Must See
SAM Summer Film Series: Cary Grant for President
(7/7 to 7/28, times vary) Hollywood icon Cary Grant is the subject of the Seattle Art Museum’s summer film series. July’s films include The Awful Truth (7/7), Bringing Up Baby (7/14), Arsenic and Old Lace (7/21) and My Favorite Wife (7/28).

Must Laugh
Hit the Beach with Café Nordo 
(7/7 to 7/30, times vary) Café Nordo’s new musical cabaret Twister Beach is a modern parody of the summer comedies from Annette Funicello’s heyday complete with beach games, sing-a-longs, dancing, squirt guns, a live band, tropical food, tiki drinks and a man-eating shark. Flip flops and Hawaiian shirts are the perfect attire. 

Must Fest
West Seattle Summer Fest This Weekend 
(7/8 to 7/10, times vary) Expect a jam-packed weekend full of food, games, rides, music and more on the closed-down streets of the West Seattle Junction. Local bands including Tacocat, Chastity Belt and Grace Love & the True Loves will take the California Stage for free (yes, free) concerts.

Must Fest Some More
Chow Down at the Ballard SeafoodFest
(7/9 to 7/10, times vary) The annual Ballard SeafoodFest celebrates this Northwest borough’s historic connection to the fishing industry and the neighborhood’s Nordic roots. Enjoy a traditional salmon barbecue, local music, arts and crafts, family entertainment, a beer garden, a skateboard event and more seafood.

Must Watch
Contemporary Plays by Black Women
(7/12 to 7/16, times vary) This is the first of two programs developed in collaboration between The Hansberry Project, a Seattle-based theater lab that supports black theater artists, and Intiman Theatre. This reading series presents works by national authors as well as locals, including Kathya Alexander, Rosalind Bell, Alma Davenport, Nina Foxx and Storme Webber.