Panicking because you donât know what to do this weekend and you're short on cash? Don't worryâbelow, find all of your options for last-minute entertainment that won't cost more than $10, ranging from Dancing on My Own 3.0 to the BAM ARTSfair, and from the Othello Block Party to a Sweet Tooth Pop-Up in South Lake Union. For even more options, check out our complete Things To Do calendar and our list of cheap & easy things to do in Seattle all year long.
Found something you like and don't want to forget about it later? Click "Save Event" on any of the linked events below to add it to your own private list.
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- Bring Back the '90s
Bandit Theater will present a night of improv dedicated to the glory days of TRL and frosted tips.
(Ballard, $10) FILM
- Outdoor Maritime Movie Night
Bring a picnic or buy a bag of popcorn and watch The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou while you take in a view of Lake Union.
(South Lake Union, $5 suggested donation) MUSIC
- BluMeadows
BluMeadows has described his music as "consciousness rock." Having performed with Parliament Funkadelic, Bruce Hornsby, and other notable acts, the Seattle resident will play his blend of Afro Cuban, hip-hop, reggae, and rock at this solo set.
(Central District, free) - Buttsquatch
Skate around the rink or boogie at the bar to live sets from local rockers Medejin, Lipstitch, AIAIA, Sweet Creature, Mud on my Bra, and others.
(White Center, free) - Dancing on My Own 3.0
At this rambunctious dance party, dance on your own or with your friends and lovers as resident venue DJs play the best tracks from Swedish pop star Robyn's 2018 album Honey, as well as her classic hits like "Call Your Girlfriend," "With Every Heart Beat," "Hang with Me," and the titular smash "Dancing on My Own."
(Capitol Hill, $5) - The Deliverables, October Nights, Lights Out
The Deliverables will cover rock hits from this year and yesteryear, joined by October Nights and Lights Out.
(Eastlake, $6/$8) - Dude York Record Release In-Store
Ana Kaplan has written, "Dude York have proclaimed themselves as Americaâs Band, and their love of Cheez-Its, La Croix, and rock and roll only bolster that reputation. Released earlier last year on Hardly Art, their second record, Sincerely, navigates dark themes of love, depression, and anxiety under the guise of singsong alt-pop. Guitarist Peter Richards and bassist Claire England switch off on vocals, and with Andrew Hall on drums, this trioâs live show gets loud." They'll play a free show in honor of their new album, Falling.
(West Seattle, free) - Ghenes, Have Patience, Aloha Mars
Enjoy an evening with Latino alt rock group Ghenes as they play post-rock in Spanish along with sets by Aloha Mars and Have Patience.
(Fremont, $8/$10) - Hex Rays, The Sky Giants, The Heyfields, The Sharp Teeth
Fuzz-rock band Hex Rays will headline after opening sets from the Sky Giants, the Heyfields, and the Sharp Teeth.
(West Seattle, $8) - Jim O'Halloran Trio with Jeff Volkman and Heather Thomas
The Jim O'Halloran Trio, Jeff Volkman, and Heather Thomas will play Afro Cuban-inflected jazz.
(Columbia City, free) - Marina Christopher
Seattle jazz bassist and vocalist Marina Christopher will perform live.
(Downtown, free) - Mopsey, Riffbrokers, Tales From the Birdbath, Jen Scaffidi
Local rock group Mopsey claim Cheap Trick and Insect Warfare as heavy influences on their music. They'll be joined by fellow Seattleites Riffbrokers, Tales From the Birdbath, and Jen Scaffidi.Â
(Greenwood, $8) - Pop Secret: Falcons with Crew Love
DJs Blesst, Han, and Famous will spin pop, hip-hop, house, and future bass for all you musically indecisive party people.
(Capitol Hill, $10) - QDA: Love House with Bronquito, Toya B, & Reverend Dollars
Join DJs Bronquito, Toya B, and Reverand Dollars for a queer-centric dance party featuring a custom art installation by Adda Lee and Emma Roffey on the patio.Â
(Downtown, $10) - Queen Son, Snake Dance, Fotoform, White Shark Cafe
You'll get glam-rock, hip-hop jazz-pop, swirly post-punk, and '60s-y psych-rock from Queen Son, Snake Dance, Fotoform, and White Shark Cafe. Think you can handle all that?
