Geek About Town: May
Happy (almost) May, blog readers! As the sun continues to grace us with its mercurial presence, it’s time to get out and take full advantage of some of the incredible events coming up this month! Catch some movies, play some games, go to some talks…this month, the world is your oyster!
Tuesday, May 1st: Eating Recovery Day Event in Seattle
- Tuesday, May 1 at 7 PM – 8:30 PM
- The Grinning Yogi
345 15th Ave E, # 102, Seattle, Washington 98112 - Each year Eating Recovery Center celebrates
Eating Recovery Day–a day dedicated to removing stigma, raising awareness and inspiring hope for recovery.
The Eating Recovery Day theme for 2018 is #MyRecoveryLetter.
Join us in Seattle at The Grinning Yogi. This complimentary evening of activities will include yoga, mindfulness, letter-writing, conversation and celebration.
First, Jamie Silverstein E-RYT 500, Owner and Director of The Grinning Yogi, will be leading a heartfelt yoga practice.
Following yoga, the group will participate in a creative letter-writing exercise to practice accessing love and gratitude in recovery. Letter-writing will be led by Nica Stepien, LMHC, NCC, Alumni Family Liaison at ERC, Washington.
Wednesday, May 2nd: Suicide Girls: Blackheart Burlesque
- 8:00pm – 11:30pm
The Showbox
1426 First Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
Tickets: $27 – $77
- SuicideGirls is bringing back a revamped version of the sexiest show on the planet for 2018! Blackheart Burlesque is unlike any other burlesque act you’ve seen filled with pop-culture references, a high energy indie soundtrack and the sexiest choreographed strip tease to make your inner nerd explode with glee. Choreographed by one of their very own – you can see Star Wars, Stranger Things, Game of Thrones, Star Trek and West World numbers in a insanely sexy reimagined way!
Thursday, May 3rd: Nordic Innovation Conference
- 8:30am – 5:00pm
- Nordic Museum
2655 NW Market St, Seattle, WA 98107 - Tickets: $50
- Though the Nordic region represents only 3 percent of Europe’s population, the Nordic nations are ranked as global leaders for technology and innovation. This one-day conference will feature keynote talks and panels by tech and innovation luminaries from the Nordic region, including Kristen Skogen Lund (NO), Frederik Cassel (SE), and Hilde Tone (DK).
Thursday, May 3rd: Classic Movie Nights: “Explorers” (1985)
- 6:10pm – 8:30pm
- Living Computers: Museum + Labs
2245 First Ave S, Seattle, WA 98134 - Free!
- A boy obsessed with 50s sci-fi movies has a recurring dream about a blueprint and – with the help of some new friends – follows the outline and builds himself a spaceship. Starring Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix and directed by Joe Dante.
Thursday, May 3rd: Free First Thursday at SAM!
- 10:00am – 9:00pm
Seattle Art Museum
1300 1st Ave, Seattle, Washington 98101 - Tickets: Prices Vary
- First Thursday means half-price tickets to “Figuring History: Robert Colescott, Kerry James Marshall, Mickalene Thomas,” free entrance to our galleries, and a cornucopia of things to do at the museum. Skip the lines and get your tickets to #FiguringHistory now!
Friday, May 4th: May the Fourth Be With You Rock Show and Costume Contest
- 8:00pm – 12:00am
- Skylark Cafe & Club
3803 Delridge Way SW, Seattle, Washington 98106 - Tickets: $8
- Enjoy a night of rock and pop from local talents Joseph Dane, Mark Brainard, and Bug Hunter amidst a Star Wars-themed party and costume contest.
Friday, May 4th – Sunday, May 6th: Seattle Salsa Bachata Festival 2018
- 7:00pm – 12:00am
- Salsa N’ Seattle Dance Studio
2000 S. Jackson St, Seattle, Washington 98144
- Tickets: Prices Vary
- Don’t miss the 5th Annual Seattle Bachata Festival May 2018!
Incredible workshops, performance, and social dancing packed in one weekend.
Featuring:) Artist
Jonathan Ibarra and Yared Martinez of ( Alma Latina) From Mexico
Aubrey & Miguel ( L,A )
Cesar & Natasha ( L,A & SF)
Oscar & Jessica ( TX )
Keesha D’Va ( C,A )
DJ Xilah ( L,A )
DJ Tumbao (Portland)
DJ Amezcua ( L,A )
Amazing HEELS CHALLENGE for ladies and gentlemen!
