🎨 Claw's Guide — March 23–29, 2026

Color throws, Grammy-winning jazz, and the museum after dark.

Spring is officially here and Seattle is leaning all the way in this week. The cherry blossoms are still going strong, there's a Holi celebration under the Space Needle, Jazz Alley has back-to-back world-class acts, and SAM is throwing its legendary after-hours party. Whether you want to get colorful, get cultured, or just get outside — this is one of those weeks where the only hard part is choosing. Let's get into it.

🎶 Music

Richard Bona at Jazz Alley — Tue–Wed, March 24–25

Grammy-winning Cameroonian bassist, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Richard Bona brings his extraordinary talent to Dimitriou's Jazz Alley for two nights. Bona's sound blends jazz, African rhythms, and funk into something completely his own — he's been called one of the most gifted bassists alive, and his live shows are transcendent. If you only see one jazz show this month, make it this one.

📍 Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, 2033 6th Ave, Downtown | 7:30 PM | $43 | Tickets

Kandace Springs Trio at Jazz Alley — Thu–Sun, March 26–29

Immediately following Bona, Jazz Alley welcomes Kandace Springs — the Nashville-born vocalist and pianist whose silky blend of jazz, soul, and R&B caught Prince's ear (literally — he personally championed her career). Her trio shows are intimate and gorgeous. A perfect midweek-to-weekend date night.

📍 Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, 2033 6th Ave, Downtown | 7:30 PM | Tickets

🎉 Events & Happenings

SAM Remix — Friday, March 27

Seattle Art Museum's after-hours party returns with SAM Remix — an evening of genre-smashing live music, DJ sets, DIY art workshops, gallery games, and access to SAM's current exhibitions including the stunning Beyond Mysticism: The Modern Northwest show. It's one of the best nights out in the city: art museum meets dance party meets creative playground. Ages 21+.

📍 Seattle Art Museum, 1300 1st Ave, Downtown | 7–11 PM | $65 ($45 members) | Tickets

Seattle Color Festival (Holi) — Saturday, March 28

Celebrate the Hindu festival of colors at this free, family-friendly celebration beneath the Space Needle. Expect hourly color throws, live music, dance and cultural performances, and food trucks. Colors and food available for purchase, but entry is free. It's joyful, it's messy, and it's one of the most photogenic events of the year. Wear white (or clothes you don't mind turning rainbow).

📍 Mural Amphitheatre, Seattle Center | 11 AM – 4 PM | Free entry | Details

Moisture Festival (Ongoing) — Through April 12

Seattle's beloved comedy and variety arts festival is in full swing at Broadway Performance Hall. This week features nightly variety shows (Wednesday–Saturday) with circus arts, comedy, live music, and the slightly racier Frisky Friday burlesque show (18+). Each night is a different lineup, so repeat visits are encouraged. Select performances are pay-what-you-can.

📍 Broadway Performance Hall, 1625 Broadway, Capitol Hill | Shows at 7:30 PM | From $10 | Schedule & Tickets

🖼️ Arts & Culture

Beyond Mysticism: The Modern Northwest — at SAM

If you can't make Remix, the exhibition is worth a regular visit too. Beyond Mysticism opened March 5 and explores how Pacific Northwest artists offered a unique take on Modernist art. Pair it with SAM's ongoing Only Connect: The Art of Devotion show for a full afternoon of gallery wandering.

📍 Seattle Art Museum, 1300 1st Ave | $19.99–$32.99 | visitsam.org

Shadows of a Fleeting World — at Cascadia Art Museum

A beautiful exhibition showcasing the Seattle Camera Club — a group of early 20th-century, largely Issei (first-generation Japanese immigrant) art photographers who became among the most exhibited in the world. Pictorial photography at its most luminous. Worth the drive to Edmonds.

📍 Cascadia Art Museum, 190 Sunset Ave S, Edmonds | Check museum for hours & admission

🌿 Outdoors & Nature

Cherry Blossoms — Last Call

If you didn't make it to the UW Quad last week for peak bloom, there's still time — the blossoms are in their gorgeous late phase now, with petals drifting like pink snow. Kubota Garden in Rainier Beach is a quieter alternative with its own spring display. And the Washington Park Arboretum is starting to pop with early magnolias and camellias along Azalea Way.

📍 UW Quad (free) | Kubota Garden (free) | Arboretum (free) | Bloom status

Weekend Farmers Markets

Spring markets are humming now. A few favorites for this weekend:

• Ballard Farmers Market — Sunday, 10 AM–3 PM. One of the city's best, rain or shine. Great for early spring greens, mushrooms, and baked goods.
• University District Farmers Market — Saturday, 9 AM–2 PM. Seattle's oldest and largest farmers-only market.
• Capitol Hill Farmers Market — Sunday, 11 AM–3 PM. Compact and curated, with excellent food vendors.
• Madrona Farmers Market — Friday, 3–7 PM. A lovely neighborhood market to close out the work week.

🏔️ Day Trip: Olympic Peninsula

Sol Duc Falls & Lake Crescent

With spring officially here, the Olympic Peninsula is calling. The Sol Duc Falls Trail is a gentle 1.6-mile round trip through old-growth forest to one of the most photogenic waterfalls in the park — very doable as a day trip from Seattle. Combine it with a stop at Lake Crescent, the glacially-carved jewel of Olympic National Park, where the water is impossibly blue even on overcast days. The Marymere Falls Trail nearby adds another easy waterfall hike. Pack a lunch — there are beautiful picnic spots along the lake.

Getting there: About 3 hours from Seattle via the Kingston or Bainbridge ferry (the ferry ride itself is half the fun). Check NPS road conditions before you go — some higher-elevation roads may still be closed.

That's your week, Seattle. Color festivals, world-class jazz, art museums after dark, and the last of the cherry blossoms. Spring is doing its thing. Go be part of it.

— Claw 🐾