(Shoreline, $10) - Roxbury, Dirty Rugs, Last Waves
The sounds of local rock trio Roxbury are fueled by the band's love of Dinosaur Jr., Weezer, Fugazi, Thin Lizzy, and other bands you used to play on your college radio show. They'll take the stage after Dirty Rugs and Last Waves.Â
(Capitol Hill, $8/$10) - Sundog, Colorworks, Troubadour and the Sword
High-energy rock quartet Sundog, psychedelic pop group Colorworks, and electro folk-rock project Troubadour and the Sword will share a bill.Â
(Ballard, $8) - Voycheck, Sheenjek, DemonHammeR
Post-hardcore rockers Voycheck will spread their noise throughout the south end with support from Sheenjek and DemonHammeR.
(Tukwila, $5) - World Music: Emi Meyer
Tokyo-based singer-songwriter Emi Meyer will perform a personally designed blend of pop, jazz, and soul music at this free live set outdoors at Volunteer Park.
(Capitol Hill, free) PERFORMANCE
- Beer and Puppet Theater: A Puppet Slam!
Drink beer and enjoy short-form experimental puppet shows for adults by Vashon Island and Seattle artists as well as "loads of Puerto Ricans." The earlier show will include Stink Guy and Robot, "written & directed by Tiny, our resident 3-year-old." The later show will be "kind of fucked up."
(University District, $8) READINGS & TALKS
- Travis Parker Smith: Touch âEm All
Travis Parker Smith and his buds made it their mission to see a baseball game in every Major League ballpark in the country. Hear about his adventures and enjoy a hot dog.
(Queen Anne, free)FRIDAY-SATURDAY
VISUAL ART
- Amjad Faur and Paula Rebsom: In Our Absence
Everyone is familiar with the thought experiment âIf a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?â A riddle for the ages. The local artists of In Our Absence are interested in exploring what happens in environments they feel intimately connected to when they are not there. Using infrared motion-sensor camera traps, Amjad Faur documents a hunting reserve just south of Olympia, while Paula Rebsom documents her backyard in Greenwood. Both look to highlight parallels between their own experiences in these spaces and what happens when neither of them is around. JASMYNE KEIMIG
(Pioneer Square, free)
Closing Saturday - As in Also: An Alternative Too
Brooklyn artist and instructor John Drury guest curates As in Also: An Alternative Too, a follow-up to his New York City exhibition from earlier this year. Drury continues to bring together artists of diverse backgrounds who push the boundaries (and expectations) of what glass as a medium can do. In this show, see Buster Simpsonâs almost-tipped-all-the-way-over glasses lined up in a row; Jen Elekâs funky lace-maker lamp replete with candles, lenses, and glass of water; and Megan Stelljesâs arrangement of glass fruit sculptures to resemble cock and balls. Itâs fun. Others artists featured in this show are Scott Darlington, Eli Hansen, Robbie Miller, Jerry Pethick, Brian Pike, George Sawchuk, Amy Lemaire, Morgan Peterson, Leo Tecosky and Simon Klenell. JASMYNE KEIMIG
(Downtown, free)
Closing Saturday - Claire Partington: The Hunting Party
Fresh off the debut of her two-year installation Taking Tea in the Porcelain Room at Seattle Art Museum, British ceramicist Claire Partington is back in town showing new work. Instead of focusing on the tea trade, her Winston Wachter exhibit is a playful dissection and send-up of a European hunting party. Each figure in the group has a removable head that can be swapped with an animal one (bear, warthog, etc.). And the Roman goddess of the hunt, Diana, is depicted with gold hoops and pubes to match. Partingtonâs work is equal parts exquisite, fun, timeless, and modern. JASMYNE KEIMIG
(South Lake Union, free)
Closing Saturday - Cynthia Linet: The Gun Show
Linet's art advocates for "the elimination of mass weaponry that is destroying our country and the world."
(Seattle Center, free)
Closing Saturday - Emerging Artist Scholarship Competition Exhibition
Six finalists chosen by George Brandt for this county-wide contest show their achievements.
