Must List: Boats Afloat Show, Tango Magic Festival, Second Use Fall Fest

Your weekly guide to Seattle's hottest events.

Fremont Cut, Lake Union Ballard Locks, Salmon Bay, Olympic Mountains Sunset Aerial View – Seattle, Washington State Lakes

MUST SAIL

Boats Afloat Show
(9/13–9/16) Get your boat fix at the largest floating boat show on the West Coast. More than 225 different types of vessels will be floating on the shores of South Lake Union this weekend. Get out on the water with free sail or powerboat rides or check out what a $7.5 million boat looks like. Plus, there will be boating seminars to help you brush up on your nautical knowledge and kid-friendly activities such as toy boat building. Times and prices vary. Chandler’s Cove, South Lake Union, 901 Fairview Ave. N; boatsafloatshow.com

Photo via iStock

MUST DANCE

Tango Magic Festival
(9/13–9/17) Grab a partner (or just show up solo) and learn the sultry moves of Argentine Tango. Throughout the weekend, the festival is offering classes for all levels of dancers, so don’t worry if this is your first time giving tango a try. Plus, every evening there will be a milonga (or a social dance), where you can practice your newly learned skills and see performances by professional dancers. Some events are 21+. Times and prices vary. China Harbor Restaurant, Westlake, 2040 Westlake Ave. N; seattletangomagic.com

MUST LOVE CHEESE

2018 Washington Artisan Cheesemakers Festival
(9/15) Hey cheese fiends, this weekend you have the chance to try cheese from more than 20 local cheesemakers, including Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, Mt. Townsend Creamery, Sunny Pine Farm and more. Plus: To complement the cheese, there will be artisan food, along with beer and wine. This is a 21+ event and there are only a few tickets left, so get yours ASAP. 1 p.m.–5 p.m. Prices vary. Seattle Design Center, Georgetown, 5701 6th Ave. S; washingtonartisancheese.com

Photo via Second Use Facebook page

MUST REUSE

Second Use Fall Fest
(9/15) Sodo’s Second Use is celebrating its 24th anniversary in the best way possible, by hosting a huge party and sale. Show up this Saturday for free food, games, beer and a storewide 20 percent off sale. Practice the “reduce and reuse” mantra by bringing an old t-shirt and learn how to screen print or buy upcycled goods at the Handmade & Reclaimed Market, which will host more than 35 local vendors. Free. 12 p.m.–6 p.m. Second Use, Sodo, 3223 Sixth Ave. S; seconduse.com

MUST SEE

Conscious Cartoons International Animation Festival
(9/14–9/16) Spend the weekend watching socially minded animated shorts at this festival on Vashon Island. Each short is no longer than 15 minutes and speak to socially conscious and human themes. More than $20,000 in prizes will be presented in multiple categories throughout the weekend to the best shorts. So far, standout submissions include Half a Life, an account of an Egyptian man who is gay and fears for his life, and Engaging Conservation Leaders, a stop-motion film focused on marine conservation in Puget Sound. Times and prices vary. Vashon Theatre, Vashon Island, 17723 Vashon Hwy. SW; 206.463.3232; consciouscartoons.org