Bumbershoot returns to its roots thanks to firm financial footing

Seattle’s annual Labor Day Bumbershoot bash kicks off Friday afternoon at Seattle Center.

And after several years of financial uncertainty, organizers say the arts festival is bigger and better than ever.

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Sure you’ve got big-name bands like Death Cab for Cutie, Billy Idol, Father John Misty, Blind Boys of Alabama, and Macklemore. But Bumbershoot is about discovering all sorts of music – over 100 acts spanning the three-day fest.

“Bumbershoot, more than any other festival, is an overview of what is happening. You can see EDM, you can see rock and you can see what’s the best indie thing,” said Chris Weber, executive director of One Reel, producer of the show.

Weber says after facing dire financial straits several years ago that threatened its survival, the backing of concert giant AEG has made it stronger than ever.

And that’s allowed Bumbershoot to get back to its roots as an all-encompassing arts festival.

“The festival was named for an umbrella, which really represents what we’re all about – encompassing all the arts. That’s comedy, dance, film, literary arts – which we call our Words and Ideas program, theater, visual arts spectacle, kids programming,” Weber said.

After years of focusing exclusively on music, I started checking out some of that other stuff over the last couple of years.

Comedy has now become a major draw for me, and the thousands of others who attend primarily for the laughs. As an added bonus, you get to sit down inside, particularly appealing on a rainy day.

This year, they’ve added Teatro ZinZanni to the mix, with two days of comedy in the circus tent across the street.

Several other changes this year include the addition of both KeyArena and Memorial Stadium as main stages.

The festival runs Friday through Sunday, rather than Saturday through Monday.

“Oftentimes, people leave early on Monday because they have to go to work the next day. And so this is a really big push to hopefully say, ‘hey, stay out Sunday, this is your last hurrah.’ Let’s keep that energy from the first two days high,” Weber said.

It’s also a way to give families a chance to prepare for school on Tuesday, he added.

Three-day and single-day passes are still available at Bumbershoot.com

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