Bumbershoot, I love you. See you next year!
On a perfect Sunday night, as the sun slowly draped a warm glow across Seattle Center, Seattleites celebrated another Labor Day weekend with Bumbershoot. The annual festival is where art, culture, and music intersect. For a brief 48 hours, I got to see Washington embrace and celebrate its authentic self. It was strangely emotional, and here are some of my favorite moments from this weekend.
Bumbershoot is sectioned off into various stages and areas, but that did not stop Rat City Derby from practicing one of their moves right by the Fisher Stage as Die Spitz performed some of their rockiest classics, like “Riding With My Girls” and “Red 40.” The energy was a vibrant mix of fangirls, drill whistles, and crying babies. Overstimulated? Perhaps a little bit. But I couldn’t stop smiling.
In the heart of the Armory, right by the Fisher Stage, I caught Flatstock, a contemporary poster art exhibition where various independent artists showcase their art pieces and prints. I managed to walk out with a beautiful lithograph print of Seattle skyline for my apartment.
Walking a bit south, I caught the Peaches performance at the Mural Stage. At first, I had no idea what I was seeing: Peaches took the stage in a costume resembling a mass of penises (and testicles??). I was intrigued and stayed. Boy, am I glad I did. The performance was sexual, bold, and oh so captivating. Her set was catchy and got the whole crowd hyped for what’s to come.
The one visual art act that I was most excited about was the Vancouver Fashion Week debut at the Fashion District. The collection, named Indigenous Earth, was a beautiful display of the interplay between city and nature, showcasing exceptional craftsmanship and design with shimmer, embellishments, fur, and braids.
The next day was just as packed with visual art and musical performances. The first thing I saw walking in? Bumbermania had drawn a massive crowd, with hyped up kids jumping into a friendly wrestling competition. The kids had a blast getting into the theatrics of it all, the roars, screams, and cheers echoed over the loudspeakers at Fisher Stage.
I attended another Fashion District show on Sunday. This time is “Synthesized” by Tech Couture. Featuring 3D-printed clothing and accessories, the collection redefines how we incorporate technology into our everyday clothes. One of my favorite outfits from the collection featured a two-piece white 3D-printed corset and skirt. It challenges traditional views of fashion and demonstrates how smaller businesses are at the forefront of creating new possibilities at the intersection of fashion and technology.
Over at Gravity Park, I caught Ride and Glide, where amateur bikers perform bicycle tricks for the audience. It was thoroughly entertaining and I was in awe the whole time, knowing damn well that if I went down that ramp, I’d face-plant and be bedridden for the next two weeks.
My favorite act from Sunday was actually a comedy skit by “pastor” Andrew Frank, a comedian featured in the Best of Seattle Comedy Showcase lineup. Frank walks the morally gray line between religion and comedy, poking fun at Christianity without losing respect for it. The audience, myself included, had an absolute laugh.
During twilight hour, De La Soul brought rap and hip-hop to the Fisher Stage crowd. Seattle isn’t a city I’d expect to be “in” with the hip-hop crowd, but everyone was enthralled and enchanted by De La Soul’s performance.
Standing in a crowd of thousands, I listened to the group’s nostalgic set and reminisced on my time at Bumbershoot as the stage lights powered on. Waves of gratitude washed over me, and the festival felt like a place of unity and community, one where people of all ages and identities gather to celebrate.
See you next year, Bumbershoot.