Judging by the displays at your local QFC it's been Halloween since, like, the day after Labor Day, so we don't feel that bad about including some early holiday revelry. Specifically, a 14-hour costumed bar crawl and/or a "haunted" chocolate factory tour. All that, plus a whole lot of Shakespeare, highlight the best things happening this weekend in Seattle.
Go to Seattle's smartest beer festival
Friday, October 18
Seattle Center
The Pacific Science Center is pretty cool anytime, but it's especially cool when you can down samples of seasonal craft brews, talk to brewmasters about the science of brewing, and get after-hours access to all the exhibits including the planetarium and the tropical butterfly house.
Cost: $50
Try the brand new menu at Marine Hardware
All Weekend
Marine Hardware
Ethan Stowell's intimate restaurant next to Staple & Fancy in Ballard has a brand new chef, and a brand new menu featuring small plates like beef carpaccio with robiola & balsamic, and pastas like tagliarini with clams, garlic, lemon, parsley & pangrattato that can't be missed.
Cost: Varies
Hit a haunted house that's more treat than trick
All Weekend
Seattle Chocolates
This spooky tour of a darkened Seattle Chocolate factory involves a cast of costumed characters who don't want to scare you as much as they want to ply you with chocolate, which makes it the perfect haunted house for little kids, or little kid inside all of us. And while we have you, don’t forget to peep the spookiest Halloween parties around town, all month long.
Cost: $13
See ALL of Shakespeare's plays at the same time
Saturday, October 19
Northshore Performing Arts Center, Bothell
After almost a decade in London's West End, and stops at the Kennedy Center and pretty much everywhere else, the itinerant Reduced Shakespeare Company is stopping in Bothell for one night to perform their iconic, and highly truncated, version of The Bard's complete works.
Cost: $7.50 - $21
Go to a party everyone's invited to
Saturday, October 19
Seattle Center
Special Olympics Washington and the crew from Mobile Food Rodeo are combining the latter's Trucktoberfest, with the former's Day of Inclusion, a brand new event with food, music, and fun for people of all abilities. It’ll also include a beer garden where you can drink dozens of local brews while watching the Huskies and Sounders play.
Cost: Free to attend
Spoil Your Pup at The Dodo's Best Dog Day Ever Event
See one half of Outkast perform
Saturday, October 19
Neptune Theater
After years of solo records, and on the heels of dropping a funky new track with CeeLo and Sleepy Brown, Big Boi -- the much more productive half of Outkast -- is hitting Seattle for a show that as of this writing somehow still isn't sold out.
Cost: $35
Eat Portland's best fried chicken in Seattle
Saturday, October 19
Trove
Ok, so this is a little complicated, but here it goes: Accolade-heavy chef Rachel Yang is closing down one of her restaurants, Revel, for one night and opening a pop-up at another, Trove, where they'll serve some incredible spicy fried chicken that's usually only available at her place in Portland. I guess it wasn’t that complicated.
Cost: The pop-up is free but the chicken isn't
Go on a 14-hour Halloween pub crawl
Saturday, October 19
Various Locations
Give your Halloween costume a test run while you hit 10 or so bars spread across Downtown and Pioneer Square, including the Blarney Stone, Xadium, and Merchant's Cafe, with over 1000 similarly costumed friends.
Cost: $10 plus drinks
Try a seafood feast prepared by the famous Pike Place Fish Market
Saturday, October 19
Atrium Kitchen at Pike Place Market
They're famous for THROWING fish, but the crew from Pike Place Fish Market can also cook it, as evidenced by this five course meal featuring seasonal fish (and shellfish), and other ingredients sourced exclusively from Market vendors.
Cost: $150 includes beer/wine pairings
Have brunch at a chicken and waffles pop-up
Sunday, October 20
Lowercase Brewing
Georgetown's Lowercase Brewing is teaming up with the crew from Sisters & Brothers Bar down the street for a one-time brunch featuring spent-grain waffles and ESB maple syrup, along with the boozer's signature Nashville hot chicken tenders.
Cost: They haven’t said yet, but whatever it is… it’ll be worth it
Sign up here for our daily Seattle email and be the first to get all the food/drink/fun in town.