Ways to Celebrate Bumbershoot, #1

2007 Bumbershoot Poster, courtesy of One Reel

The #1 way to celebrate Bumbershoot is to do something free today.

The Bumbershoot folks rolled out a list of 40 ways you can celebrate their 40th anniversary. The party's almost over, though, so we're here to suggest five last-minute ways to participate. This is #1.

For its first decade, Bumbershoot was completely free. Can you imagine? Sure, it was much smaller, but it was also much longer, stretching over ten days. And there were legit, national acts in addition to the budding local talent.

Then in 1980, the Seattle City Council voted to fill the coffers with a hike in garbage rates and an entry fee for Bumbershoot. They had good justification, though. With crowds growing each year, something needed to be done to limit access.

A 1984 article reported that Bumberfan complaints focused on the one to five hour lines to get into the best concerts. Admission had risen from $2.50 to $4 already. One attendee, though, was willing to pay even more to avoid the lines. "I'd much rather pay $15 and have a reserved seat," said one man who had been attending since the very beginning in 1971. Who knows how he would feel today, paying $120 to get into the whole festival. He'd get guaranteed admission to the main stage, but no reserved seat.

The #1 way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Bumbershoot, though, is to go to a free arts event tonight. Here are a few good options:

SIFF is putting on a free showing of shorts as part of Bumbershoot's 1 Reel Film Festival, McCaw Hall, 7:30pm-9pm.

The Mayor's visual arts awards just wrapped up at noon, but you can see the accompanying exhibit at the Northwest Court at the Seattle Center until 7pm.