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City Cast Seattle

Harry Cheadle

Think you know Seattle’s pumpkin spice lattes? Try this photo quiz to test your knowledge.

Don’t scroll for the answers! Only cheater, cheater, pumpkin eaters scroll for the answers…

City Cast Seattle Staff

“Double double toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble. Toe of frog and three newts’ eyes… Welcome to our October Guide!”

Before the sun vanishes for the rest of the year, our team has suggestions for getting outside to soak up those last illusive rays, leaf peep and then come home to make a hearty pot of soup.

If you want to stay in the city, go check out the arboretum. 

 in West Seattle also offers 1.7 miles of hiking trails and “exceptionally large Douglas firs, hemlocks, moss-covered big leaf maple, alder and western red cedars.” If you’re open to a drive, the ride out to North Bend is full of fall colors this time of year and 

 (the filming location of the Double R diner in Twin Peaks) taste just right. Or, you could venture all the way to the 

 in all their bright autumn glory. Just remember to stay on the trails and not to feed the animals.

Plan your Seattle-specific halloween costume: 

To state the obvious, there will probably be a million Jimothys running around this year. But, if you want a deeper cut, you could try being a seal chowing down on salmon at the Ballard locks (couple’s costume anyone?), a ferry, 

, or to quote Ashley “the scariest thing I can think of, which is the timeline for the Ballard Light Rail.”

Ask all your friends to make a giant batch of their favorite soup and then divvy up portions for everyone to pop in their freezers. Ashley suggests an upgrade to the classic chicken noodle: a chicken gnocchi with extra garlic, ginger and turmeric. Liam is trying out a friend’s mom’s recipe for Ukrainian borscht. Sam is making a black garlic miso ramen and also a roasted kabocha squash soup. Send us suggestions for your favorites!

Ever wondered what the heart of the U-District’s University Ave would be like if it were car-free? Head over there between 11am and 8pm on October 10 and 17 to find out! 

 will be shut down between 42nd and 43rd streets, and we’ll be having organizer Harrison Jerome on the podcast next week to tell us more.

October is huge for X-Files nerds: 10/13 is X-Files Day! That’s show creator Chris Carter's birthday, as well as the birthday of fictional character Fox Mulder — and the name of the show’s production company was 1013 Productions. Rewatch an episode or two, or just look at photos from 

 of David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson’s many iconic 90s shoots.

I’ve made a list of the scary movies to check out this month, starting from least to most intense. However, I realize we all have different stuff that scares us (for example, it could be these 

 at SIFF presented by Grand Illusion! One of the greatest movies about media ever. Do not miss this.

 at The Beacon Cinema. The Beacon shows five minutes of five films and the audience picks which one to watch. This is the Halloween edition!

Ken Russell’s The Devils. As a young cinephile, I heard about this, and now it’s available to see at 

Trauma Bond at North West Film Forum. Just a series of 

, Cole and team at NWFF are giving us the craziest collection of films imaginable. Love them for it.

, which is a 10 mile walk around the city. It’s coming up on October 11. Urban hikers and critter lovers, UNITE!

, which is interesting. That's gonna be the 24th and 25th out at Magnuson. I'm excited to check that out as I assume we get to try a ton of different local roasters and coffee shops?

There are a lot of dog related things that pop up at the end of October, like 

 at the Woodland Park Zoo. I love when they just give pumpkins to the animals and let them rip them apart. Or you can celebrate 

 with the Fremont Troll. It seems really fun, I’ve always wanted to go.

 (who we featured back in July) is celebrating one year of being worker owned this weekend with a lineup of live music, moule frites, and other snacks and treats all evening long. There’s a suggested $15 cover going entirely to the bands. Get your ticket ahead of time 

Seattle Public Libraries has some amazing programming coming up this month. On Oct. 8 artist in Residence Jo Cosme has an 

 for her photo exhibit examining the tension between Puerto Rico as a marketed paradise and Puerto Rico as a lived reality. Then, in celebration of National Book Month (October) and Banned Books Week (Oct. 4 through 10) Partners in Print is partnering with the library to 

 (aka STUFF) is back for a second year with a 

. STUFF will be running from Oct. 15-18th at Northwest Film Forum. See you there!

