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

Thee 2nd Annual “Cornucopia Cabaret” Benefit for Treehouse at The Triple Door

Join The Basements, Lushy with Lynval Golding , and The Witness, who will be dolling out the beats and accompanying the various talents of…

Aerialist and Rope Artist – Martha Enson
The Temptress from Taipei – The Shanghai Pearl
The Man! The Myth! The Mustache ! -  Ernie Von Schmaltz
A Modern Heathen of The Burlesque World- Iva Handfull
Burlesque Coquette – Belle Cozette
The Swedish Housewife and Bertie
with special guest vocalists- Barbara Ireland and Mark Pickerel!

Co-hosted by Kaleb Hagan Kerr and The Swedish Housewife.

This event will benefit Treehouse’s “Little Wishes Program“. As Performing artists and musicians, we will be purchasing as many dance classes and music lessons as possible with the funds raised this evening.

Bring your check book and cash! You will have plenty of opportunities to GIVE to Treehouse!

Treehouse is a 501(c)(3) organization; 100% of all check and cash donations are tax deductible, ticket sales are not.

Tickets are now available online for this one-night only event HERE!
*We are also seeking volunteers for Teaching as well donations of functional Musical Instruments, please contact The Swedish Housewife directly about this paula@swedishhousewife.com

*All performers will receive a small honorarium for their participation in this event, as artists need financial support too!

*We will be joined by a representative from Treehouse who will be collecting all cash and check donations at the event.

SHOW DETAILS:
EVENT: Thee 2nd Annual Cornucopia Cabaret  to Benefit Treehouse’s “Little Wishes”
DATES: Thursday, November 18th, 8:00pm
COST: $18 (17+)
VENUE: The Triple Door, 216 Union Street, Seattle 98101

Opening today at the Northwest Puppet Center and playing through November 21st.

A whimsical new production by Northwest Puppet Center’s founding artistic directors, Christine & Stephen Carter.

This show combines the famous tale of “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” with the plot from a 19th century Parisian puppet play by Louis Emil Duranty about a  magician’s ill-fated picnic.

Get ready for the buckets to fly in this classical and comical work of puppet theater!

The Northwest Puppet Center is located in the Maple Leaf neighborhood

9123 – 15th Ave  NE, Seattle, WA 98115-3111

Showtimes
Sat. 1pm & 3pm
Sun. 1pm & 3pm

Advance tickets available online or by phone:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/producerevent/118860
1(800)838-3006

If you’d like to attend all the performances in the 2010-2011 Season,
save money with a subscription:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/producerevent/118379

Tickets and subscriptions also available at the box office 30 minutes
before each show.

When you visit the puppet center be sure to visit the Puppetry Museum.

Currently on display:

BURATTINI, MARIONETTE & PUPI
An exhibit honoring Italy‘s contributions to the art of puppetry.

This exhibit features puppets from Bergamo, Milano, Sicilia and from Italian repertoire created by Seattle’s own Carter Family Marionettes.

Included in the exhibit are artifacts from the 18th and 19th century.

Museum exhibit open before and after performances or by appointment.

Northwest Puppet Center

(206)523-2579
info@nwpuppet.org

http://nwpuppet.org/apprentice.html

Northwest Puppet Center is honored to become the home to this internationally acclaimed collection.

“The World of Puppetry: Treasures from the Cook/Marks Collection” will be the first opportunity for a portion of this massive collection to be displayed in Seattle.  Don’t miss your chance to see the world through wooden eyes with puppets from Bucharesti, Palermo, Bali, Athens, Osaka, Rio de Janeiro, Bamako, Bursa, and many more points on the globe.

Included on display are stunning examples of Sicilian opera dei pupi, Indonesian wayang and Japanese bunraku (some of the puppet traditions recognized by UNESCO as “Intangible Cultural Assets to Humanity”).  You will even see vaudeville marionettes returning to the limelight after making their original appearances on Seattle stages a century ago!

Northwest Puppet Center presents

The World of Puppetry: Treasures from the Cook/Marks Collection

Location:
Seattle Center Pavilion B (next to the skate park)

On View July 23-Aug. 1, 2010
6pm-9pm on Fri. July 23
11am-4pm on weekends
11am-3pm on weekdays

Admission is FREE but donations to Northwest Puppet Center are welcomed to help continue NWPC’s expanding museum efforts.

