Specials & Shorts

It was an evening of celebrating the "dark underbelly of the holidays" at Fantagraphics Bookstore and Gallery in Georgetown. More than a dozen artists participated in the stores 13th anniversary and holiday party by creating art of the Central European folklore figure known as Krampus. The horned creature is the dark under lord of Saint Nicholas, punishing children who have misbehaved.

More than 400 veterans who are experiencing homelessness are being given a bit of warmth over the holidays. The Seattle Stand Down organization is providing these vets access to healthcare, housing and legal resources, haircuts, and more during their 9th Annual Seattle Stand Down event at South Seattle Colleges Georgetown campus on Dec. 12 and 13. More information can be found here.

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan hosts a reception to honor Seattle's 150th anniversary. Guests at the sesquicentennial celebration include current and former city leaders. 

Speakers include:

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan, City of Seattle

Council President Bruce Harrell, City of Seattle

Secretary of State Kim Wyman, Washington State

Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk, City of Seattle

Follow the Rainier Beach Action Coalition as they address youth conflict with Restorative Justice approaches such as Peace Circles. Peace Circles create processes for community-led accountability and give an opportunity for youth to fully express their emotions.

As the first in the nation to launch a community-wide led violence prevention framework with Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), the Rainier Beach Action Coalition (RBAC) is using innovative and collaborative tactics to create a safer community for young people.

Teachers, administrators, and a national data team are using data and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). PBIS creates inclusive and positive expectations for all students in the Seattle Public Schools located in the Rainier Beach neighborhood.

This film depicts how Seattle Public Schools is using child development brain research to help address the impact of complex trauma on students. Using their data and research, the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) team creates practices and structures inside schools to build positive relationships with young people so that students are able to safely engage with learning in all environments.

Monday night's Seattle Seahawks game was not only memorable for the team's 37-30 win over the Vikings, but also for the six heroes that were honored. Receiving a standing ovation, these Chinese American World War II veterans were recognized for their service and sacrifices.
Learn more here.

"Very proud! Fun to be at the game! And fun to be here!" Donning green and blue, thousands of fans helped celebrate the Seattle Sounders FC's MLS Cup Championship during a parade through downtown Seattle. The Sounders won their second MLS Cup on Sunday, Nov 10, 2019, beating Toronto 3-1.

Try saying sesquicentennial three times fast! Seattle will celebrate its 150th anniversary on December 2nd. To mark the occasion, the Seattle Municipal Archives teamed up with HistoryLink.org, and together they've created a book exploring the history of the City from 1869 to 2019.

You can see some of the artifacts found in the book on display now through December at the Seattle Municipal Tower Gallery on the Level 3 Concourse.

Learn more about the City's sesquicentennial here.

From cars to public spaces, take a look back at #ParkingDay2019, where some Seattle parking spots were creatively transformed into active spaces for people on Sept. 20. Taking place every third Friday of September, PARK(ing) Day is an annual global placemaking event in which community members temporarily transform parking spaces into people spaces.

Learn more here.

"I care about the earth and I want it to be here for my children." Several thousand Seattle-area youth, in addition to participating adults, demonstrated through the heart of downtown to demand action on climate change.

Seattle Fire Department, Seattle Police Department, Mayor Jenny Durkan, and others honor those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.  Hear the full remarks here.

Speakers include:
Robert Nellams, Director, Seattle Center
Mayor Jenny A. Durkan, City of Seattle
Chief Carmen Best, Seattle Police Department
Chief Harold Scoggins, Seattle Fire Department

The legacy of redlining has cast a long shadow on how Seattle has developed and continues to evolve. Beginning in the 1930s, racial discrimination in mortgage lending "redlined" areas on government maps. Boundaries were drawn using various types of criteria to assess risk, including race. The practice kept people of color out of neighborhoods in hundreds of cities across the country, including Seattle.⁠ Filmed at the Northwest African American Museum, a panel discusses the relationship between gentrification and this history, and the complex dynamics playing out in Seattle's neighborhoods today.

Co-presented by Northwest African American Museum (NAAM), Pratt Fine Arts Center, Wing Luke Museum and Seattle Channel. 

