Halloween is almost here, so why wait? Pre-celebrate this weekend with comedy horror, a mini pumpkin festival, the Lit Crawl or, if you want to get in touch with your dark side, a talk about our penchant for natural disaster denial.
Lit Crawl
All around town, Thurs. 10/24 from 6 p.m. on, FREE
More than 60 authors appear around town (from Elliott Bay to SPL to Capitol Cider) in 45-minute shifts, starting at 6, 7, and 8. Set aside your whole night and hit three mind-bending, diverse events. Or limit yourself to one or two. Either way, Lit Crawl is a ball. Highlights: British novelist Will Self. Seattle's own graphic novelist/cartoonist Ellen Forney. Farm to Fable, a tasting menu of three local food writers. Post Lit, head to Hugo House where the works of all featured writers (as well as drinks) will be on sale.
Syrinx Effect/Naomi Siegel Quartet
Chapel Performance Space at the Good Shepard Center, Thurs. 10/24 at 8 p.m., $5-15 sliding scale
Seattle’s annual Earshot Jazz Festival will be going on through November 17th — all around town. Thursday night, local trombonist and composer Naomi Siegel and soprano saxophonist Kate Olson traverse genres, improving from folk to ambient noise. Siegel’s quartet Sunchasers will follow. Earshot’s full calendar (mainly weekends) is here.
Susan W. Kieffer on the Dynamics of Disaster
Town Hall, Fri. 10/25 at 7:30 p.m., $5
Whidbey Island geologist and 1995 MacArthur Genius Award winner Susan W. Kieffer talks about her latest book: The Dynamics of Disaster. Kieffer takes us on a geological trip around the world, stopping at the sites of natural disasters, where we keep rebuilding.
Blood Squad. Credit: SIFF
All Hallow’s Cleave
Erickson Theatre, Sat. 10/26 at 8 p.m., $10
Horror improv just in time for Halloween! I recommend Blood Squad. I see every new show of this team and every one makes me laugh until I nearly cry. There are a couple special things about this performance, though: a) It’s one night only, 2) the audience gets to choose which horror genre Blood Squad will improvise. Look forward to these four talented artists strumming the horror genre for all it’s worth.
Talcum Halloween Dance Party
Chop Suey, Sat. 10/26 at 9 p.m., $5
It’s soul night once again. Per usual, enjoy delightfully original dancing, rare soul vinyls AND this time you can show up either in or out of costume. Either way, you can count on being covered in Talcum powder by the time you leave.
Teeny Tiny Pumpkin Festival
The Bottleneck Lounge, Sat. 10/27 from 4 p.m. on, FREE admission plus drinks and snacks
Anyone who’s wandered by a Starbucks, entered a Trader Joe’s or glimpsed the internet lately has been inundated with pumpkin-flavored something. So, I ask, “WHY FIGHT IT?” It's fall! Get on board with pumpkin. The Bottleneck Lounge (on Madison) will have three great local pumpkin beers on tap, plus pumpkin snacks on the menu. It's time to celebrate pumpkin brews, pumpkin soups, pumpkin lattes, votives. Bring it on.
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.
