Great Pumpkin Beer Festival, BrickCon, more fun things to do this weekend in Seattle

The Emerald City will be booming with fun events and activites this weekend. 

As the Mariners make their last push in the Wild Card race, fans can participate in a series of events at T-Mobile Park during Fan Appreciation Weekend. And what better way to get to the game then catching a ride on the brand-new Northgate Link light rail extenstion which opens Saturday. 

The 17th Annual Great Pumpkin Beer Festival also returns this weekend along with BrickCon 2021. But that's not all. 

Keep reading for the scoop on where to find this weekend's events, food and drink celebrations, and more.

Grand openings: Link light rail service

Seven years in the making, the new John Lewis Memorial pedestrian/bike bridge which will provide easy access from North Seattle College to the Northgate Link light rail station, opens in grand style on Saturday at 10 a.m. on the west side of the bridge. Coffee and refreshments will be served along with an invitation to try out light rail service from Northgate to the U District and Roosevelt for the first time. The light rail will run every eight minutes, 20 hours a day.

The U District Station will be partying on Saturday, too. From 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., enjoy an outdoor festival on Brooklyn Ave. and University Way. There will be live music, games and activities for the whole family along with the opportunity to sample food items from 45 local restaurants with the $3 Food Walk event and beer garden.

From there, hop on the train and head to the Roosevelt Station’s grand opening where the Roosevelt Neighborhood Association will be hosting a community party with live music, entertainment and food trucks until 4 p.m.

Dance: Shen Yun celebrates China’s rich history

Shen Yun is making its yearly visit to Seattle this weekend with three days of performances at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. For the uninitiated, Shen Yun is a grand presentation with a large cast of dancers that some say is just as iconic as PNB’s “The Nutcracker.” The company’s website says: “Fairies emerge from a sea of billowing clouds. Mongolians ride on horseback across grasslands as vast as the sky. Classic stories of love and loss, of humor and heroic deeds, come to life.” With 20 different presentations in each show, it is a rich presentation of China’s cultural heritage.

Festivals: Movies, LEGOs and the Great Pumpkin

While it’s not the Great Pumpkin you remember as a kid, the annual Great Pumpkin Beer Festival has been a hit for 16 years now. Presented by The Vera Project, sponsored by Elysian Brewing, and held at the Seattle Center, this festival begins with the cutting of a giant pumpkin, then scooped, scorched and filled with pumpkin beer. Besides the tapped gourd, the event also features over 80 different seasonal beers — 20 of which come from Elysian Brewing — to try on Friday and Saturday. From 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. each day, the event will include a variety of food trucks, the Chaotic Noise Marching Corps, and local DJs to keep things moving. Orange is definitely the new black here.

The always-popular BrickCon event, celebrating everything LEGO, returns to Seattle Center Expo Hall this weekend. Each of the four presentations held on Saturday and Sunday (10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m.) offers the chance to view thousands of models created by LEGO masters and hobbyists from around the globe. You can also purchase current, past and custom LEGO sets, parts and minifigs at the Brick Bazaar, too. Be forewarned though, tickets are steeper in price this year due to the fact that BrickCon is only allowed about one-third of the visitors it usually allows to attend the event.

After being closed for what seems to be forever, SIFF is reopening its iconic Egyptian and Film Center in time for DocFest — a festival of documentary films naturally. Held now through October 7, the festival offers a wide variety of subject matter to consume. This year’s selection includes “Becoming Cousteau,” “The Conservation Game,” and “The Sanctity of Space” among others.

Celebrating its 16th year, the Tasveer Festival aims to showcase the best in South Asian film, literature and storytelling beginning on Oct. 1 and continuing through Oct. 24. Usually held as three festivals, this year the three have come together for one large event providing a platform to amplify underrepresented South Asian voices and artists. The film portion of the festival is the largest in the U.S. and this year will be offering a hybrid of in-person and in-home screenings. You can check out the full schedule here.

Get moving: Walk to end Alzheimer’s

How many steps did you get in yesterday? Not enough? Perhaps you need better motivation. Would it help to know that just walking could potentially change and possibly save another’s life? The Pacific Northwest’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s returns to Seattle Center this Saturday. It is the world’s largest event in raising funds to eradicate Alzheimer's as well as other dementias.

Festivities begin at 8 a.m. with opportunities to meet with sponsors and exhibitors, learn about local resources, and grab a quick snack before the event starts at 9 a.m. Monitoring federal, state and local public health guidelines, walkers can expect to participate in a healthy and safe event with contactless registration, hand sanitizing stations and physical distancing. Masks will be required.

The pet-friendly event is free. People who donate or raise $100 or more will receive a 2021 Walk to End Alzheimer’s t-shirt in the mail after the walk.

Music: Durand Jones & the Indications

In support of their new album, “Private Space,” Durand Jones & The Indications will be playing at the Paramount Theatre with My Morning Jacket on Friday and Saturday. Jones shares the stage with drummer Aaron Frazer, guitarist Blake Rhein, keyboardist Steve Okonski and bass guitarist Mike Montgomery. Together they meld revivals sounds with a modern twist. The band believes that the power of a good song can be used as a light in the darkness and joy can set one free. And don’t we all need that right about now?

Tickets: Upcoming events to plan for now

• Hockey: Faster Than Ever Exhibit: Oct. 18, 2021-Feb. 27, 2022 at the Pacific Science Center
• Coldplay: Oct. 22 at Climate Pledge Arena
• Disney on Ice: Oct. 27-Nov. 1 in Kent; Nov. 4-7 in Everett
• Christmas Ship Festival: Nov. 26 – Dec, 23 in Seattle
• Trans-Siberian Orchestra: Nov. 27 at Climate Pledge Arena
• War 50th Anniversary Tour: Jan. 29, 2022 at the Pantages Theater