The Biggest November Events

It’s hard to predict what this November will have in store (namely for the election and the city’s evolving response to the global pandemic), which makes the things we can count on all the more grounding. That could mean rituals you’ve adopted to cope with isolation, weekly phone calls with people you love, and—enter: us—socially distanced events to keep you entertained in this seasonal and general depression-inducing time. We’ve rounded up this month’s biggest happenings in every genre, both online and in-person—from an evening with Yamiche Alcindor to Songs of Hope: A Benefit for Musicians’ Health, from a new Barbara Earl Thomas exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum to Urban Craft Uprising’s Gobble Up virtual market, and from early winter holiday events like WildLanterns at the Woodland Park Zoo to ACT Theatre’s annual production of A Christmas Carol. For even more options, you can always check out our complete streaming, in-person, and on-demand calendars. 
Events are online unless otherwise noted.
NOVEMBER 5
MUSIC
Morlot Conducts Debussy & MartinConductor Emeritus Ludovic Morlot will return to the Benaroya stage to lead a program of enchanting and colorful scores. Seattle Symphony principal flutist Demarre McGill will take center stage for Martin’s Ballade for Flute and Orchestra, and Seattle Symphony principal harpist Valerie Muzzolini will play Debussy’s Danses sacrée et profane. Finally, Honegger’s brooding Symphony No. 2 will round out the program.
NOVEMBER 5-22
PERFORMANCE
A THOUSAND WAYS Part II: An EncounterIn the long-awaited second installment of 600 Highwaymen’s interactive virtual performance A Thousand Ways, you and a stranger meet on opposite ends of a table, separated by a pane of glass. Using a script and props, you’ll connect with the other person through simple gestures. On the Boards (Queen Anne)
NOVEMBER 6-15
FILM
Tacoma Film Festival 2020Tacoma plays host to independent filmmakers from the Pacific Northwest and throughout the world in an intimate festival intent on examining community and showcasing perspectives from a diverse group of moviemakers. This year’s online event will feature over 150 films, including Gilda Sheppard’s centerpiece Since I Been Down, about the immoral three-strikes law passed in Washington State in the early ’90s that allowed persecutors to imprison youth.
NOVEMBER 6-28
FILM
HUMP! Greatest Hits, Volume 2The HUMP! team is bringing back some fan-favorite amateur porn shorts from years past in the second volume of streamable compilations.
NOVEMBER 7-8
FOOD & DRINK
Northwest Chocolate FestivalIf your chocolate obsession borders on pathological à la the Cathy comic strip, look no further than this two-day all-out cacao extravaganza focused on sustainability. This year, the festival will go virtual, with online workshops and talks from chocolate experts from around the world.
NOVEMBER 7-11
COMMUNITY
Auburn’s Salute to Veterans 2020Starting with a vehicle procession in Veterans Memorial Park and followed by a week of video tributes and other online activities, this COVID-safe Veterans Day celebration will take the place of Auburn’s annual Veteran’s Day Parade.
THROUGH NOVEMBER 8
MUSIC
Earshot Jazz All Digital Festival 2020The Earshot Jazz Festival, an annual month-long examination and celebration of the art form, includes nearly 30 online concerts featuring acts both local and (inter)national, old and young. The final week’s docket includes Thomas Marriott’s Trumpet Ship (Thurs Nov 5), Benjamin Hunter’s Quintet (Fri Nov 6), and the Ahamefule Oluo House Party (Sun Nov 8).
To Life!Music of Remembrance’s 2020/21 virtual season will kick off with an on-demand performance of “Farewell, Auschwitz” from Art From Ashes and other works honoring David Arben, the violinist who survived seven concentration camps as a young Jewish boy from Poland.
NOVEMBER 10
READINGS & TALKS
Journalism Series: Yamiche AlcindorPBS NewsHour correspondent Yamiche Alcindor has garnered a reputation for telling stories about the intersection of race and politics. Join her for a virtual event with Seattle Arts & Lectures one week after the election. 
NOVEMBER 10-14
PERFORMANCE
Unleashed 2020Pork Filled Productions’ staged reading festival of new genre works by POC playwrights will take place online this year, featuring great new works like Patrick Zhang’s modern noir I Thought I Was Safe and Jesse Jou’s 100 Hungry Ghosts.
NOVEMBER 11
READINGS & TALKS
Christopher Kimball & J.M. Hirsch – Cookish & Shake, Strain, DoneJoin Christopher Kimball and J.M. Hirsch of the James Beard Award-winning multimedia food company Milk Street as they discuss recipes and techniques from their new books, Cookish and Shake, Strain, Done, respectively. 
NOVEMBER 11-18
READINGS & TALKS
2(06) The Break Week & Emerald Street: A History of Hip Hop in SeattleIn honor of hip-hop history month, Langston and Wa Na Wari will rebroadcast the 2(06) The Break series that premiered in May. That will culminate in a conversation with Dr. Daudi Abe and Jazmyn Scott, who will discuss Abe’s new book, Emerald Street: A History of Hip Hop in Seattle. 
