The Compassion Experience in Snohomish - (Worth the trip!) - Interactive global experience exhibit with headphones provided for all - family friendly! - Monday, February 1st 2016 from 10am-5:40 (free online tix available, as well as, walk-ins) Highly recommend!

Image courtesy of The Compassion Experience

Went to this event today and wanted to share it because I thought it was a great experience and my 7 year old loved it too. I try to teach him about our global world and to have compassion for all others. 

This is a good event to attend and there are openings tomorrow online for free tickets and walk-ins as well.  :-)

For more info. go here.

"One Hot Night" - The Fall Open House with glass blowing, bronze pouring, other artists demos, kids art activity, and more at Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle - Saturday, September 19th 2015 from 6-9pm

One of our all time favorites that we have been taking our son to for the past couple of years! 

" Join us for One Hot Night! Pratt’s annual Fall Open House. This fun, FREE, family-friendly event features artists in all of our studios. Come watch them pull prints, blow glass, pour bronze and forge red hot steel! "

Live artist demos in the following studios include:

• Printmaking: Screenprinting, block printing, monoprinting, etching, letterpress, bookbinding
• Jewelry/Metals: Fabrication, Cuttlefish casting
• Wood:  Wood turning, Wood working
• Sculpture: Blacksmithing, Stone carving, Bronze Pour
• Glass:  Glassblowing, Flameworking, Kiln casting, Coldworking, Fusing and slumping

Highlights and additional activities:

• LIVE Bronze Pour
• Debora Moore glassblowing demonstration in conjunction with the exhibition Debora Moore: Glass Orchidarium on view at the Northwest African American Museum through November 8, 2015.
• Performances by School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts (SANCA)
• Youth art projects (still TBD)
• Ezell’s Express food truck
• Cash bar featuring Red Hook brew

For more info. go here.

"Waterfront Whimsea" Family Fun Day with Fireboat demo, a Brian Vogan performance, fire engine, games, prizes, slides and more in Seattle - Sunday, August 2nd 2015 from 11am-3pm

This is a fun one...go check it out!

 Waterfront Whimsea – FREE Family Fun Event

" Family friendly entertainment, fun and games return for a fourth year!...

 Grab the family and get ready for the return of a Downtown Seattle favorite! The Waterfront Whimsea Family Fun Day will showcase live music from Brian Vogan and his Good Buddies, balloon animals, prizes, games and more.

This event is FREE and open to the public! "

Timeline: 

12:00 – 12:45pm – band, Brian Vogan and His Good Buddies 

1:00 pm – Fireboat demonstration 

1:30 – 2:15 – Comedy Juggler Eric Haines 

All day activity: 

- Face painter: Rebecca Dickinson

- Balloon Twister Extraordinaire: Sara Chastain 

- Blow Up Slide 

- Games and Prizes 

- Fire Engine

For more info. go here.

3 BELLEVUE FAIRS IN DOWNTOWN BELLEVUE - NOW until 6pm on SUNDAY, JULY 26TH 2015 - A MUST DO THIS WEEKEND!

Once again 3 wonderful arts fairs share beautiful downtown Bellevue for a fun day of music, hands-on kids activities, art viewing/shopping and more! Also highly recommended this one! 

For more info. go here.

For more info. go here.

 For more info. go here.

2015 Sundquist Movies in the Park at Willis Tucker Community Park in Snohomish - Thursdays - Now through August 13th 2015 - Movies start at dusk!

For more info. go here.

Kirkland Summer Concerts - Kids Concerts on Tuesdays at 10am July 7th-August 18th at Juanita Beach Park and Family Evening Concerts on Thursdays at 7pm July 9th-August 20th 2015 at Marina Park = Free music summer fun!

Yay...Summer Concerts are here! We started going to these when my son was an infant!

Take the kids and have fun watching some great local kindie bands!

Kids Concerts 

Every Tuesday at 10-11 AM,  

July 7th - August 18th

Juanita Beach Park - Juanita 

July 7th - Cowboy Buck & Elizabeth

July 14th - Johnny Bregar
July 21st -Recess Monkey

July 28th - Brian Waite Band
August 4th - Brian Vogan & His Good Buddies

August 11th - The Not It's
August 18th - Caspar Babypants

I haven't been to any evening concerts yet but I bet they are a lot of fun to go and enjoy!

                                           Evening Concerts
                                   Every Thursday at 7-8:30 PM, 

July 9th - August 20th

       Marina Park - Downtown Kirkland

July 9th -Abbagraphs  -Abba Tribute Band



July 16th - Bobby Medina - Jazz Latin Dance



July 23rd - Geoffrey Castle - Celtic Rock



July 30th -Long Stride - Roots Rock Reggae



August 6th - Creme Tangerine - Beatles Tribute



August 13th - Mycle Wastman - "The Voice" Finalist



August 20th - Prom Queen - Retro Pop

For more info. go here.