Exhibit sponsored by The Jacqueline S. Marks Fund at the California
Community Foundation and Seattle Center.  General support provided by ArtsFund and Washington State Arts Commission.

To learn more about the Cooks/Marks Collection:
http://nwpuppet.org/worldofpuppetry.html

Get a double-dose of puppets by combining your visit with the regional festival, Puppet-O-Rama,
organized by members of Puppeteers of Puget Sound, to be held at Seattle University July 30-Aug. 1.  International Puppetry Museum and Northwest Puppet Center will be hosting a reception at the regional festival on July 30 to celebrate this new collection and would like you to join in their celebration.   Come learn more about puppetry at the festival:  http://www.puppet-o-rama.org

Not a puppeteer and want to see puppet shows all around the area?

Find out where the Northwest Puppet Center will be performing this summer  http://www.nwpuppet.org/summer.html

After this exhibit at Seattle Center, more of the collection will be on display when the 2010-2011 season opens in November. Northwest Puppet Center will feature two exhibits each year and The Cook/Marks Collection will be a major portion of the Puppet Museum at the Northwest Puppet Center for generations to come.

To find out more about the Northwest Puppet Center’s 2010-2011 season performances: http://nwpuppet.org/weekend.html

Inviting all Capitol Hillsters to the Cal Anderson Park Alliance 8th Annual Capitol Hill Independence Day Community Picnic Saturday, July 3, Noon – 5 PM.

This great free all-ages community celebration is Cal Anderson Park Alliance’s signature annual event. With four eclectic live bands, free root beer garden, urban family photo portraits, pie eating contest, pet/human look-alike contest, and feel-good, all-ages interactive fun. Everyone is invited: kids, hipsters, parents, friends, lovers, and anyone who loves Capitol Hill.

Performances will take the Sunbowl Stage all afternoon, among them the kids band the Not-Its, funk band Eldridge Gravy & the Court Supreme, the Toucans and the Raggedy Anns.

The CAPA Root Beer Garden will be handing out root beer floats until the ice cream’s gone. Skillet will be on the scene with their great food. And free cotton candy for everyone!

PLUS: more free activities, including Spin Art Bike, Patriotic Tie-dye, the Cupcake Royale Cupcake Walk, and Hoola Hoop Contest.

This is a family-friendly, all-ages event to celebrate our independence and our community!

The Northwest Puppet Center is an internationally renowned and presents performances by Carter Family Marionettes and esteemed guest artists. In addition, it features a museum, archive and library focused on the puppetry arts. Programs are also brought to communities near and far with touring performances and educational outreach.

Join this traditional Mexican celebration of life and death at the Phinney Center’s annual Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) parade and festival on Friday, November 6.

Start with the candlelight procession, which begins and ends at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6532 Phinney Ave N.  The procession will depart at 6:30 p.m. and return at 7:00pm.  Where you can participate in the community altar, enjoy poetry,  live music, hot chocolate, craft activities, and more.

The Phinney Center Dia de los Muertos art show will be on view through the month of November and features works by Dreama Blankenbeckler, Pedro De Valdivia, Amaranta Ibarra-Sandys, Reagan Jackson, Jena Marks, Debbie McGibbon, Elisha Miller, and Lincoln Skrypeck.

Costumed participants at the Phinney Center's Dia de los Muertos Celebration

In Mexico, El Día de los Muertos is a festive and family-centered event, traditionally held on Nov. 1st (Day of the Little Angels) and 2nd (Day of the Dead or all Soul’s Day in Christian tradition).  Día de los Muertos celebrations emphasize life and death as part of the same cycle and regard death on friendly and intimate terms.  According to beliefs rooted in pre-Columbian traditions, on Dia de los Muertos, the veil between life and death is at its thinnest and the dead can be lured back to us through the scent of marigolds and the temptation of offerings of favorite food and drink.

In certain parts of Mexico, an important facet of this celebration is the ofrenda, or personal altar, built both in family homes and/or over the graves of loved ones. Traditionally, photographs of the dead at are the altar center, around which are placed offerings of food, drink, candles, flowers, sugar skulls, and personal mementoes. All these items are presented in beautiful displays to honor the returning souls.

Call (206) 783-2244 for more information.

