Last-Minute Plans: 49 Free, Cheap & Easy Things To Do In Seattle Over Labor Day Weekend, September 2-5, 2016 Flavors of India, Americana Festival, And More $10-And-Under Options For September 2-4

Shutterstock Gorge yourself on free Indian food (and enjoy presentations and performances) at Bellevue's Flavors of India festival.

Bumbershoot is exciting and, as always, boasts some great acts—but it's expensive and crowded, and many of you are vehemently not on board. That's okay, because we've compiled some possible Labor Day weekend plans that are absolutely Bumbershoot-free (many of which are actually free, too, or at least less than $10). You can hole up on Beacon Hill and enjoy an outdoor movie screening and a traditional Caribbean carnival, or stay in the U District and take in an improv show or "nerd-hop chip tune" concert. Or you could escape the city altogether, and head to Whidbey Island's Oak Harbor Music Festival or Bremerton's 27th Annual Blackberry Festival. And, as always, if you're feeling like doing something slightly pricier or more complicated, make sure to check out our complete Things To Do calendar.

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ALL WEEKEND

1. Dougsley the Corpse Flower

This is probably your last chance to see the beautiful, noxious-smelling corpse flower named "Dougsley" in the Volunteer Park Conservatory. We heard a rumor that it's blooming now—or almost blooming?—so come see (and smell) it for yourself.

(Capitol Hill, $4)

2. Hooded or Being Black for Dummies

Tru, a rapper from Baltimore, meets Marquis, a "Republican prep-schooler" living in a white suburb, in a holding cell, and the two tangle over the question of whether blackness is a thing that one can lose and gain. Yes, you should drive/bike/bus to a strip mall in Kent to watch this dramatic conversation about the way notions of blackness form within the minds of youth. The show is free, thanks to a grant that producers Theatre Battery secured from Radical Hospitality. These young theater artists want to participate in a conversation about blackness in Kent. Join them. RICH SMITH

(Kent, free)

3. Oak Harbor Music Festival

Enjoy the beauty of Whidbey Island to the tune of three whole days of free music, courtesy of groups like Fly Moon Royalty, Penguin Prison, and The Fame Riot.

(Whidbey Island, free)

FRIDAY

4. Buddy Up Improv

Two improv groups pair up and throw down two completely unique shows.

(Greenwood, $10/$14)

5. DUG: Rare Funk Dance Party

With its funk, hiphop, uh… kids’ records, and boogie, DUG is one of my fave DJ nights in town and an all-around kickass night of dancing. MIKE NIPPER

(Eastlake, $7)

6. Fabulous Fish Fridays

Machine House is the city’s only brewery dedicated to English-style cask ales—lower in alcohol, more malty than hoppy. Easy drinking ales such as the Best Bitter and Golden are served at cellar temperature and poured from traditional wood-and-brass hand pumps. They pair beautifully with Nosh’s British fish and chips, composed of one long fillet of Pacific cod that’s dipped in a beer batter, fried to a gorgeous golden brown, and served with hearty fried potatoes as well as a verdant mash of peas and mint. It’s a match made in heaven, and you get to experience it every Friday evening in Georgetown. ANGELA GARBES

(Georgetown, free entry)

7. Foxtails Brigade, The Mondegreens, Garlic Man & Chikn

Explosive Bay area sound collective Foxtails Brigade brings their hazy chamber-folk pop to the Timbre Room, with The Mondegreens, and Garlic Man & Chikn.

(Downtown, $7)

8. Happy Hour at the Swedish Club

Every Friday evening, prospective members are invited to enjoy the Swedish Club's bar with its spectacular Lake Union view, balcony, drinks, Smörgås sandwiches and other Swedish snacks (plus a full dinner menu in the dining room), and live music. There's $5 beer and wine, plus Jeppson's Malört, a Swedish spiced liqueur flavored with wormwood known to be an acquired taste ("like grapefruit and gasoline," one fan says). Once you see the Swedish Club, you'll realize that "prospective members" includes you.

(Queen Anne, $5 beer and wine)

9. Improvatron!

This #Ladyprov show will feature performers including Bottomless Mimosas, The Bechdel Jest, and Mottz & Totz—plus, you can indulge in $2-$5 drinks (from Rainier to cocktails).

