$15 or Less is our eclectic, weekly events calendar for cash-strapped devotees of arts and culture. Look for it every Thursday.
Thursday
Pie Day
Pie in Fremont and Seattle Center, open until 9 p.m., prices vary.
Super cute local business Pie will be capitalizing on Pi Day, the holiday that combines the irrational number with the totally rational idea of eating pie, sweet and savory, all day. In the interest of full disclosure, this is my favorite holiday.
Elliott Bay Book Company, Thursday, 3/14 at 7 p.m., Free
Local writer and UW Professor David Shields will be reading from his new nonfiction book “How Literature Saved My Life.”
Friday
Town Hall, 3/15 at 7:30 p.m., $5
Presented as part of the Future of Health thread of the Town Hall Civics series, this event will be a conversation between Michael Moss and Chip Giller. Moss has recently written an exposé on the U.S. junk food industry called “Salt Sugar Fat.” Thank God this didn’t ruin Pie Day.
Polish Home Association, 3/15 from 6-10 p.m.
For $1, you can buy a membership to the Polish Home Association for one night and enjoy all the pierogies your heart desires in a delightfully homey atmosphere. EVERY FRIDAY.
Chop Suey, 3/15, $5 before 10, $10 after 10
All of the catchiest, most energizing songs you’ve ever heard mashed together and ripe for dancing. Think Journey + Macklemore + that song from “An American Tale.”
SIFF Cinema Uptown, Opens 3/15, $11
“War Witch,” filmed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with nonprofessional actors, chronicles the brutality, magic and hope of one 14-year-old girl’s life in Sub-Saharan Africa. This film has been wildly successful internationally, including in Canada and at the Berlin International Film Festival.
Saturday
SAM, 3/16 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Suggested donation $5
Caricatures, drop-in sketching stations and photo ops all at SAM’s Community Portrait Day. Bring a friend for an excuse to meander through SAM, and use several mediums of portraiture to commemorate the day.
Theatre Off Jackson, 3/16 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., $15 advance
Stand-up comic Peggy Platt will be joined by The One and Only Mama Tits, Seattle’s Skyscraper Hostess in the latest act showcasing great Seattle solo performers. A funny lady and a funny drag queen!
Monday
Melrose Market, 3/18 from 5:30-9:30
Every Monday, Sitka and Spruce (in Melrose Market) becomes the setting for the pop-up project – food of the Malafacha. The menu offers a diverse, delectable selection of tacos, including suadero (milk-soaked beef belly) for under $10.
Tuesday
Town Hall, 3/19 at 6 p.m., $5
Daniel Brook’s latest book, “A History of Future Cities,” explores the ever-relevant, cross-disciplinary question of what exactly is shaping our world’s cities. He looks at Mumbai, Shanghai, St. Petersburg and Dubai in particular.
What are you doing this weekend? Let us know in the comments area below. And if you hear of any interesting – under $15 - events in or around our grand city, please email editor@crosscut.com.