The Northwest Folklife festival, which will have a Bulgarian theme this year, may be two months away, but with the turning of winter to spring the annual Memorial Day Weekend celebration seems to be just around the corner. For those planning the festival, it is.
“This year we celebrate our 40th Anniversary Festival and have received a proclamation from the Mayor’s office that declares May 27th to 30th Northwest Folklife Weekend,” writes Folklife Community Engagement & Volunteer Coordinator Holly Decker.
Folklife, a 501(c)(3) non-profit with a mission to create “opportunities for individuals and communities of the Pacific Northwest to celebrate share and sustain the vitality of folk, ethnic and traditional arts for present and future generations,” is very much a product of the community, and relies on community members to keep itself going every year all while staying free for the public.
“Though many believe we are funded by the city because our Festival takes place on the Seattle Center campus, we receive very little city funding. The organization is able to sustain its self and have the Festival remain free to the public mostly in thanks to individual donors (financial support) and volunteers (approximately 800 volunteers),” says Decker. “Since this Festival, the nation’s largest free community arts festival takes place right here on Queen Anne, I thought, let’s get this community even more involved. Volunteer opportunities for people of all ages!”
This year Folklife is looking for volunteers to work at the festival, and help make preparations in the months leading up to Memorial Day Weekend. According to Decker, the festival accepts volunteers of all ages, though those under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
The festival, which runs runs four days (May 27, 28, 29, 30), is in need of volunteers to fill shifts from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Volunteers are also needed to help set up and tear down the Festival the week before and the week after. There are no hour requirements for volunteers, and typical shifts range from 2.5 to 3 hours.
There are a number of position available, from volunteering as a Vera Gallery assistant, pre-festival merchant aide, office assistant, and “a bit of everything else in between,” Decker says. For a full list of available volunteer opportunities click here (.pdf).
“The area we need help in most is in our Greeter department. Greeters are the heart of our Festival. Greeters staff our entrances and make sure every patron is acknowledged while entering or exiting the Festival. Greeters hand out program guides to patrons and encourage them to make donations as they enter or exit the Festival. This position is for individuals who are friendly and embody the spirit of Folklife. A typical Greeter shift is 2.5 hours and requires the ability to stand for a majority of the shift,” Decker says.
“A great new program we’ve introduced this year is entrance “sponsorship”. Northwest Folklife does not allow organizations to purchase booth space at our Festvial, but this year we are allowing community groups with similar mission statement to “sponsor” a Festival entrance for a day. That means they provide volunteers to work the entrances and in exchange are allowed to distribute outreach materials for their organization. This is also a great project for any groups who want to volunteer.”
Groups interested in volunteering at Folklife this year should contact Holly directly at holly@nwfolklife.org. Individuals who’d like to volunteer can go to www.nwfolklifefestival.org, click on the “Get Involved” tab and complete the online application.
Well that time has come. Owner Michelle Zhang is throwing a grand opening celebration at the new location this Saturday, December 18 from 12 to 2 p.m.
Photo courtesy of our sister-site My Green Lake.
There will be live music, balloon animals for the kids, and a Wii competition, as well as a secondary mini-celebration at the Queen Anne shop. Both locations will have complimentary appetizers and a food drive for Northwest Harvest. The Green Lake Cafe Bonjour is located at 7119 Woodlawn Ave NE.
Check out Cafe Bonjour’s menu items, which all range from $5.95 to $6.95, and details on hours and happy hour specials on its website.
Queen Anne’s 5 Spot restaurant is celebrating its 20th birthday by rolling back the clock. On Tuesday, May 18, Wednesday, May 19 and Thursday, May 20, the eatery will offer all its food at their 1990 menu prices (beverages will remain at the current price level).
Right now, the joint famous for rotating its menu with foods from across the U.S. is featuring a menu paying tribute to Seattle. You can start with appetizers like the Counterbalance Crab Cakes, move on to the Seattle PI Memorial Salmon Burger, and end with the 520 Floating Bridge Dessert (a chocolate waffle bridge on Almond Roca Pontoons in a lake of chocolate sauce with raspberry ice cream topped with whipped cream & granola). Most of that menu will probably be suspended during the 3-day birthday celebration next week.
Today, Wednesday, May 5 is Cinco de Mayo, and a few businesses around Queen Anne will be celebrating with in house parties and special deals. Interested in getting in on the fun? Here’s where to go:
$5 food and drink specials all day at all locations: Choose any burrito and chips and salsa or a fountain drink for $5, or any two tacos and chips and salsa or a fountain drink for $5 (seafood not included)
All day “happy hour” special on beer and margaritas at Queen Anne and Union St. locations for all of their Facebook fans and Twitter followers
El Diablo Coffee, a Queen Anne Ave N staple for almost ten years on the dot, is celebrating its anniversary all month long, with daily drawings for $5 gift cards and a new limited edition drink called the “Diablito” (two shots of espresso sweetened with condensed milk).
But the party’s only getting started! On Wednesday, May 5 (aptly Cinco de Mayo), El Diablo will host the main celebrations, an all day party in honor of the actual 10th anniversary of the devilish coffee spot’s home on the hill.
The El Diablo crew is planning fun and games all day long, including dessert giveaways (yum!), door prizes (yay!) and live music from 2 to 10 p.m. Want to make sure you remember to swing by? Add the event on Facebook.
El Diablo Coffee will be celebrating ten years on the hill next month, and to commemorate, they’ve decided to party all through May!
Beginning May 1, El Diablo will be introducing daily, weekly and monthly specials, including the “Diablito,” a new, limited edition concoction made from espresso and sweetened condensed milk.
For the actual anniversary, fittingly May 5th, i.e. Cinco de Mayo, El Diablo will be hosting an all day party!
Queen Anne Books will also be joining in the May celebrations for a few days, having a sale from May 5th to 9th, and the 1st annual “Galley Giveaway” with purchase. (Galley’s are free copies of books put together before final publication and handed out to reviewers–for some famous authors, these can be considered rare).
All the more reason to follow their devilish advice and consume lots and lots of coffee and cake in May! Happy ten years El Diablo!
Tomorrow, Thursday, March 25 is Greek Independence Day, and to celebrate, Stell’s (Burgers & More), located at 3310 3rd Ave by Seattle Pacific University, will be having special food, music and fun in honor of Greek culture.
Though Stell’s says it’s been 200 years since the Greece gained independence from the Ottoman Empire, the Greek Revolution is said to have taken place between 1821 and 1832. Still, regardless of how many years it’s been, the celebration tomorrow is sure to be a good time!
Stell’s will have special Greek dishes and desserts for the occasion, along with Greek music, Greek mountain tea, and “fun all day.” Opa!
In honor of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday, January 18, Seattle Center will be hosting a day of free programming, activities and celebration at the Center House.
The Seattle Center Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Celebration celebrates the dream of Dr. King by promoting the principles of peace, unity and equality, providing an opportunity for Seattle citizens to remember the dream and vision of MLK, and honoring citizens who are energizing the MLK dream in their communities. Join us for a full afternoon of awards, activities and entertainment in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Participants are invited to “Re-Envision the Dream” from noon to 5 p.m. Here’s what the schedule looks like:
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