Your Guide to Seattle in August

The sun? Out. The blackberries? Ripe. The spiders? Booked and busy. It must be August! This is the month we wait all year for (allegedly) and there’s so much to do. Let’s get into it.

Have You Voted Yet?

We've been talking about this a lot on the podcast and all the issues related to it, but in case you forgot, election day is coming up on Tuesday. Your ballot for the primary election needs to be postmarked and in the mail on or by election day, so if you're procrastinating on voting, make sure to use a drop box to ensure your vote counts. All ballots are due by 8 p.m. on August 4!

Why is the primary important?

The primary election narrows the pool of candidates ahead of the general election in the fall, when voters make their final choices. Washington's primary system advances the top two vote-getters to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.

What else is on the ballot?

This year's Proposition 1 asks for a seven-year, $480 million levy to fund about a third of the Seattle Public Library’s operating budget. This measure covers the basic cost of keeping libraries open. The cost to property owners would be an increase of 23 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, averaging about $193 a year. Cities like Seattle rely on property tax levies to cover budget shortfalls. SPL has used this approach before, with voters approving levies in 2012 and 2019.

Want more? To read up on who’s running and everything else you might need to know about elections in King County, check out our Primary Guide.

Get Outside!

Concerts: It’s outdoor concert season! Capitol Hill Block Party is August 7 through 9. If you wanna go to one or all three days of the festival, you can get your tickets at capitolhillblockparty.com. If you’re looking for other live music to check out, the four venues that have great lineups this month are Marymoor Park, Remlinger Farms, Woodland Park Zoo, and Chateau Ste Michelle.

Art Walks: August is the prime time to go to one of the First Thursday art walks because it’ll be lovely out and the sun won’t set until late. Everyone will be wearing cool outfits. It's fun for people watching. And a lot of the galleries that wouldn't otherwise be open are open to the public during that time!

Fruit Picking: Fun fact about berry season in the Pacific Northwest – all compound berries, like blackberries or raspberries, are edible here and pretty easy to find. This also includes salmonberries, thimbleberries, and huckleberries. SO! MANY! BERRIES! They're all coming into season right now. If you aren’t brave enough to pick them from your neighbor’s yard, you can always visit your weekly farmers market.

Baseball: The last couple of DubSea Fish Sticks games are this weekend! And on August 5, the Mariners are hosting “Jimothy Night” at T-Mobile Park which is sure to be the most Seattle thing of all time. If you do go see a baseball game this month, be sure to eat a Seattle dog and please remember to wear sunscreen!

What We’re Looking Forward To

Liam: Scarecrow Video is having their parking lot sale on August 15. There’s also the Cold War Summer movie series at SIFF!

Jane: The Deadly Prey Gallery is coming to Seattle on August 11 and August 12 for a two-day pop-up exhibition and print sale at the Quality Flea Center.

Ashley: August 1 and 2 is the Flock Fiber Festival at Seattle Convention Center for all of my fellow yarn nerds. And August 15 is the first preseason Seahawks game at Lumen Field!

Sam: The Seattle Trans and Non-Binary Choral Ensemble are hosting a bi-annual clothing swap. It's a free event on August 30 at Common Objects.