Once a summer, when the cyclone fencing goes up at the Olympic Sculpture Park, and you hear the revelers and music inside, smell the food, and mildly resent you can’t get in, SAM’s annual fundraiser gala Set the Table for SAM/Party in the Park might have you feeling excluded. But why? You could be inside that fence for the private event—and for a very good cause. The ticket price may be steep, but it’s an all-in extravaganza of cocktails, food (created by Ethan Stowell, Isaac Nobe, and other prominent local chefs), and music. For latecomers on a budget, the 8 p.m. post-dinner portion of the evening is cheaper ($75-$100), but an excellent value, as the OSP becomes Seattle’s nicest open-air concert arena. There will be live sets from The Paperboys, Curtains for You, and Hey Marseilles. Then the DJs (including Dave Hernandez of The Shins) turn the whole park into a disco beneath the stars. Those too shy to dance can enjoy the late-night snack food, watch a squad of glowing hula-hoop performers, or try the mini-golf course designed by those Smash Putt guys. Or, if you’re really thrifty, you could bob off the shoreline in your kayak, listening to all the fun. But wouldn’t you really rather be inside for once? (21 and over.) BRIAN MILLER

Fri., June 17, 6-11:59 p.m., 2011