Thursday, August 09, 2007

Movies, Buskers, Free Wi-Fi and Music in the Parks

Parks and Community Partners offer Tons of Fun in Center City Parks!
Films, music, arts & farmers' markets, dancing, yoga, Minnie Driver, and more!

This summer Parks and Recreation, in partnership with the Downtown Seattle Association and many other partners, offers exciting, fun activities in downtown Seattle parks that reflect Mayor Greg Nickels' initiative to revitalize and bring new life to our downtown parks.

If you haven't been downtown recently, bring the family for events ranging from movies and music to classes and competitions-there are plenty of weeks of summer left! You'll find something for everyone at these parks: Occidental Square, Hing Hay Park, Freeway Park, Pioneer Square, Westlake Park, Waterfront Park, Lake Union Park, and Victor Steinbrueck Park.

For the complete lineup, please see http://www.seattle.gov/parks/.

Movies!
Center City Cinema Outdoor Movies in the Park. All movies begin at sunset.
August 11: In the Mood for Love - Hing Hay Park
August 18: Monsoon Wedding - Hing Hay Park
August 25: SteamBoy - Hing Hay Park
Sept. 6: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - Occidental Square
Sept. 13: Lord of the Rings: The Twin Towers - Occidental Square
Sept. 20: Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - Occidental Square
Sept. 27 To Kill a Mockingbird - Occidental Square

Buskers!
Be on the lookout between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. weekdays for buskers! These strolling artists, minstrels, mimes, and musicians will perform daily in Freeway, Hing Hay, Pioneer Square, Westlake, and Waterfront.

Wi-Fi Hot Spot!
The City of Seattle is providing free wireless Internet access in Freeway, Occidental, Westlake, and Victor Steinbrueck Parks and in the plaza at the new City Hall. Users can login using seattlewifi for the SSID.

Music!
2007 Out to Lunch Concert Series presented by Starbucks and Safeco
Concerts begin at noon, produced by the Downtown Seattle Association. For more information, please visit: www.downtownsummer.com.

Occidental Square
August 21: Mark Whitman
August 22: Little Bill & the Blue Notes
August 23: Two Scoops Combo
August 24: Left Hand Smoke

Westlake Park
August 28: Dr. Funk
August 29: Clinton Fearon & the Boogie Brown Band
August 30: Clumsey Lovers
August 31: Type A!

Freeway Park
Friday, August 17, "Out to Lunch" with musical guest Minnie Driver! Produced by the Downtown Seattle Association.

Music in the Park Lunchtime Concerts
Occidental Square
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
August 10, 17, 24, and 31; September 6 and 14.

Waterfront Park
Noon - 1:30 p.m. Adefua African Music & Dance Company presents Sunday afternoon gatherings of movement song and spirit! For more information, please call 206-722-6602.

Victor Steinbrueck Park Sounds of Steinbrueck Park Music Series
Tuesday and Thursday evenings through September. 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. August 21, 23, 28, 30; September 4, 6, 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27.


Arts and Crafts & Farmer's Markets!
Art and Music in the Park on First Thursdays at Occidental Square
Presented by Starbucks and the Pioneer Square Community Association. Music begins at 6 p.m. For the complete lineup, please visit
www.pioneersquare.org/calendar.html
Thursday, September 6.

Saturday Market at Occidental Square
You'll find arts, jewelry, crafts, and other wonderful things.
August 11, 18, and 25, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Urban Gardening Classes
Container Gardening, Composting for Apartment Dwellers, Culinary Herb Gardening and Salad Gardening classes presented by Seattle Tilth. For class descriptions and to register, please go to www.seattletilth.org or call 206-633-5045, ext. 2.
- Wednesdays, Aug 15, 22 & 29, 5:30 - 7:30pm - Victor Steinbrueck Park
- Saturdays, Sept 15, 22, 29, 10 am - 12 pm - Cascade Park

Special Events!

Summer Sundays at Pike Place Market
Farmers sell at the Market every day, but look for farmers to sell on Pike Place, which is closed to vehicular traffic from Stewart to Virginia. Stop by for a noontime chef demonstration, which take place each Sunday. Shop for ingredients from the farmers, then recreate the recipe at home!
August 12, 19, and 26; September 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30

Seattle Sandfest
The ultimate urban beach party will feature professional and amateur sand sculpting, live music, family activities, and more.
Westlake Park, August 25, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., organized by the Metropolitan Improvement District and managed by the Downtown Seattle Association.

