This Saturday, January 9th, the Sound and Fury Morris Dancers will host their Fifteenth Annual Wassail (what's Wassailing? See here). They would like you to be a part of it! Friends and neighbors of all ages are invited to join in this Olde English celebration by bundling up warmly and meeting them in the apple orchard located in the field at Meridian Park. The festivities will begin at 1 pm and last about an hour. During the course of the Wassail,…
Each year for countless generations in England, Morris dancers and other good-hearted folks who want to ensure a fine apple crop have wassailed the apple orchards. They bring song, dance and Important Rituals to the orchard, thereby scaring off evil spirits and creating the optimum growing environment for the blessed apple. Ten years ago, Seattle’s own Sound and Fury Morris Dancers introduced this tradition to Wallingford, starting an annual wassail tradition at Meridian Park’s old orchard. This year, the Morris dancers…
Join the Burke-Gilman Trail Urban Orchard Stewards on Sunday from noon to 3 pm at their 2nd Annual Cider Pressing event. The Orchard Stewards take care of 23 public fruit trees on the Trail between the University Bridge and just west of Gasworks Park. The one pear and 22 apple trees are thriving after many work parties this past year. In snow, rain, and even sun, volunteers removed blackberries, Scotch Broom, cherry laurel and English Ivy, spread wood chips and Zoo…
Reader Kimberly C dropped us a note to let us know that her Morris dance troupe, The Sound and Fury Morris Dancers will be greeting the sunrise on tomorrow morning at Gas Works Park. Interested in watching or joining in the fun? Here's the 4-1-1: May Day and Morris dancing go back centuries to Olde England, which has a similar climate to Seattle. So spring doesn’t really arrive until sometime in May. At some point centuries ago, Morris dancers realized that if they would…
Labor Day Weekend is upon us, marking the end of outdoor festivals, movies, and block parties. It’s a time when we honor thy mighty Bumbershoot and prep the outdoor grill for that last barbecue. While many plan to get the heck out of Dodge for that last long weekend until…Thanksgiving (Ugh, really? Is the next one that far away?), we’ve got some suggestions for those who plan to stick around: Thursday, 9/2 (Still a weeknight, but worth mentioning): 8 PM –…
In an effort to escape the merciless downpours and warm up with a pint, my sister and I ducked into Al's Tavern (Corliss and 45th) around 9pm on Monday. Accustomed to seeing just a few bearded-and-flannelled men in their fifties and the occasional mutt stretched out under a booth on weekday nights, we were surprised to find the dive bar packed. Then, we heard the music. About five or six bluegrass/folk musicians had crammed themselves, several chairs, guitars, violins and what appeared…
We almost forgot that this weekend is Seattle Tilth's annual Harvest Fair, a wonderland of fresh veggies, workshops, informational booths and live music, all going on Saturday, September 12, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. behind the Good Shepherd Center (4649 Sunnyside Ave N). Says they: There will be free hands-on activities to engage people of all ages. People can meet urban livestock such as backyard chickens, goats and bees, and ask their owners questions. The art of canning at home will be taught…