As always, plenty to do in the neighborhood this weekend.
Chuck’s 85th Street Market, at 656 NW 85th St., hosts a beer tasting of Abita from Louisiana at 5 p.m. Friday.
Couth Buzzard Books Espresso Buono Café at 8310 Greenwood Ave. N. presents Jazz First Fridays with Kenny Mandell and Don Berman at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
The Reptile Man is at Ridge Romp at the Phinney Neighborhood Center at 6532 Phinney Ave. N. at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Cost is $3 per person. Doors open at 10 a.m.
The Shop Agora at 6417-A Phinney Avenue N is hosting an Argentinean and Spanish food and wine tasting from 1-5 p.m. Saturday. Wines: Navarro Correas Cabernet Sauvignon and Marques de Arienzo Rioja Crianza 2002; olives, chorizo and chimichurri to taste.
Singer/songwriter Ali Marcus performs at 7 p.m. Saturday at Woodland Park Presbyterian Church, 225 N. 70th St., as part of its Phinney Art & Music Series. The all ages show is free, but donations are accepted.
Greenwood Elementary School’s PTA is hosting the second annual Greenwood Rock ‘n Roll Fundraiser at 5 p.m. Saturday in the school commons. Suggested donation is $5.
Spanish guitar virtuoso Andre Ferinate performs at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at The Olive and Grape, 8516 Greenwood Ave. N.
Couth Buzzard Books Espresso Buono Cafe presents Songwriters in the Round at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Greenwood parent and local musician Jane Mabry-Smith will headline with her band, January, along with indie rocker Gavin Guss (known for his work with the Posies, Harvey Danger, and Nada Surf). At this all ages show, music lovers can buy pizza by the slice, pick up a goody from the bake sale, and get their photo taken by Yuen Lui (rocker attire encouraged).
With the recent shortfalls in the Seattle School District budgets, many schools are facing serious cuts to needed programs. To try and bridge the funding gap PTA’s are stepping in with auctions, fund drives, and even rock n roll shows to raise money to augment school programming.
“We have a really great school, and each year the budget gets tighter,” Mabry-Smith said in a press release. “This is the place where our children learn and play, and the first thing to go is art and music. So it makes perfect sense for us musicians to put on a benefit show!”
The doors open at 5 p.m. and the show starts at 5:30 p.m.
Loyal Heights Community Center at 2101 NW 77th is hosting its annual pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sunday. $4 per person in advance (buy your ticket at the center) or $5 at the door gets you pancakes, eggs and sausage. Children 3 and under eat free. All proceeds are used to help families in need participate in programs and activities throughout the year.
Wear green to Woodland Park Zoo this weekend in honor of Field Conservation Week and get 50 percent off admission
Special keeper talks, discovery stations, and the zoo’s 1,000 animal ambassadors will introduce visitors to the critical field conservation projects that Woodland Park Zoo supports around the globe. Visitors will learn what they can do in their daily lives to share the planet with wild animals in their backyard and around the world.
Seattle Public Theater’s Youth Program presents “The Hobbit” at the Bathhouse Theater at Green Lake this weekend. All shows are free, but donations are accepted. Performances are at 7 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday.
“Journey to Middle Earth with SPT in this re-imagined vision of JRR Tolkien’s classic. Dwarves, elves, trolls and the fearsome dragon Smaug all await our adventuring hobbit, Bilbo Baggins,” the press release states.
Stroll around Green Lake on Sunday and you’ll see 128 hand-made “ID bracelets” hanging from trees around the walking path. Each wooden sign, about one-foot wide and tall, is heart-shaped, hand-painted and includes the Latin and common name of the tree.
“The ‘I Heart Trees!’ project is meant to inspire and encourage visitors to the park to learn about the world around them. The project is temporary and has been approved by Seattle’s Parks and Recreation Department.”
And on Monday, Couth Buzzard Books Espresso Buono Café presents is Skinny Monday Cajun Chow-Down & Dance at 6 p.m. as part of Mardi Gras. “Real-deal home cooked food from Greenwood resident Chef Jaason, and live music from local band Troupeau Arcadien.”