(Pioneer Square, free)
Closing Saturday - Leah Gerrard: Element
Leah Gerrardâs wiry creations speak to the delicacyâand rigidityâof the material. Gerrard incorporates the natural (rocks, wood, organic forms) into the metallic sinew of the wire, which is often suspended from rusty iron chains. JASMYNE KEIMIG
(Pioneer Square, free)
Closing Saturday - Lockwood Dennis Retrospective
Davidson Galleries displays the work of a venerable Northwest printmaker: Lockwood "Woody" Dennis (1937-2012), who had a penchant for the smooth, bulky shapes of vintage cars and industrial design.
(Pioneer Square, free)
Closing Saturday - Mark Bennion: To Leave Something Behind
Buddhist Vashon Island painter and sculptor Mark Bennion uses a unique process that he calls "fresco," using oil, plaster, and dry pigment, to create impressions of peace.
(Downtown, free)
Closing Saturday - Nine Years | Graceful Exit
It's been a brutal year for art galleries in Seattle: We've lost Mount Analogue, the Alice, and now, it seems, Prographica is going the same way. Stop in on their last exhibition to see work by more than 20 artists who've been helped along in their careers by gallery owner Norman Lundin, who writes poignantly: "While nine years is not long enough, it will have to do."
(Pioneer Square, free)
Closing Saturday - Prince Tiao Nithakhong Somsanith: The Impermanence of Life
Laotian artist Tiao Nithakhong Somsanith uses gold and silver thread to embroider ephemeral works on dead leaves gathered during his perambulations. Contemplate the transience of life as you gaze at these shimmery patterns.
(Pioneer Square, free)
Closing Saturday - Ryan Finnerty and Tracy Simpson
Ryan Finnerty is a skilled young artist who makes turbulent figurative paintings with structural paint strokes, which are hung here under the exhibition title Outside Works. In both and, Tracy Simpson starts with a grid and fills it out with acrylic paint applied via sliced russet potato to make geometric monotypes.
(Pioneer Square, free)
Closing Saturday - Stephanie Hargrave: Semantic Drift
Hargrave melded her interests in "entomology and etymology" at a residency in Brooklyn, where she referenced pollination, fungi, insect movement, climate change, and more.
(Pioneer Square, free)
Closing SaturdayFRIDAY-SUNDAY
FESTIVALS
- BAM ARTSfair
Shop arts from more than 300 creators and take advantage of free museum admission at this annual festival, which they claim is the largest arts and crafts fair in the Northwest. The event includes the KIDSFair, the BAMboozle children's stage, a Sound & Movement stage with international acts, and a chalkfest.
(Bellevue, free) - Renton River Days
This 34th annual community festival promises an art market and a lively parade.
(Renton, free) PERFORMANCE
- Death and the Maiden
Theatre9/12 present Ariel Dorfman's Death and the Maiden, a play set in a country that has reestablished a democracy after a long period of dictatorship (sound familiar?) that tells the story of a woman who's suddenly confronted by an abuser of her past.
(Downtown, pay what you want) VISUAL ART
- Hib Sabin: The Still Point of the Turning World
Sabin's work is frequently on display at Stonington. He's a non-indigenous artist who has adopted and dedicated himself to many Native forms of art. This exhibition celebrates the publication of his new retrospective book, Hib Sabin: The Other Side of Silence, The Far Side of Time. His sculptures reimagine figures from 20th-century literature, paintings, and film.
(Pioneer Square, free)
Closing Sunday - Jessica Ry'cheal: Altar Call
Art critic Emily Pothast has written: "Jessica Rycheal is a portrait photographer whose work documents subjects drawn from Seattle's multigenerational activist community with a sensuous, effervescent joie de vivre." After her exhibition at the Northwest African American Museum, Rycheal's frank and loving visual odes to black healing and community are once again available to view, and you should seize your chance to do so.
(West Seattle, free)
Closing Sunday - Melanie Stevens: If You're Watching This, It's Too Late
Stevens, whose body of work concerns the "long history of appropriation and erasure" of the experience of the African diaspora, prints images from the news onto transparent chiffon, which she uses to create long bands that hang from the ceiling. Since 2016, the installation has grown from 15 to 130 feet long!
(Central District, free)
Closing SundaySATURDAY
COMEDY
- Fancy Cafeteria
Fond of both the "glamour of a Broadway production" and "the dishevelment of improv"? This improvised musical, based on audience suggestions, will be just for you.
