Cultural experiences and family entertainment are abundant in Bellevue and the nightlife is alive with new opportunities.
The Bellevue Arts Museum Fair, a nationally recognized event, is held each July and attracts more than 300,000 visitors to downtown Bellevue. The fair includes more than 300 exhibitor booths, art demonstrations, exhibitions, multiple ethnic food options and a kid’s fair. Additional community events include a Family 4th of July, the Magic Season, and the Bellevue Collection’s Snowflake Lane and New Year’s Celebration Lane.
The Bellevue Collection is also host to Fashion Week, a celebration of fall fashion with runway shows, trunk shows, seminars and VIP shopping. A culinary and Washington wine event features tastings, pairings, and cooking demonstrations in the spring.
Music has deep roots in Bellevue, and the Bellevue Downtown Association presents the Bellevue Jazz Festival featuring an elite lineup of Northwest and national artists for free and ticketed performances in the spring. The Theatre at Meydenbauer Center hosts an array of productions by local, regional and national performing arts groups.
One of the top performing orchestras in the Northwest is the Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra. Led by Maestro Fusao Kajima, performances generate a great deal of excitement with a style that is truly unique.
Live theater groups in the city include the Theatre at Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue Civic Theatre, the Lee Theater at the Forest Ridge School, Music Works Northwest and the highly acclaimed Carlson Theater at Bellevue Community College.
The addition of the $100 million Performing Arts Center Eastside. This 2,000-seat state-of-the-art facility opened in 2010 and accommodates world-class acts. The Center stimulates the arts region-wide, attract new audiences, and serve as a cultural center for the Eastside.
Other smaller galleries, a summer farmers market, the Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art and the KidsQuest Children’s Museum add to the diversity of cultural options and family fun in the city.
Nightlife is alive in Bellevue as well. Lincoln Square Cinemas exhibits the latest in quality and sophistication while remaining true to the concept of the movie palaces of old. Lucky Strike Lanes and The Parlor Billiards & Spirits offer entertainment with an upscale spin and fine food and drink while you play. Other restaurants feature entertainment, jazz, piano bars and interesting and engaging entertainment well into the evening, catering to residents and workers alike.
Sampling of Entertainment Venues
Bellevue Arts Museum & ArtsFair
425-519-0770
www.bellevuearts.org
Bellevue Civic Theatre
425-235-5087
www.bellevuecivic.org
Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra
425-455-4171
www.bellevuephil.org
KidsQuest Children’s Museum
425-637-8100
www.kidsquestmuseum.org
Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art
425-455-1116
www.dollart.com
Theatre at Meydenbauer Center
425-450-3810
www.meydenbauer.com
Bellevue Farmers Market
425-454-8474
www.bellevuefarmersmarket.org