Bumbershoot takes off

Mild temperatures, peek-a-boo sunshine and manageable crowds greeted the thousands of Saturday attendees at Bumbershoot, the annual Labor Day weekend arts festival at Seattle Center.

Cool and cloudy weather on Saturday morning evolved into a sun-kissed afternoon with temperatures in the mid-60s, which made even standing in long lines to get admission bracelets for Bumbershoot's biggest pop-music acts (on Saturday: Beck, Neko Case, Lucinda Williams and Band of Horses) quite bearable.

But the size of the crowd was markedly smaller than on opening day of Bumbershoot in 2007, and an unscientific survey of a fajita-stand worker and others manning the array of ethnic food booths suggested that business was better last year.

There were plenty of empty seats in the stands for Southern folk-rocker Williams' rollicking set.

And walking across the lawn near Seattle Center's International Fountain and waiting for a turn at the portable toilets were a breeze.

Perhaps the smaller size of the crowd reflected the country's economic downturn. Prices have risen for a Bumbershoot day ticket ($40, up from last year's $35) and an all-fest, three-day pass (up from $75 in 2007 to $100 now). And gas-price-induced inflation has also hit the food booths, with piroshkis now going for $7 and crepes for $8.

The performance schedule also features fewer big-name acts, on balance, than in some other years. (Notable among the superstars, along with Beck, are the Stone Temple Pilots, who perform tonight, and Death Cab for Cutie, scheduled to close the festival Monday night.)

Many Bumbershoot regulars, however, prefer the mellower vibe that fewer people bring, and enjoy discovering lesser-known but rising acts, like gifted Tacoma singer-songwriter Vicci Martinez, who performed Saturday afternoon.

This year's fest affords many opportunities to enjoy literary, film and theatrical options, as well as interactive events designed to get patrons in on the act.

One of the most original of the latter is Project X, created by Portland performance art troupe Hand2Mouth.

In a hut set up near the International Fountain, people are invited to fill out colored tickets asking for basic personal information ("When were you born?"), and string them up along a timeline. You can also record a personal story, put a pushpin in a map marking your place of birth, and write entries in group diaries.

The project is designed to create a kind of collective biography of festivalgoers, and both young and older people seem eager to join in.

As usual, Bumbershoot offers a lot of informal opportunities for individual expression. A pair of wholesome-looking teenage boys carted around a "free hugs" sign, and many folks took them up on it — including a pair of young women who had painted their bodies and clothing charcoal-gray for their street performers' act.

Among the many corporate sponsors this year is Rockstar, a company that makes caffeinated energy drinks. It's hosting a steep course for demonstrations by top skateboarders.

There are voter-registration booths doing a brisk business. And lots of free food samples: mini-versions of Starbucks pumpkin-spiced Frappuccinos, chunks of energy bars, portions of energy drinks.

On Saturday there were still plenty of lines — more, in fact, because now some comedy performances require patrons to get a special bracelet to attend, as with the major pop-music acts at Memorial Stadium.

"It has been a year of lines, to get a pass for tonight's Beck concert, and some crazy long lines for other things," commented Jim Starrs, a Bainbridge Island resident.

But his smile and upbeat manner suggested he was coping nicely. "All those samples of energy bars have sustained us," he noted.

Bumbershoot, produced by Seattle nonprofit One Reel, continues through Monday.

Misha Berson: mberson@seattletimes.com