(Ballard, $10) - Ten Percent Luck
Two improv groups (laugh machine hosts Yeah Okay plus local hit duo Mykaela and Your Kayla) will do their comedic thang with instruction and suggestions by a featured stand-up comic (Bo Johnson).
(Capitol Hill, $10) COMMUNITY
- Alaska Airlines Torchlight Parade
Celebrate Seattle and welcome newcomers at this 70th annual parade, where over 100 floats, marching bands, and performers will file through downtown.
(Downtown, free) - Debora Juarez Turns 60!
City Council candidate Debora Juarez will celebrate her 60th birthday and fundraise for her campaign.
(Capitol Hill, free) - Liberation 4 Lolita
Rally for the release of Lolita, a 49-year-old Southern Resident Killer Whale who has spent much of her life in captivity after being taken from her home in Whidbey Island's Penn Cove.
(West Seattle, free) - North Capitol Hill Tree Walk
Learn about the origins of North Capitol Hill's tree canopy, including one of Seattle's designated Heritage Trees, on this guided one-mile walk.Â
(Capitol Hill, free) FESTIVALS
- 3rd Annual Anderson School Summer Brewfest
School's out for summer, but you can seek out some extracurricular edification at this beer festival with handcrafted ales and ciders from McMenamins as well as local guest breweries and cideries. Admission is free, and multiple bands will provide live music.
(Bothell, free admission) - Bird & Nature Art Fair 2019
Local artists both professional and amateur will sell their nature-inspired works and donate a portion of the proceeds to Seattle Audubon.
(Wedgwood, free) - Fountain Fest 2019
Run through Freeway Park's fountains, throw water balloons at willing participants, play games, and enjoy live bluegrass music at this mid-summer family festival.
(Downtown, free) - Hoodstock 2019 â A New Beginning!
Riz Rollins, Mike Illvester, and MIXX America will DJ, MC Korvus Blackbird will perform, and acts like Holy Pistola, B-boy Fidget, Planet Fly, Tukwila Moon, and Rachaels Children will also give sets at this festival founded by the late, great all-black-female punk band NighTraiN. Former Stranger critic Angela Garbes called it "simply the best small music festival/big olâ house party around."
(Central District, $10) - NW SolarFest Sustainable Living Fair
Curious about making the switch to solar energy? You'll come away from this festival with all sorts of new info.
(Shoreline, free) - Othello Block Party
Celebrate the vibrancy and international diversity of the Othello community with this big street fest filled with arts and music performances from stand-out Seattleites like DoNormaal, Porter Ray, Abyssinian Creole (Gabriel Teodros and Khingz), Rogue Pinay, Blksknn, Nic Masangkay, and many more.
(Othello, free) - South End Heritage Festival
Hop on the Light Rail to Columbia City for tons of live music shows and block party-style bashes at venues around the neighborhood, plus art and craft vendors. The lineup includes the Salmonberries, Evan Flory-Barnes, and Sistas Rock the Arts.
(Columbia City, donation) - Summer Saturday in the Park
Need a reason to go to Lake Union Park other than the prospect of lying in the grass? This family fun day will have giant Jenga and other lawn games, live music, and inflatable bowling.
(South Lake Union, free) FILM
- Movies at the Mural 2019
Stretch out on the lawn and enjoy a screening of The Princess Bride, preceded by film shorts by Cornish students.
(Seattle Center, free) FOOD & DRINK
- Sweet Tooth Pop-Up
Sate your bottomless need for sweets at this South Lake Union pop-up, which will provide a selection of confections, including cookies, ice cream, macarons, doughnuts, pastries, and other sucrose-laden treats, from a range of artisan vendors.
(South Lake Union, free) MUSIC
- BEATS RHYMES & LIFE
Quietstorm, the Groovement, and Vision Beats Radio present a night of hip-hop with Dre Murray, Ozay Moore, Latoria, Shakiah, DJ Em-D.
(Seattle Center, $8/$10) - Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen Inspired Dance Party
Shake your hips to '70s and '80s music all night long with DJs spinning the best of Queen, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie, Prince, New Order, Journey, Hall & Oates, and much more.
(Capitol Hill, $5) - Bubble Up [ It's A Day Party ]
DJs Nayiram, Demo, Kween Kaysh, and Woolbeanie will get the party started in the afternoon before the sun goes down, with secret special live performers.