In news that none of us are excited to share, our illustrious, unparalleled host Jane C. Hu will be leaving City Cast next week due to personal life circumstances. As Jane said on today’s podcast “while this has been a really hard decision to make, I'm glad to be leaving you all in the hands of this very wonderful and capable team.”

Jane has been the best captain of the good ship City Cast Seattle this little ragtag crew could ask for. And, frankly, we know this news sucks, but if you’ve enjoyed listening to Jane ask brilliant questions, share her love of fast-food themed bike rides and educate us with her science nerdery then please send some kind words her way.

We will share updates on our search for a host as we have them and if you have suggestions for who can fill Jane’s massive (metaphorically speaking) shoes, send them 

What to do, where to eat, where to shop, and more ways to spend the month of October in Seattle

Your Guide to Seattle in October

Seattle Guides

Liam Billingham

"We decided that it was important for people to know that there was a Black theater in Seattle."

A few weeks ago I sat down on Zoom with an actor named Teotha ‘Tee’ Dennard, who I was interviewing about an exhibit called ‘A Legacy Illuminated: Black Theater in the Pacific Northwest,’ running through October 3, 2026. I was set to talk to Tee for about 20 minutes, but his storytelling and good humor kept us on for nearly an hour. Tee told me about Black Arts/West, a theater in Seattle’s Central District that existed from 1968 - 1980 and staged over 75 plays. Here are a few of my favorite sections. 

I highly recommend this interview that the great arts writer Jas Keimig wrote in 2024

Teotha Dennard was born in 1943 in Georgia and was raised primarily in Gary, Indiana. After a time in the air force in Germany, he and his wife made it out to Seattle in the late 60s. A few years later, while working as a social worker, he had his first experience of the theater.

I knew nothing about theater. I had no idea about theater. Never had any aspirations…I was raised in Gary, Indiana, and I came out here to get away from a bad marriage. A fellow by the name of Charles Canada dared me to audition…I walked down and there was a play being cast by the name of Black Girl. I opened the door of Black Arts/West Theater. And there were wall to wall, beautiful black ladies lined up in there reading and looking for a script. And I just knew this is the place for me. And I auditioned and…got cast as an understudy.

I got involved and I got bit by the theater bug, but it was basically a family and I learned to love theater and I learned to love the folks.

Dennard acted in a variety of shows before getting cast in Lorraine Hansberry’s ‘A Raisin In The Sun,’ one of the most important American plays ever written, in 1973. It is the story of the Younger family, a Black family on the south side of Chicago dealing with poverty as they prepare to move to a majority white neighborhood.

Dennard played the role of Walter Lee, made famous by the great Sidney Poitier in the 1959 Broadway production and the 1061 film.

On ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ changing his life

, rest in peace…he saw something in me... I was blessed and honored to be able to be cast as Walter Lee, the son. And that role called for some deep thoughts, some deep acting, and…coming out of yourself and becoming that character.

It was a defining moment in my career that let me know right then that I had been ‘acting at acting.’ I was being myself. I was being myself, but he wanted me to be Walter Lee.

So…that was a defining moment for me right there… It let me know all this stuff you've been doing, you've been doing it for the wrong reason…these people are here…they're professionals.

This is their life, and you're in here for the wrong reason. And if you are going to be here and you got the opportunity to do something like this, then you have to become an actor...from then on, I had to become those characters and it let me know how important and how necessary and how much discipline and training and commitment…that went into being an actor and, and being in a family because that's what it was, an ensemble.

After his success in ‘A Raisin in the Sun,’ Tee went to the University of Washington for some acting classes but ended up going back to acting full time. He directed a few productions at BA/W and around town. In 1978, he accepted the role of artistic director alongside Doug Johnson. However, the theater didn’t have much time left.

They sent a guy out from the National Endowment for the Arts, which is our biggest funding…fiscal sponsor.

He said, well, you guys have to start doing white theater…Most of our attendance at that time had started to be ..white audience. So Black audiences fell off and white audiences started to come. So the majority of our audience and our subscribers at that time were white people…it was an education for some whites. They had no idea about the contributions that Black people had made…because they had been swept under the rug period, you know, throughout the country.

