This week, our arts critics have picked the best events in every genre, ranging from Dan Savage's Holiday Special to the Popnoise Festival NW to the Winter Beerfest. See them all below, and find even more events happening this week on our complete Things To Do calendar, including our music critics' picks for the 26 best concerts in Seattle this week.

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MONDAY

FOOD & DRINK

Dave Hernandez's Sopapilla Pop-Up
New Mexican sopapillas—those delightful meat-filled pillows of fried dough—may not jump to mind when you think of traditional post-Thanksgiving eats. But skip the soggy stuffing and get your ass to Pettirosso on Monday, November 28, for sopapillas made by none other than Dave Hernandez of Shins fame. That's right, not only is he an incredibly talented musician, he apparently is "churning out sopapillas you wouldn't believe" for a one-night-only pop-up. They'll be stuffed with carne adovada (or New Mexican green chiles for the plant eaters) and served along homemade beans and rice. The lovely Pettirosso bar staff will also be whipping up a specialty margarita with which to wash down your meat pillows. And if all that wasn't enough to pull you away from that leftover pumpkin pie, just consider the marvelous fact that Hernandez is a Mexican-born, all-American, multitalented success (did you know he also wrote a piece for The Stranger once?). I do love turkey sandwiches as a post-Thanksgiving tradition, but given recent events, I'd much prefer to adopt a new one. One that involves mouthing the words, "Fuck you and your stupid wall, Donald," through bites of delicious sopapilla. TOBIAS COUGHLIN-BOGUE

READINGS & TALKS

David France: How to Survive a Plague
In 2012, investigative journalist, author, and producer David France released the award-winning and Oscar-nominated documentary How to Survive a Plague about the early years of the AIDS epidemic. The images and videos he includes of the Ashes Action, where people threw the ashes of their dead loved ones on the White House lawn, will never leave me. Now French has written an incredibly thorough people's history of the era, which shares its title with the documentary. The book dives deeper into the founding of ACT UP and TAG and the stories of gay activists who battled the plague of hatred and bigotry and an indifferent government. In the face of the coming Trump administration, there's no question these stories will serve as useful models for the ongoing fight for LGBTQ rights in this country. RICH SMITH

Loud Idiots Reading
Along with the first Seattle reading featuring Baltimore writer and "alt-lit legend" Sarah Jean Alexander (Wildlives and LOUD IDIOTS), this event promises performances from local writers Frances Chiem, Willie Fitzgerald, and Richard Chiem.

MONDAY-SATURDAY

FOOD & DRINK

Mamnoon Fourth Anniversary Week
Since November 19, 2012, Mamnoon on Capitol Hill has served upscale and bold, perfectly seasoned Lebanese/Syrian food, including a selection of delicious, freshly baked flat and leavened breads. Celebrate their fourth anniversary with $4 happy hour menu items from Monday through Thursday, a special $44 four-course tasting menu from Executive Chef Carrie Marshaney on Friday and Saturday (with a wine pairing for $24), and a half bottle of Chandon Brut Classic with an order of Harra Frites with za’atar mayo for $24 all week long.

MONDAY-SUNDAY

ART

American Painting Today
American Painting Today is a huge, grandly titled show of 120 paintings by 90 local artists. But it's situated in the exceedingly modest haunt of the dusty, ugly, former Value Village store on 11th Avenue, which is about to be redeveloped into something much more expensive and exclusive. (In the interstitial time, art is happening there.) Seattle painter Matthew Offenbacher organized the show, and he invited dozens of artists, and told them to invite their friends, too. It's a community-building exercise that turns out to be a strong painting survey, with new works by Mark Takamichi Miller, Juan Alonso, Laura Castellanos, Jeffry Mitchell, Claire Cowie, Ken Kelly, Nathan DiPietro, Francisco Guerrero, Rachel Maxi, Colleen Hayward, Leena Joshi, Mary Ann Peters, Jennifer Beedon Snow, Claude Zervas, Whiting Tennis, and more, more, more.

TUESDAY

READINGS & TALKS

Sarah Riggs and Sarah Mangold
Hear from New York writer Sarah Riggs (Pomme & Granite, 1913 Press) and Seattle writer Sarah Mangold (Giraffes of Devotion, Kore Press) at this poetry reading. The organizers write that, "Riggs’ work is so profoundly touching—in both the affective and haptic senses of the word—because it refuses to disown the embattled yet inescapable poetics of feeling in our time."