NOVEMBER 12
COMMUNITY
FALL FETEShow your support for local contemporary dance company Whim W’Him by entering a raffle, purchasing a cocktail kit, and pitching your suggestions for a crowd-sourced dance performance—all without leaving your house. 
NOVEMBER 13
FOOD & DRINK
Wright Thompson, with Julian Van Winkle III – PappylandHow did cult Kentucky Bourbon caretaker Julian Van Winkle III fight to protect his family’s heritage company? The third-generation Pappy Van Winkle proprietor shares his story in Pappyland, which he’ll discuss tonight with journalist Wright Thompson.
NOVEMBER 13-15
FOOD & DRINK
Gobble Up 2020Just in time for Thanksgiving (and the subsequent holidays), Urban Craft Uprising will host this specialty food show for the fourth year in a row, promising over 100 local vendors slinging everything from macarons to forest-infused spirits to nut butters. The vendor booths are virtual this year, so you don’t even have to leave your house.
NOVEMBER 13-20
MUSIC
Jeremy DenkPianist virtuoso and MacArthur Fellow Jeremy Denk will revive works by Robert and Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms, three influential composers of the Romantic period.
NOVEMBER 13-22
FILM
Romanian Film Festival”The Romanian film industry has been producing international festival hits since 2004, and the so-called New Wave filmmakers and their successors have never stopped innovating. This brief but mighty film festival screens movies that range from caustically funny to fearlessly intellectual,” wrote former Stranger Arts Calendar Editor Joule Zelman last year. Back for a seventh year, this online edition will pay special attention to films that inspire social change and give hope for life after the pandemic.
NOVEMBER 13-DECEMBER 11
MUSIC
Global Party: Virtual CelebrationThis annual performance celebrates the diversity of the Seattle community with music and dancing from various cultures. At this year’s virtual event, you’ll get to participate in workshops for all ages and watch a curated collection of past performances.
NOVEMBER 13-JANUARY 17
WINTER HOLIDAYS
WildLanternsThe Woodland Park Zoo is taking a more realistic approach to its beloved annual holiday light display by lining its paths with glowing lanterns in the likeness of tigers, snow leopards, aquatic creatures, zebras, and other exotic animals. Woodland Park Zoo (Phinney)
NOVEMBER 14
COMMUNITY
BLACK VOICES MATTER: Behind The Lines With Journalist Omari SalisburyLocal independent journalist Omari Salisbury will talk with KING 5’s Joyce Taylor about his roots in Seattle’s Central District, his path to founding Converge Media, and his recent coverage of Black Lives Matter protests on the frontlines. 
NOVEMBER 14-15
MUSIC
Shelter Fest SeattleLocal heavy-hitters like Gifted Gab, Tiffany Wilson, Rell Be Free, BEARAXE, Beverly Crusher, and other Seattle-based BIPOC musicians will perform live at this online music festival benefitting local Black artists and restaurant owners who took a blow from COVID-19 setbacks.
THROUGH NOVEMBER 15
FESTIVALS
Día de los Muertos FestivalThe Tacoma Art Museum’s annual Día de los Muertos celebration will take place virtually over the course of two weeks. Families are invited to share their commemorative altars and enjoy those submitted by others.
NOVEMBER 16
READINGS & TALKS
Seattle Arts and Lectures presents Yaa GyasiYaa Gyasi, the author of the epic novel Homegoing, which tells the story of families in Ghana and “The New World” linked across 300 years of time and which Ta-Nehisi Coates called “an inspiration,” is out with Transcendent Kingdom, about a Ghanaian family in Alabama. The author will join Seattle Arts & Lectures for a reading and discussion. 
NOVEMBER 17
READINGS & TALKS
Ron ChewGentrification has forced many Asian American-owned Seattle businesses to close throughout the years, from family-owned shops to small restaurants to sewing factories. Local writer and social justice activist Ron Chew reflects on places he’s seen come and go—and what that means for the legacy of Asian American culture in Seattle—in his memoir My Unforgotten Seattle.
NOVEMBER 18
SHOPPING
The Virtual Best of the Northwest Fall Show & NWAA Holiday MarketCheck out work by over 140 Northwest artists and craftspeople. If something speaks to you, you can strike up a virtual chat with the artist and buy their piece. 
NOVEMBER 19
READINGS & TALKS
Book Launch: The Freezer Door by Mattilda Bernstein SycamoreThe author of the Lambda Award-winning memoir The End of San Francisco and approximately one million other essays and stories and books continues to explore her fascination with queer characters and imaginations, this time as they ride the routine waves of suburban life, in The Freezer Door. Join the author for an online book party with Hugo House. 