So our audience became white, right? And so that's why they sent the International Endowment for the Arts Out. They said…you're doing Black plays, but your audience is white. Now you need to do white theater, which we could have done, but it would've ceased to be Black Arts Theater. It would've ceased to be what Doug Barnett wanted it to be. Our motto was to educate, enhance, and enrich the lives of Black people. That was the motto of Black Arts/West that Doug came up with.

So that would've just changed the whole scope of Black Arts/West…

Dennard and Johnson couldn’t find the funding to match what the NEA was giving them, and they made the decision to shut down the theater in 1980.

I was the last person there. I made sure I stayed and made sure that we were able to pay all of our vendors and to pay any actors on our payroll through her when Black Arts/West closed and finished out.

On his acting career after Black Arts/West

Dennard didn’t just act in theater, but did a variety of film and TV projects, including Black Widow (shot in Seattle), an episode of 

, and more. Including one very famous movie shot in Port Townsend.

I ended up having a real lucrative film career. I was in 15 major motion pictures. My claim to fame is 

People need to know that it was here….this small exhibit that we have here can be phase one of renewing and possibly starting another Black theater in Seattle…a theater that has seasons, four theater productions in the winter, a summer production…a real deal.

Hopefully we can generate some, some interest through this exhibit..most of the people on the committee are seniors…so hopefully we can attract some young people that want to pick up the torch. And we can go from here. This is going to be what, that's what my focus is going to be. Where can we go from here?

Black Arts/West show at Arts At King Street Station runs through Oct 3

, and Dennard says he hopes people learn about the history of the theater and what could be next.

The History of Black Arts/West, a Black Theater in Seattle

Seattle, Explained

Sam J Leeds

Seattle’s P-Patches are ubiquitous throughout the city. In every neighborhood there’s some sort of cute handmade sign bearing a name like Unpaving Paradise, Hazel Heights, Queen Pea or Climbing Water. So, you’d be forgiven for thinking all community gardens in every city are called P-Patches. It turns out, 

“ Often people think it's like green peas,” Kenya Fredie, the Program Manager for the 

Department of Neighborhood’s P-Patch Program

The Picardos were Italian immigrants who operated a truck farm in Wedgewood. They sold produce to local markets and at their biggest point the farm covered about 30 acres, from NE 75th Street to NE 82nd Street.

 a University of Washington student and a neighbor of the Picardos named Darlyn Rundberg (later Del Boca) wanted to help feed neighbors who were struggling. She asked the Picardo’s if she could use part of the farm’s land to grow crops like beans, broccoli, corn, and cabbage. The Picardo’s said yes.

Families that came to help grow produce were offered small 8-foot by 8-foot plots around the edges of the Picardo’s land to also garden for themselves. And from that seed of kindness the basics of the P-Patch program today sprouted.

In 1973, Seattle City Council decided to buy the Picardo farm and after a 10-month trial period, the city authorized a community-gardening program. By year-end there were 10 community gardens. All ten were called P-Patches to honor the Picardo family.

The program started a movement. Seattle’s community gardens program is one of the oldest and the largest in the country. 

 throughout the city. Of those gardens, 56 have designated giving gardens and in 2025 they donated 41,000 pounds of food to local food distribution centers and meal programs.

“The P-Patch program is really cool because we talk about diversity of plants and how that helps with an ecosystem, but so does the diversity of people,” Fredie said. “So it's a multicultural organization in which we have over 15 languages throughout the program. It's important to make sure that the P-Patches are indicative or reflective of the neighborhoods in which they're at.”

Wait lists to get into a p-patch run anywhere from 6 months to 5 years depending on the density of housing in each neighborhood. But there are lots of options for places to volunteer and get your hands in the dirt while you wait. Navera Ahmed, a community garden coordinator for the P-Patches had some suggestions:

“Look at local organizations and nonprofits that help you with getting access to green space. For example, 

 has a lot of opportunities for volunteering. There's a lot of places you can volunteer at that will help you with education, will help you get your hands in the dirt, and a place to get started while you're waiting.”

. They host monthly work parties every third Saturday from 10am-2pm. Regardless of how much experience you have with gardening, P-Patches offer a way to get to know the land and your neighbors better.

