variety of distinctive products created by local artists. We are turning the Transcendent Church of Bass into a market and filling it with art, crafts, clothing, and other epic loot. The Elixir bar will be open during the event, and downtempo DJ’s will add to the vibe. Please mark your calendars – it is free to attend, and everyone is welcome. It is a great opportunity for us to gather, connect, and support our artists by buying their creations so that they can continue to create art that is even more amazing.”

Web Sites & Directions:
Mourning Market – Club Motor, 1950 1st Avenue South, Seattle, WA?
The Bizarre Bazaar – Transcendent Church of Bass, 920 Elliott Ave W., Seattle, WA 98119

We’ve featured the wonderful Walker Rock Garden in Seattle here before on our sister site Unusual Life. Here’s a jodavideo taken recently when we revisited there.

Read more about the Walker Rock Garden here.