NOVEMBER 20-ONGOING
Barbara Earl Thomas: The Geography of InnocenceThrough large-scale works in cut paper and glass, Stranger Genius Award winner Barbara Earl Thomas’s latest exhibition explores “plagues of our day,” from persistent racist violence to the climate crisis to the actual plague that is COVID-19, by drawing from history, literature, folklore, and biblical stories with plays on light and shadow. Seattle Art Museum (Downtown)
NOVEMBER 20-21
FOOD & DRINK
Oyster New YearThe apotheosis of the Pacific Northwest’s unofficial regional pastime, slurping oysters, is the eco-friendly Oyster New Year at Elliott’s Oyster House. The all-out briny bash features more than 30 varieties of bivalves shucked to order at a 150-foot oyster bar, a fresh seafood buffet, and local microbrews and wine from more than 60 wineries.  Elliott’s Oyster House (Downtown)
THROUGH NOVEMBER 21
FOOD & DRINK
Seattle Restaurant WeekFrugal gourmands everywhere rejoice over this twice-yearly event, which lets diners tuck into prix-fixe menus at restaurants hoping to lure new customers with singularly slashed prices. This year, things will look a little different: To give the restaurant industry a much-needed boost during COVID-19, Seattle Restaurant Week is featuring more restaurants and more dining options and is extending the event to last an entire month. Restaurants will feature a variety of special meal offerings as $20 lunches and/or $35 dinners, including make-at-home meal kits, food and cocktail packages, in-house three-course meals, and more. It’s a great opportunity to both support local restaurants and break out of your Postmates rut. In addition, Seattle Restaurant Week will also be partnering with Plate of Nations, an event run by the MLK Business Association to highlight southeast Seattle businesses.Various locations
NOVEMBER 20-25
FOOD & DRINK
Cider Summit Seattle – Festival To-Go.2Cider Summit will offer two to-go kits available for preordered pickup this year: The Harvest & Holiday kit, which includes eight curated ciders to get you in the seasonal mood, and the Pommeau & Dessert Cider kit, which includes four rare after-dinner selections. Plus, you’ll receive a link to the virtual tasting on November 21. Just make sure to get your order in by November 11.
NOVEMBER 21
FILM
Future Retro West Coast PremiereWarren Miller’s new outdoor film will have you longing for the slopes. This *exclusive* online premiere is available only to West Coast-dwellers and includes red carpet events, coupons, giveaways, and more. 
MUSIC
Reykjavik Calling 2020Iceland Airwaves and KEXP will team up for a showcase of Reykjavik-based musicians, including Kristín Anna and Supersport! (and Seattle’s Tomo Nakayama). Catch the whole thing on YouTube. 
PERFORMANCE
Legendary ChildrenPresented in partnership with Seattle Public Library, SAM’s Legendary Children is one of Seattle’s best cultural events, centered around house and ballroom culture and featuring a fantastic cast of QTBIPOC performers and authors.
READINGS & TALKS
TEDxSeattle: Other SidesThis independently organized TED event promises fast-paced and engaging presentations with illustrious speakers like business leaders Susan Long-Walsh and Rico Quirindongo, Deueling Thumbs StudioLab founder Thomas Deuel, sculptor Richard Rhodes, and others. 
NOVEMBER 21-22
SHOPPING
Native Art MarketsBuy authentic Native gifts—clothing, drums, art prints, and more—from a group of diverse local artists in beautiful Discovery Park.Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center (Magnolia)
NOVEMBER 22
MUSIC
Songs of Hope: A Benefit for Musicians’ HealthThis concert of dynamic pairings of Seattle artists—like Dave Matthews with Tomo Nakayama, Mike McCready of Pearl Jam with the Black Tones, and Chong the Nomad with Chris Ballew—will help musicians affected by COVID-19 get access to sustainable healthcare. 
READINGS & TALKS
Write-O-RamaGet the maximum amount of instruction from Hugo House’s excellent prose writers and poets at this annual event featuring five hours of mini-workshops and talks.
NOVEMBER 27-29
SHOPPING
Duwamish Native Gift Fair & Art Market 2020Find gifts for loved ones by local Native artists and makers at this annual market. Duwamish Longhouse (West Seattle)
NOVEMBER 27-DECEMBER 24
WINTER HOLIDAYS
Snowflake LaneEvery year, downtown Bellevue turns into a winter wonderland not just for one night but for a whole dang month, with (fake) falling snow, jolly music, and twinkling lights every night until Christmas Eve. Don’t expect a marching band this year (mouths blowing into trumpets during COVID = bad), but do expect a perfectly lovely, socially distanced walk- or dive-through. Bellevue Collection
NOVEMBER 27-DECEMBER 27
PERFORMANCE
A Christmas Carol 2020Cozy up around ye olde device for this on-demand version of ACT Theatre’s production of A Christmas Carol: a dependable, simple pleasure with just enough variation to warrant returning year after year.
NOVEMBER 27-JANUARY 3
WINTER HOLIDAYS
ZoolightsHoliday traditions don’t get more classic than strolling through the zoo when it’s transformed into a luminous wonderland of 3-D animal light installations. Displays from previous years have included hammerhead sharks and sea turtles, a majestic polar bear family, and a giant Pacific octopus. You can see this year’s lit-up creatures by following a guided path laid out for social distancing. Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium (Tacoma)
NOVEMBER 29
SPORTS & RECREATION
Virtual Amica Insurance Seattle Marathon & Half MarathonParticipate in one of the oldest marathons in the PNW in the location of your choosing—one with plenty of room for social distancing—and submit your results online.read more