What’s in a name? Bumbershoot is one of the more obtuse festival titles doing the rounds, but it’s actually quite apt. Taken from a colloquial term for umbrella this Seattle event covers a broad spectrum of the arts sector.
First held in 1971 at the city’s 74-acre Seattle Center the festival encompasses live music, comedy, theatre, words & ideas, visual arts and theatre. It has taken place annually across the Labor day weekend ever since and still remains as one of North America’s largest festivals.
While the festival has always had an important cultural prominence to Seattle and its vibrant music scene, Bumbershoot took an even more active role in shaping the city’s music culture after non-profit organisation One Reel took the reins in 1980.
Not only were the company responsible for bringing Emmylou Harris, Etta James, The Eurythmics, James Brown, Spinal Tap and Tine Turner to the city, but they were also behind some of the first large scale hip-hop shows ever held in Seattle.
For a city that saw the birth of grunge that’s a pretty big deal, and just by looking at 2014’s excellent lineup you can see that their love of hip-hop hasn’t faltered in the years since.
But the role Bumbershoot has played in shaping Seattle’s festival scene goes beyond that of just providing a platform in the city for fans of specific genres.
While the festival provides an important opportunity for local acts to showcase their talents, the city’s oldest music and arts festival also paved the way for several other outdoor music events in one of America’s top music cities.
Yet despite its cultural relevance to Seattle Bumbershoot is barely uttered in the same sentence as Coachella, Lollapalooza, Sasquatch or Bonnaroo. And yet its past music and arts lineups have proved that this event deserves to sit alongside America’s best festivals.
Get in the mood for the event by watching this behind the scenes video from the 2013 festival and read our 7 tips to experiencing the Bumbershoot below:
1. Book Ahead Before It’s Too Late
You really shouldn’t need any excuse to book flights to Seattle, but if there’s any event to make you take the plunge than Bumbershoot is the one that’ll do it. But before you book flights you should probably purchase some tickets first. A day pass will set you back US $55 (that’s about $58.50 AUD). Three-day passes are valued at $120 while the price jumps an extra couple of hundred dollars for gold and platinum passes. Prices are set to jump closer to the festival date so get in quick!
For further ticketing information and price details follow this link.
2. Accommodation In Seattle
The Seattle Center is pretty easy to get to no matter where you’re staying in the city so booking accommodation shouldn’t be a hassle. If you’re travelling on a shoe string budget Seattle has some fairly decent hostels and low cost hotels to choose from. We recommend you check out City Hostel Seattle, Hostelling International Seattle, Green Tortoise Seattle Hostel, HotelHotel Hostel and AAE Hostel Seattle.
3. What’s The Best Way To Get To The Festival Site?
The Seattle Center is located not too far from the EMP Museum so there’s a chance you’ll be spending some time on this side of town while you’re in the city. While you could take the easy way out and catch a taxi, those on a budget check out all the public transport info here. In 2014 Bumbershoot’s main stage will return to Memorial Stadium after three years at Key Arena. That doesn’t mean you’ll have to take a trip to the other side of Seattle to see live music though. However keep in mind the festival is situated across a 74-acre area. So plan ahead and check out the festival’s survival guide to the main stage to get directions while you’re at it.
4. You Can’t Miss The Words & Ideas, Visual Arts & Theatre Aspect Of The Festival
As we mentioned above Bumbershoot lives up to its umbrella name in terms of providing a broad spectrum of arts in its programming. What does that mean for 2014 though? It means you can’t miss a panel discussion from the writers of The Onion and Smrt Talk with The Writers Of The Simpsons among many other panels. The lineup of visual artists and theatre is just as diverse while the comedy lineup is likely to have you in stitches. Check out all aspects of the 2014 Bumbershoot lineup here.
5. Shop Up At The Indie Market
Even the fashionistas are catered for at Bumbershoot. Although as the market’s title suggests only those who are skewed towards independent retailers are likely to find something to get excited over here. At the ‘2014 Indie Market’ shoppers will find everything from pottery to African imports, leather bike jewellery, metal jewellery, collages, printed clothing and feathers. Check out the full list of retailers here.
6. Catch A Flick At The 1 Reel Film Festival
Curated by the folks from Seattle’s International Film Festival you can expect some of the best independent short films that gained notoriety around the world in the past year. In 2014 they’ve picked the likes of Fools Day, Bagdad Messi, Mr. Invisible and EFFED. Follow this way to check out their trailers and for more information on the 1 Reel Film Festival.
7. While You’re In Town Experience Seattle’s Incredible Music Scene
Long gone are the days of Nirvana and the rise of grunge, but Seattle still remains as one of America’s most exciting music cities. The best bands continue to emerge from this city while there are a plethora of great record stores, festivals and venues that are worth checking out. We prepared a music lovers guide to the city a little while back. Follow the link below to start your research!
Read Tone Deaf’s guide to Seattle’s music scene here.
Need more information? Head to the official Bumbershoot website for the answers to all your questions.
