Bumbershoot festival

Bumbershoot is an annual international music and arts festival held in Seattle, Washington. One of North America's largest such festivals, it takes place every Labor Day weekend at the 74-acre Seattle Center.

About Bumbershoot

"Seattle is the host city for one of the world's best-loved urban music and arts festivals: Bumbershoot. Launched in July 1971 as the Mayor's Festival '71, it initially presented about 150 mostly homegrown and free attractions on the Seattle Center campus. Hastily produced by a small team, on a meager budget (and with little publicity), Festival '71 proved wildy successful when 120,000 people turned out to see art exhibits, bands, buskers, film screenings, literary presentations, sporting demonstrations, and much more.

Renamed Bumbershoot: Seattle Arts Festival in 1973, the festival steadily expanded, taking hold as a summer tradition after being moved to Labor Day weekend in 1976.

In 1980 its management was contracted to a local production company, One Reel, attendance levels soared, and an entry fee was instituted. Over time, Bumbershoot has weathered its share of financial storms -- ones that eventually led One Reel to pair up with behometh concert promoters AEG. But Bumbershoot had already earned its wide reputation for creating magic moments, and many visitors make annual pilgrimages to Seattle to attend what Rolling Stone magazine once deemed "the mother of all festivals." - historylink.org

Banner image: Bumbershoot