The Night Market (and sometimes Moon Festival but not all the time) takes place in the core of…read moreChinatown in Seattle. Unless you are very familiar with Chinatown, don't drive here and expect to easily find parking during festivals. It is crazy crowded. Having said that, I go early for this festival. This night market is more of a day and night market starting at about 1pm. Many elders living locally roamed the community booths looking for free swags. My guilty pleasure is people watching - at the interactions of those speaking English and those who don't, secretly cheering on the elders to score their freebies. These booths typically close by 5pm or earlier. The shopping and the eating clog the aisles, especially the one block adjacent to the park along S King Street. The rest is much more comfortable. Entertainment is on the stage at the west half of Hing Hay Park. For those with food, there are places to sit, further from crowds on the east side of Hing Hay Park along Maynard Ave. Over the years, I have adapted a different approach for this fair. Like I said, I go early to this one. I watch some performances, especially the lion and dragon dancing by Mak Fai Kung Fu club. They have the best lions and dragon. I always shop; they have the cutest (kawaii) things. I rarely eat at the booths or buy from food truck anymore. They are quite spendy these days. If they have a physical store, the booths often charge more due to the added booth fee. Meanwhile, many local businesses have reduced revenue for the day because the streets are blocked or customers are eating at the fair. So, I eat at the local restaurants instead!! This Night Market, while crowded, is robust and well organized. Local businesses have contributed to this Night Market with funding, such as Amazon, to keep the market going. McDonalds have attended every year to give away small gifts. Thank you for the support. Many, many Seattle Police are present. It is safe and approachable for all ethnicities. Give them a try!

This particular Chinatown International District event - which usually occurs around the time of…read morethe Moon Festival - has been around since 2006 though I've gone here starting back in 2011. Past night markets have spanned throughout King St starting from - but not including - 7th Ave all the way down to 5th Ave, spanning outwards on 5th, 6th and Maynard to the blocks touching both Weller and Jackson Streets. This year (and several other years before that) there were no fair contents on the stretch of Maynard touching Weller. Basically, there's 6 blocks of food and merchandise vendors for night market goers to enjoy, and there's less content year after year. Logistics wise, people come and go throughout the fair, though this day was particularly crowded because of two home games in both T-Mobile Park and Lumen Field occurring within the time frame of the night market. It gets very, very crowded the closer you get to the end as certain performances are scheduled within that time. I don't mind this though, since crowds where you're shoulder to shoulder with others is what night markets in this continent are all about. As with previous years after 2018 or so, the main stage is at Hing Hay Park instead of the parking lot at 6th and King close to Jolidaze and Oasis. I actually miss having the stage at its former location, but Hing Hay Park is definitely more aesthetically calming for big performances. If you want to watch performances, you should come here early to snag a spot, or hope people leave so you can get a spot where you can see better. Food wise, there's more local Seattle (or at least WA-state native) eateries than what was in this year's nonlocally diluted Bite of Seattle: - I started off getting spicy mango takoyaki from a stand very close to Bao Box (based in Covington, WA), though both stands share the same POS system to order from. Takoyaki is standard, and the spice hits hard but much later than you think. I wish I could have tasted more mango in the mango sauce, though. - The mango coconut smoothie from Mangosteen (which used to be in Chinatown) is pure heaven! It was relatively warm this year so this drink especially hit the spot. - I also got some pandan waffles from a Seattle-based stand called Dragonfly. They sell Vietnamese waffle mixes along with the waffles of those flavors themselves. I love pandan flavor on waffles, so this was a big hitter for me as well. Entertainment wise, I'm divided on this since I'm considering years of attending this event. The lion dances from Mak Fai are always fun to see year after year, and though I missed this year's Apex Diabolo performance in person I'm sure they were really mesmerizing to watch as they always are. Honestly, I would much prefer watching the dancing competitions from The Beacon back then instead of the K-pop random dance play event this year, both of which occur as the last performance of this event. I did, however, have some fun at the variety show and got to listen to some awesome local API artists sing their hearts out; it makes me miss more of the singing that used to take up slightly more time slots on entertainment in past years. Unlike the Bite of Seattle, I'm down to come back here year after year regardless of the lack of changes with the vendors. There's a ton of local eats, merch booths are very interesting, and we still have an eclectic set of performances to boot. This event isn't something worth staying the whole duration for, but you can enjoy yourself and the crowds very easily here.

One of a number of Japanese festivals held in the Seattle area is Japan Fair. This fair is held in…read moredowntown Bellevue at Meydenbauer Center in the summer. The feel of this Japanese festival is less festive than the one at Seattle Center in the spring. Instead it is more educational in nature and filled with booths from a number of Japanese businesses in the area. Food offerings at the festival were a bit limited and were set up in a snack bar area in the main venue with standard items like takoyaki, Japanese curry and Japanese style sandwiches. If you are looking to learn more about Japanese culture, this festival would be appealing to check out for next year's iteration.