(Ballard, pay what you can)

10. Jungle Gym Patio Party

Sink into the chill zone of the Timbre Room at their Jungle Gym Patio Party that features selections from Jungle Gym Records thrillers René Najera, Dravier, and Goetic Mirror, with drink specials on deck.

(Downtown, free)

11. LatinX Movie Night: Selena, Every Row a Path, and Youth Films

At this LatinX movie night—organized by Reel Grrls with support from Seattle's Office of Arts & Culture—watch Selena (a documentary about the pop superstar), as well as work by Reel Grrls young filmmakers, and Jill Freidberg's documentary that follows five young migrant women in the Skagit Valley titled Every Row a Path.

(West Seattle, free)

12. Movies in the Park

Head to Pioneer Square for family-friendly movies at dusk that adults can enjoy too—this time, they’ll show Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

(Pioneer Square, free)

13. Outdoor Movies in Jefferson Park

Beacon Hill's outdoor movie nights start at 7 pm with an open mic, followed by family-friendly movies at dusk. Tonight, they’ll screen Despicable Me 2.

(Beacon Hill, free)

14. Seattle Composers’ Salon

Enjoy a layered evening of music and discussion with four Seattle-based composers: Sheila Bristow, Carson Farley, Carson Harvey, and Ian McKnight. The Seattle Composers' Salon is an ongoing bi-monthly series that seeks to foster the engendering of new works by regional composers and performers.

(Wallingford, $5-$15)

15. Spin the Bottle

This is Seattle's longest-running cabaret and has seen just about everything—dance, theater, comedy, paper airplanes, tears, stunts, music, romance—from just about everyone.

(Capitol Hill, $5/$10)

16. Summer Madness

Jet City Improv's "flagship show" with prizes, dancing, and drinks, plus special themed performances including 'Merica Night, Prom Night, and '90s Night.

(University District, $10-$18)

17. Summer Nights in the North Plaza

On Fridays throughout the summer, CenturyLink Field will have games, food trucks, drink specials (21+ only, and no vertical IDs accepted), music, and occasional movie nights. On tonight’s agenda is an evening of hip-hop music discovery.

(Pioneer Square, $1)

18. Unofficial Bumbershoot After-Party with Massacooramaan

Keep partying after the first day of Bumbershoot with this unofficial after-party at Kremwerk that features live DJ sets from Massacooramaan, Tom Kha Soup, Essex, Korma, DJ Zai, and Fleksor. Show up wearing your Bumbershoot wristband and get five bucks off the door.

(Downtown, $10)

SATURDAY

19. Cliff Diver, Kight, Jonathan Garrett Olson

Enjoy an evening of folk-influenced indie rock from Cliff Diver, Kight, and Jonathan Garrett Olson at the Rendezvous.

(Belltown, $6/$8)

20. 7th Annual Cornbread Ball

Slim's seventh annual Cornbread Ball features a whole heap of deep-fried greasy goodness, musically and otherwise, from the likes of Redneck Girlfriend, Tom Howard, John Hamhock, Stoned Evergreen Travelers, Krista Blackburn, Twang Junkies, and more.

(Georgetown, $10)

21. Gallery Talk with Inye Wokoma

Learn about the film-based exhibit This Is Who We Are, about (among other topics) being a black man in Seattle, with the artist Inye Wokoma.

(First Hill, free)

22. Game Recognize Game

Game Recognize Game is a multimedia event that organizer Laura Cassidy of the band Litter Shore describes as “a show about working together and working alone—about the challenges and difficulties of partnership and the victories and defeats of solitude.” Not to diminish other aspects like paintings by A Frames’ main songwriter (and Cassidy’s husband) Erin Sullivan or Cassidy's visual text-based pieces or a “mythological music video,” but for our purposes, GRG will be worth attending to hear Litter Shore. Featuring Cassidy, Sullivan (with whom she also played in the eerie experimental-rock group Children’s Hospital), Jessa Carter, and Ria Leigh, Litter Shore tap a similar anomic, Quaaluded vein as Children’s Hospital’s 2008 lo-fi, minimalist-psych classic, Alone Together. Besides this, there’ll be a mini market offering goods from several Seattle artists, including Derek Erdman, Sierra Stinson, Joey Veltkamp, and Erin Frost, and more. DAVE SEGAL