Check out the website for more details!
http://www.seattlebachatakizombafestival.com/
Friday, May 4th: Return to Endor – Rebel Disco Alliance Showcase
- 10:00pm – 2:00am
- Re-bar Seattle
1114 Howell St, Seattle, Washington 98101 - Celebrate May the Fourth with your Rebel Disco Alliance family @ Re-Bar. THRIVE is letting us take over the night to put on a special Return To Endor – Cascadia Pre-Party in celebration of our 6th year anniversary and lead up to our favorite NW Music & Arts Festival
Friday, May 4th – Sunday, May 6th: Crypticon Seattle 2018
- 10:00am
- Crypticon Seattle
Doubletree Hotel, SeaTac, Washington 98188 - Crypticon Seattle is the convention celebrating the Pacific Northwest’s Darker Side. Three days of your favorite actors, authors, and artists, along with tons of new people and things you never knew existed. But we are so much more than a tidal wave of blood, guts, and scares. What started as a modest convention for hardcore horror fans has turned into a huge event of the creepy and supernatural, held in an impressive venue. One of Crypticon Seattle’s biggest reasons for existing is to help support the arts. We have opportunities for local, and not-so-local, talent in all fields, be that movies, television, radio, music, art, literature, or creators and purveyors of household products and games—all dark-themed to tickle the terrifying fancies of our lurid Seattle horde.
Some of our most popular yearly events include the film festival and contest, the makeup contest, and the writing contest, and the art and costume contests—each with an awards ceremony and incredible prizes. We also have the ever-popular Biohazard parties, question and answer panels with top names in the business, and opportunities to meet actors, authors, artists, directors, paranormal experts—just to name a few. Between the scheduled activities, you can browse the wares in the vendor room and meet other like-minded ghouls in a weekend bathed in the fascinating and gruesome.
Crypticon welcomes and supports all types of dark art and encourages people from all walks of life to come and enjoy the show. Love zombies? We got ya! Vampires? Yes! Goth, fetish, dark fantasy or sci-fi? Yeah, we’ve got that, too! And it’s not just once a year that we flaunt our freakish best—we sponsor, support, and run many dark-themed events throughout the year, all over western Washington. #crypt18
Saturday, May 5th: Free Comic Book Day!
- Multiple participating locations and times
- Free!
- Head to multiple comics stores in the area for free comics and other amazing deals! In the Seattle area, be sure top stop by at Phoenix Games and Comics, Kinokuniya, Grumpy Old Man, Golden Age Collectables, Outsider Comics, Comics Dungeon, and Fantagraphics.
Saturday, May 5th: 8th Annual Taco Truck Challenge
- 11:00am – 5:00pm
- Seattle Center
305 Harrison St, Seattle, Washington 98109 - Join us for our 8th annual Taco Truck Challenge at our NEW LOCATION – the International Fountain at Seattle Center!
The day kicks off with a team run/walk/scavenger hunt with Seattle Urban X, starting at Safeco Field (if you want to have some fun before you eat the tacos).
About 20 local food trucks will be at the finish line and they’ll be serving their most mouthwatering treats and unique taco-themed confections. While all of the trucks will be decidedly delicious, only one will have the honor of being crowned the Taco Truck Champion!
FREE admission, all ages except for the Seafair Beer and Margarita Garden which is 21+ and $5 at the gate. JUST ANNOUNCED – KITTEN and local bands, The Hollers and Duke Evers will be performing inside the Beer and Margarita Garden! Come eat tacos, enjoy live music and hang with us on May 5th!
