Bumbershoot - Seattle's Art & Music Festival Weekend

The term "bumbershoot" is an old slang term for an umbrella, but in this case, it refers to the annual Seattle art and music festival held over several days on Labor Day weekend. Hundreds of musical acts, from unknown solo artists to popular headliners pack each day from start to finish with great music, held simultaneously on various theme stages and in venues around the Seattle Center

Attendees pay one entrance fee and then are able to see whatever musical acts they can catch! Can you think of anyplace else where you could see dozens of musical bands, artists and performances in one day for about $40? If you make it a very busy day, it works out to $1-$2 per act...

Since it's birth in 1971, Bumbershoot has grown into a very large umbrella which offers art shows, spoken word, dramatic and comedic performances, an arts and crafts festival and more alongside the incredible music. Over the years it ranged from one day to as many as eleven days, but now it's a fantastically-dense, three-day weekend. Do one day or do them all!

The 2012 Bumbershoot Festival dates are September 1 – September 3 (Labor Day Weekend). You can get full weekend passes, or single day tickets.

Bumbershoot 2012 Tickets

This is gonna be one long day, or a few long days, depending on your endurance. Here are some tricks and tips to get the most out of your Bumbershoot experience.

1) Comfortable shoes - Seattle Center is a nice compact location, but you'll still do a ton of walking around and standing in line.

2) A lawn chair - This will let you park at the outdoor theme stage of your choice and stay comfy all day long. I have a backpack chair and can schlep my stuff all over the site and seat myself at any outdoor stage.

3) A light jacket and/or collapsible umbrella - It may be the least rainy weekend of the year in Seattle, but you still are going to have a chance of rain. Stay dry + stay warm = stay longer!

4) Small binoculars - This lets you get a front-row peek at your favorite musicians even if you get stuck at the back. Totally worth it!

5) A water bottle - Refilling from fountains makes it a lot easier on the wallet over the course of an entire day or weekend, and it reduces trash.