51 things to do this week

Good morning, Eastside. Settle in, sip whatever gets you going, and let Eastside Buzz serve up everything you need to know for the week ahead ☕️

*Friendly reminder that we’re springin’ forward at 2 am Sunday.

In today’s edition:

• Sip for a cause 🍸️ 

• Swiss chocolate 🍫 

• A flash sale 💸 

• 51 things to do 📆 

Let’s get to it.

This week’s highlights

🍸🍫 Two delicious upgrades

Spring has arrived at Ascend Prime & Sushi, and it’s bringing a brand new cocktail that isn’t just a treat for your taste buds — it also supports local kids →

Swiss chocolate royalty Läderach is opening its first Washington store at Bellevue Square, and it will be just as indulgent as it sounds →

🎆 Flash sale for Seafair

I know… I know. This isn’t technically on the Eastside, but it’s a big deal throughout the state, so it felt important to let you know. This year’s Seafair is bringing a bigger, better, and bolder celebration to downtown Seattle in June. The 76-hour flash sale kicks off March 17 so mark your calendar if you’re down to brave the chaos →

Other highlights this week:

• Wine maker’s dinner for community | Today @ 6 pm

• Jabir Karat at the Upaya Gala | Today @ 6 pm

• Northshore clothing swap | Sunday @ noon

• Grand Iftar 2025 | Sunday @ 6 pm

• Volunteer Hamantasch Bake for teens | Tuesday @ 6:30 pm

• WAEPS 2025 annual meeting | Thursday @ 8 am

• Home additions seminar | Thursday @ 6 pm

Here’s your weekly Eastside brief, featuring (at least) 20 things worth checking out over the next seven days 👇

Today - March 7th

🎨 Sip and paint a masterpiece

6 pm: Pair your creativity with a glass of Gard’s finest at this step-by-step painting experience in Woodinville →

♟️ Checkmate, boredom

7 pm: Sharpen your strategy and make new friends at Family Chess Night. Crossroads Bellevue is hosting another evening of tactical brilliance, tasty food, live music, and friendly competition →

Live closer to Kirkland? The Kirkland Library is also hosting chess club at 4 pm.

🌌 A love story that defies time & space

7:30 pm: Fresh off a multi-award-winning run at the Kaleidoscope Festival, Constellations returns for a special festival edition. This mesmerizing two-person play explores infinite possibilities of love, fate, and quantum physics — all in just 60 minutes →

Want something different? Catch Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka JR at the Kirkland performance Center tonight at 7, tomorrow at 3 or 6, or Sunday at 1 pm.

Tomorrow - March 8th

☕️ Coffee liquor & equines

11 am: Stop by Washington Creek Distillery any time tomorrow to try Nocturne, their brand new coffee liqueur. You’ll also be able to purchase a bottle to take home →

Later (between 2 & 4), stop by Postdoc Brewing to meet Sunny D & Shasta from Save A Forgotten Equine (SAFE). Postdoc is family and dog-friendly →

🎨 Get honest (but kind) feedback

2 pm: Stuck on a painting? Wondering if your color choices are bold or bonkers? Bring 1-2 pieces of your work to the VALA Art Center and get thoughtful, constructive critique from artist Ashwini Sadekar. Open to all skill levels, this free session is all about fresh perspectives and mindful growth →

📖 Meet the author & take home a free book

3 pm: Bring the littles by Mercer Island Library for a special reading of The Schlemiel Kids Save the Moon with author Dr. Audrey Barbakoff. The first 25 children will get a free copy to take home →

🍷 Hangout with the Eastside Social Club

5:30 pm: RSVP, then stop by Melody Lynn’s in Redmond to meet the group, make new friends, and sip some really good wine →

🌟 Celebrate Holi after dark

9 pm: Mirra is hosting a neon-infused Holi rave with plenty of music, dancing, glow in the dark accessories, face painting, and colors to go around. There will also be dance performances and a DJ spinning the best Bollywood tunes all night long. Tickets sold out last time, so don’t wait →

Sunday - March 9th

🚁 Drone race season finale

2 - 5 pm: The Winter Whoops drone racing season comes down to this — one final high-speed, high-skill showdown in Woodinville. There’s no cost to watch pilots zip through the course →

🏍️ Trade up: pre-season gear swap

1:30 pm: Spring riding season is almost here and it’s the perfect time to upgrade your gear. Whether you're buying, selling, or just browsing, this swap at Bosk Brew Works is a great chance to find quality equipment, donate the stuff you don’t use, and connect with fellow riders over a cold one →

Monday - March 10th

📚 Fun for the littles

11:30 am: My Gym Bellevue’s story time is bringing interactive fun with themed tales, puppet shows, and playtime that beats another episode of Bluey. This month’s theme? Space. Expect cosmic giggles and plenty of midday fun for the littles →

4:00 pm: If your middle schooler spends more time doodling in the margins than taking notes, this is their time to shine. The Sammamish Library’s Graphic Novel Club is all about discussing comics, manga, and graphic novels — then making their own →

👻 A local author that’s anything but dead

6:00 pm: Seanan McGuire is proving that ghosts have job security with her latest book, Installment Immortality. Meet the Hugo-winning, fantasy-loving author at Brick & Mortar Books as she talks hauntings, supernatural road trips, and phantoms who mean business →