Uptown Stroll, Counterbalance Park, August 25, sponsored by the Uptown Alliance and other friends of Counterbalance Park.

Homestreet Bank presents Dancing 'til Dusk
Enjoy FREE dance instruction and live music in our outdoor ballroom every Thursday in August. 6 to 9 p.m. (Instruction: 6 to 7 p.m.)
August 9: Zydeco Dance with music by Captain Leroy and the Zydeco Locals
August 16: Salsa with Tor Dietrichson's salsa band
August 23: Electric Slide & Chicago Stepping with DJ Comandr Whitehead and the Chicago Steppers
August 30: Swing with music by Casey MacGill's Blue 4 Trio

The SITE SERIES // Dance on Common Ground
Join us each week for a "new" dance as we add another dancer, change locations in the park, or re-invent our score. ParkDance is part of The SITE SERIES // Dance on Common Ground, which uses movement to encourage us all to see, explore, and appreciate our environment more fully. This series of site-specific contemporary dance performances, staged in public spaces, explores the interactions and relationships of people both to a space and to each other, and how these affect our sense of who/what "belongs" in each space. Each performance takes this question of "who/what belongs" into account as it surprises the audience with dance in unexpected places and with unexpected interactions. Part of the 4Culture King County Performance Network Site Specific Art Happenings. Performances are August 10, 13, 24 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. and tentatively August 21 from 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. Victor Steinbrueck Park.

Other Activities

Seattle Public Library Used Book Sales, Monday - Friday, 11:30a.m. - 1:30p.m., Freeway Park

Beba's Waterfall Café & Outdoor Eats, Monday-Friday 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.,
Freeway Park

Drop-in Board Games, Monday - Friday, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Freeway Park

Drop-in Tai Chi Classes - Tuesdays through August 28th. noon - 1 p.m. Freeway Park

Urban Bootcamp, Victor Steinbrueck Park. To register, please call 206-547-2706 or visit www.smbgym.com

Bocce Ball Tournament - Occidental Square Quads tournament August 27 - 31. Form your own team or sign up as an individual. No experience is necessary - learn as you play! Contact Katie@pioneersquare.org to register. The deadline for submitting your entry is August 23.

Bocce Ball Practice - Occidental Square, August 23 from noon to 1 p.m. There's no
need to register, just come on down and we'll do some drills that will help improve
our bocce game. We will also spend some time on the rules and on your questions about how to play.

Drop-In Bocce - Occidental Square Bocce sets are available for checkout at the information kiosk at Occidental Square.

Comedy Lunch Hour - Victor Steinbrueck Park Thursdays noon to 1 p.m. FREE weekly comedy shows from the Comedy Underground, at the Southwest corner of the park. August 9, 23, 30; September 6, 13

Game Nights at Hing Hay Park - Hing Hay Park Tuesday evenings 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Enjoy Asian Game Nights, organized by the International District Housing Alliance (IDHA), and learn how to play traditional Asian games in Hing Hay Park. August 14 and 21

Poetry in Victor Steinbrueck Park
Scheduled poetry readings/open mic. Third Sundays, August 19th and September 16th, 4 - 6 p.m.

Yoga for Everyone - Victor Steinbrueck Park Monday, Wednesday and Friday* mornings through September 10 to 11 a.m. Come enjoy FREE yoga sessions with instructor Autumn at Victor Steinbrueck Park! Come move your body, breathe deeply, soak in the view, and take your inner exploration to the great outdoors! Class will meet rain or shine and everyone is welcome, regardless of shape, size, experience level, or physical ability. Autumn is experienced at adapting poses to individual needs, and you can do the whole class standing or seated on benches. Bring a mat, pad, or large towel if you want something between you and the ground. If you have questions, please contact Autumn at 206-697-6943 or info@homebodyyoga.com. August 10, 13, 15, 20, 22, 24, 27, 29, 31; September 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19, 21, 24, 26, and 28 (*Please note: no sessions on August 17 or September 3).

Parks and Recreation extends hearty thanks to our generous and dedicated community partners:

  • Downtown Seattle Association
  • Pioneer Square Community Association
  • Freeway Park Neighborhood Association
  • Downtown District Council
  • International District Housing Allowance
  • Chinatown International District Business Improvement Association
  • Cascade People's Center
  • Uptown Alliance
  • Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce
  • Pike Place Market Preservation and Development Authority

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