(Capitol Hill, free, through September 5)

23. Heart Shaped Boxes, Tres Hombres, Hostile Makeover

All-lady Nirvana tribute group Heart Shaped Boxes rocks and rolls with Tres Hombres and Hostile Makeover by their side. (Fremont, $8/$12)

24. Mark Dago, Red Bennies, Guests

Nerd-hop chip tune enthusiast Mark Dago headlines at Blue Moon, with the SLC hybrid-funk-fusion of Red Bennies. (University District, $5)

25. Mars Red Sky, Ancient Warlocks, Teacher, The Deadrones

Plenty of astral-minded hard-rock space cases let their feet fall asleep on their distortion pedals en route to 10-plus-minute jams as aimless as a float through the cosmos. France's Mars Red Sky are similarly inclined, but what distinguishes these Pink Floyd-ophiles is attention to that band's skill at infusing progressive pop flourishes into even the most wayward explorations of hard rock's outer fringe. The trio's current album, Apex III (Praise for the Burning Soul), is sufficiently mind-melting with a good pair of headphones. But even when they're rocketing toward another galaxy on album closer "Prodigal Sun," this bunch never forsakes such terrestrial concerns as being able to pen a song you can hum in the shower. JASON BRACELIN (Eastlake, $8/$10)

26. Pint for a Pint

Donate a pint of blood at Peddler and get a $5 gift certificate—perfect to treat yourself to a pint of beer after you lose a little blood.

(Ballard, free/make money!)

27. Pistil Books Annual Outdoor Book Sale

This little, local bookstore used to live on Pike Street before the war, and now they sell a strong collection of eccentric and mainstream books online. Every title they feature on their site is a book I've never heard of, but absolutely need to read. E. fuckin' G.: Liberated Women: Bluestockings and Socialists, Mediaeval Book Illumination in Europe: The Collections of the German Democratic Republic, and Paper Houses: Build a Livable, Enduring House of Paper. They've also got more popular and literary stuff, too. In any case, paperbacks are $1, hardbacks are $2, and there's free lemonade. Can't beat that. RICH SMITH

(Capitol Hill, free entry)

SATURDAY-SUNDAY

28. Americana Festival

Celebrate all things American during Labor Day Weekend. The Americana Festival will feature American music, such as country, folk, bluegrass, and blues. Whitney Monge, The Pinehearts, Star Anna, and many more will take the stage on the waterfront to top of the American holiday festivities.

(Downtown, free)

29. The 27th Annual Blackberry Festival

There will be a berry fun run, performances, berry food and wine sales and tastings, food and craft booths, a children's stage, aerial demonstrations, and a car show at this annual community event. (through Monday)

(Bremerton, free)

30. Flavors of India

This free outdoor festival promises a variety of food options from all over India, plus special events and presentations including yoga demos, dance performances, and even a parade to close out the day on Sunday.

(Bellevue, free)

31. Japan Fair

Expect Japanese art, film, dancing, music, food and drinks, and a cosplay contest at this free cultural event in Bellevue.

(Bellevue, free)

SUNDAY

32. Beyoncé vs. Jay-Z

Be a part of the dance night shrine to the union and division of Beyoncé and Jay Z, and their collective greatness — celebrating their existence as a couple and as powerful individuals with tracks from every album throughout their illustrious careers.

(Capitol Hill, $8)

33. Cast Off: Sunday Public Sail

Take this opportunity to get out on the water. Sign-ups begin in person at 10 a.m. every Sunday, and remain open all day, with boats departing between 11 am and 3 pm. Most boat rides are 45 minutes to 1 hour long.

(South Lake Union, free)

34. Complex: 3-Room Labor Day Sunday Extravaganza

Celebrate the three day weekend with three whole rooms of Seattle selectors bumping house, techno, and waves of all kinds throughout a 12-hour party within the Kremwerk/Timbre Room complex.

(Downtown, free-$15)

35. Dogs ’n’ Dogs

This vegan hot dog eating contest—presented by The Humane League—will raise money for farm animals. You can partake in the buffet if a contest is not your style, and your pups are most definitely invited.

(Greenlake, $10/$15)

36. Fresh Look

This workshop offers the chance for loving and helpful critique of the artwork (sketches, scripts, paintings) you've been stressing about. BYOB.

