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Bumbershoot and
Beyond:
The Hippest Caffeine Coast Happenings
By Dana Little
Day 1, 8:30 a.m.:
I have a hot Starbucks
double tall latte with a shot in one hand and a mangled program of events in
the other. I'm juggling the two and spilling my coffee down my T-shirt while I
try to decide whether I should go groove to the beat of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy or
zone to the meditative melodies of the Master Musicians of Jajouka.
On the
other hand, I could go get my dose of NPR sarcasm with Andrei Codrescu or get down
on British politics and social ills with Billy Bragg. Then again, I could check
out some great short films, watch some cool performance art, take in a few
avant-garde exhibits or just sit here in the park and finish my coffee. Too
many choices, not enough time. I guess I just won't sleep for the next three
days.
Mother of All
Rolling Stone Magazine has called Bumbershoot, "The
mother of all arts festivals," and it's a well-deserved moniker. With the
Seattle Center's 74 acres of indoor and outdoor stages and galleries, filled with over
2,500 artists in every genre, including music, dance, film and video, literary
arts, kids, comedy and culinary arts, as well as visual arts, the annual Labor Day Seattle
Arts Festival is the ultimate celebration of the creative spirit. And one
worth traveling for.
It's always a tough call to determine which of the fifty or
so performances by national and international performers to check out each day,
let alone how to decide between the hundreds of smaller performances, art shows
and impromptu events.
The best bet is to pick the one or two things you don't
want to miss each day and then fill in the blanks with whatever else is
happening at the time. The beauty of Bumbershoot is that you never know
what wild art you might stumble across -- the next Grammy-award winning band or
world-famous artist could be showing right beside you. Then again, it could
just be some outrageous performer in a colorful hat whose name you never
caught, but boy, was he wacky!
Father Guido Performs
There's so much going on everywhere, it's as if the entire
city is expressing its creative energy at the same time. But that's not unusual
for Seattle. As the epicenter of the Caffeine Coast and home to many of the
country's leading technology companies, music trends and arts venues, this is a
town that can afford to take the arts seriously (and with a good dose of
humor). And does.
In addition to notable performances by artists from around
the country and the world-- The Buena Vista Social Club and the Urban Bush Women
were just two -- the 30th Anniversary festival included the
popular One Reel Film Festival, an international turntable DJ competition, a
circus arts stage, literary readings, a group wedding ceremony performed by
Father Guido Sarducci and an after-hours explosion of performances and events
at other Seattle area venues.
Keeping Seattle Happening
But Bumbershoot is just the tip of the iceberg. Seattle is
also home to One Reel, a non-profit arts organization that has been producing a
wide range of arts events throughout the Caffeine Coast region for over three
decades. From WOMAD USA to summer concerts at the pier to an unrivaled
Fourth of July pyrotechnics display, One Reel keeps Seattle happening
One Reel also produces Teatro ZinZanni on the Embarcadero at Pier 27/29 in San Francisco, a one-of-a-kind dinner theatre extravaganza combining circus, music, spectacle and a six-course feast!
If you're looking for another reason to visit San Francisco (do you really need one?), look no further than the San Francisco Fringe Festival, September 7-17, featuring 10 days of over 200 theatre performances by troupes from around the world. You could watch plays all day and night and never have to leave your seat! For a real multicultural experience, you could also take a break and check out the dragon dances, performances and food at Chinatown's Autumn Moon Festival on September 9 and 10.
Bizarre Display
But no happening quite defines San Francisco like the
Castro's local Halloween Parade. If you can imagine it, you'll see it,
as thousands of people take to the streets in the most bizarre and outrageous
display of creative costuming on the planet.
Several smaller cities and towns between San Francisco and
Seattle also have wonderful happenings this time of year. From wine, arts and
harvest festivals to cowboy music, rodeos and pow wows (even an Alternative
Fuel Fair and Electric Car Race!), the Caffeine Coast is a happening place
to be this fall. There's so much going on it's hard to choose. Just stock up on
the double espressos and you'll be fine.
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Copyright 2006. Dana Little. All rights reserved.
RESOURCES Bumbershoot information One Reel information Washington
State Festival and Events California
Festivals and Events |
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