Bumbershoot , this year, August 30- September 1,  is an annual international music and arts festival held in Seattle, Washington. One of North America's largest such festivals,  it takes place every Labor Day weekend at the 74-acre Seattle Center, which was built for the 1962 World's Fair. Seattle Center includes indoor theaters, outdoor stages, McCaw Hall, and Memorial Stadium.  The name of the festival was taken from bumbershoot, a colloquial term for umbrella, probably coined in the 19th century as a portmanteau of umbrella and parachute.

Check out the line up here

Bumbershoot began as a city-funded ($25,000 budget) arts and music festival called "Mayor's Arts Festival" , also known as "Festival '71", held at Seattle Center on August 13-15, 1971. This event had a total attendance of 125,000 visitors.  Amidst the local economic depression triggered by the near collapse of Boeing, the festival attempted to revive local spirits, and was the largest event held in Seattle Center since the 1962 World's Fair. Liberal talk radio host Irving Clark Jr. chaired the fair committee, and avant-garde impressario Anne Focke used one-fifth of that for light shows (which incorporated lasers, still something of a novelty at that time), computer graphics, enormous inflatable soft sculptures by the Land Truth Company, and an electronic jam session. Other events included dance, theater, folk music, arts and crafts, art cars, body painting, a Miss Hot Pants Contest, amateur motorcycle races, and one out-of-town performer: country singer Sheb Wooley.

It has since grown in stature and size over the last 36 years.  Over the three days, you'll see these performers and about 50 more bands will be on hand.

Adele                            Beck                         Jakob Dylan        Lucinda Williams   Mike Doughty



Neko Case            Offspring                       Stone Temple           Tim Finn             Tyrone Wells
                                                                           Pilots