Mon, June 29
Word Up! Seattle Spelling Bee
Swing by Cafe Racer for a test of one's memory and breadth of vocabulary in a intimate and cozy environment with Word Up!'s Seattle Spelling Bee. It's free, anyone can join, and there are prizes. All you have to do is show up! But be prepared for some serious spelling to go down. The event's Facebook page boasts that a "brand-new list of unwonted, addlepated, sui generis words and sentences" has been concocted. Cafe Racer, Free

Mon, June 29
Max Blumenthal
Join author and journalist Max Blumenthal at Town Hall Seattle as he discusses his new book, 51 Days of War: Ruin and Resistance in Gaza. It's a harrowing and vivid account of Israel's 51 day long military operations in the Gaza strip back in the summer of 2014 that left 2,200 people dead, the majority of whom were civilians. Patched together from interviews with Palestinian contacts and the author's own reporting from Gaza, Blumenthal chronicles the devastation and human impact of the conflict and paints a dire picture of cyclical violence. Town Hall Seattle, $5

Wed, July 1
One Coast Collaboration: Seattle Summer Celebration
Seattle new play festival One Coast Collaboration gets in the seasonal spirit with its fifth annual Seattle Summer Celebration at the Hillard's Brewery in Ballard. If you're looking to get plugged into this theater scene or just want to celebrate the sunshine (though recently it's been a little much for everyone... damn heat wave), stop by for brews and live music from Dude York, Iji, and Vox Mod. Hilliard Brewery, Free

Thur, July 2
Anne Feeney
Meet Anne Feeney: a self described "union maid, hell raiser, and labor singer." She's seen it all. Feeney was arrested at the 1972 Republican National Convention in Miami to protest the nomination of Richard Nixon, established rape victim services at the University of Pittsburgh, and has toured the world performing her hilarious and pointed folk music that rails against worker exploitation. With songs like "Have You Been to Jail for Justice?" and "We're Nursing As Fast As We Can," you can take in a heavy dose of the plight of the proletariat over a cider. Capitol Cider, Free

Fri, July 3
Blood Squad: Amber Waves of Brain
Join Blood Squad for a an Independence Day Eve celebration as its four-person ensemble improvises in the style of the most classically American of movie genres, zombie horror. It should be a bloody good time. (Though not literally. As the group's website states: "No blood, no props, no costumes, no mercy. Viewer discretion advised.") Annex Theatre, $10

Sat, July 4
Seafair Summer Fourth
If there’s one thing the whole family can agree on (family dog excluded), it’s that fireworks rule. Get to Gas Works or South Lake Union Park early to snag a prime spot—there’s plenty of food and live music to pass the time—to celebrate our national holiday in style. Gas Works Park and South Lake Union Park, Free