YouTube Hallelujah Chorus by the Kuinerrarmiut Elitnaurviat 5th Grade in Quinhagak, Alaska

Charming rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus from the village of Quinhagak in Alaska. They put in 10 hours of work shooting all the scenes (on a weekend nonetheless!!). Hallelujah!

$5-$10 Christmas concert December 23 at Seattle Town Hall features kids in medieval costume

Take a break from the colored lights of modern Christmas festivities and travel back in time to the candlelit world of the Middle Ages, where wintertime meant hoping for enough food to last till spring and Christmas meant some of the best music ever. Returning from their standing-room-only Early Music Discovery performance last year, the kids of Seattle Historical Arts don period costume and join their voices and instruments with grownup performers beloved by Seattle families. It’s Christmas like you’ve never heard it before!

EMG Discovery: A Medieval Christmas is an hourlong concert featuring series curator and Seattle Historical Arts for Kids director Shulamit Kleinerman, vielle; Rebekah Gilmore, soprano; and Jacob Breedlove, hurdy-gurdy. Presented by Early Music Guild. Friday, December 23, 2011, 1:00 – 2:00pm. Downstairs at Town Hall; enter on Seneca Street (Google map). Tickets are $10 (seniors/students $5).

Free Christmas concert December 22 in downtown Seattle

Historic Daniels Recital Hall at 5th & Marion in downtown Seattle offers free noontime concerts throughout the year.

Don’t miss their Christmas Gala featuring International Artists Carillon™ Handbell Ensemble December 22 12pm-1pm (Google map).
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Arboretum Gifts & Greens Galore 2010 Holiday Sale, Dec 11-12

The Arboretum Foundation “Gifts & Greens Galore” holiday sale offers a wonderful selection of holiday decorations, including wreaths, swags, and fresh-cut greens. It’s also a showcase for the Arboretum Shop, which features an excellent selection of gardening and nature books, plant-themed jewelry, natural body products, tools for green thumbs, and much more. The sale features many fun activities and unique gift merchandise:

  • Live seasonal music
  • Free hot drinks
  • Michael Michaud Silver Season botanical tableware and jewelry
  • Handmade holiday cards

The sale is held at the Graham Visitors Center, 2300 Arboretum Drive East, Seattle, WA 98112 (Google map). Free parking and admission. For more information, visit Gifts & Greens Galore.

  • Saturday, December 9, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

  • Sunday, December 10, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Arboretum Foundation, a non-profit membership organization, has provided stewardship for Washington Park Arboretum since 1935. The mission of the Foundation is to promote, protect and enhance the Washington Park Arboretum for current and future generations by strengthening and building a diverse and engaged community of donors, volunteers and advocates.

YouTube flash mob Christmas music Hallelujah Chorus in Welland, Ontario mall

Christmas Ships – celebrate community at area parks with music and lights!

A Northwest tradition for 60 years, the Christmas Ship Festival brings Seattle and Eastside communities together to celebrate the holiday season. From the flotilla of ships to the crowds of people who gather onshore, this celebration is one of the gems of the holiday season.

  • Each night, from Saturday, November 26 through December 23rd, 2011 the Argosy Christmas Ship™ sails to different Puget Sound waterfront communities, over 45 in total. Choirs onboard sing 20-minute performances to these communities, all broadcast via state-of-the-art speaker system.
  • View the 2011 the Argosy Christmas Ship™ schedule to find out when the boats will be visiting a park near you.

On shore, thousands of people gather around roaring bonfires anticipating the arrival of the Christmas Ship™. You can join Argosy on board the Christmas Ship™ or one of the Parade ships that follow, or join with friends and neighbors on shore to gather together for your own caroling tradition. If you own your own boat, feel welcome to add lights to your vessel and join in the flotilla!

Free Winterfest at Seattle Center runs through November-December holidays

Seattle Center sets the scene for five weeks of FREE, affordable, and fun-filled family activities, soulful festivities, and so much more. Take a break from the seasonal frenzy and visit Seattle Center, a 90-second ride away from downtown Seattle aboard the Seattle Center Monorail at Westlake Center Mall (Fifth Avenue and Pine Street, Google map). Step off the monorail and discover an enchanting miniature Winter Train and Village, and trees dressed in sparkling lights. Center House will be decked out in good cheer as it prepares for The Next Fifty; honoring the 50th anniversary of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. Enjoy the Winterfest Ice Rink, Saturday afternoon ice sculpting and performances by more than 100 student groups. Then return to watch the fireworks at a New Year’s Eve Celebration featuring live music from The Rhythm Nation. Seattle Center Winterfest is part of Holidays in the City, and is sponsored by the City of Seattle, Seattle Center Foundation and KOMO 4 TV.