Dang, did I pick an unideal time to finally put in a review for this annual gaming convention I've…read moreonly been going to since 2017, because I would have had a lot more good things to say about it. Now it sounds like I'm gonna be comparing everything from past years, which is inevitable to do especially among me and my peers who've come here longer than I have. To start off, this review is for 2026 from September 4-7, and I only went Friday and Monday this year due to Bumbershoot on Saturday and Sunday. As with every PAX I go to, panels and events are the least of my interests; most of my thoughts go for the logistics, vendors, and already in-your-face games that are set out in front of everyone at both the Arch and Summit buildings where the convention is split between. The general layout for this year's PAX was the same as last years; the Expo hall is all in the Arch building, and includes many vendors showcasing indie games and art. The Summit building has tabletop games, BYOC setups, game-related merch and tons of auditoriums and rooms with many different events with set times for each. I don't follow most events though I did get to do drag bingo, hear a master pianist play game music (like the end credits for Super Mario 64 and Mario Kart 64), and spend a ridiculous amount of time playing Groove Coaster at the arcades set up by 100 Yen Life or gamecenter. The map included in the event brochure did not have any layout information on booths for the Summit building, and legends were hard to read for the more detailed maps for the Arch building and all its floors. Gaming wise, the biggest games I got to play were Among Us Story: On Guard, Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 and Hello Kitty Party Land. Other releases like Stranger Than Heaven, Persona 4 Revival and Castlevania had long, capped lines that were impossible to get to given how easily time constraints form when a convention has so many things going on at once. Even worse is the lack of strong phone signal in the Arch building, and slightly better but still hindered signal in the Summit building, though that's a very common sentiment for the Seattle Convention Center during any large convention like this one. Compared to other years, this convention is a huge step up from its iteration when we all just recovered from the pandemic, but a massive population downgrade from last year's. I could feel that while walking around, and it feels mostly due to the lack of really large and hyped up games to look forward to, especially from Nintendo which was notably absent this year except for the booth showcasing the new mobile game Pikmin Bloom. I always have to question every year whether I'm gonna come back to PAX, and I have skipped some years as a result. That same thought still holds today as of this writing, and I've only noticed a downhill trend year after year. At this point, I only go for the company I go with, not the events or thrills that this convention promises but hasn't been delivering consistently.

Late review. Went to Pax Prime 2023 after attending Pax East a number of times so I was quite…read moreinterested in the West coast version and after many years not going. Breaking up the events into buildings in the surrounding area was a bit confusing, even with the map and the event staff giving direction. Pax East everything is under one roof, so this took some getting used to. The check in process was very organized and impressive, hats off and thanks to the staff who process a few thousand people, some of whom I know volunteer. Went to panel, played some games in free play and of course hit the main floor to try out some up and coming AAA games as well some indie games. Bought and picked up some swag, you know, the usual at these conventions. After years of not going, it was nice get back into it and would definitely consider going again next year. If you're into games even in a small capacity, get a day pass and have some fun!

I have never been to this venue before but I'm so glad to have the opportunity to see the NieR:…read moreOrchestral Concert. We were able to find parking nearby and line up to get into the merch line. The staff here were all courteous and professional. I was worried about getting hungry but not only did they offer drinks but they offered food and light snacks which was nice. Obviously it costs a lot but most venues will upcharge. The spinach and artichoke dip was actually good and even made me eat the other veggies in there with it so I was good for the entirety of the concerts. I also got to try Tree Top cranberry juice which I wasn't even aware that was a thing! The show venue is enormous and the seats were comfortable. We were in a great spot where there was a bit of AC as I get hot easily. The lighting and sound was perfect. Definitely wouldn't mind coming back for future shows that I am interested in!

Nice venue. We went here to see Shen Yuen! Parking was $30 for garage parking. Felt safe and it was…read morejust a walk across the sky bridge to the event. Love the convenience it offers!

I've been to two UCU events this year: one at Magneson Park and the one downtown. Both have been…read moreoff the charts phenomenal. The quality of vendors is stellar, the staff friendly hand helpful, and the preview night was a great way to beat the crowds. This introvert appreciated a time not being jostled and overstimulated by too many folks. I got some holiday shopping done and enjoyed a lively night out with friends. The only suggestion I can offer is to bring your patience if you plan to eat at one of the food trucks. The wait is LENGTHY.

Really Fun Free Crafts Show. I found some humorous postcards of Animated Animals at Nat'l Parks by…read moreartist, Factory 43. www.factory43.com. He had Tshirts for sale and I bought a sticker. Mex. Tamales and expensive $19 Sushi rolls were selling there too. There were not much Food tasting. But I tasted tiny caramels, Hazelnut coconut Spread ($12) which you can buy at Whole Foods and Fred Meyers. The leather purses and goods were expensive but interesting. There were hand forged knives there and small cedar wooden cutting boards. At the door, they were asking for $1 donation for admission to Exhibition Hall.

