THURSDAY

VISUAL ART: We did a preview tour of Pioneer Square’s galleries last week and found three exhibits you should check out during this month’s First Thursday.

SPECIAL EVENT: The Northwest Flower and Garden Show —one of the largest green-thumb bonanzas in the country—is back under new management. Find out which seeds are in, what spades are out; it runs through Sunday.

FRIDAY

FILM: SIFF Cinema continues its celebration of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa — the man who inspired a generation of filmmakers, including George Lucas and Steven Spielberg — with Kurosawa-sensei. Five of his noirs and samurai sagas screen this week, starting tonight with a restored version of the 1949 cop drama Stray Dog.

DANCE: PNB’s fairytale ballet The Sleeping Beauty returns to McCaw Hall for a little over a week (including Valentine’s Day, gentlemen!). Better yet: They have a couple ticket deals.

Seattle Dance Project closes out its showcase of new work by veteran choreographers this weekend; Project 3 runs Friday and Saturday.

SATURDAY

CONCERT: The doctor finally cleared flu-stricken Elton John to join Billy Joel in a piano duel at KeyArena. Tickets for the show, rescheduled from November, are still available.

VISUAL ART: Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills, and Nash (and sometimes Young) is in town this weekend to officially launch the exhibit he curated for EMP, Taking Aim: Unforgettable Rock ‘N’ Roll Photographs, which covers 50 years of memorable onstage moments and backstage antics. Nash, who’s been “making images longer than I’ve been making music,” culled about 100 photos from a stack of thousands by high-profile artists like Annie Leibovitz and Nash’s longtime friend Joel Bernstein. Go just to see the shot of Mick Jagger in tiny satin shorts. It’s priceless.

CLASSICAL & MORE: Billboard-topping trumpeter Chris Botti is the Harry Connick Jr. of the jazz world—smooth enough to sip. He brings the romance of Italy to the Paramount with songs from his latest release, Italia.

SUNDAY

VISUAL ART: She’s smart. She’s edgy. She’s the first recipient of Henry Art Gallery’s new Brink award for regional up-and-coming artists. Check out Isabelle Pauwels’s solo show deconstructing reality TV, and be able to say “I knew her when.”

MONDAY

CONCERT: Go to Moe Bar, buy a brew (specifically a New Belgium Ranger IPA) and get a free ticket to see original grunge rockers Mudhoney play at Neumos. Doors open at 9, but we won’t tell you when to start drinking.