FREE TICKETS TO SAMI'S Morning PLANETARIUM SHOWS and Evening Stargazes IN BELLEVUE - ALSO 1 SHOW FOR YOUNGER KIDS ages 5 and under on August 14th! - FREE TIX AVAILABLE TOMORROW STARTING AT NOON FOR The JULY 10TH MORNING SHOW! OTHER SHOWS TICKETS AVAILABLE 1 WEEK PRIOR - 2nd and 4th Fridays in July and August 2015 - Planetarium Shows at 10:30 AM and Stargazes at 9 PM

Grab FREE tickets and attend a SAMI's Free Community Planetarium Show! Don't forget they have 1 show as well for kids age 5 and under!! 

We attended the first one for the little ones and it was cute! Some facts at the beginning geared a little more toward grown-ups but then a cute planetarium show for the littles!

 So take the kids and join in at the Willard Geer Planetarium at Bellevue College to view "The Little Star that Could", "Wonders of the Universe", "New Horizons", and "The Secret Lives of Stars".

 "The Little Star that Could" showing on August 14th will be geared towards young children (ages 5 and under).  All other shows are not recommended for kids under the age of six. 

Upcoming Schedule:

This summer (July and August) we have a special planetarium show schedule. The tentative schedule for Summer 2015 is as follows, but may occasionally change:

Friday, July 10 – 10:30-11:15AM – “New Horizons” + Night Sky Narration

Friday, July 24 – 10:30-11:15AM –  “Wonders of the Universe” + Night Sky NarrationFriday, August 14 – 10:30-11:15AM – “The Little Star that Could” + Night Sky NarrationFriday, August 28 – 10:30-11:15AM – “The Secret Lives of Stars” + Night Sky Narration

Thursday, July 9 – 9:00PM – Stargaze on the Roof *weather dependent*

Thursday, July 16 – 9:00PM – Stargaze on the Roof *weather dependent*Thursday, July 23 – 9:00PM – Stargaze on the Roof *weather dependent*

Planetarium Shows -

Public Shows:

" Bellevue College’s Astronomy Department and the Science and Math Institute are pleased to sponsor free planetarium shows to the public TWO Fridays of each month. The Planetarium is a special domed-ceiling room (room B-244) where the nighttime sky is accurately produced. 

Admission is free for each show and stargaze, but reservations must be made in advance. Ticket reservations will begin starting at noon a week prior to the show/stargaze. Reservations can be made through Brown Paper Tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/ with the search term “Bellevue Planetarium.”

For our morning summer shows, we will show a professionally produced full-dome video, as well as a live segment introducing the audience to that night’s sky. For a description of the videos, please click HERE. During the live segment, the presenter will point out the brightest stars and constellations so audience members can go home and stargaze from their own backyards. Each show will last approximately 45 minutes. Shows are not recommended for kids under the age of six, although all are welcome. Please note: we do ask all participants to be respectful of other participants.

For our evening summer stargazes, telescopes will be set up to view different astronomical objects in the sky. The stargaze will last until crowds die out, or 11:00PM, whichever comes first. Access to the stargaze is via the stairwell near room B-134 downstairs, or B-262 upstairs. Continue on up to the rooftop. If you need special assistance, please let us know in advance. Stargazes are intended for adults and mature children (the roof does not have a railing). Stargazes are weather permitting and clouds or haze could cancel the stargaze at any time. Please check on the status of any stargaze before coming, by visiting this site.

There is limited capacity to each show and stargaze. When you finalize your reservation on Brown Paper Tickets, you will receive a confirmation email. There is information in that email about cancelling your reservations in case you are unable to attend. We do not charge for these events, but we need your help to keep it that way – please follow the steps in the confirmation email to release your tickets if you cannot attend.

Parking is free in the parking garage after 3:00PM in all lots.  If you are driving to our morning shows, please park and pay in the metered lots (5th floor of the Parking Garage has metered lots and is close to B-244). "

Families on the other half of the room anticipating the start of the show overhead!

FYI - There is no late admission so please plan to arrive 5-10 minutes early/NO food or drink is allowed in the planetarium.

For more info. call the BC Science Division at 425-564-2321 or go here.

For free tickets to the July 10th Show go here starting at noon on Friday, July 3rd 2015

Evan's Family Variety Show - A FREE All ages show at Phinney Center in Seattle - Sunday, June 28th 2015 at 3pm - Free tickets available online!

Take the family and see a variety show...for free!

" This show has a simple concept. I keep going to see other performers and some of them are GREAT. But they are all performing late at night in 21 and over venues. I want to show some of these acts to my kids – but I can’t!

So I am bringing these acts to a venue where you CAN take your family. The acts are NOT children’s acts – but they are family friendly and you will ALL enjoy the show!

There are magicians, jugglers, dancers, circus artists, hula hoopers, and more – every show is different, but will come let you and your kids see what people are doing in Seattle!

The show is about an hour long. "

For more info. go here.

To get free tickets go here.

Regal Summer Movie Express = $1 family movies at participating Regal Theaters - Tuesday and Wednesdays - June 23rd through August 19th 2015 at 10am

Yay...$1 movies are back and start next week in our area! This is a summer favorite of ours and I hope you go and get to enjoy them with your family too! Insider tip: First few weeks are typically not crowded but later on when the word gets out there will be long lines so arrive early...but don't worry they go pretty fast. 