  • Seattle Center Winterfest 2011 runs from November 25 – December 31
  • Extended dates for the Winterfest Ice Rink: November 25 – January 1, 2012

Most of the events are free at the Center House, including carolers, concerts, comedy, ice sculpting, and the crowd favorite, turn-of- the-century Winter Train and Village (suggested donation $2; cash only)–take a turn at driving the miniature locomotive between 10:30am – 12 noon, 1pm – 2:30pm and 3:30pm – 5:30pm daily. The Winterfest Ice Rink for novice or Olympiad ice skaters, offers fun for all (Admission: $7 for adults, $5 for children ages 6– 12, $2 children ages 5 and under. Admission fee includes skate rental. Cash only.)

Find your way to Center House, Winterfest Ice Rink and all your favorite Winterfest festivities; feast at the Food Court; and locate convenient parking by viewing this (PDF) Seattle Center Activities Map or visit the Seattle Center Transporation page.

Free Fishermen’s Fall Festival in Seattle Sept 17 features family fun and J.P. Patches farewell performance

The free Fishermen’s Fall Festival is a day of celebration and fishing-related family fun, and live musical all day long. There will be a Salmon/Halibut Fillet Demonstration, Lutefisk Eating Contest, Oyster Slurp Contest. The USCG always makes waves with their dramatic demonstration of an at-sea rescue. Food is available for $5-10 per serving and includes a salmon barbecue, other seafood selections or hot dogs. For visitors 21 and older, the Beer & Wine Tasting Garden features a selection of local brews.

Fishermen’s Fall Festival is Saturday, September 17th, 2011 from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Fishermen’s Terminal, 1900 W. Nickerson Street, Seattle, WA 98119 (Google map).

Performance highlights

  • 11:00 – Inochi Taiko. Taiko, otherwise known as Wadaiko is a drumming style of Japanese origin. Literally, taiko means “fat drum.” Taiko has become a dynamic and spectacular art form heard at festivals and in concert halls throughout the world. For Inochi Taiko, it has been the life force or “spirit” that has helped each member develop leadership skills, artistic expression and other personal aspects of their lives.  The members of Inochi Taiko strive to not only play at a high caliber to entertain audiences, but also try to push each other creatively to form a uniquely distinct sound. This is a performance not to be missed!
  • 12:00 – JP Patches in his Farewell Performance: Beloved Seattle icon and long-time philanthropist JP Patches has been entertaining young and old alike since 1958. The Emmy-award winning J.P. Patches Show aired for 23 years on KIRO-TV and at one time had an audience of over 100,000. When it 1left the air in 1981, it was the longest running, locally produced children’s program in the country. Don’t miss his final performance on the Main Stage!
  • 1:00 – The Reptile Man: Scott Petersen has performed for over 800 schools in the Northwest. Corporations such as Microsoft, Boeing, and Eddie Bauer have found this program to be exciting for all ages. You can see Scott on Disney’s nationally televised Bill Nye – The Science Guy. Scott’s performance creates an interest in the natural sciences and teach students about the importance of all animals in the balance of nature

Free Slacker Radio offers customizable radio listening experience and mobile app for personal online radio

Slacker Radio offers a fully customizable and personal online radio experience that includes the most varied and compelling range of content offered by any Internet radio service. Slacker Radio is available in more places than any other radio service. You can download the Slacker mobile application for free on a long list of popular devices.

The Slacker Radio experience includes over 150 expert-programmed music stations, ABC news, comedy, custom artist-hosted showcase stations and leading music festival stations along with custom ESPN Radio content integration coming soon. With a music catalog that is over ten times larger than the leading radio competitor, Slacker Radio gives listeners the ultimate music discovery resource. Slacker Radio enables music lovers to play personalized radio everywhere they go. The Slacker Personal Radio experience is for PC streaming at www.slacker.com.

Slacker Radio service options

  • Free Slacker Basic Radio personal service
  • Ad-free and feature-rich Slacker Radio Plus ($3.99/month)
  • On-demand access with Slacker Premium Radio ($9.99/month)

Free RAP concert in Seattle with Pitbull at Paramount Theater Sept 16, 2011

Seattle Theatre Group (STG) presents the Seattle 2011 Samsung AT&T Summer Krush free concert on Friday, September 16, 2011, featuring RAP artist Pitbull at the Paramount Theatre. Doors open at 8pm.

The Summer Krush annual concert series is free to the public and brings the hottest bands to audiences across the country from L.A. to Orlando. Seattle is the final stop on the 2011 tour. International music sensation Pitbull has sold millions of digital singles (including his current hit “Hey Baby” featuring T-Pain, the double-platinum smash “I Know You Want Me [Calle Ocho],” “Hotel Room Service,” “Krazy,” and “Culo”); scored two No. 1’s on Billboard’s Rap Albums charts (his gold 2004 debut M.I.A.M.I. and 2009’s Rebelution; and has been featured on tracks by such pop-chart mainstays as Usher, Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, and Janet Jackson.

Get FREE tickets here, which are required for entry to the Summer Krush 2011 With Pitbull at The Paramount Theatre.

Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St, Seattle, WA (Google map).