Saturday, May 5th: South Lake Union Redux: Tech, and More Tech
- 10:00am – 12:00pm
- Triangle Park at Western and 9th
2211 Westlake Ave N
Seattle, WA 98121 - Tickets: General Admission: $18, SAF Member: $12
- This tour examines key ingredients for urban revitalization and discusses the urban design and architectural strategies at work in the vibrant, rapidly growing South Lake Union neighborhood. Participants will experience the evolution of re-investment and re-development in the neighborhood and discuss transformation of a no-mans-land into one of the fastest growing neighborhoods in the country. The tour will look at the commercial growth of the neighborhood from Amazon’s historic lease agreement to today’s downtown-like expansion of residential and hospitality development. From the Denny Triangle to the shoreline of the “Little Lake” this tour shares the history of the neighborhood, explores commercial and institutional projects illustrating design adaptation in the last 10 years, and asks participants to consider what is the right mixture for successful revitalization of an urban neighborhood. The tour includes Amazon’s SLU Campus, South Lake Union Park, UW Medicine, and the Future Google & Facebook SLU Campuses (currently under construction).
Saturday, May 5th: South Lake Union Market Opening Day
- Free!
- 11:00am – 4:00pm
- South Lake Union Saturday Market
139 9th Ave N, Seattle, Washington 98109 - Come see Seoul Bowl at South Lake Union Market Opening day!
Sunday, May 6th: 11th Annual Seattle Brain Cancer Walk
- 7:30 AM – 11:00 AM
- Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center
305 Harrison Street, Seattle, Washington 98109 - Tickets/Registration
- The 11th annual Seattle Brain Cancer Walk will take place on Sunday, May 6. It is a national fundraising event to raise awareness about brain cancer and fund brain cancer research and clinical trials in the Pacific Northwest. It is a one-mile symbolic walk throughout the grounds of Seattle Center and is open to participants of all fitness levels.
Founded in 2008 by a group of committed volunteers and families, the Seattle Brain Cancer Walk has raised more than $5 million for brain cancer research and clinical trials in the Pacific Northwest. Walk proceeds go directly to brain cancer research at the Ben and Catherine Ivy Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment at Swedish.
Support the Walk and help us get one step closer to a cure for brain cancer! Donate to an individual, make a gift to a team or make a general donation. Join us as we walk together to build awareness and advance the search for a cure!
Sunday, May 6th: 2018 Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration
- 11:45am – 5pm
- Seattle Center
305 Harrison St, Seattle, Washington 98109 - Free!
- Join us on May 6th to celebrate Asian Pacific Islander (API) Heritage Month! Come see your favorite local performing groups and fill up on dishes from food trucks! We also have children’s activities, a hum bow eating contest, and a cultural display of nations!
Wednesday, May 9th: Sneak Preview for Breaking In!
- 7:00pm – 10:00pm
- Regal Cinema Thornton Place
- 301 NE 103rd Street
- Free!
- We have a very limited amount of early entry seats for our members who can make it to the theatre by 6:15 p.m. to check in and get seated before the crowds are allowed inside. The film will begin at 7 p.m.
Breaking In hits theatres on May 11th but you can catch it early for FREE!
If you are interested, RSVP as soon as possible. Each member may request one seat for themselves and one +1 seat only.
These seats are first come, first served.
If you are one of the folks selected, you will receive the pertinent information needed for the film. I will also need your name and your +1 for the screening.
Synopsis: This Mother’s Day, Gabrielle Union stars as a woman who will stop at nothing to rescue her two children being held hostage in a house designed with impenetrable security. No trap, no trick and especially no man inside can match a mother with a mission when she is determined on BREAKING IN.
RSVPs close at NOON on Monday, May 7th or they are full!
Friday, May 11th: Crystal Queer: A Night of Steven Universe Drag
- 10:30pm
- The Rendezvous
2322 2nd Avenue
Seattle, WA 98121
- Tickets: $20 General Admission, $30 VIP
- 21+
- Belltown becomes Beach City in this one-night drag tribute to Steven Universe. Your two-carat co-hosts, Butylene O’Kipple and Jade Dynasty, will guide you through a series of dazzling, gender-defying numbers inspired by characters from the popular animated series. With a line-up featuring some of the brightest intergalactic gems in the Seattle scene – plus a metamorphic appearance from special guest, Kara Phoebe—Crystal Queer is one stellar adventure.
VIP tickets include a post-show meet & greet with the cast as well as a photo op!
Friday, May 11: Star Trek Exhibition Send-Off Party
- 7:00pm – 11:00pm
- Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)
325 Fifth Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109 - Ticket Prices Vary
- An all ages event celebrating the end of the Star Trek Exhibition. This event Includes admission to Star Trek: Exploring New Worlds, Infinite Worlds of Science Fiction, Scared to Death: The Thrill of Horror Film, and Fantasy: Worlds of Myth and Magic.
