Wallingford Weekend

April is here! (O.k., officially, it’ll be here tomorrow).  Time to break out that spring jacket (the one with the hood and zip-in liner in case the temps dip ) and get outside to enjoy all the lovely colors of spring (set against the dull gray backdrop).  I’m not a big fan of spring, can you tell?  Used to be a big fan.  BIG FAN.  Can’t stand it now, because it’s when I suffer the most from allergies and I’m forced to stay indoors until whatever the heck is blooming stops and I can breathe more freely.  But hey, don’t let my whining stop you from having a good weekend!  Here’s some stuff to do around the neighborhood:

Friday, April 1

5pm – 7pm: Wine Tastings @ City Cellars Fine Wines (1710 N. 45th St.) This week’s wine tasting: New arrivals.  Tastings include a flight of up to 3 wines for $3-5.

7:00 – 9:30pm:  Friday Night at the Meaningful Movies (5019 Keystone Pl. N.) “RETURN TO EL SALVADOR” (68 min, Jamie Moffett, 2010). With: *A SHORT FILM ON GUATEMALA – produced by the Social Justice Travel Program at NOVA High School, here in Seattle. *THE RAGING GRANNIES! , and *REPRESENTATIVES FROM C.I.S.P.E.S. (The Committee In Solidarity With The People of El Salvador) “RETURN TO EL SALVADOR” narrated by Martin Sheen, explores the reconstruction of El Salvador, post-civil war. The 12-year conflict (from 1980 to 1992) killed over 75,000 people and displaced nearly one-fifth of the population. “RETURN TO EL SALVADOR” brings the struggles of this beleaguered country back into view and examines what drives over 700 Salvadorans to flee their homeland each day, often risking their lives to illegally enter countries in search of a better life for their families. It represents the power and audacity of solidarity, and challenges North Americans to question the global impact of their government on struggling nations. (Event is FREE and open to the public! …but Donations are kindly accepted).

7pm: Grand Illusion Cinema Eighth Anniversary Party.  The Grand Illusion Cinema cordially invites Seattle to La Coliniere for a night of drinks, hors d’ouevres, and “The Rules of the Game” to celebrate the Grand Illusion’s eighth anniversary.  8pm — “Rules of the Game” (Jean Renoir, 1939.  B&W 35mm.  In French with English subtitles.) $10 general admission, $8 seniors andstudents, $5 members.  More information: www.grandillusioncinema.org

8 pm: The Wayward Music Series. Good Shepherd Chapel Performance Space (4649 Sunnyside Ave. N, 4th floor) [email protected]; 206-789-1939.  Seattle Percussion Collective performs music of Paul Kikuchi, Sarah Bassingthwaighte, Nat Evans, Scelsi, Polanski, and Babbitt.

Saturday, April 2

9:00 am: Solo Travelers @ World Wide Books.  (4411 Wallingford Ave N.) An informal gathering of travelers who meet and learn from each other.  Call 206-634-3453.

12:00-3:00pm: Eat A Book!  The Sixth Annual Edible Book Festival will be held at the Good Shepherd Center (4649 Sunnyside Ave. N).  Admission is $10, or FREE with an edible entry (you must have registered your entry by March 30 though).  At 12pm, visitors can feast their eyes on the entries until 1:30 when prizes are awarded by Edible Emcee Nancy Guppy.  Eating the entries begins at 2pm, served with tea, coffee, or milk to wash ’em down.

2:00 pm – 4:00 pm:   Spokespeople rides on the 1st Saturday of every month. This Saturday we’ll ride to the Ballard Locks and back again. We start from the Wallingford Playfield at 2 p.m. We’ll try to be back no later than 4 p.m.  New riders are welcome — in fact, getting new riders on the road is the reason we do the rides! PLEASE  come no later than 1:45 if you are new to riding on the road, new to riding in groups, or if you need any help with adjusting your helmet or bike. Please also call a day in advance if you’d like to buy a good quality helmet from us for $10 and we’ll bring our sack of helmets. Helmets are required on our rides. If there is heavy rain, we won’t do the ride. We’ll decide by noon on the day of the ride. Give a call if you plan to come and don’t know if the ride is on. Expert commuters, please join us. We need you. As our rides grow larger, we welcome good bicyclists who can offer encouragement and model good road riding techniques for new, returning and reluctant cyclists. All ages and skill levels are welcome. All Spokespeople rides are led by Cascade Bicycle Club certified ride leaders.  Contact information. If you want more information about this ride or about Spokespeople, please contact Cathy Tuttle (206) 547-9569/ (206)713-6269 or Michael Snyder (206)781-7221.

2pm-5pm: Wine World (400 NE 45th St.) presents “Wine and Fashion” — Fashion, Cosmetics, and Jewelry with special guests Twig Cosmetics, Stella & Dot, MAC Fashion Designs, Lucy Loves Ethel apparel, and Big Fire Wines from McMinnville, Oregon winery, R. Stuart.  Later, from 6-8pm, listen to the sounds of New Age Flemenco as they perform live while you sip some wines from Five Zero Nine Wine Company.

8 pm: The Wayward Music Series. Good Shepherd Chapel Performance Space (4649 Sunnyside Ave. N, 4th floor) [email protected]; 206-789-1939.  Ask the Ages, “Harp & Horns” with Stuart Dempster, Dale Speicher, Archana Bennur and Melissa Walsh.

Sunday, April 3

8:30 am: The MS Walk begins at Husky Stadium, where approximately 5,000 participants will walk to Gas Works Park and back, following the Burke Gilman.  Registration begins at 8:30 and the walk begins at 9:30.  The only street closure noted is NE 15th southbound from Pacific to NE 45th, but expect heavy crowds around Gas Works Park.

11:30am – 12:30pm:  GraceFeast at Gift of Grace Lutheran Church (2102 N. 40th St.) Every Sunday at 11:30 (please note the time change.)  All are welcome to this family-style sit-down meal.

4:00-5:30pm:  OmCulture’s Family Dance/Our Dancing Village. This free-style family dance jam is for kids of all ages – families, kids, moms, dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, sisters, brothers, friends – all people who love to play and dance and who desire to support and co-create healthy and happy families in our community! Whether you have kids or not, come dance! We start with a fun ‘shaking’ warm-up and then provide a space for freestyle dancing, hula hooping and ecstatic free-form movement along to kid-friendly adult music from around the world. We’ll end with a time of community sharing. Admission: $5.