Moderator:

Leilani Lewis, Assistant Director for Diversity, Communications and Outreach at the University of Washington

Panelists:

Xochitl Maykovich, Political Director at Washington CAN

Warren Pope, Artist

Jake Prendez, Artist and Gallery Owner

Steven Sawada, Author and Activist  

Learn about the fascinating history of our human relationship to orcas, the majestic-and critically endangered-icons of the Salish Sea. Jason M. Colby, author of "Orca: How We Came to Know and Love the Ocean's Greatest Predator," will share stories about the sad era when orcas were trapped and killed, how our perception of the southern resident killer whales has dramatically transformed, and why it's vitally important to preserve their dwindling population. Jeff Renner moderates this discussion at the Seattle Aquarium.

On March 8, 1970, nearly 100 Native American activists clashed with military police in an attempt to reclaim for local tribes the recently decommissioned Fort Lawton military base. The late Bernie Whitebear led the non-violent takeover and occupation of the land, where he would go on to found Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center in today's Discovery Park. Each year, a procession, with drumbeat and ceremony, winds along Bernie Whitebear Way to commemorate the historic event. On the 49^th anniversary of the occupation, Randy Lewis, of the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, took part in the memorial walk and recalled events of the day he joined activists to descend on the fort.

More than 2,500 people attended the public grand opening of ARTS at King Street Station on Saturday, March 23. The new arts and cultural hub on the top floor of King Street Station is run by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and is dedicated to increasing opportunities for communities of color to generate and present work. The inaugural exhibition, "yəhaw̓," is a community-based project celebrating the depth and diversity of Indigenous art made in the Pacific Northwest. The exhibition runs through Aug. 3, 2019 and features more than 280 works by more than 200 Indigenous artists.

While preparing the Louisa Hotel for demolition, crews uncovered a series of Jazz Age murals that had been sealed away for decades. This once swinging Chinatown-International District social club and speakeasy was called the Club Royale, but was also known as The Hong Kong Chinese Society or The Bucket of Blood, depending on who you ask. 

As the population of older adults in Seattle increases, city leaders are committed to creating an age-friendly city. A fun, active lifestyle is a key part of aging well. We profile several innovative programs - including culturally relevant offerings - that connect seniors to healthy eating options and opportunities to get fit while socializing. Plus, we learn what the city is doing to improve transportation options for older adults.

Thousands of fans lined the streets around Seattle Center to cheer the Seattle Storm's WNBA championship. The team celebrated their third title with a sweep of the Washington Mystics. Here are some scenes from the victory parade, which culminated in a rally at KeyArena, on Sunday, Sept. 16.

Each summer, the fun and frivolity at Green Lake pauses for a moment of reflection. As dusk falls, the lake glows with hundreds of candle-lit lanterns in a ceremony that honors those who've died through violence around the world. The Green Lake ceremony happens each August 6 - the date of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. The event is an adaptation of an ancient Japanese Buddhist ritual, the Toro Nagashi, where each lantern represents the souls of the dead as they float out to sea.

Hundreds of die-hard Seafair fans say it's the only spot to soak up the blast of the Blue Angels as they soar over Seattle. Every year, they flock to Ruby Chow Park at the end of Boeing Field for the closest views of the Blue Angels' thundering takeoffs and landings.  

On July 1, petroleum-based plastic straws, utensils, and cocktail picks were banned at all Seattle businesses that sell food and drinks. The move is to help alleviate the devastating impact of plastics on the world's oceans.

After a closure of more than three years, the Seattle Fire Department invited the public inside the newly renovated Fire Station 5 on Seattle's historic waterfront. Sitting just north of the ferry terminal, the site has been home to a fire station since 1902. The current station was built in 1963. During the renovation, Station 5 was seismically upgraded,  its interior modernized and its mechanical systems updated. Its closure coincided with construction of the new seawall. One of the department's most popular stations, Station 5 houses a fire engine and three fireboats: the 108-foot Leschi; the 50-foot fast-attack boat, Marine One; and a 25-foot rescue boat.

Over 260 Veterans or their next of kin are registered in Region 8 of the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project. This ceremony honors these veterans and their next of kin with the awarding of the bronze replica of the Congressional Gold Medal.

Related: Governor Jay Inslee's Proclamation