For a detail of the evenings events go to: http://www.phinneycenter.org/events/dayodead.shtm

EN ESPAÑOL:

Venga y acompañe la celebración tradicional mexicana de la vida y la muerte con el Phinney Neighborhood Association (PNA) en una procesión y festival el viernes 6 de noviembre 2009. Los festejos empezarán con una procesión a la luz de las velas, que partirá a las 6:30 pm, y terminará de regreso a las 7pm en el PNA, que se localiza en el 6532 Phinney Ave N. Todos son bienvenidos a participar en el altar comunitario y a disfrutar de música en vivo, chocolate caliente, actividades de arte y más.

En México el día de los muertos es un evento alegre y enfocado en la familia. Tradicionalmente, el 1 de Noviembre es el Día de los pequeños ángeles y el 2 de Noviembre es el Día de los muertos o Día de todas las almas en la tradición cristiana.

La celebración del día de los muertos enfatiza que la vida y la muerte son parte del mismo ciclo y contempla la muerte en condiciones amables e íntimas. Según creencias, con principios en tradiciones pre-Colombinas, en el día de los muertos, el velo entre la vida y la muerte es tan delgado que los muertos pueden ser atraídos de nuevo a los vivos por los aromas de incienso y la tentación de ofrendas de comidas y bebidas favoritas.

En algunas partes de México, una parte muy importante de esta celebración es la ofrenda o altar personal construido en casas familiares y/o sobre sepultura del muerto amado. Tradicionalmente, se colocan fotografías de los muertos en el centro del altar, rodeadas por ofrendas de comida, bebida, velas, flores, calaveras de azúcar y recuerdos personales. Todas estas cosas son presentadas de una forma muy vistosa y colorida para honrar las almas visitantes.

Damos la gracias al City of Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs y el Washington State Arts Commission por su apoyo, ya que han hecho posible la continuación de la celebración de este importante evento tradicional.

Llame al (206) 783-2244 para mayor información.

Trolloween is the Birthday celebration for Seattle’s famous Fremont Troll.

October 31st is the Trolls 20th Birthday!

It is held on his Birthday October 31st at 7pm sharp.
The celebration  starts with the Troll under the Aurora Bridge (Troll Ave & N 36th St), as he loves a good laugh and a great story.   Then revelers will be off for the annual Haunt of Fremont (a procession of costumed dancers & performers (& you) taking over the streets of Fremont.)

This 20th anniversary of the birth of the Fremont Troll, you’ll be experiencing the tale of  Dante’s Inferno. Many seasoned artists and performers will present their twisted and whacky version of this dark tale, known to us as: ‘Just a little lover’s spat ~ honey’.

Rain or dry, revelers will sing, dance, marvel, and laugh their way through the dark underbelly of Dante and Fremont.   This is an unsweetened and piquant family event with plenty of fun to scare the laughs out of any stoic kid or stogy adult.

Vamola

Come dressed as your favorite dead celebrity and take part in our costume walk across the final stage, under the Fremont Bridge, for the appreciation of your community.

If you can lend a hand to help pull off this fabulous piece of street theater, meet by the Troll at 6:30pm & check in with the volunteer coordinator to get a job.

p.s. Find your place in hell by taking this quiz: http://www.4degreez.com/misc/dante-inferno-test.mv

ALL-AGES DINA MARTINA SHOW!!
Thursday, April 16th, 7:30pm
AT THE VERA PROJECT
Corner of Warren Ave. N. & Republican at Seattle Center
$10 ($11 w/club card)
ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE VERA PROJECT

Tickets: www.theveraproject.org

Bring the kids! Call the nieces! Grab the nephews!

You know those times when you think to yourself, “Gee, I wish Dina Martina would perform in an all-ages venue so I could bring _________”? Well, now she is! The one, the only, the talent-stuffed Dina Martina will be performing a full show in a Seattle all-ages venue for the first time in years, on Thursday, April 16th, at The Vera Project at Seattle Center. No longer will you have to grasp fruitlessly for words to describe the, uh.well, you know what I mean: The “WOW!”, the “OMIGOD!”, the “NO!”, but most of all, the “HUH?” that Dina Martina elicits. That’s right, now the youngsters may share in the wonder and befuddlement.

This show is a benefit, with all proceeds going to The Vera Project.