For Ahmed that’s especially meaningful. She grew up in Seattle, but because her family isn’t originally from Washington she told me, “all of that ancestral knowledge that my parents and my grandmothers have given me is not for this soil. I've had to come to terms with [having] to start from the beginning, and I think that's the case for a lot of people in Seattle. P-Patches are such a great opportunity to actually get your hands in the dirt and do the work and, and start from zero and really learn because we don't have any requirements for what you grow, only that you actively maintain it.”

To watch Sam's full video on Instagram, just 

You’d be forgiven for thinking all community gardens in every city are called P-Patches. Did you know the "P" doesn't stand for peas or any vegetables at all? It turns out, the name is specific to Seattle history. 

The Story Behind Seattle’s P-Patches

Why Seattle’s Community Gardens Are Called P-Patches

Ashley Smith

You asked and we delivered! Check out the best places around town that treat you to free food, beverages, or services of some kind on your birthday:

Free desserts, dinners, and other food deals- 

 you’ll be rewarded with $5 off on your birthday!

 for free when dining there on your birthday.

 or more, then the birthday person eats for free!

, they’ll cover your birthday lunch or dinner! Or if you want to share the wealth with your loved ones, you can choose to do free dessert for everyone at your table instead.

This is only for folks 55+ and older, but Ivar's has a "Carte Clam" 

 for only $35, not free, but definitely a good deal. And who doesn’t want to relax on their birthday?

 takes it a step further with a free birthday day pass. I couldn’t find the offer 

, but locals swear this is something they still offer!

 before your birthday so the reward loads automatically on your special day.

 is a lot easier to find in Seattle than Dutch Bros and luckily they also offer a free birthday beverage! 

 may or may not give out a free pint glass on your birthday. I couldn’t confirm this so not sure if the liquid inside the glass is also free or if they even still offer this, but it's worth checking out.

 a free gift for their pet’s birthday plus lots of other goodies!

Please keep in mind that many of these places will want to check your ID to confirm it's your birthday before redeeming any of these offers.

Let me know what I missed on here and I'll keep adding to this list! 

All the details on where to find free deals and other birthday perks in Seattle

The Best Free Birthday Deals in Seattle

Where To Find Birthday Freebies in Seattle

What To Do

A couple months back, I drove by the Pagliacci on Stone Way and couldn’t help but notice how… cool it looked. I know next to nothing about architecture, but the building looked vaguely brutalist to me, so naturally I 

I kept thinking about how the design, though, and I wanted to hear more about how all the Pagliacci’s came to look like they did. A little research led me to Richard Floisand of 

, who work with Pagliacci on the design and build of their locations. Richard and I met up at Pagliacci Silsul in Ballard to talk.

. It sold Native American objects and had two totem poles that have their own history. The shop closed in World War 2, eventually became several different 

Pagliacci wanted to keep elements of the original so they consulted with 

 to understand the history of the building. To quote Richard, “when it feels like it's part of your neighborhood and it's always been there, you're going to be inclined to just embrace it more.”

Pagliacci kept the structure’s original logs, which were a replica of a 

 and are native to an archipelago called Haida Gwaii off of British Columbia. The shingles speak to the fact that Ballard was one of the 

largest shingle making locations in the West

, and the shape is in the style of a Nordic house.

. They are going to go back into the Earth, as is 

one traditional way totem heads and poles are disposed of

One last quote from Richard: “You're trying to tell a story about new and old..What's a good story? Hiding the past and pretending it wasn't there or actually saying, hey, this is really kind of interesting.”

To watch Liam's full video on Instagram, just click the image below.

All the thoughtful details that went into designing local pizza chain Pagliacci’s restaurants

The True Story Behind Pagliacci’s Cool Architecture

The Story Behind Pagliacci’s Architecture

The weather’s cooling down, the light’s starting to change, we’re officially in the home stretch of summer as we slide into September. Let’s talk apples, Oktoberfest, sports season, and all the other things we’re looking forward to this month.

, “Seattle in September is paradise on earth” and we’re finding it hard to disagree with that. Here are some of our favorite activities to do in September:

For folks with apple trees in their yard, make plans for what to do with all of your apples! Pie, sauce, curry? The possibilities (

) are endless. If you don’t have an apple tree, you can go 

It’s peak coho salmon viewing season at 

 and it’s kind of relaxing to just watch them swim through the fish ladder.

