Seattle's renowned chefs rotate through guest spots at nonprofit FareStart, each bringing a tailored three-course menu. The dinners, from cooked by folks like José Garzón of Bad Chancla and Nathan Lockwood of Carrello and Altura, routinely sell out weeks before the tasting menus make it to the table. 

Seattle's expanded roster of weekly neighborhood farmers markets is in full summer swing; coming up, chef Hend Yahya leads demos in Columbia City and Phinney.

The Seattle Center bash is a food-lover's dream. More than 100 food and drink vendors—selling everything from giant deep-fried squid to photo-worthy taiyaki—fill the walkways between live music stages. Outside of the food, Friday night brings family-friendly trivia and an on-theme screening of Wonka. 

Shrimp ceviche, duck tartine, stone fruit salad, and more get an elevated parings at the South Park tasting room. Chef Remy Chauvin dishes a five course seasonal menu, and a corresponding flight of wines highlights southern France. 

Fremont's Hamdi took home the top prize in this spring's quirky, specific, city-wide lamb dish competition; in August, the upscale Turkish outpost will bring back their award-winning marinated lamb leg—grilled over open coals and finished with spiced tomato sauce, strained mint yogurt, and fire-grilled shishito peppers—in a multi course dinner with drink pairings, chef demo, and course-by-course backstory.

Stand face to face dozens of chameleons, compare wingspans with a Japanese spider crab, and peer at mandala-like compositions of everything from butterflies to birds. Using immaculately preserved specimens, artist Christopher Marley hosts a gallery show just across from the Seattle Ferry Terminal where creepy crawlies turn into works of art. 

Ethereal installations from Lotus L. Kang land at the free First Hill museum this summer. Poetic reflections on memory, translation, and inheritance take the form of huge floor-to-ceiling photography film sheets intentionally exposed to light. 

Monochromatic paintings by Samantha Yun Wall are both haunting and captivating; their inspiration draws from a Korean folk tale of loss and familial ties, a flower motif weaving together the pieces that speak to stigmatization and taboo. 

Imagine an ice cream truck, but replace the looping jingle with intimate concerts from world-class pianists, violinists, and cellists. Chamber music comes to parks (Gasworks, Seward, Hing Hay) and outdoor venues (Seattle Chinese Garden, the Salish Steps, Washington Park Arboretum) with four engaging, family-friendly programs.

It's brass month at Montlake's bustling bagel shop-turned-jazz club. Every Friday and Saturday afternoon in July, Oxbow serves up pizza slices and local jazz from artists like Naomi Moon Siegel and Jun Iida. 

Ballard's micro, homegrown music fest returns for a sophomore year. Local bands—Massy Ferguson, Old Coast, Heels to the Hardwood, and the like—post up in the unbuttoned, family-owned restaurant's parking lot for two days of down-home tunes.

Nothing screams summer quite like a concert under PNW skies; from season-long series on the Chateau Ste. Michelle lawn and Woodland Park's ZooTunes to one-off fests like Capitol Hill Block Party and Bumbershoot, the Seattle area takes tunes outside, and our outdoor concert guide chronicles every date. Next up, August kicks off with Ani DiFranco and Suki Waterhouse on the Woodland Park Zoo lawn. 

The circus is for the birds—in the most dazzling, creative, entertaining way. The returning cabaret show stars poultry and feathered friends in burlesque and acrobatic feats in Green Lake's historic theater. A family-friendly 2pm show drops the adult-eyes-only acts for more circus magic and silliness. 

Who is the funniest person in Seattle? Audience members weigh in to crown round winners in Emerald City Comedy Club's quest to laugh the hardest. Each evening brings about a dozen fresh stand ups to the stage, ready for a battle of wit.

A world premiere musical lands in the Seattle Rep theater, heralded by a duo of friends who don't quite fit in anywhere else. The coming of age tale—set in the '90s—boasts a charmingly funny story from the Tony Award-winning producers of Come From Away. 

Animated films get the spotlight in the Capitol Hill arthouse theater's summer series: Persepolis, The Last Unicorn, and The Wolf House screen, but the theme goes beyond what's on the marquee. A slew of workshops bring industry pros into the theater for intimate chats, lessons with teens, and early cuts of in-progress work. 

An illuminating, intimate documentary of bug life, 1996 Microcosmos gets up close and personal with the insect world: an underwater spider, mating snails, and a hatching mosquito all make cameos. The doc comes well-lauded as part of the Capitol Hill theater's quarterly staff picks screening.

It's back, 70 minutes of pure feline greatness. SIFF screens the compilation, curated by indie film company Oscilloscope Laboratories, wherein funny, musically-talented, and downright cute cats get their moment on the big screen. 

Escape room meets true crime podcast in the newest immersive Fever exhibit to land in Seattle: psychology deep dives, recreated crime scenes, and a virtual reality forensic lab lend a peek into the minds of over 20 serial killers—including locals like the Green River Killer and Ted Bundy.

After the daytime bustle and fish throwing antics subside at Pike Place Market, a new Friday night series brings art vendors and open galleries, live music (Tomo Nakayama, Constant Lovers, and more), a beer garden, and performances under the photogenic clock sign. 

Peel back the curtain on our hometown Super Bowl champions and watch the season's beginnings: the 12s open their training camp to public viewers itching to be back in the stands. A couple kids days go all out with face painting, balloon artists, and bounce houses, but food trucks and Seahawks merch are always available. 

In true Seattle style, this summertime rave is a morning time, water-centric affair, as hundreds of paddle boards (or tubes, kayaks, boats) float atop Lake Union to the sound of house music. August kicks off with DJ sets from Good Humans, Evan Giia, and Odakai.

Infamous serial killer Gary Ridgway only talked at any length with one journalist from prison: Maria DiLorenzo. Her new release chronicles their disturbing, insightful, and human exchanges; she'll chat about the book and unique experience with writer and producer Christopher Robinson at Elliott Bay Book Company.

Held beneath the tree canopy at the whimsical Rainier Beach Urban Farm, Tilth Alliance's final Seasonal Table meal of the summer is marshaled by Mezzanotte's Devon Capocelli. The en plein air family-style meals support the organization's mission towards a sustainable, equitable food future.