COMEDY

The WellRED Comedy Tour: Liberal Rednecks
Trae Crowder came to the fore of the internet's comedic consciousness when a series of "porch rants" starring his Liberal Redneck character went viral. In his most popular bit, Crowder stands shirtless in a sun-beaten ball cap and slams conservative arguments in support of North Carolina's transgender bathroom bill, all while using a language and cadence familiar to Southerners. He'd been doing stand-up for a while before the videos got popular, but the uptick in attention has led to cross-country tours and the publication of a new book called The Liberal Redneck Manifesto: Draggin' Dixie Outta the Dark. Crowder and his liberal redneck coauthors—Corey Ryan Forrester of Chickamauga, Georgia, and Drew Morgan of Sunbright, Tennessee—will perform at Parlor Live as part of their wellRED comedy tour. RICH SMITH

TUESDAY-SATURDAY

ART

Three Days in Standing Rock: A Fundraising Photography Show
Let's remember Flint, Michigan. Flint had no water protectors, and because of that, the people were poisoned. By their water. Now hundreds of tribal members and supporters at Standing Rock in South Dakota are protecting the water on their land, and their actions are also designed to benefit millions of US citizens all along the Missouri River. The United States owes these other sovereign nations very, very many things, but the least we can do right now is admit that we owe these water protectors our basic support. We have to fund them until the water is safe, and the winter is about to get very wintery out there at Standing Rock. So don't just go to this art show to look at the photographs taken at Standing Rock by the terrific Kelly O (formerly The Stranger's staff photographer) and Alex Garland. Take whatever gets stirred up in you as you look and turn it into dollars for supplies for those on the freezing front lines. JEN GRAVES

TUESDAY-SUNDAY

PERFORMANCE

A Christmas Carol
ACT Theatre's production of A Christmas Carol is a dependable, simple pleasure, with just enough variation to warrant returning year after year.
There will be no performance on Wednesday.

Disney's The Little Mermaid
5th Avenue Theatre's production of Disney's the Little Mermaid is like one giant fuck you to winter. And winter cometh. The air is colder. Don't you just want to be under the water where everything's hotter? You do. But there's more than just seasonal utility here. The music by Alan Menken is great, and lyricist Howard Ashman was a genius who did not enjoy nearly enough time on this planet. Seattle’s own Diana Huey will surely charm as Ariel, and I have every faith that the 5th Avenue will come through with some underwater dazzle. Dazzle aside, in the consumerist glare of the holiday season, this show reminds us of the power of the human voice, promotes the joys of fostering an active imagination over the ease of passive consumption (c.f. snarfblatts), and advocates for meaningful connections to others who are not like you. Not bad for a family-friendly affair. RICH SMITH

Fucking A
Fucking A is an adaptation of Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter by badass playwright Suzan-Lori Parks. Hester lives in a nightmarish Trumptopia in the middle of nowhere, and instead of "adulterer," her red letter stands for "abortionist." Despite the play's heaviness, there's plenty of humor in the dialogue, and the show is ultimately about the lovebond between mother and son. Malika Oyetimein, who was featured on City Art's 2016 "Future List," will direct. RICH SMITH
There will be no performance on Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY

READINGS & TALKS

An Evening with Bernie Sanders
Senator Bernie Sanders is coming back to Seattle—this time, not as a candidate for the Democratic nomination, but as a touring author. His book about the campaign trail, Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In, was published a week after the election, and at this event, Sanders will speak about it and his experience running for president. [Note: This event is sold out.]

FILM

Breakfast at Tiffany's
Every college girl and her dorm room holds a very special place for Audrey Hepburn's iconic turn as Miss Holy Golightly. But let's not forget Mickey Rooney's racist depiction of a Japanese landlord. Watch it again (or for the first time) in theaters, as presented by TCM Big Screen Classics.

WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY

ART

Emily Gherard: Making Presence Known
For quiet contemplation and wonder, we need Seattle artist Emily Gherard's living, breathing drawings of something—they hint at rocks or shadows or sheer presences. They, somehow, feel like company. With them, you aren't alone. JEN GRAVES
This exhibit closes on Saturday.

