VISUAL ART

Sept 5–28
Jennifer Beedon Snow
The richly textured oil paintings of Seattle’s Jennifer Beedon Snow evoke an abandoned Pleasantville—an empty station wagon or swimming pool, a red scooter standing alone on a sidewalk. As she explores suburbia, we travel with her to distant memories. Linda Hodges Gallery, free.

Sept 5
SAM Community Night Out
SAM hosts a free night of music, performance, workshops, and family fun inspired by its Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion exhibit. Activities include headband and doll making, Vicious Puppies Crew breakdancing, and music from DJ 100 Proof. Seattle Art Museum, free.

THEATER

Thru Sept 29
Middletown
Playwright Will Eno didn’t think that Thornton Wilder’s Our Town needed updating, he told The Boston Globe, but his 2010 comedy-drama Middletown pays tribute in its own way. Through a cast of everytown characters—the Doctor, the Mechanic, the Librarian—who are prone to monologues, Eno waxes philosophic about life, death, and what we’re meant to do in between. ACT’s John Langs directs this local production. ACT Theatre, $41–$62.

Sept 6–28
Les Misérables
Local theatergoers have long been willing cohorts in experimentation, and this fall Balagan Theatre will bank on its niche audience—ages 35 and under—to try out a smaller, stripped-down version of Les Misérables. Balagan’s newly hired artistic director, Louis Hobson—a Seattle-bred Broadway baby—hopes to create a bridge “artistically and commercially” between here and New York City. Erickson Theatre, $30–$35.

Sept 7–Oct 6
Secondhand Lions
First Date composers Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner return to 5th Avenue this fall with the world premiere of Secondhand Lions, a musical comedy-drama based on the 2003 movie of the same name. The film starred Michael Caine and Robert Duvall as a pair of crotchety Texas ranch hands and brothers who take in their teenage nephew Walter (Haley Joel Osment) and placate him with old war stories. Roughly no one saw the movie—which means the family-friendly story is ripe for adaptation. Zachary and Weiner have a score planned that’s part bluegrass and Johnny Cash, part 1920s spectacle, cancan included. 5th Avenue Theatre, $39–$90.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Sept 6–22
Washington State Fair
As always, the Puyallup fair offers an assortment of fried foods on sticks and carnival rides that may reverse engineer all that fried food in your system. This year’s concert lineup boasts Carrie Underwood’s chart-topping country, Cheap Trick’s classic rock, Kid Rock’s nu metal–meets–Southern rock, CeeLo Green’s catchy pop, and Carly Rae Jepsen’s eternally burning question (What if I don’t have your number, Carly? What then?). Washington State Fair Events Center, $13 (general admission); $20–$95 (concerts).

Sept 7
Seattle Modern Home Tour
Get ready for a major case of house envy. The Seattle Modern Home Tour returns this year with eight lust-worthy specimens for architectural admirers, including a midcentury modern remodel and a LEED Platinum custom build. This event is self-guided, so design lovers are free to explore at their own pace. Just try not to drool all over those radiant-heated floors, m’kay? Visit seattle.modernhometours.com for locations, $30–$40.

FOOD & DRINK

Sept 5–15
Wasington Cider Week
With the bevy of apple orchards in state, hard cider is poised to be the next big brewing trend. Washington Cider Week brings together the cideries of Washington, Oregon, Montana, and British Columbia to give Seattleites a taste of the flavorful range: sweet, dry, tart, hoppy, and even barnyardy. Bonus: Ciders are the perfect imbibing option for the gluten-free crowd that longs for beer. Visit nwcider.com/wasington-cider-week for locations and prices.

SPORTING LIFE

Sept 8
Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers
After an impressive 2012 campaign, the Seahawks kickoff the 2013 NFL season with Super Bowl expectations. Russell Wilson and company head to Charlotte to take on Cam Newton's Carolina Panthers. Televised on Fox.

Sept 8
Gary Payton's Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement
The SuperSonics may be gone, but warm memories of Gary Payton will never leave the minds of Seattle hoops fans. "The Glove" takes his rightful place in the Basketball Hall of Fame on Sunday. Televised on NBA TV.