Tuesday - March 11th

🥓 Free breakfast? Don’t mind if we do

6:30 – 10:30 am: Chick-fil-A Totem Lake is handing out a free breakfast item to every early bird who stops by. No catch — just breakfast, on the house →

🧺 Toddler Tuesdays at the farm

9:30 am: Every Tuesday, Infinity Farm in Issaquah invites you and your littles to feed farm animals, explore the farm, and hang out with other kids. Your $30 ticket covers as many toddlers as you can (safely) fit in your car →

Wednesday - March 12th

🍽️ Lunch and/or dinner for a good cause

Noon: Use the code MODGIVES20 or mention Woodridge Elementary at the MOD Pizza on Factoria in Bellevue and they’ll donate 20% of sales to Woodridge Elementary →

4 - 8 pm: Order online or stop by the Chipotle in Issaquah for dinner, use the code “FQ4RQJ6”, and 25% of all orders will go to the Endeavour Elementary PTSA →

📚 Research without the rabbit hole

6:00 pm: Writing a book? Chasing family history? Just deep in a Wikipedia spiral? Historian Nancy Burkhalter is here to level up your research game by teaching you where to find the good stuff, how to translate tricky sources, and how to weave it all into your work without boring your audience (or yourself) to death →

🎨 Hang out with fellow creatives

7:00 pm: APex at Victor’s Celtic Coffee is where creatives of all kinds — writers, painters, musicians, and more — come to share their work with zero fear of criticism. No rules, no pressure, just a room full of people who get it →

Thursday - March 13th

👶 Tiny humans, big energy

10:30 am: Babies and young toddlers (plus their exhausted caregivers) are invited to the Sammamish Library for a morning of free play. No structure, no agenda—just a room full of toys, giggles, and maybe a few snack negotiations →

Later in the afternoon, older littles (ages 6 - 12) are invited to grab their glue sticks for an afternoon of crafting. You can stay the entire time, or drop in whenever you can →

🍷 Celebrate wine for $20

5:00 pm: March is Washington Wine Month, which means it’s the perfect excuse to taste your way through some local favorites. Structure Cellars is bringing their best to Barrels Wine Bar for $20 tasting flights. See you there →

🌿 Alpine plants of Idaho & Montana

7:00 pm: If you love plants that survive against all odds (or just appreciate a good nature talk), this one's for you. Richard Ramsden is diving into the high-altitude wonders of Idaho and Montana at Bellevue Botanical Garden. Spoiler: These little plants are tougher than they look →

Live entertainment this week

*Designates a comedy show, ~designates dancing

This weekend:

• 3/7 Soul Proprietors @ Two Vintners - 6 pm

• 3/7 Stout Pounders @ Prohibition Cellars - 6 pm

• 3/7 Bruiser @ The Lime - 9 pm

• ~3/8 Beginner hip hop class @ LaVida Dance Studio - 1 pm

• 3/8 Suur Aur Tal @ Indian Performing Arts Project - 4 pm

• *3/8 Rod Long & Geoff Young @ Northwest Brewing - 8 pm

• 3/8 Blue Margaritas @ Pub 85 - 9 pm

• 3/8 Stephen Fletcher @ Two Vintners - 2 pm

• 3/8 Farshid Babazadeh @ 425 Cellars - 3:30 pm

• 3/8 Madison Yan @ Northwest Pianos - 6:30 pm

• ~3/9 Tango for beginners @ Art Dance of Argentina - 5 pm

• ~3/9 Salsa/Bachata @ Nika International DanceSport Academy - 7 pm

Next week:

• 3/10 Westside Trio @ The Alley - 8 pm

• *3/12 Moms Unhinged @ Kirkland Performance Center - 7 pm

• 3/13 Gina Belliveau @ Goose Ridge Tasting Room - 5 pm

• 3/13 The DogTones @ 425 Cellars - 5:30 pm

• *3/13 Sonja in Your City @ Kirkland Performance Center - 7 pm

• *3/13 Jaci Terjeson @ Side Hustle Taproom - 7 pm

Price Is Right - Eastside edition

How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).

Listed by: Lynn Crane (Keller Williams Rlty Bellevue)

This massive Black Nugget (Issaquah) home has four bedrooms, six bathrooms, and 6,321 square feet of custom craftsmanship. Not only is it huge, it also has a theater room, game room with a bar, sauna, golf simulator, a five-car garage, and and outdoor tennis/basketball court.

Did I mention it’s on a 5 acre lot tucked away into one of the most private locations in Issaquah?

Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →

Eastside fun & games

As always, this week’s wordle features a 5-letter word hidden inside this edition. Let us know how many guesses it takes you!

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Trivia question of the week

❓Question: What instrument are you playing if you’re creating piobaireachd music?

🤔 Hint: You’ll need a good set of lungs and deaf neighbors to learn it.

Reply and shoot us your best guess (no cheating!) - Same time, same place next week → we’ll share the answer and a fresh question to ponder.

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Last week’s answer: 117 years.

See ya next week!

Know of an event or business we should share, interested in certain types of events & stories, or want to ask a question? Feel free to reply (or email us) any time.