This is such a lively event! It's centered on Hing Hay Park, as from11 a.m. to 4 p.m. they have…read morecultural performances every hour or so there, including the lion dance and other cool demonstrations. This coincided with the $6 food walk that surrounding restaurants participated in, although there were also vendor booths selling food in addition to crafts and other goodies lined up along S King St. The festival was busier than I expected, but I had a great time and a stuffed belly. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for next year's festival!

I give this festival four stars more because it is was a new cultural experience for me and was a…read moregreat deal of fun seeing the Dragon and Lion dances. I could see coming here every year to be tiring though. The crowds in the neighborhood is tremendous and it is a serious effort to see the performers but with persistence you can probably get some good pictures and a view at some point but it isn't easy and can get exhausting. They have a $2 food walk but so many people are waiting in line it feels very overwhelming. Despite crowds and long waits the festival was still worth while going to.

An awesome space, a complete individual initiative by a wonderfully energetic and dynamic woman who…read moreis available for conversation, tours and sharing wisdom equally and for all. The doors of the Unity Museum opened in 2012 and this location has been serving the University District since 2014. Exhibits rotate about every three months, including topics such as history of Seattle, the importance of the role of women in society, race and race unity, the complementarity of science and religion, and much, much more. Come and meet Zabine and the volunteers who keep the space warm, questions answered, coffee and homemade cookies on hand for visitors and guests. Come back for more learning and participating in activities including a monthly brunch, fireside chats and so much more. It's a lovely, cozy space with much to offer, learn and share with the community, not just university students, but students at all ages and stages. Keep an eye out for more activities, including a children's story time and classes.

"Envisioning One Humanity" is the theme behind this relatively small, indie museum located in the…read moreUniversity District of Seattle. We're not talking about massive corporate bucks or sponsors here. While much of Seattle seems to be sponsored, The Unity Museum is an individual initiative that opened up in 2012 and continues to grow even through the challenges of surviving through the pandemic. The Unity Museum offers physical and virtual tours. They are primarily interested in folks who are fully vaccinated as Seattle slowly opens up, though they will admit non-vaccinated folks with masks. Dr. Amy Colbert is the curator of the museum and Zabine Van Ness is its Executive Director. It is a non-profit guided by a well educated, informed board of directors. The museum is a subsidiary of United Hearts Networking Institute. I was fascinated by this place - I love small indie museums, though this museum is not wheelchair friendly - 1) It's upstairs in an older building and 2) The layout packs in quite a bit and there are definitely spots where even the best wheelchair user would struggle. Ultimately, for those in wheelchairs I recommend a virtual tour or arranging for an exhibit. The Unity Museum uplifts humanity by celebrating the history of human progress toward unity, social justice, and global peace. They offer rotating exhibits, presentations, and public discourse on local and global topics relevant to its themes. They also do offer outreach exhibits and presentations for the community. They have limited in-person hours, however, if you're in Seattle it's worth going out of the way to check out and support. The Unity Museum is on the bus route within the University District and it's super close to a couple hotels (including the one I stayed at, Graduate). It's also adjacent to University of Washington. While I wish accessibility was much improved, ultimately this place is super cool and I still give it an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Just checked out the Georgetown Morgue and there are good things and bad things…read more Good things are the production of it all. The actors with make up and special effect prosthetics is honestly the greatest I've seen in real life. Scares you to see them walking around outside of the venue, and they are terrifying to see inside the venue. And you can tell they designed the haunted house with a lot of thought with varied ways to create uneasy environment and a great jump scare environment. I can believe it when the internet says this place is "top in the nation". However, the wait time on a Saturday weekend was absolutely BRUTAL. We headed down there at 6pm at the opening hour. We were in the non-VIP line. And we stood there in 40 degrees chilling breeze for 3 HOURS. I get it. We get what we paid for. We skimpered on the tickets and bought the cheap ones, so that's what we get. However, this is crazy. The VIP line ALSO waited like an hour according to the people we spoke to. It was inhumane, and it honestly is the biggest reason I don't think I'll ever want to come back. It was just too long for a 15 minutes scare. Silver lining is that they had staff making sure no one is cutting or misbehaving in line, so we were confident that we didn't wait any more than we needed to.

Actors were nice especially the ones who talk to you while in line and keep you engaged and…read moreentertained but 3+ hours in Seattle weather is not worth it! Also the prices are insane, 50+ dollars for 10mins of scares? It's not worth it at all. Plus, if your like me who don't get scared easily just go to a cheaper one closer to home, it's the same experience.