Magnolia Voice
Live music, Galaxy Quest and baby races! Head over to Magnolia this weekend for the neighborhood’s SummerFest, happening Friday, August 6 and Saturday, August 7 around Magnolia Village. In addition to film and music entertainment, the event features a pie eating contest, parade, talent show and tons of arts and crafts. For more information about the schedule of the festival, follow the link.
Reverb
Finally! It’s hot! And Seattle is offering residents more than enough opportunities to seize the sunny city with a little musical accompaniment. Three free festivals are coming your way this weekend, folks, so take advantage. Firstly, the Ballard Seafoodfest reminds inhabitants of the bygone days when the area was a salty Scandinavian fishing community. The Saturday and Sunday fest promises musical acts including The Maldives and plenty of fish to go around. On Friday and Saturday, head over to West Seattle for the West Seattle Summer Fest. Acts here include Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter, the Dusty 45s, Mark Pickerel, Whalebones and Satchel. And if you’d rather get up on stage and show off your singin’ skills, check out the International District Summer Fest this Saturday and Sunday for Karaoke Idol! Complete with prizes and tasty international cuisine, the event is sure to please. For more information about the festivals, click on the link.
Out to Lunch
Grab your brownbag lunch and head downtown for the annual free noontime concert series. The series begins at noon on Friday with a performance by the soul group Wheedle’s Groove. Wheedle’s Groove was the subject of a recent documentary which played at SIFF and are on this year’s Bumbershoot lineup. The concert is right in the heart of downtown at the Harbor Steps, First Avenue and University Street, Seattle. It continues on Wednesdays and Fridays at several locations through Sept. 3. For the full lineup and for more information follow the link.
Seattle Times 
Summer is just around the corner and the season promises to usher in a host of outdoor-concerts in Seattle and surrounding cities. At various venues around Seattle between June 9 and 13 is Noise for the Needy, a non-profit festival which benefits other non-profits. The lineup is a who’s who of Seattle’s indie rock bands including Visqueen, The Maldives, Final Spins, Friday Mile, Tiny Vipers and Grand Hallway. And across the Sound is Doe Bay Fest on Orcas Island happening August 13-14. Its quintessentially Northwest lineup includes Seattle country-rock barnburners the Maldives and cabaret-pop ensemble Hey Marseilles returning alongside Grand Archives, Grand Hallway, Fruit Bats and a slew of mostly low-key acts. Over on the Eastside in Redmond is green, grassy Marymoor Park, a wonderful place to enjoy the second annual No Depression Festival featuring gentle folk-poppers the Swell Season, roots chanteuse Lucinda Williams and Seattle dirge-groove trio the Cave Singers on August 11. Don’t miss this year’s ZooTunes series at Woodland Park Zoo with performances from Steve Earle, Jimmy Cliff, Levon Helm and Herbie Hancock. Capitol Hill Block Party is returning to its namesake neighborhood this year with a third day tacked on to the festival. Taking place July 23-25, Capitol Hill Block Party promises to be three days of uber-hip tunes and unbridled debauchery with performances from Seattle’s Shabazz Palaces, Head Like A Kite, Blue Scholars, The Dutchess and The Duke and more. And closing out the Summer of Music is Bumbershoot happening Labor Day weekend, September 4-6, in the Seattle Center. This year’s Bumbershoot will bring Bob Dylan, Neko Case, Weezer, The Moondoggies, David Bazan and many more. Check out the Seattle Times for information about even more music happening in Seattle this summer, or take a look at the calendar of festivals happening year-round in the City of Music.
Reverb
The GreenNote Festival at Seattle Center is a free, environmentally friendly, acoustic festival slated to make its debut July 24 and 25. GreenNote is striving to be “greenest festival Seattle has ever seen.” It’s completely acoustic (which means less electricity consumed), any generators they do use will run on bio-diesel, and all food and drink (only sold by all vendors with sustainable and vegetarian options on all menus) will be served on compostable plates and cups. Admission to the festival to totally free. The festival will feature a slew of folk Seattle performers, including Star Anna, Rocky Votolato and Grand Archives on July 25, Sound Off! winner Great Waves and finalist Hooves & Beak, Lincoln Barr, and Jack Wilson.
Morgan Junction
Come to the 5th Annual Morgan Junction Festival! The Bite of Morgan is returning and they have a full schedule of music and performers in the Park, including The Bubbleman. Join them for a fun day of music, crafts and vendors and food. Check out the lineup for both the music stage and the park performances at the link.
