Summer at SAM Dog Night
You don't need a reason to take the pooch to the Olympic Sculpture Park since it's always dog-friendly. But it is First Thursday and there are all sorts of special canine-oriented activities planned for this special night: make a pet tag and keychain; decorate a sun hat for your fur baby; or treat the four-legged creature to their own food trucks. They can chow down on something from The Seattle Barkery while you munch on a Dante Inferno dog. Your dog might also want to be a literacy buddy for children who practice reading to dogs through the Reading With Rover program. Water stations and a misting tent will be on hand.
If you go: Summer at SAM Dog Night, Olympic Sculpture Park, Aug. 3 (free)--F.D.
Seattle Art Fair
The third annual Seattle Art Fair returns, bringing in exhibits and galleries from afar and celebrating art and artists of the Pacific Northwest, as well. There’s a lot to look forward to this year: the interactive family exhibit See/Saw; BorderLands, a local exhibit in which a variety of local artists explore “nationalism and belonging;” and Jessica Jackson Hutchins large-scale sculpture (featuring stained glass!) installation Reason to Be, among so many others. This year, the launch date happens to coincide with First Thursday in which the usual host of Pioneer Square art galleries open their doors to art fans. Check out Crosscut's guide by local art insider Michael Upchurch for his picks.
If you go: Seattle Art Fair, CenturyLink Field and King Street Station, Aug 3-6 ($20)—N.C.
Fantagraphics Yard Sale
In the Fantagraphics shop in Georgetown, off the main rooms of dreamy records and alternative comics culled from near and far, there’s a walk-in-closet-sized room of sale books. In there, I’ve seen everything from Peanuts to Prince Valiant to Daniel Clowes and R. Crumb. Now, imagine a giant version of this room with $1 and $5 books, and You-Fill-Em Bags for $25. Partake in this treasure hunt by heading to Lake City to the Fantagraphics Warehouse where they’ll have “water, soda, and smiles,” and, of course, a huge selection of rare, out-of-print and like-new and damaged books.
If you go: Fantagraphics Yard Sale, Fantagraphics Warehouse, 12 p.m. Aug. 5—N.C.
Happy Hour at Westlake
It's looking to be a scorcher over the next three days, as Seattle could hit triple digits. Cool off in the shade at Westlake Park, sip on a cold drink and listen to some live music to beat the heat. The Downtown Seattle Association does this event twice a month, where it pairs Washington state Wineries, live music and free drop-in painting classes. You have to be over 21 years old, but a glass of wine from Eagle Harbor Wine Co., Robert Ramsay Cellars and Eternal Wines will only cost you $5. Interested in cooling off with water? The Westlake Park water fountain will be flowing.
If you go: Happy Hour, Westlake Park, 4-7 p.m. Aug. 3 ($5 for wine)—C.R.
Science and a Movie: Jaws
Growing up, I had a deep, crippling fear of sharks. Nevermind that I swam only in pools, in Wisconsin and that my grandma never let me swim in water above my knee. Thus was the power of the movie Jaws, which remains just as haunting and suspenseful today as when it was upon its release in 1975. Head to Central Cinema for the next edition of Science and a Movie (co-presented with the Pacific Science Center) to watch the classic film and hear from Dr. Aaron Wirsing, a wildlife scientist at UW. Drawing on his own research in Western Australia, Dr. Wirsing will talk about the ecological importance of these unmatched predators and participate in a Q&A after the film.
If you go: Science and a Movie: Jaws, Central Cinema, Aug. 8-9 ($10)—N.C.
