Family fun calendar

Published 12:01 am Friday, October 21, 2011

Events

• Apple Day: Features the sixth annual Mutt Strut Dog Parade and Costume Contest with prizes awarded for best dog costume, best owner and dog costume combo, best trick and best celebrity dog. Other family-friendly activities include: apple pressing tasting stations, apple s

tacking contest for all ages, live music, local wine tasting and farmer’s market featuring more than 50 vendors representing farmers, producers, artisans, and chefs; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 22 at Historic Bayview Corner, 5603 Bayview Road, Langley. For more information go to www.goosefoot.org.

• Heybrook Hoedown 2011: 5 to 10 p.m. Oct. 22 at the River House in Index; Food, music by Spare Rib and the Bluegrass Sauce, dancing and silent auction. Admission is $20; free for 12 years and younger. Proceeds benefit Friends of Heybrook Ridge. Go to www.heybrookridge.org.
• CroatiaFest: 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 22 and noon to 8 p.m. Oct. 23, Center House, Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St.; 206-684-7200, www.seattlecenter.com or go to www.croatiafest.org; Join in folkdance lessons and a dance party, learn the art of Croatian cuisine and wine tasting, peruse ethnic crafts; there’s also dance ensembles and musicians, intricate costumes, art exhibits, tourist information and historical displays that showcase Croatia’s past and present.

Theater

• “The Hobbit”: Based on the book by J. R. R. Tolkien, the journey to Middle-earth takes the audience to meet up with Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the Wizard, Smaug the Dragon and of course the slimy Gollum; directed by Rose Woods and Melanie Lowey and features a cast of youth actors ages 10 to 13 and is suggested for audiences ages 4 and up. Opens at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 21 and runs for three weekends through Nov. 6 at Whidbey Children’s Theater, 222 Anthes Ave., Langley. Tickets are $8 for students, $10 seniors and $12 for adults. Call 360-221-2282; advance tickets are highly recommended. There are two special family shows on Oct. 23 and Oct. 29 where all tickets are $8 each.

• “Harold and the Purple Crayon”: This show about a little boy who takes matters into his own hands by way of a purple crayon kicks off the new season at Seattle Children’s Theatre, 201 Thomas St.; 206-441-3322; www.sct.org/Index.aspx; through Oct. 30, all ages.
• “Box Top Rock”: The show features Caspar Babypants, Recess Monkey, The Not-Its!, The Board of Education, The Harmonica Pocket, Johnny Bregar & the Country Dawgs, and others; doors and pre-show carnival at 10 a.m.; show at 11 a.m. Oct. 22 at Teatro Zinzanni spiegeltent, 222 Mercer St., Seattle. General admission $12, booth seating $18, premium seating $25. Call 206-802-0015 or go to www.zinzanni.org/bigtoprock/. Bands change weekly.

• “Nanda”: A Kung Faux Ninja circus arts extravaganza, “The Jacket,” combines comedy, juggling, acrobatics, martial arts, video projection, original music, dance and pop-culture satire in this live performance; 8 p.m. through Oct. 23 with a 2 p.m. show Oct. 22 at Broadway Performance Hall, 1625 Broadway, Seattle. Tickets are $12 to $20 and $25 at the door. Online Box Office at: http://ow.ly/5SLx0. For more information go to www.nandatown.com.

Exhibit

• “Ice Age Archaeology Day”: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 23 at Burke Museum, on the University of Washington campus at the corner of 17th Ave. NE and NE 45th St., Seattle. The show is free with admission which is $10, $8 and $7.50. Call 206-543-5590 or visit www.burkemuseum.org. How did humans live 12,000 years ago? Burke archaeologists and other specialists will share the inside scoop; features a mix of family-friendly activities and presentations, such as learn how to throw an atlatl.

• “Carnival”: The exhibit tells the story of eight Carnival celebrations from around the world through the voices of the people who plan, create, and carry out the festivities each year. The exhibition is a full sensory exploration with visual, audio, and interactive experiences; weekend activities through Jan. 8 include weekly workshops where families can make their own Carnival masks, props and costumes; all at the Burke Museum, on the University of Washington campus at the corner of 17th Avenue NE and NE 45th Street, Seattle. The show is free with admission which is $10, $8 and $7.50. Call 206-543-5590 or visit www.burkemuseum.org.

• Design Zone and Puzzle Palooza: Design Zone features 26 interactive stations divided into three categories: engineering and speed; art, architecture and video game design; and music and sound. Puzzle Palooza features puzzles and brainteasers and a 35-feet tall, Groovik’s Cube, a fully-functional three-dimensional puzzle illuminated with LED lights, and moved using controllers on the ground. The exhibits runs through Jan. 2 at Pacific Science Center, 200 Second Ave. N, Seattle; free with the price of admission which is $14 for adults; $9 for youth 6 to 15; $7 for kids 3 to 5 and $12 for seniors 65 and over. Children under 3 are free. Call 206-443-2001 or go to pacificsciencecenter.org.