Best bets for this weekend

Suddenly, the forecast is for "normal" February weather to round out this short month. Prepare to be cool and squishier, with snow likely in the mountains. Sunday might give us a respite, though, for this year's Chilly Hilly bike ride (see Weekend Highlight). If you'd rather stay warm and on the level, there are other choices for your weekend:

Squeeze this in: Who doesn't love accordion music? (Don't answer that.) The whole sensory experience — the squeezing back and forth, the fingering of bright black and white keys, the tapping of the toes. Savor it all during Seattle Center's Day of the Accordion, with dancing, free lessons, workshops and more, this Sunday. See www.nwasnews.com for details.

Better yet: Combine your accordion day with the Seattle Food and Wine Experience, across the Center grounds at the Exhibition Hall, with wines from more than 10 nations, and food from top local chefs. See www.seattlefoodandwineexperience.com.

Then chill out: Polish off your perfect Seattle Center day at the Pacific Science Center's Polar Science Weekend, where you can build an igloo, try on polar parkas, meet polar scientists and more. Details: pacificsciencecenter.org.

Or go jigging: In this case, it's not a dance (unless you make it a crossover event and bring your accordion), it's a fishing contest. La Conner in Skagit County hosts its annual Smelt Derby and festival. Jigging is how you catch these little fish, which like to hang out in Swinomish Channel. See www.laconnerrotary.org.

A rose is a rose (unless it's a fuchsia): Prep your garden for spring. Seattle Rose Society on Saturday offers a pruning demonstration and information on rose care, at the perfect location: the Woodland Park Rose Garden. Nurseries in Shoreline and Woodinville also offer rose-related workshops Saturday, or you can get a look at many varieties of fuchsias presented by the Northwest Fuchsia Society in Bellevue. See "Gardening" events in the Weekend Calendar.

Home zone: Or if you don't want to be outside much at all, but you're kind of fed up with your home as you know it, the Seattle Home Show concludes this weekend with hundreds of displays of home products, ideas and models. See www.SeattleHomeShow.com.

— Brian J. Cantwell, NW Weekend editor