Weekend calendar

Biking

DuPont bike event

SAT Volkssport 25K (15.5 miles) or 15K (9.3 miles) ride on city streets and bike lanes, start anytime 8 a.m.-noon, finish by 4 p.m., 8 a.m. Saturday, Chloe Clark Elementary School, 1700 Palisade Blvd., DuPont (253-946-5397).

Golden Gardens

SAT Easy Riders Bicycle Club leisurely paced ride on paved bike trail and city streets to Golden Gardens, bring snacks or money for brief picnic stop; check Web site for more information, 11 a.m. Saturday, Gas Works Park, 2101 N. Northlake Way, Seattle (206-684-4075 or seattleeasyriders.net).

Boating

Tacoma Dome Boat Show

THU-SUN Display and sale of hundreds of boats, some pre-owned, with accessories, marine services, boating destinations, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. today, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, Tacoma Dome, 2727 E. D St., Tacoma; $9/adults, $7/ages 62 and over weekdays only, ages 12 and younger free (253-272-3663 or www.otshows.com).

Boating class

SUN Information on boating operation, safety and navigation to satisfy the requirements for a state Boater Education Card, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Lake Union Sea Ray, 17351 N.E. 70th St., Redmond; $25 (425-885-2628 or www.uscg.mil/d13/).

Dance

Bunny Sock Hop

FRI Make bunny ears, take off your shoes to hop and dance, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, Northgate Community Center, 10510 Fifth Ave. N.E., Seattle (206-386-4283).

Rock and Roll dance

FRI Cowboy cha-cha dance lesson, 8 p.m., dance to hits from the 1960s through today, bring a snack to share, 8:30 p.m.-midnight Friday, Mountaineers Club, 300 Third Ave. W., Seattle; $9-$12 (206-284-6310).

Emerald City Contra Dance

FRI All dances taught, no partner necessary, no perfume, cologne or other scented products, beginners' workshop 7 p.m., dance to live music and caller, 7:30-10 p.m. Friday, Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N., Seattle; $4-$7 (206-440-9839).

Green Lake Folk Dancers

FRI Mostly Balkan line and circle dances, all ages welcome, partners not required, 8:30 p.m. Friday, VFW Hall, 7220 Woodlawn Ave. N.E., Seattle; $5 (425-883-0332).

Northwest Dance Network

SAT Dance workshop, 7:30-8:30 p.m.; all ages dance, singles and couples welcome, blues, swing and Latin with Maia Santell and House Blend, 8:30 p.m.-midnight Saturday, Leif Erikson Lodge, 2245 N.W. 57th St., Seattle; $10/workshop, $13/dance, $17/workshop and dance, $10/workshop and dance, students age 22 and younger with student ID (206-781-1238 or www.nwdance.net).

Swing and Everything

SAT Romantic slow dance lesson, 7 p.m., dance to a variety of ballroom, Latin and swing music, singles and couples welcome, 8-11 p.m. Saturday, North Bellevue Community & Senior Center, 4063 148th Ave. N.E., Bellevue; $15 (425-452-7681).

Rockin' at the Barn

SAT Salsa dance lesson, 7:30 p.m.; dance to rock, country and swing music for singles and couples age 18 and older; 8 p.m.-midnight Saturday, Rockin' Horse Dance Barn, 11820 150th Ave. S.E., Renton; $12 (425-255-9211).

Festivals/Expos

Northwest Women's Show

FRI, SAT, SUN Hundreds of exhibits and seminars on fashion, fitness, food, with entertainment, wine tasting, special guests including Matt and Suzy Hoover of TV's "The Biggest Loser," Maksim Chmerkovskiy of "Dancing With The Stars," relationship expert Pepper Schwartz, authors Ann Rule and Donna Anders; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Qwest Field Event Center, 800 Occidental Ave. S., Seattle; $14 (425-605-4131 or www.nwwomenshow.com).

Whirligig

FRI-APRIL 13 Indoor inflatable rides and entertainment for kids, Toddler Zone, Friday through April 13, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Seattle Center House, Seattle; fees per ride or all-day ride pass, free on Thursdays (206-684-7200 or www.seattlecenter.com).

Celebrate Woodinville

SAT Pancake breakfast, 8-10 a.m. Saturday, Woodinville Fire and Life Safety District Headquarters, 17718 Woodinville-Snohomish Road, $4/adult, $2/child; community art show, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Carol Edwards Community Center; City Hall open house with birthday cake and information on city projects, programs and plans and Safety Fair with emergency preparedness, crime prevention and other safety information, noon-3 p.m., City Hall, Woodinville; All Fools Day Parade, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. along Northeast 175th Street, Woodinville; Basset Bash and Brigade basset hound events, 1-4 p.m., Carol Edwards Center Sports Fields; arts and crafts show, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Woodinville Farmers Market; children's activity and resource fair, noon-4 p.m. Saturday, Carol Edwards Center lower parking lot, Woodinville (www.ci.woodinville.wa.us/news/specialevents).

