ATTEND: CAPITOL HILL BLOCK PARTY
Buckle up, Cap Hill—Block Party is back. The past two pandemic-ridden Seattle summers haven’t felt the same without the iconic three-day long music festival, but with required vaccinations and updated COVID safety protocols in the mix, it’s time for the party to make a comeback. This year’s 69+ performer lineup is stacked with a ton of glitzy fun, including hyperpop princess Charli XCX, DJ’s Diplo and Jai Wolf, millennial-favorite Toro y Moi, Zoomer favorite 100 gecs, soul pop singer Remi Wolf, and overnight rap star Flo Milli. Local artists like Enumclaw, The Black Tones, Archie, and The Grizzled Mighty will also grace Capitol Hill Block Party’s (CHBP) multi-stage set up.
While the abundance of music acts are enough of a draw, this year’s CHBP is sure to be an especially good time in the wake of spending Seattle’s sunniest seasons socially distanced. With food trucks, beer gardens, indoor activations, local businesses, and a cool-down zone in our very own Chophouse Row, there is something for everyone to enjoy and spaces for everyone to connect. Block Party has always been an opportunity to bring people to Capitol Hill and showcase all the great parts of our neighborhood; this is one you won’t want to miss.
July 22nd – 24th | Get Tickets
EXPERIENCE: SEATTLE ART FAIR + XO SEATTLE
Yet another renowned event is making a triumphant return this summer since the pandemonium of the pandemic: The Seattle Art Fair. A one-of-a-kind destination for the best in modern and contemporary art as well as a showcase for the vibrant arts community of the PNW, the Seattle Art Fair is featuring a whopping 85+ international and local gallerists, museums, and programs for its sixth installment. Each day of the fair brings new public projects to view and exciting events to attend, like interactive panel discussions, book signings, and artist talks. Some local highlights to look forward to include Peter Gronquist’s communion (featuring a real pool of water), a full-size totem pole from Preston Singletary, and many more. There’ll be specialty cocktails and beer, coffee and pastry carts, and a lounge to grab lunch so you won’t go hungry while attempting to view every art installment.
Debuting in tandem with the Seattle Art Fair is XO Seattle’s Grand Opening Summer Art Party. Riding on the trajectory of Out of Sight, an annual survey of PNW contemporary art ran by longtime friend Greg Lundgren, XO Seattle is seeking to feature a major roster of emerging and established contemporary artists working in a variety of media. Designed and curated by Austin Bellamy Hicks and Julianne Johnson with co-curation by Erik Molano and Moses Sun, XO Seattle describes their space as not a gallery or art fair, but as an “ephemeral and ever-evolving presentation or “happening””. This collective of artists, builders, and community organizers are focusing on short-term cultural programming and creating a commission structure for selling pieces that favors artists. Joining the Summer Art Party is HRVST House, a Black owned Seattle based production company, who will be showcasing DJs and local performers during the event. XO Seattle’s model is fresh and groundbreaking for the PNW art scene; if you (regrettably) miss the opening party, don’t worry—featured art will remain on view and dynamic weekly events abound.
Seattle Art Fair: July 22nd – 24th | Various Times @ the Lumen Field Event Center
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XO Seattle Summer Art Party: July 22nd | 5:00 – 10:00 pm @ 419 Occidental Ave S.
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CELEBRATE: KEXP50
Happy 50th birthday KEXP! Our beloved local radio station is celebrating half a century on air, and you’re invited to the party. Bring family and friends out for a free afternoon of fun that will melt into a sweet summer evening, featuring performances, activities, food, drinks, and of course, live music. Taking place at the Seattle Center, KEXP50 will boast two stages in the courtyards adjacent to their studios for concerts; Performers include !!!, Sons of Kemet (in their last-ever US appearance), Thao (formerly of Thao and the Get Down Stay Down), Tomo Nakayama, LIVt, and a special surprise guest. The party will also have a public Gathering Space that will host a beer garden, special commemorative merchandise, food trucks, live on-air DJs, opportunities for community members to share their vision for the future of KEXP, presentations from KEXP’s business supporters, and the unveiling of the newest set of donor tiles on the side of KEXP’s facility.
KEXP has come a long way since 1972, when four students at the University of Washington came together to create a radio station where students could learn the art of broadcasting and listeners could discover music. Built on the ethos that DJs should have reign over their own programming and that loving music is about expanding one’s scope, seeking new sounds with intention, and connecting through art, KEXP has created an ever-growing community of music lovers and music makers from all backgrounds. Thank you KEXP for being a strong pillar of Seattle culture and community; Let’s party!
August 6th | 12:00 – 7:00 pm @ the Seattle Center