Soak up what will likely be the last bit of sun on September 26 when Washington State Parks have free entry for everyone. 

Oktoberfest is oddly an event that takes place in September (apparently due to the warmer weather and more hours of light during the day) and it's worth checking out at least once, especially in 

The state fair is back if you’re trying to 

 after September 4. It would be tragic to get through this month without eating at least one corndog.

 season opener at home vs the Patriots is on a Wednesday this year, which is a little odd. That’s September 9 at Lumen Field. Will they be able to pull off back to back Super Bowl wins this season? No one seems to think so, they’re constantly being overlooked and underestimated - even as the reigning champs - but we want to believe.

End of season baseball with the highly unpredictable 

 is always a good time. Especially if you haven’t caught a game yet this year. They’ll be at home 9/3-9/6 and 9/8-9/10. I actually think it’s kinda fun that you truly have no idea what kind of game you’ll see from them each night and they still might make the playoffs!?

 games are happening throughout the month of September and tickets will be cheaper than the regular season, which is nice. October 1st will be their official first game of the season. The 

’s season however won’t be starting until the end of November!

 have a few home games each this month. If you’re missing the electric vibes from the World Cup over the summer, highly recommend checking out one of these games in person.

 have their final regular season home game on September 23, and it’s fan appreciation night!

 is happening this weekend (September 5 and 6) and the lineup is truly stacked, including hometown heroes Death Cab For Cutie

 at the Seattle Chinese Garden is on September 26 and I’ll be eating all the mooncakes

 fan but will sadly probably miss their show on September 13

 - it’s like taking a roadtrip through films

A wild series is playing at the Beacon this month, it’s called 

THERE IS NO NEED TO BUILD A LABYRINTH WHEN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE IS ONE: INFINITE RECURSION, ONTOLOGICAL VERTIGO, AND THE TERRITORY YIELDING TO THE MAP

Today is Hobonichi day here in the states, when all the new designs for 2027 planners are available to order from Japan. 

 is playing at Chateau Ste Michelle on September 18

 is happening at Seattle Center at the end of the month and it’s FREE!

There you have it. September, planned for you, by us. Did we miss anything cool? We mention a few other things on the podcast version of our guide.

What to do, where to eat, where to shop, and more ways to spend the month of September in Seattle

Your Guide to Seattle in September

Seattle seems to be in the midst of a bagel renaissance, and it may seem daunting to figure out where exactly to get the bagel you’re looking for. So we got some tips from Seattle food lover 

, who runs the bagel newsletter Its A Shanda, to find out where to get the bagel we want.

Winner of the Bagel Fest West and headed to Bagel Fest in New York City, 

 is one of our favorites and won our blind taste test back a few months ago. Also, Sean called it the best in his intricate and immaculate rankings. Honorable mentions for 

, both of which also have delicious bagels.

Montreal-style bagels are smaller, thinner, denser, and baked in a wood fired oven. They are delicious. The sweetness comes from them being baked in honey sweetened water. If you want one, 

The OG bagel in America, they are usually fatter and larger than the bad (sorry) grocery store bagels, and delicious, no city would be complete without them. According to Sean, 

 is the only real Seattle bagel that is NY style.

A rye bagel has caraway seeds and is a really good pairing with pastrami. Check out 

If you like sourdough bread (or become an expert in it like everyone during Covid), then 

If you happen to be on Whidbey Island and craving a breakfast sandwich, check out 

. Their breakfast sandwich is supposed to be tops. Likewise, 

Two experts tell us where to find the best bagels in Seattle

Craving a Bagel? Here’s Where To Go in Seattle

Where To Eat

Summer in Seattle will be over before we know it. I'm sorry to point that out in the middle of August, but it's true! So we want to help you make the most of your time by encouraging you to check out POPS or POPOS around the city. 

 are Privately Owned Public Spaces like parks and beaches (these are also called "street ends") and 

Beaches, rooftops, parks, plazas. These spaces are free to the public and the perfect way to soak up the rest of summer!

Where To Find Privately Owned Public Spaces in Seattle

Where To Find Privately Owned Public Spaces

Think you know Seattle’s pumpkin spice lattes? Try this quiz to test your thirsty knowledge.

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