Tastes of Norway / Norwegian Cultural and Heritage Day

SAT Celebration of the Norwegian roots of Ballard with presentations, lectures and demonstrations of traditional Norwegian handicrafts, music, song, dance, food, genealogists to help find your Norwegian ancestors, entertainment including Norwegian Ladies Chorus of Seattle, Norwegian Male Chorus of Seattle, Norwegian folk-dance demonstration, presentation about early Ballard by local author Julie Albright at noon, 10 a.m. Saturday, Leif Erikson Lodge, 2245 N.W. 57th St., Seattle (206-783-1274 or www.leiferiksonlodge.com).

Vegfest

SAT, SUN The largest vegetarian food festival in the country with food samples, cooking demos, health and nutrition information, book sale, kids' activities, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, Seattle; $5/at the door, ages 12 and younger free (206-706-2635 or www.Vegfest2008.org).

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

PLAN AHEAD Tulip fields, farms, art events, tours, April 1-30, information available online, event brochures available at Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Office, 100 E. Montgomery St., Mount Vernon (360-428-5959 or www.tulipfestival.org).

Olympic Peninsula BirdFest

Gardening 101

SAT Basic gardening principles including soils, watering, fertilizing and plant selection are discussed; preregistration required, 11 a.m. Saturday, Emery's Garden, 2829 164th St. S.W., Lynnwood; free (425-743-4555 or www.emerysgarden.com).

Planning Your Vegetable Garden

Literary events

Eric Alterman

FRI Author discusses his book, "Why We're Liberals: A Political Handbook for Post-Bush America." 7:30 p.m. Friday, Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., Seattle; $5 (206-652-4255).

Hugo House Literary Series

FRI Authors Sherman Alexie, Michelle Tea and David Schmader, and musician Sean Nelson, read from literary work or perform new music commissioned for this event, on the theme of "Answered Prayers and Other Tragedies., 7:30 p.m. Friday, Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., Seattle; $15-$25 (206-652-4255).

Museum events

Comics Forum

THU Gary Groth, co-founder of Fantagraphics, leads a discussion on the works of R. Crumb with Seattle comic artists Peter Bagge, Ellen Forney and Jim Woodring, 7 p.m. today, Frye Art Museum, 704 Terry Ave., Seattle; free (206-622-9250).

Lecture: "Illuminating the Gates of Paradise"

THU Gary Radke, guest curator of "The Gates of Paradise," will discuss how the works made their way from Florence to Seattle, 7 p.m. today, Seattle Art Museum, 1300 First Ave., Seattle; $14-$20 (206-654-3100).

Youth-focused film workshops and panels

SAT Information on film schools, panel discussions, workshops, film showcase and other filmmaking activities by ages 21 and younger, 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Experience Music Project, 325 Fifth Ave. N., Seattle; $12-$15 (206-367-5483).

Lecture: "Dreaming the Emerald City"

SAT Jill Rullkoetter, deputy director and director of education at the Frye, will discuss the collections Charles and Emma Frye and Horace C. Henry currently on display, 2 p.m. Saturday, Frye Art Museum, 704 Terry Ave., Seattle (206-622-9250).

Northwest African American Museum

ONGOING Displays and exhibits on the history, culture, art and traditions of African Americans in the Northwest; opening exhibition features life and work of renowned Northwest artists Jacob Lawrence and James Washington Jr.; 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursdays, 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays, noon-4 p.m. Sundays, Northwest African American Museum, 2300 S. Massachusetts St., Seattle; $6/adults, $4/students and seniors (206-267-1823 or www.naamnw.org).

Roman Art from the Louvre

ONGOING Ancient art portraying 300 years of Imperial Roman life and history with sculptures and reliefs, paintings, mosaics, jewelry, glass and objects, through May 11, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Seattle Art Museum, 1300 First Ave., Seattle; $20/adults, $17/ages 65 and older, $14/ages 13-17 and students with ID, free for ages 12 and younger (206-654-3100 or www.seattleartmuseum.org).

Fashion in Flight

ONGOING "Style in the Aisle" exhibit on commercial flight attendants, their role in aviation and their uniforms from the 1930s to the 1970s, on display through June 2, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, Museum of Flight, 9404 E. Marginal Way S., Seattle; $14/adults, $13/ages 65 and older, $7.50/ages 5-17 (206-764-5720 or www.museumofflight.org).