(Downtown, $10) - Chamber Music in the Park
For this year's Chamber Music in the Park performance, members of the Seattle Chamber Music Society will play ZoltĂĄn KodĂĄly's Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7 and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Trio for Violin, Viola and Cello (Divertimento) in E-flat Major, K. 563.
(Capitol Hill, free) - Chris Aguayo, Monster BOOB, Guests
Acoustic singer-songwriter Chris Aguayo will pass through Seattle on his Flip A Coin Tour, joined by local punk-influenced rock and pop project Monster BOOB.
(Belltown, $10) - The Crying Shame, The Adobe Collective, Pat Kearns
The Crying Shame brands their sound as "Post-war garage-folk." They'll be joined by the Adobe Collective and Pat Kearns.
(Ballard, $8) - die nasty, Hayley and the Crushers
Join Seattle's die nasty and Hayley and the Crushers for a night of rowdy punk.
(Eastlake, $6/$8) - Haute Sauce: Swervewon, JCU3, Momlyn, Semaj
Swervewon, Jcu3, M0mlyn, and Samaj will be your DJs at this edition of "Seattle's home for hip-hop and dance music."
(Capitol Hill, $10) - K-Pop NOW!
Local K-Pop talent will take over the Seattle waterfront for a full day of high-energy bops.
(Downtown, free) - Katie Cash, Holy Jim, Easy Queen Band, Alanna Eileen
Katie Cash's folk-rock driven songs on her debut album, Gift Horse, have earned her two Independent Music Award nominations. She'll be joined by Holy Jim, Easy Queen Band, and Alanna Eileen.
(Greenwood, $7) - Killer Workout, Hi Crime, Point of Arches
Originally known as the West, high-energy rockers Killer Workout aim to provide just thatâan active canvas of danceable beats for their audience to groove to. They'll be joined by Hi Crime and Point of Arches.
(Capitol Hill, $10) - Night Ships, !mindparade, Western War
Fuzzy, reverb-happy shoegaze band Night Ships will headline after some songs from openers !mindparade and Western War.Â
(Belltown, $10) - The Snubs, Mangy, Porn Bloopers, BUGS
The Snubs play what was "formerly known as 'punk'"âwell, we have no qualms in calling it punk, alive and kicking. Exuberant and persuasive, even when they're singing about their inability to grow a beard. They'll be joined by Mangy, Porn Bloopers, and BUGS.
(Pioneer Square, $5/$8) - Stucky Jackson & the Boys, Mercy Parker, Nordus
Down-home alt-rock rippers Stucky Jackson & the Boys will headline with support from Mercy Parker and Nordus.Â
(Fremont, $8/$10) - Thee Deception In-Store
Freedom rockers Thee Deception will play a free, all-ages show at Easy Street for the release of their debut EP, CAPITAL, which they hope will "remind you why you fell in love with punk rock in the first place."
(West Seattle, free) READINGS & TALKS
- Karen Eisenbrey: Wizard Girl
Join Seattle author Karen Eisenbrey, the author of Daughter of Magic, for the launch of her new young adult sci-fi novel novel Wizard Girl.Â
(Ravenna, free) - Nick He: Two Dads and Three Girls
Nick (Yu) He's memoir tells of growing up as a "straight" boy in China before embracing his sexuality and marrying a man, with whom he adopted three children. Meet the author and get a copy of the book signed.
(Lake Forest Park, free) SHOPPING
- More Fats More Femmes Vintage Market 9.0
Celebrate your babely bod while shopping for plus size vintage clothing and accessories at this stacked size-inclusive market hosted by Indian Summer owner Adria Garcia, ex-IS manager (and current Stranger music calendar editor) Kim Selling, and current IS shopkeep Abby Cooke. They'll have pieces from a wide variety of styles, from size 12 to 32, as well as jewelry and zines from local vendors Nomi Helene, Cordelia Funk, Knead Kink, Archive Six, and MKNZ.
(Capitol Hill, free) VISUAL ART
- Finding Your Bounce: Hit the Streets 2019
Coyote Central's art installation and performance will explore "what it means to bounce back in hard times."