(Ballard, free)

37. Geekaraoke - PAX 10 Edition

Cosplay and karaoke: the two best legal forms of public exhibitionism? Hula Hula puts 'em together with Geekaraoke. $200 goes to best costume winner.

(Seattle Center, free)

38. Heiress, Family, Dust Moth, A Province of Thay

Their tunes often belie their running time, frequently feeling longer than they are. This is usually a sign of tediousness, like musical clock-watching, but not in the case of Seattle’s Heiress. These dudes are so adept at teasing out multiple strains of metallic grit and grandeur in their doom-based trudge, that their songs routinely register as sagas even when they’re shorter than a Britney Spears pop truffle—like “Clearing,” the two-minute opening salvo from the band’s equally beatific and bracing latest album, Made Wrong. Yeah, frontman John Pettibone may do his best to imitate the roar of a muffler-less hot rod, but guitarists Mark Holcomb and Wes Reed seemingly take just as many cues from Slint as from Slayer. Heiress' approach: crush with nuance. JASON BRACELIN

(Capitol Hill, $8/$10)

39. Katie Kuffel, Sarah Fridrich, The Hilltalks

Seattle-based singer-songwriter Katie Kuffel blends blues, jazz, chamber-pop, and folk music for her own unique sound mosaic that ties in her classical cello and jazz piano education. She's joined by Sarah Fridrich and The Hilltalks.

(Ballard, $8)

40. Labor Day Luau

Celebrate Labor Day at this weed-centric luau, presented by Stash Pot Shop and Gold Leaf.

(Ballard, free)

41. Loudmouth Cunts

An all-female identifying comedy showcase that happens on the first Sunday of every month.

(Capitol Hill, $5)

42. Ponder’s 1st Annual Jubilee

Celebrate one year of life for the Central District pot shop Ponder with an all-day happy hour party open to everybody, including live music, food from Bourbon & Bones, tarot card readings, and joint-rolling workshops. Everything full-price in store is at a 15% off discount all day, so feel free to go nuts.

(Central District, free)

43. Poropalooza

TFNerds hosts this PAX after party that promises dancing, a cosplay competition, and computer raffle. "Enforcers" and cosplayers can skip the $10 cover charge—but keep in mind that no prop guns will be allowed in or around the club.

(Capitol Hill, $10)

44. Ramona, Antonioni, The Shondes, Yr Heart Breaks

Garage pop and tender grunge feelings from Ramona, Antonioni, The Shondes, and Yr Heart Breaks.

(Eastlake, $7)

45. Ruby Bishop’s Retirement Party

Of Ruby Bishop, and her home base Vito's, former Stranger staffer Kelly O had this to say: "Vito's is the perfect place to impress your relatives (of any age) and a more perfect place to take a new date—especially when 94-year-old jazz legend Ruby Bishop is sitting at her spot at the piano. Bishop will instantly melt your heart when her fingers hit the ivories. Her piano playing channels greats like Duke Ellington, and she even can do a righteous impersonation of Louis Armstrong's voice. Just ask her! Politely. Don't forget you're talking to a real LADY." Ruby is now 96 years old, and, in honor of her retirement from Vito's and the almost 90 years she has spent performing, there will be guest performers, autographed posters and CDs, and general merriment at this retirement party.

(First Hill, free)

46. Seattle Labor Day Weekend J’ouvert

Celebrate Labor Day Weekend with a traditional Caribbean carnival. There will be live music, DJ sets, dance, arts, crafts, vibrant fashion, and Caribbean food.

(Beacon Hill, free)

47. Tahoma, Xolie Morre, the Strange Kind

Enjoy the lucid folky Americana rock of Tahoma, with Xolie Morre, and the Strange Kind.

(West Seattle, $5)

48. Weekend Walks

No registration necessary for these free weekend walks through the arboretum—just show up to look at and learn about plants from hydrangeas to mopheads and climbing vines.

(Madison Park, free)

49. Weird and Awesome with Emmett Montgomery

On the first Sunday of each month, comedy, variety, and "a parade of wonder and awkward sharing" are hosted by the self-proclaimed "mustache wizard" Emmett Montgomery.

(Capitol Hill, $5-$10)