Lincoln: The Constitution and the Civil War

ONGOING Exhibit from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia detailing the secession, slavery and civil liberties constitutional crises faced by President Abraham Lincoln, and companion exhibit "Blue vs. Gray: The Civil War in the Pacific Northwest" depicting the multitude of influences the Civil War had on life in the Northwest, both through April 20, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, until 8 p.m. first Thursdays, Museum of History & Industry, 2700 24th Ave. E., Seattle; $7/adults, $5/ages 5-17 and ages 62 and older, free the first Thursday of each month (206-324-1126 or www.seattlehistory.org).

Strange Matter

ONGOING Interactive exhibit on materials science on exotic and everyday materials and their uses with activities for all ages and live demonstration theater, at the museum through May 4, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, Pacific Science Center, 200 Second Ave. N, Seattle; $6-$11 (206-443-2001 or www.pacsci.org).

Paddle sports

Sammamish Rowing Open House

The Shell Show

Snowshoe walks, Stevens Pass

SAT, SUN Last weekend of the season for snowshoe hikes, novice 1.5-mile walk for adult and children over age 6 begins with brief indoor slide show on history of Stevens Pass, 10 a.m. Saturday; intermediate 2-mile loop for adults and children over 10 with ranger talk on winter ecology and snowshoeing techniques, 1 p.m. Saturday; challenging, 3.2-mile half-day trip along Lanham Creek, with 1,100-foot elevation gain for adults and children over 12 with a higher level of fitness, 10:30 a.m. Sunday; snowshoes provided, but not poles, sturdy boots required, Stevens Pass Nordic Center, Summit Stevens Pass, U.S. Highway 2, Skykomish; $10 donation requested, space limited, reservations required, call 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday(360-677-2414 or www.stevenspass.com).

Special interest

King County Wastemobile

Historic Seattle Mid-Century Modern Series

PLAN AHEAD Preservation and repair of buildings of the 1940s-1960s, 10 a.m.-noon April 5, $10-$20; tour of 1961 Paul Hayden Kirk-designed residence, April 6, $10-$20; mid-century modern lighting design, April 12, Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N., Seattle; reservations required (206-622-6952 or www.historicseattle.org).

Tours

Design Details: Lions, Griffins & Walruses

SAT Explore structures of all shapes and sizes, including the Arctic Building and Smith Tower. See how our buildings express themselves through whimsical animal forms, geometric designs, adornments and embellishments, 10 a.m.-noon Saturday from Seattle Architecture Foundation, 1333 Fifth Ave, Seattle, ending at Smith Tower; $10-$12 (206-667-9184).

Seattle Architecture: Outsides & Insights

SAT Join a walking conversation that explores how architecture creates a distinctive sense of place and learn how the city's buildings and spaces communicate with us and with each other in unique ways, 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, Seattle Architecture Foundation, 1333 Fifth Ave, Seattle; $10-$12 (206-667-9184).

Travel events

Packing like a savvy traveler

SAT Efficient packing techniques, 1 p.m. Saturday, Savvy Traveler, 112 Fifth Ave. S., Edmonds; $5, preregistration required (425-744-6076 or www.savvytraveleredmonds.com).

Adventure Travel

SUN Adventure Associates seminars on wildlife safari in Africa for women, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, and Bhutan adventure tour for independent or group travelers, 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Mountaineers Club, 300 Third Ave. W., Seattle; free (206-932-8352).

European Travel Festival

PLAN AHEAD Day of classes including European travel skills, Italy and travel as a political act with Rick Steves and packing light and right, rail travel skills, Eastern Europe, Ireland, Great Britain and France with other travel teachers, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. April 5, Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 Fourth Ave. N., Edmonds; free, preregistration required, space limited (425-771-8303, ext. 298, or www.ricksteves.com).

Workshops

Genealogy and the Civil War

SAT Experts from Seattle Public Library and National Archives and Records Administration on using Civil War era documentation to uncover your family's history, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, Museum of History & Industry, 2700 24th Ave. E., Seattle; $15-$25, preregistration required (800-838-3006 or www.brownpapertickets.com).

Meditation for starters

SAT Basics of the practice of meditation, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday, East West Bookshop, 6500 Roosevelt Way N.E., Seattle; $5 (206-523-3726).

Spring Cleaning & Organization

SAT Tricks to help clear dust and clutter from both house and mind, 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Beaver Lake Park, 25201 SE 24th St., Sammamish; $50 (www.itssimplyplaced.com).

Attraversiamo

SAT, SUN Italian language basics, information on Italy's art treasures, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, $70; Primavera Toscana cooking class and lunch, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sunday, $45, Bayview Corner, 5603 S. Bayview Road, Langley, Whidbey Island (360-914-0391 or www.nwlanguageacademy.com).