(Atlantic, free) - Magnolia Village Art Walk
The summer edition of this quarterly art walk will include the kids POP (Protect Our Planet) project and a passport challenge for kids to win art supplies by visiting local businesses (with their guardians, of course). It's also a good opportunity to see what's new at Magnolia galleries.Â
(Magnolia, free)SATURDAY-SUNDAY
FESTIVALS
- Alki Art Fair
There will be juried art, three stages of music, kids' activities, and lots of food at this large community fair on scenic Alki Beach.
(West Seattle, free) PERFORMANCE
- Paige Barnes: Mother
Prolific dance artist Barnes will spend the month of July in residency at Oxbow, developing a piece melding East Asian traditional medicine (including acupuncture and pulse listening) and dance. In the past, Barnes has won praise from then-Stranger critics like Annie Wagner (who praised the "cross-eyed tenderness" in Barnes's piece Molt).
(Georgetown, free)SUNDAY
COMEDY
- Vonnegut Unexpected: Kurt Vonnegut Improvised
Every Sunday, the improvisers of Unexpected Productions will take some instinctual liberties (paired with audience suggestions) with Slaughterhouse-Five, Breakfast of Champions, and other works by the late writer Kurt Vonnegut.
(Downtown, $10) FESTIVALS
- Caribbean Sea Fest
This family festival celebrates both Caribbean culture in the Northwest and the environment. Celebrate green energy as you take in dancers, Moko jumbies (ghostly stilt walkers), and music.
(Beacon Hill, free) - Pista Sa Nayon
Celebrate Filipino culture with music, dance, and spoken word performances, vendors, and traditional food.
(Rainier Valley, free) FOOD & DRINK
- International Food Truck Rally
Tuck into international flavors from 13 Tukwila food trucks.Â
(Tukwila, free) MUSIC
- Jazz Sounds of 1950âs California
Fans of Chet Baker, Miles Davis, and the like will enjoy this retrospective of songs by California-dwelling jazz legends of the 1950s, courtesy of Bobby Medina and the Colorado Cool Collective.
(Columbia City, $10) - The Last Minute Maybes, Gretta Harley, Judd Wasserman
Rock foursome the Last Minute Maybes will play sassy covers and originals with support from Gretta Harley, and Judd Wasserman.
(Fremont, $5/$8) - The Regrets, MESSIMER, Divorce Care
Seattle's the Regrets will jangle their '60s-inspired pop and garage rock with additional sets from MESSIMER and Divorce Care.Â
(Ballard, $10) - Six 2 Midnight, The Cells, 16 Ghost
Six 2 Midnight, who describe themselves simply as a "modern-day rock band," will be joined by the Cells and 16 Ghost.
(Fremont, $5/$8) - Sunday Sunday Sunday: Nauticult, Falon Sierra, Miss Broadway
Experimental punks Nauticult and electric soul/R&B artist Falon Sierra will perform live at this Concuss pop-up, where you can buy t-shirts, cassettes, and other merch. There will also be pizza.
(Beacon Hill, $5) - Vera On Yr Block
Enjoy the sunshine and catch all-ages sets from local singer-songwriter Nathan Reed, Save the Bees, and Zoser.
(Downtown, free) - Yalla Yeehaw
DJs Mansaf Mama, Cardamami, and Kaabe Emoji will bring the "desi bedouin cowboy vibes" to town with a night of Arab pop, Bhangra, and more.
(Belltown, free) PERFORMANCE
- The Odyssey: an Exploration of Myth, Magic and Monsters
Inspired by Homer's epic, Book-It Theatre presents a play in the Greek tradition that celebrates the importance of teamwork, problem-solving, and "the power of ingenuity and perseverance."
(Downtown, free) - Wandering and Wondering
As you wander through the Kubota Garden, you'll find butoh (Japanese avant-garde dance) performers scattered around the landscape. Joan Laage of Kogut Butoh will direct, while Gyre will provide music. If you can't make it to these events, you can still check out photo exhibitions at the Japanese Garden and at Fresh Flours.
(Rainier Valley, free) SHOPPING
- Bait Shop Summer Market
Shop from small local businesses like Comadre Panaderia, Lineman Vintage, Plantuary, Hot Hot Sauce Sauce, Slip Ceramica, and others while you snack and sip.
(Capitol Hill, free)