Friday, May 11th: GeekGirlCon Board Game Night at Wayward Coffeehouse!
- 7pm – 10:45pm
- Wayward Coffeehouse
- 6417 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
- Do you love board games and enjoy teaching others how to play? Explore the board/card game hobby and meet folks happy to teach you their favorite board games! Come and play with folks who love playing games. And the best part about the GeekGirlCon (http://www.geekgirlcon.com/) game nights with our friends at Wayward (http://www.waywardcoffee.com/)? They are absolutely FREE with no cover charge!
Friday, May 11th – Saturday, May 12th: 2018 Seattle Recycled Arts Festival
- Friday May 11, 6:00pm – 9:00 pm
Saturday May 12, 12:00pm – 4:00pm - Free!
- Part of the Art Up Phinneywood May Art Walk
- 2nd Annual Seattle Recycled Arts Festival
** Co-Sponsored by Phinney Neighborhood Association**
** Juried Art Exhibit
** Eco-Fashion Show (Friday night only)
** Fix-It Clinic
** Outdoor Sculpture Garden
** Art Cars
** Art+Tech+Trash Interactive Game
** Seattle Recreative Children’s Area
** Food Trucks
** Information booths
Sunday, May 13th: The Color Run 5k Seattle https://www.facebook.com/events/869852623188034/
- 8:00am – 11:00am
- Seattle Center
305 Harrison St, Seattle, Washington 98109 - Tickets: Prices Vary
- It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No…. it’s The Color Run flying your way in 2018!
Stay tuned for our official tour announcement and more event details!
**Start chute open between 8:00-8:45AM**
Wednesday, May 16th: Seattle Reads: ‘Homegoing:’ A Conversation With Yaa Gyasi
- 7:00pm – 8:30pm
- Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute
104 17th Avenue South, Seattle, Washington 98144 - Yaa Gyasi will discuss Homegoing, this year’s Seattle Reads selection. She will appear in conversation with local writer Lola E. Peters.
Homegoing follows the parallel paths of two sisters, born in Ghana in the eighteenth century, each unaware of the other. One marries an Englishman and leads a life of comfort. The other is captured in a raid on her village, imprisoned, and enslaved.
Seattle Reads Homegoing is presented in partnership with Northwest African American Museum, Langston Seattle, The Black Heritage Society of Washington State and the African-American Writers’ Alliance. Seattle Reads Homegoing is made possible by The Seattle Public Library Foundation and The Wallace Foundation, with additional support from media sponsors The Seattle Times and KUOW Public Radio, and Vintage Books & Anchor Books.
Wednesday, May 16th: Human-Machine Interfaces and the Future of Interaction
- 6:30pm
- Pigott Auditorium at Seattle University
901 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122 - $10
- MIT Enterprise Forum of the Northwest convenes a panel of experts in technology to discuss the societal impact of new machines and their interactions with humans.
Thursday, May 17th: Seattle Bilingual & Diversity Job Fair
- 9:30am – 3:00pm
- Seattle Airport Marriott
3201 South 176th Street, Seattle, Washington 98188 - Free!
- Are you bilingual?
Join us for a free professional job fair like no other!
This is your opportunity to meet with top quality employers seeking diversity in bilingual and professional candidates like you – so bring plenty of copies of your resume and dress to impress, because our employers are looking for hires!
Check out the attending companies list here (continually updated): https://seattle.diversityjobs.com/
Thursday, May 17th: Seattle LGBTQ Commission Monthly Meeting
- 6:30pm
- Seattle City Hall
600 4th Ave Ste 3300, Seattle, Washington 98104 - Seattle LGBT Commission Monthly Meeting
Every 3rd Thursday of each month
6:30 – 8:30pm
Seattle City Hall
600 4th Ave
Seattle, WA 98104-1822
Boards and Commissions Conference Room (Room L-280)
(BUILDING ACCESS AFTER HOURS – enter the entrance to City Hall is on 5th between James and Cherry. To enter, push the security button if after 6pm and state purpose as “attendance to commission meeting”)
————————-
The public is allowed to come and observe meetings and the beginning of meetings are dedicated open public comment periods. Public comments are timed. To be placed on the agenda and/or make a formal request, please see http://www.seattle.gov/lgbtq/contact
Monday, May 21st – Monday, May 28th: Star Trek: Exploring New Worlds Exhibit
- Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)
325 Fifth Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109 - Tickets: Prices Vary
- As part of the franchise’s 50th anniversary celebrations, Star Trek: Exploring New Worlds presents the phenomenon, its enduring impact on our culture, and how Star Trek has inspired people to imagine, explore, and create.