THURSDAY

ART

First Thursday Art Walk
During December's edition of the city's oldest art walk, look forward to gallery openings, free booze, and the opportunity to mingle with other artsy folks in Pioneer Square. This month, don't miss the opening reception for Christine Babic's When She Dies, You Too Will Die or the closing receptions for Deborah Faye Lawrence's Open Carry and Jean Claude Moschetti's Parallel Worlds. See our First Thursday calendar for a complete list of openings and recommended shows.

My Favorite Things Tour
For My Favorite Things tours, SAM invites one person to pick one object and to talk about it in whatever way makes sense to them. There are no restrictions and no guidelines. Art is personal. Always personal. Jakob Dwight was the only one who saw a version of his own brain tumor, from when he was 12 years old—after having declined the opportunity to look at his actual brain tumor when the doctors asked—in Martin Lipofsky's glass sculpture in a case at the top of the first set of escalators at SAM. Now I will always see Jakob Dwight's imagined brain tumor in Martin Lipofsky's glass. There are so many secrets between people and art, and they only get out occasionally. Today's tour will highlight the Go Tell It: Civil Rights Photography exhibit, and will be led by Dr. Emile Pitre, who is currently Associate Vice President of Assessment in the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity at the University of Washington, and who got his undergraduate degree from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after which he helped found the Black Student Union during the 1968 UW protest that led to the creation of the Educational Opportunity Program. JEN GRAVES

FOOD & DRINK

Belgian Bier Dinner
Rhein Haus is doing a four-course "Belgian Bier Dinner," hosted by chef Pete Fjonse and bar manager Ryan Minch. I'm a big fan of Minch, ever since working with him briefly. He was always willing to patiently and unpretentiously explain any rare or interesting cocktail, spirit, or other libation that sailed onto my order pad but over my head. At this event, Minch will be pairing (and personally explaining) a bunch of Belgian beers with Fjonse's beer-friendly food. The first course is pilsner and oysters, which is an undeniably classic combination. From there, he moves on to an interesting blended lambic beer, a strong golden aged in calvados barrels, and a rum-barrel-aged Piraat. Pair all that, respectively, with some mussels in a ham-studded lambic broth, a rabbit sausage main, and an opulent dessert, and you've got a meal well worth $55. TOBIAS COUGHLIN-BOGUE

READINGS & TALKS

Ibram X. Kendi
Ibram X. Kendi (author of award-winning book The Black Campus Movement: Black Students and the Racial Reconstitution of Higher Education, 1965-1972) will read from his latest work, Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America.

Michael Chabon: Moonglow
Pulitzer Prize–winning author Michael Chabon (The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and Telegraph Avenue, among others) will speak about his latest work, Moonglow. It's a beautiful, controlled-chaos take on the memoir. "Mike Chabon" attends to his dying grandfather, an engineer who looks at every issue—mechanical or emotional—as a sort of puzzle to be solved. Chabon's lyrical prowess abounds in this novel, and in person he projects so much sweetness and genuine curiosity, you just want to hug him. I mean, did you read that piece in GQ about him taking his son to Paris Fashion Week, and how all he got for the effort was "a profound understanding of who he is, what he wants to do with his life, and how it feels to watch a grown man stride down a runway wearing shaggy yellow Muppet pants"? Go read that. Then read Telegraph Avenue. Then pick up Moonglow. Then hear him read from it. RICH SMITH

Seattle StorySLAM
A live amateur storytelling competition in which audience members who put their names in a hat are randomly chosen to tell stories on a theme (tonight, it's "risk"). Local comedians tend to show up, but lots of nonperformers get in on the action as well.

THURSDAY-SATURDAY

ART

The Bureau of Arts & Culture
Starting December 1, King Street Station will host 21 art proposals "designed to trigger a new enthusiasm for the direction of our city and how art can play a vital role in our future... tackling issues such as homelessness, gun violence, urban growth, cultural tourism, arts education, and human trafficking." Part of the show is the Give Gallery, where if you donate blood between November 28 and December 16 through Bloodworks, you can take home, free, a work of art by a local artist from the gallery, including Jeffry Mitchell, Crystal Barbre, Charles Peterson, June Sekiguchi, Warren Dykeman, and Amanda Manitach.JEN GRAVES
This exhibit is closed on Friday.

