Formerly known as the Seattle International Childrens Festival, Giant Magnet is a great recession-era staycation alternative to flying your kids someplace expensive, distant, and exotic (and possibly getting yourselves afflicted with swine flu). Instead, the world comes to you via separately scheduled performances of international art, music, and dance. You can get a little closer to Zimbabwe through the music of Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited, or experience Japanese dance and storytelling with Kuniko Yamamoto. Seattle favorite Hacki & Co. offers German clown antics. Even Canada is represented. Performances begin this morning with the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, which is presenting a stage version of The Very Hungry Caterpillar at the Bagley Wright Theatre (recommended ages 4 and up). No passport required. (Tickets & info: 800-838-3006 and www.giantmagnet.org.) KASSIOPIA RODGERS
May 12-16, 2009
