he weekend is here and while we still navigate the ups and downs of early spring weather, there's still plenty to do!

Sports fans are in for a busy weekend with the Mariners back in action against the A's all weekend, The Seattle Seawolves have a Major League Rugby match on Saturday at 6 at Starfire Sports Arena in Tukwila, the Kraken take on the Dallas Stars Saturday at 7:30 at Climate Pledge and in Lynwood Rat City Roller Derby Double header! Four teams are clashing for a spot in the championship in May! This is at the Edmonds Community College and starts at 4 on Saturday. Get details at ratcityrollerderby.com 

It's also a big weekend for collectors! You'll find me down in Puyallup at the Washington State Fair and Event Center for the Washington State Gaming Expo! Vendors, panels, big names from the industry, an arcade and lots more await! If you are looking for vintage items that aren't video game related, there's a couple of markets this weekend to check out. Captain Slinky's Oddball emporium returns at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds. This is Saturday and Sunday and has over 170 different vendors and plenty more, including a newly announced arcade! More details are at oddmall.co. In White Center, the White Center Vintage marketplace is taking over the neighborhood this weekend as over 30 vendors are bringing antiques, collectibles and more vintage goodies. This runs from noon to 6. 
Finally, if vinyl records are your groove, then you'll want to head to the Seattle Armory on Sunday for the Northwest Record Show. So many different records, new and old will be available for sale, it's a perfect event to build your collection. Bring a food item to donate to Northwest Harvest and you'll get a dollar off your admission. This runs from 10-5. 

If you are looking to enjoy some music from a different part of the world this weekend there are two different Japanese Taiko druming shows you could check out! In Japenese, Taiko refers to any kind of drum but it is much more than just the instruments, it's about the performance and energy the groups bring to the stage. YAMATO, a group from Japan,  will be performing at the Moore Theatre in Belltown on Friday and will have more than 40 drums on stage, including one that comes from a 400 year old tree and weighs over a thousand pounds! Get tickets at the Moore Theatre's website. In Tacoma, Portland Taiko is bringing their show to the Rialto Theater on Saturday at 7:30. This group has been performing since 1994 all across the region. Tickets and details are on tacomaartslive.org

If you grew up on the Food Network then you are probably familiar with Alton Brown and his show Good Eats. He's since created a variety show and this might be your last chance to see it! The Last Bite will show some of Brown's food hacks, silly food songs and plenty more! It's a food meets variety show. The last two shows are right here in Washington, tomorrow at the Paramount theater and Sunday in Bellingham at the Mount Baker Theatre. Get tickets and details at altonbrownlive.com

Support the regions middle schoolers at the 2025 Spelling Bee! 80 contestants face off in a battle of words for a shot at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington DC later this year. Our own Feliks Banel is moderating the event as well! Get more details at townhallseattle.org

Lots to do and only so much time, what are you getting into this weekend? Let me know at paulh@kiroradio.com