THURSDAY-SUNDAY

PERFORMANCE

Peter and the Starcatcher
Peter and the Starcatcher is a Tony Award-winning play about Peter Pan's backstory—written by Rick Elice, with music by Wayne Barker, and based on the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.

FRIDAY

PERFORMANCE

A John Waters Christmas
The gentleman behind Pink Flamingoes launches the Christmas season with filthy jokes and monologic shenanigans.

READINGS & TALKS

First Friday Lecture: Curator Xiaojin Wu discusses artist Tabaimo
Xiaojin Wu (Curator of Japanese and Korean Art at the Asian Art Museum) will discuss the Tabaimo: Utsutsushi Utsushi exhibition, in which historical works are presented in a display adjacent to the new pieces in an exploration of the Japanese concept of "utsushi"—the emulation of masterworks as a form of artistic education.

Jane Wong + Kundiman Reading
After the release of Seattle poet Jane Wong's first full-length book of poems, Overpour, in October, Rich Smith wrote, "A poet's first collection can do a lot of things all at once. Wong's introduces readers to her many selves, pushes forward the ancient poetic conversation about the pastoral, and contributes to a related conversation about 'haunting' in Asian American poetics." Tonight, Wong will sign copies of Overpour, followed by a reading and discussion with fellow Kundiman artists Christopher Rose, Troy Osaki, and Michelle Peñaloza.

Tara Hardy
In My, My, My, My, My, Tara Hardy (arts director of Gay City) writes poems about her chronic illness and her grappling with mortality. She will be accompanied at this release/party by poets and performers Elissa Ball, Ebo Barton, Garfield Hillson, Jillian Ingram, and Kaeley Pruitt-Hamm.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

FOOD & DRINK

Winter Beerfest
For the price of admission, get eight five-ounce tastes of dark, dreamy winter beers. Plenty of food trucks will supply the nosh. The brewery list includes more than 50 locals, including Elysian Brewing, Fremont Brewing, and Optimism.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY

PERFORMANCE

George Balanchine's The Nutcracker
Last year Pacific Northwest Ballet replaced Maurice Sendak's beloved pastel set with a brighter one by Ian Falconer, author of the Olivia the Pig children's book series and longtime set designer. The symmetry of Falconer's Nutcracker set would be obscene if it weren't for thick cartoonish lines and Dr. Seuss–like stage elements. It's hard not to see Wes Anderson's influence, but Falconer leaves his own distinctive marks all over the place. If you haven't seen this Christmas classic since you were a kid, you might give it a go this year. It is a deeply weird thing to see. I mean, the ballet goes into this little girl's dream, wherein there's a war with a many-headed rat king who ends up dying dramatically after the girl throws her handkerchief at him. But what's fucked up is that a nutcracker steals one of the rat king's crowns and then places it on the girl's head, which transforms her into a bunch of adult snowflake ballerinas with crowns on! And THEN it turns out that the nutcracker transforms into her childhood crush! The two walk hand-in-hand toward a giant exploding star, which ends up being a portal into a 45-minute Katy Perry video filled with dancing desserts and a glittery peacock that moves like a sexy broken river. Maybe bring a pot lozenge? RICH SMITH

Vietgone
So often we hear stories about the end of the American War in Vietnam that focus on the experiences of shellshocked American soldiers returning to a country they don't quite understand anymore. But this ain't your typical play about the legacy of that war. Directed by May Adrales and produced in association with Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Qui Nguyen's geeky, formally adventurous, energetic love story centers on the lives of two Vietnamese immigrants as they travel around the U.S., learning the language and navigating the complexities of refugee camps. Los Angeles Times theater critic Charles McNulty says the play won him over with its innovative use of music and language, but also "with its simple honesty." RICH SMITH

ART

Implied Fictions
Alongside the collection of Paul Allen's own holdings of portraits this winter, there's an exhibition of pieces by Northwest artists. Each work is a portal into another, mysterious world, and the artists include Marsha Burns, Scott Fife, Susie J. Lee, Akio Takamori, Storm Tharp, Tariqa Waters, and Alice Wheeler. That's a whole lot of other, mysterious worlds covered. Imagine a new year through the portal of this show. JEN GRAVES

