May 24 Sunday
Welcomed by KNKX. Frank Vignola is one of the most extraordinary guitarists performing before the public today. His stunning virtuosity has made him the guitarist of choice for many of the world’s top musicians, including Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, John Lewis, Tommy Emmanuel, Lionel Hampton, the Boston Pops, the New York Pops, and guitar legend Les Paul, who named Vignola to his “Five Most Admired Guitarists List:” for the Wall Street Journal.
His dynamic genre-spanning music has brought him to 21 countries on three continents – and still growing – performing in some of the world’s most illustrious venues, including the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, New York’s Lincoln Center, The Blue Note, and the world’s oldest indoor concert hall, Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy.
Pasquale Grasso - It was the kind of endorsement most rising guitarists can only dream of, and then some. In his interview for Vintage Guitar magazine’s February 2016 cover story, Pat Metheny was asked to name some younger musicians who’d impressed him. “The best guitar player I’ve heard in maybe my entire life is floating around now, Pasquale Grasso,” said the jazz-guitar icon and NEA Jazz Master. “This guy is doing something so amazingly musical and so difficult. “Mostly what I hear now are guitar players who sound a little bit like me mixed with a little bit of [John Scofield] and a little bit of [Bill Frisell],” he continued. “What’s interesting about Pasquale is that he doesn’t sound anything like that at all. In a way, it is a little bit of a throwback, because his model—which is an incredible model to have—is Bud Powell. He has somehow captured the essence of that language from piano onto guitar in a way that almost nobody has ever addressed. He’s the most significant new guy I’ve heard in many, many years.”
May 25 Monday
Determined to make something of herself, a girl from rural Texas dreams of flying. But it’s 1917, and flight schools don’t accept women, much less one who is Black and Native. Refusing to take no for an answer, Bessie Coleman goes to extraordinary lengths to make her dream of flying a reality.
In celebration of its 30th anniversary, the Washington State Historical Society invites you to explore the history of building the State History Museum. 30 Years and Counting: The Making of the Washington State History Museum is a special exhibition that uncovers the vision, effort, and community spirit that brought this iconic Tacoma landmark to life.
Discover the bold ideas and architectural ingenuity that shaped the museum’s distinctive look. From early sketches to final blueprints, see how the building’s design reflects both innovation and reverence for Washington’s past. Go behind the scenes of the museum’s construction. Through photographs and artifacts from the building process, witness how a dream took shape—brick by brick, beam by beam.
Staff Picks: 30 Objects for 30 Years
In a special feature area, museum staff share their favorite objects from the collection—each one a personal reflection on the power of history to inspire, surprise, and connect us.
Never Turn Back: Echoes of African American Music unveils the profound legacy of Gospel, Blues, Jazz, and Soul artists who shaped the soundscape of American culture and used their music as instruments of resistance, identity, and representation.
Gospel, Blues, Jazz, and Soul embody the profound influence of African American music on culture and history. From the spiritual foundations and transformative movements of Gospel hymns to the revolutionary improvisations of Jazz, the Blues’ Southern roots rising from the Mississippi Delta, and Soul’s powerful amplification of the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, these genres have defined the unique sound and undying spirit of a nation that continues to echo through contemporary Black music today.
This is a permanent exhibition. Since time immemorial, Tribal nations have existed in this place we call Washington. This Is Native Land invites visitors to understand Washington State through the lived experiences and voices of its Native people.
Tribal nations are sovereign nations. Today, Native history, culture, and community thrive in our state. Through everyday acts of sovereignty – big and small – Indigenous peoples demonstrate they are still here, they have persevered, and they will always be here.
This Is Native Land is guided by three teachings:We are of the land and watersWith knowledge comes responsibilitySovereignty protects people, lands, and waters
These teachings are shared through multimedia, artwork, and interactive objects designed for guest engagement. They represent a contemporary continuation of Tribal stories and traditions.
Over 100 Native contributors from more than 60 Tribes shaped the exhibition’s stories and content. We thank the Native Advisory Committee and all community participants for their contributions.
LeMay – America’s Car Museum proudly presents The Birth of the American Supercar, a groundbreaking exhibition guest curated by renowned automotive innovator Steve Saleen. This one-of-a-kind display invites guests on an exhilarating journey through the evolution of American supercars. From early speed pioneers to cutting-edge modern marvels, visitors will experience a stunning lineup of vehicles that have redefined engineering, speed, and style, built by a wide range of American automotive manufacturers like Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Saleen himself, and even some more obscure ones like Vector, Cunningham, and Hennessey. From roaring V8s to sleek carbon-fiber bodies, discover how American automakers pushed boundaries, challenged European rivals, and redefined what a supercar could be. This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to see some of the most thrilling and historically significant American-made performance vehicles ever built—all under one roof.
Hands On Children’s Museum is saying “Thank you for your service” with 50% off admission for military families (with a valid military ID), May 22–25.
Visit Memorial Day weekend for hands-on fun and creative activities, including:
• Silkscreening & Patriotic Painting (Saturday through Monday only)• Red, White, & Blue Flyers• A Bubble Dance Party & Lawn Games• Star-Spangled Spinners• Firework Wands• A Scavenger Hunt
Sponsored by Coldwell Banker Evergreen Olympic Realty, Inc.
Parent Toddler Sensory Friendly Dance Class—a gentle, playful space where you and your little one can move together at your own pace. Using developmental science we foster motor skills, balance, mind-body connection, and self-expression.
This is an 8 week session running May 4th - June 29th (no class May 25th - Memorial Day)This class is run by South Sound Dance Access, a Thurston County based non-profit on a mission to make dance accessible to every body and every family. Lights, sound, and transitions are adjusted for sensory needs, with clear structure room for breaks, and flexibility. Class uses multi sensory learning and props. We use a teaching method called Brain Compatible Dance Education, informed by developmental and neuroscience.
Fill out this form to reserve your spot and share any access needs. This class is intended to be whole family fun, parents/caregivers are expected to participate and model with their dancer 🙃
Sponsored by KNKX. The 55th Annual Northwest Folklife Festival will include programming that includes music, dance, spoken word, visual arts, films, participatory dances, and workshops spanning over 20 stages for an anticipated audience of over 200,000. This year's Cultural Focus is Ubuntu which translates to “I am because we are." Ubuntu is about belonging. That we belong to each other because our personhood is connected to the personhood of someone else. Our humanity is rooted in the relationships that we hold with people. People that we have both met and not met–consciously, subconsciously, and unconsciously. It is a testament to the undeniable fact that we are tethered to each other, whether we know them or not. That an action or an encounter can have a ripple effect on our immediate time and place, as well as somewhere halfway across the world.
As the last part of Northwest Folklife's series, Ubuntu also underscores the journey that people take to reach that co-existence. Ubuntu is the result of an audacity to believe that we are part of something bigger than just ourselves. Change, balance, passion, and purpose are all lessons towards an endgame that is both simpler and more complex that we ever imagined. That FOLK is where it starts and where it ends.
KNKX presents the new Jam Tent all weekend long. Stop by our booth there on Sunday, May 24 from 11 to 8 p.m. Also on Sunday, KNKX presents a music showcase from 3:30-5 p.m. on the Mural Stage featuring Miss Minami and Jessica Lurie hosted by KNKX's Abe Beeson. Get more information about Northwest Folklife here.
Weekly Jazz with the Chris Binkley Quartet with guest artists from the cream of Pugetropolis's jazz world.
