Bumbershoot, Long Beach just two options.
Have you heard the good news? Gas prices have supposedly reached their peak and aren’t expected to rise “significantly†for the rest of the year. If you can fill your gas tank by now without flinching, wincing or taking out a second mortgage, you’re ready for a last gasp of summer Labor Day weekend road trip.
After a summer of arts and crafts festivals, outdoor concerts and movies and car shows in Kitsap County, there is somewhat of a lull this weekend. The Blackberry Festival in Bremerton is the biggest thing going but after you check it out, savor the delectable blackberry treats, enjoy the music and peruse the vendors there should still be time for another adventure before the weekend is over.
The holiday weekend is only three days long — maybe three and a half if you can sneak out early Friday — so you won’t be able to get too far from home by driving, but there is plenty going on within a 200-mile radius of home.
Looking just across the water, Seattle is hosting Bumbershoot, the other festival that bookends summer, following the Northwest Folklife Festival over Memorial Day weekend in May.
Unlike Folklife, Bumbershoot charges a daily admission price, but it buys a day full of performances by up and coming and established bands as well as authors, dancers and artists.
Actually you don’t need to drive very far to get to Seattle. Since it’s a holiday you can park for free all day in downtown Bainbridge Island. To get to the Seattle Center just walk on the ferry; on the other side you can catch a bus to the Center from First Avenue. You can wing it and jump on any bus coming by, or you can plan your trip by going to the transit system Web site at www.transit.metrokc.gov.
If you haven’t purchased an advance ticket to Bumbershoot, not to worry. They are available at the gate for $30 for a one day pass or $80 for all three days. You’ll need a separate pass for Mainstage acts, but the passes are free. They just need to limit them for crowd control purposes. In the past the Mainstage passes were wrist bands.
The entertainment lineup for the Mainstage ranges from icons to up and comers. Saturday’s lineup, starting at 12:45 p.m., is The Gossip, Blondie, Hawthorne Heights, Yellowcard and AFI. Many people I know are looking forward to seeing Blondie, who is looking remarkably good for her age.
Sunday’s lineup starts with The New Pornographers at 1 p.m. followed by Spoon, Blue Scholars and Kanye West. Monday starts off with the Steve Miller Band from 2-4 p.m., followed by Atmosphere and A Tribe Called Quest.
Of course, the Mainstage is only a fraction of the music available over the weekend. The list includes Rogue Wave, Rocky Votolato, The Transmissionary Six and The Lonely Forest, just to name a very few. Many bands have played Bumbershoot in their early days.
While music is a big draw, the festival also includes two comedy stages and visual arts, including a mock Experimental Housing Project neighborhood set up on the International Fountain lawn. Theatrical performances include the Rubberbandance Group from Montreal and the Degenerate Art Ensemble.
The Rat City Rollergirls, Seattle’s special brand of hell on wheels, holds a Flat Track Derby Invitational skate on Saturday at KeyArena.
Literature becomes performance art at Bumbershoot, with appearances by established and up and coming members of the literati world, including Chuck Palahniuk, Ben Fong-Torres, Greil Marcus and Eric Larson.
Of course, if crowds make you crazy, Bumbershoot is not for you. Complaining about long lines and overfull venues is as much a part of the Bumbershoot tradition as dancing in the International Fountain.
You could point your car the other direction and head for the Long Beach Peninsula. I know, we have lots of beaches in Kitsap County, but this is the longest beach in the world! Or so says the Long Beach Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.
Although it’s short notice, be sure to secure lodging before you go, be it hotel, bed and breakfast or campground. This is a popular destination.
Long Beach is famous for its kite festival during the last week of August, but you can fly a kite there anytime just as well. Long Beach is approximately 160 miles from Poulsbo. With good gas mileage you may be able to get there and back for under $50.
What’s Up online
What’s Up, the most complete guide to arts and entertainment in Kitsap County, is available online. Go to www.northkitsapherald.com and click on the “entertainment†link at the top of the page.