SATURDAY

PERFORMANCE

Arthaus 3.0: The Botanical Ball - Semi-Finals #1
Version 3.0 of Kremwerk's drag-queen battle royale/dance party is upon us. Teams of hilarious and artsy queens will compete for bragging rights, shade throwing rights, and the right to play puppet master at the following year's Arthaus series. As I predicted, Betty Wetter, Cookie Couture, Miss Americano, and Khloe5X of Halfway Haus won the series last year, and they'll be hosting and picking the themes this year. For this party, International Haus of Pancake Make-Up, Haus of Hocus, and Doll Haus will compete. Hydrangea Strangea will perform along with returning champions Halfway Haus. French Inhale will DJ. Drinks will be had. RICH SMITH

Bridget Everett
You may recall this “alt-cabaret provocateur” from her appearance on Inside Amy Schumer. It’s worth digging deeper. She’s a boisterous transgressor who plays hilarious havoc with gender, sexuality, and many other sensitive regions with a sharp tongue and a camp soul. SEAN NELSON

Love, Loss and What I Wore
Monologuists muse and reminisce about clothes and the role they play for women.

Phil Kline's Unsilent Night 2016
Phil Kline's Unsilent Night is like a bell-heavy, mobile version of Zaireeka by the Flaming Lips. Everybody shows up at On the Boards with a smartphone or some music-playing device, downloads one of four tracks from Kline's song, and then slowly marches around Lower Queen Anne. The different tracks ring out from each participant's speaker, creating a kind of holiday symphonic orchestra in the streets. This event happens simultaneously all over the world, so there'll be plenty of international fellow-feeling and good-cheer vibes in the air. After the walk, everyone returns to OtB for a warm-up with hot chocolate and snacks. Bring your friends, bring your kids, bring your wizardly rain jackets, and bring your smartphones! RICH SMITH

FOOD & DRINK

Saturday with the Somms Annual Champagne FĂŞte
Taste champagne from "legendary houses" and "unknown gems" at this annual guided tasting with RN74 sommeliers Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen and Paul Swanson.

FESTIVALS

Popnoise Festival NW
Popnoise Festival NW—which has thrived in several US cities—comes to Seattle, verifying our town’s voracious appetite for shoegaze, dream pop, psych rock, and other variants of head music. The event spotlights the dreamier, more ethereal end of rock, and right now, temporary escapism from America’s political horrors is quite welcome. Helping to elevate minds out of our Trump-induced nightmare are Philadelphia MBV acolytes Panophonic, brilliant Portland hazemongers Vibrissae, krautrock-informed ’gazers Red Martian (who often perform as a Kraftwerk tribute band), tranquil drifters somesurprises, chillwave-inflected charmers Little Child Man, and savvy selector DJ Retina Burn of Neon Sigh Records. DAVE SEGAL

SATURDAY-SUNDAY

PERFORMANCE

Mimosas Cabaret: A Boob Job for Christmas
This boozy brunch theater experience, hosted by Isabella Extynn and local drag legend Mama Tits, promises an "over-the-top raucous" holiday spectacular with a breakfast buffet, brunch menu, a full bar, Jell-O shots, and of course, plenty of drag queens. The show will star Tipsy Rose Lee, Ruby Bouche, Sparkle Leigh/Dan Davidson, and Abbey Roads, performing choreography created by Tipsy Rose Lee.

FESTIVALS

Winter Festival & Crafts Fair
Every year the Phinney neighborhood welcomes upwards of 5,000 visitors and customers flocking to look for the perfect holiday gifts for their friends and family members. With over a hundred vendors, there is certainly plenty to choose from. Live entertainment and delicious food will be on hand for the shoppers' enjoyment. A portion of the proceeds from the Winter Festival goes to support neighborhood works such as the PNA Soup Kitchen, the Greenwood Senior Center, the Phinney Center Art Galery, and others.

SUNDAY

PERFORMANCE

Dan Savage's Holiday Special
Join Dan and Nancy for a special live recording of the Savage Lovecast and get advice on sex, relationships, and what you should and shouldn't insert into...places. More entertaining still, learn what kinds of weird stuff other people are into that you would definitely never, ever try (until somebody offers). Don't miss this chance to corrupt your mind.

Weird and Awesome with Emmett Montgomery
On the first Sunday of each month, comedy, variety, and "a parade of wonder and awkward sharing" are hosted by the self-proclaimed "mustache wizard" Emmett Montgomery.

Get all this and more on the free Stranger Things To Do mobile app—available now on the App Store and Google Play.