If you love music, dance, theatre and great movies, you’ll feel right at home in Washington State, the cinema and performing arts capital of the Pacific Northwest. Arguably, the state’s cultural bull’s-eye is Seattle Center, demarcated by that most famous of Seattle landmarks, the Space Needle, and home to Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet and, every year, the site of the legendary Northwest Folklife Festival and Bumbershoot: Seattle’s Music and Arts Festival.
As Washington’s largest urban center, Seattle offers an extraordinary variety of entertainment options. But make no mistake, so does the rest of the state. With too many examples to detail, we’ll highlight two tasty slices of the state’s cultural life: Every July the Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival presents the world’s greatest blues artists performing in the scenic splendor of the Methow Valley. And if you enjoy experiencing the performing arts in a beautiful setting, be sure to check out Spokane’s historic Fox Theater. Built in 1931 and fully restored in 2007, the Fox is a world-class facility and home to the Spokane Symphony. It is also one of the most beautiful examples of art deco architecture you’ll find anywhere.
Washington State is also a prime destination for movie fans and movie makers from around the world. The Seattle International Film Festival has emerged as an eclectic, influential film festival in a city that has long prided itself on having some of the coolest and quirkiest movie venues in the country, including the wide-screen grandeur of Seattle Cinerama Theatre, the funky and fun exoticism of the Egyptian Theatre and the late-night, cult-movie intimacy of the Grand Illusion Cinema.