Discover the beloved series all over again in this fully immersive exhibit, featuring more than 100 artifacts and props from the five Star Trek television series, spin-offs, and films, including set pieces from the original series like Captain Kirk’s command chair and the navigation console (on display for the first time to the public); Kirk, Spock, Uhura, and McCoy original series costumes; and the 6-foot U.S.S. Enterprise filming model from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Tuesday, May 22nd: Michael Pollan with Ingrid K. Walker Talk: The Science of Psychedelics
- Doors at 6:30pm
- Temple De Hirsch Sinai (Seattle)
1441 16th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98122 - Tickets: $5
- LSD and psilocybin (the active ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms) have shown significant promise as tools to provide relief to people suffering from difficult-to-treat conditions such as depression, addiction, and anxiety. But, according to bestselling writer Michael Pollan, these remarkable substances are improving the lives not only of the mentally ill but also of healthy people coming to grips with the challenges of everyday life. Now Pollan—author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma—joins us to reveal firsthand insight on the landscape of the mind with wisdom from his new book How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence.
He shares his singular adventure into the experience of various altered states of consciousness, with a deep dive into the latest brain science and the thriving underground community of psychedelic therapists. Pollan meets with drug researcher and community engagement worker Ingrid Walker to sift the historical record and separate the truth about these mysterious drugs from the myths that have surrounded them since the 1960s. Together Pollan and Walker outline a history of the handful of psychedelic evangelists who catalyzed a powerful backlash against what was then a promising field of research. Join Pollan and Walker for a conversation on the science and psychology of the psychedelic. Engage with the puzzle of human consciousness and explore how, in a world that offers us both struggle and beauty, we can do our best to be fully present and find meaning in our lives.
Tuesday, May 22nd: Tuesday Trivia: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- 7:00pm – 10:00pm
- The Runaway
1425 10th Ave, Seattle, Washington 98122 - Free!
- 21+
- Dedicate your evening to something good: A teenager named Buffy who fights vampires while also navigating high school. The Runaway Presents: Trivia Tuesday ft. drink specials and prizes
We serve the full Bok a Bok food menu!
Friday, May 25th: GeekGirlCon Board Game Night at Wayward Coffeehouse!
- 7pm – 10:45pm
- Wayward Coffeehouse
- 6417 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115
- Do you love board games and enjoy teaching others how to play? Explore the board/card game hobby and meet folks happy to teach you their favorite board games! Come and play with folks who love playing games. And the best part about the GeekGirlCon (http://www.geekgirlcon.com/) game nights with our friends at Wayward (http://www.waywardcoffee.com/)? They are absolutely FREE with no cover charge!
Friday, May 25th – Monday, May 28th: PaizoCon 2018
- DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport
18740 International Blvd, Seattle, Washington 98188
- Times vary
- Tickets: Prices Vary
- Ready those dice, because PaizoCon is almost here! Join us for PaizoCon 2018, the annual celebration of Paizo, Pathfinder, Starfinder, and the folks who play. From special guests to once-in-a-lifetime game events to previews of future releases, PaizoCon is the annual epicenter of all things Paizo. Gamers from all over the world converge for a laid-back, gaming-focused gathering unlike any other.
Guests of Honor: The Glass Cannon Podcast and artist Taylor Fischer!
Sunday, May 27: The Hawkins Snow Ball ’84: The Upside-Down Edition
A Stranger Things Dance Night
- 9:00pm
- Neumos
925 E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122 - Tickets: $5
- 21+
- Immerse yourself in the finale set of your favorite TV show with this ’80s-themed prom decked out with a photo booth, balloons, classic dance tracks, a disco ball, and more. Dress up in your best retro prom outfit (or best Stranger Things costume) and come dance all night, or at least until the Mind-Flayer comes for us all.