Here is the 9 week schedule:

 (Note: Both movies shown play on both Tuesday and Wednesday) 

Week	Dates	Movies
Week 1	Tue June 23 Wed June 24	Nut Job Annie
Week 2	Tue June 30 Wed July 1	Earth to Echo Boxtrolls
Week 3	Tue July 7 Wed July 8	Paddington Turbo
Week 4	Tue July 14 Wed July 15	Rio 2 How To Train Your Dragon 2
Week 5	Tue July 21 Wed July 22	Mr. Peabody Book of Life
Week 6	Tue July 28 Wed July 29	Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb Penguins of Madagascar
Week 7	Tue August 4 Wed August 5	Madagascar 3 Dolphin Tale 2
Week 8	Tue August 11 Wed August 12	Muppets, Most Wanted Alexander and the Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Week 9	Tue August 18 Wed August 19	The Lego Movie The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

For more info go here.

Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra presents JAZZ4KIDS Mingus: Let My Children Hear Music at Benaroya Hall - Saturday, June 20th 2015 from 3-5pm (Instrument "Petting Zoo" at 3pm, performance at 4pm) - "Less than a Latte" each at $1 processing fee per FREE Ticket!

Have you seen this? Tickets still available for a free matinee with $1 processing fee! Get them now for an event that costs from $15-47 per person for that night's and the next day's performance! There will be a instrument petting zoo that starts at 3pm with the performance at 4pm. Make sure to bring your confirmation with you as that is your ticket. :-)

" The award-winning Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra (SRJO) presents another of its highly popular "Jazz4Kids" concerts on Saturday, June 20, 2015 at the Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall. The SRJO's Jazz4Kids Concerts are one-hour matinee performances without an intermission, presented in fine concert halls. Special thanks to our concert sponsor, Kennelly Keys Music!

SRJO Jazz4Kids concerts include a hands-on "petting zoo" instrument display courtesy of Kennelly Keys Music (in the lobby, beginning at 3:00 PM), instrument demonstrations, and questions from the audience for artistic directors Clarence Acox and Michael Brockman. The November 1 concert will include pieces selected from the same-day main stage program of Mingus: Let My Children Hear Music.

Special thanks to Lucky Seven Foundation for making this Jazz4Kids possible!

This event is free* to attend but a ticket must be acquired in advance online or over the phone from SRJO. Jazz4Kids concerts traditionally sell out, so it is highly recommended that everyone interested in attending the concert obtain tickets in advance to ensure seating.

*A $1.00 Ticket Processing Fee applies to each $0.00/Free ticket. 

NOTE: NO TICKETS WILL BE MAILED TO YOU. YOUR ORDER CONFIRMATION EMAIL WILL SERVE AS YOUR TICKETS. PLEASE BRING YOUR ORDER CONFIRMATION TO THE CONCERT. 

This event may be filmed or photographed for use in a variety of SRJO publicity and fundraising materials. By purchasing tickets, you are agreeing to allow images of you or a child you are accompanying to appear in our materials. 

For more info. go here.

CAST OFF! FREE ALL AGES PUBLIC SAILS AT THE CENTER FOR WOODEN BOATS IN SEATTLE - SUNDAYS - YEAR ROUND - 2015 10AM-4PM - SIGN-UPS START AT 10AM

                                                   Might be a good day to go for a free sail! 

 

The Center for Wooden Boats "Cast Off!" program allows visitors the chance to sail in classic sailboats. They sail rain or shine, but be aware that strong wind will ground them to the dock. Reservations are taken day-of-sail only at the front desk of The Center for Wooden Boats.

"Cast Off!" Rides are now throughout the day! 

 

" They last about 45 minutes. Sign-ups begin in person at 10am; space is limited and rides fill quickly. Arrive early to ensure your first choice, especially on sunny days and holidays. One person may sign up five other people who are not present, but no phone reservations are accepted. All ages are welcome and we have life jackets for everyone.  We sail rain or shine, but wind conditions may keep us at the dock. "

 

For more info. go here and here.

 

 

2nd Saturdays presents Ian Dobson's Pan Leggo (Steel Drum Party) at Crossroads Mall in Bellevue - Tonight, Saturday, June 13th 2015 from 5-9pm (Music performance at 6pm)

  STEEL DRUM, SALSA, AND WORLD MUSIC EXPERTS BRINGING THE CARIBBEAN PARTY TO YOU!

PLUS FAMILY GAME TIME, FOOD & PLAY DISCOUNTS TOO!

For more info. go here.

4th Annual Open House with fun interactive, science activities presented by the Science Division at Bellevue College - Saturday, June 6th 2015 from 10am-2pm

Fun for the whole family, this marks the 4th year the Science Division at Bellevue College has opened its doors and invited the public to tour classrooms and engage in fun, FREE science and math activities and games.

Something for everyone, we will have:

• Microscope Exploration
• Anatomy and Physiology Activities
• Beetle Pulls
• Shark Tooth Excavation
• Games for kids
• Strategy games for teens

         
    ... And MUCH MORE!

For more info. go here.