Bumbershoot
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Bumbershoot is an annual international music and arts festival held in Seattle, Washington. One of America's largest local arts festivals, it takes place every Labor Day weekend at the 74-acre (299,000 m²) Seattle Center, which was built for the 1962 World's Fair. Seattle Center includes indoor theaters, outdoor stages, McCaw Hall, and Memorial Stadium. The name of the festival was taken from bumbershoot, a colloquial term for umbrella, probably coined in the 19th century as a portmanteau of umbrella and parachute.
Thousands of famous and local artists, including musicians such as Kanye West, and the Steve Miller Band appear at Bumbershoot. Steve Miller celebrated the 30th anniversary of his hit album, Fly Like an Eagle with his performance at the festival. Poets, painters, dancers, comedians, clowns, disc jockeys, and more, perform at Bumbershoot in a three-day long adventure of music and art. Originally run by the City of Seattle, the festival adopted its name in 1973, when it attracted 200,000 visitors. For its first two years, it was known as Festival '71 (125,000 visitors) and Festival '72 (175,000 visitors).
Admission was free until 1980, when One Reel took over production duties from the city. The city stopped financing the festival in 1995.
The latest Bumbershoot took place from September 2nd to September 4th, 2006. In its most recent annual, the festival took a turn towards youth by featuring such dynamic bands as A Tribe Called Quest.
