Community Corner

Blue Martini Opening, INDULGE, Chinese New Year Celebration and More: Get Out!

Check out our picks for the top activities and hot spots to hit this weekend.

It’s Friday, and you’ve got no idea what you’ll do for the weekend.

Bellevue Patch is coming to the rescue. We’ve got the best bets for your done-work, outta-here time. Check our picks for the activities to hit and new bars/restaurants/shops to explore.

We know you have your favorites that we missed. So share the goodness in our comment box below.

  • Where/When: 4 p.m. - 2 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 10 at  in Bellevue.
  • Why Go: Looking for something new this Friday night? Come check out Bellevue’s newest martini lounge. The Bravern offers a menu of over 40 superior martinis, live entertainment and outstanding events. The lounge offers upscale casual dining for a great after-work gathering or date night.
  • Pricing: Admission is free.
  • Where/When: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the.
  • Why Go: Just in time for Valentine's Day! INDULGE, an annual boutique jewelry event, for avant-garde jewelry comes the the Bellevue Arts Museum this weekend. The event features contemporary collections by 20 independent designers and leading art jewelry galleries.
  • Cost: $14 for marketplace and BAM admission; $10 for marketplace only.
  • Where/When: 6-7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 10 at .
  • Why Go: Grab the kids and bring them to KidsQuest this Friday and become a zoologist through nature exploration! You’ll use different types of magnifiers to check out scat replicas and follow tracks to find real animal pelts that you can touch. Have some fun exploring!
  • Pricing: $20 for members and $25 for non-members.
  • Where/When: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 12 at in Bellevue.
  • Why Go: Join this Sunday as they invite families to a free cultural event at their new Bellevue location, celebrating the Chinese New Year. In honor of the Year of the Dragon, kids will make and decorate Chinese dragon puppets, sample traditional "good luck" foods and listen to a special story about how the Chinese zodiac animals were chosen. Native-speaking teachers from Sponge will also offer New Year-themed mini language classes in Mandarin for guests.
  • Pricing: Free.  RSVP’s are required for the classes: info@spongeschool.com
  • Where/When: 7:30-11 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11 at the .
  • Why Go: Get ready for a fun evening of contra dances (social dance originally from New England) including a few circle and square dances. Live traditional folk music and dance caller. Walk-through provided for every dance. Attending with a partner is not necessary. Beginner instruction at 7:30 p.m., dance at 8 p.m.. Free ice cream provided during the break!
  • Pricing: $8 at the door; $4 for students. First time is free.
  • Where/When: 1-5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11 at Northwest Cellars in Kirkland.
  • Why Go: Join Northwest Cellars this Saturday for a fun afternoon with the wonderful people from the Homeward Pet Shelter.  Your furry friends will enjoy fabulous treats from Washington’s own Pupcakes and you will enjoy tasting some great award-winning wines, including 3 private labeled wines with Homeward Pet labels!
  • Pricing: Your admission of $10.00 covers your wine tasting and is 100% donated to Homeward Pet, along with 40% of sales of their private-labeled wines.
  • Where/When: 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11 at the .

  • Why Go: Guitarist and singer Alpha Yaya Diallo, from Guinea in West Africa, is one of the hottest acts on the world music scene. His masterful performances feature sparkling guitar music accompanied by the African marimba, bass, drums, percussions and dancers. Check out this Youtube clip of Alpha Yaya in action. Enjoy the show!
  • Pricing: Tickets are $15.
  • Where/When: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11 at in Redmond.
  • Why Go: In partnership with the City of Redmond and the Green Redmond Partnership, the Greenway Trust is helping restore the forest habitat at Westside Park. Located just above Marymoor Park, Westside Park is the headwaters to Clise Creek, a salmon-bearing Sammamish River tributary. Volunteers have worked hard to remove invasive vegetation like English Ivy and Himalayan Blackberry that are crowding out native plants. Now it is time to return and plant native vegetation in place of the invasives.
  • Pricing: Free. Please register online at: www.mtsgreenway.org/volunteer.
  • Where/When: 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11 at in Redmond.
  • Why Go: This discussion is a follow-up to the Performing South Asia, At Home and Abroad Literary Conference that took place in January. The discussion will bring together local scholars and leaders of South Asian cultural organizations for a roundtable on topics discussed at this year’s conference.
  • Pricing: The discussion is free and open to the public.
  • Where/When: 6:30-9 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11 at .
  • Why Go: Perfect for Valentine's Day: Treat your special someone to a romantic evening of wine sipping, hands-on cooking and delicious fun at the beautiful Efeste Winery. At this exciting hands-on cooking party, guests will enjoy a lively introductory cooking lesson featuring tips such as the fastest way to dice an onion without a tear. You and your partner will heat up the kitchen as you listen to upbeat music, learn cooking techniques and work in teams to prepare recipes from the evening's tantalizing tapas menu. After the cooking is over, guests savor the 'fruits' of their labor hot from the oven!
  • Pricing: $230 per couple or $115 per person.

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