What is Fringe?
Fringe is a fun way to spend a day or two before or after Worldcon exploring the host city. This year, that city is green and beautiful Seattle—tech hub, site of the Century 21 Exposition (1962 World’s Fair), birthplace of grunge music, and home to more than its share of amazing science fiction and fantasy writers.
To get in contact with Fringe organizers, just email us at fringe@seattlein2025.org.
Schedule
Our schedule is still a work in progress. The main thing to know is that, with rare exceptions, activities will take place either before the con, August 10–12, or after the con, August 18–19. Please check back again to see if new events have been added.
We are working to fill out the schedule and build head counts for activities. Please RSVP as soon as you can for any activity you want to attend. The earlier we know how many people are coming, the better we can plan!
- Mornings at the Market
- Seattle Mariners vs. Tampa Bay Rays
- Take the Monorail to Seattle Center
- Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour
- Meetup at Old Stove Brewing Co. in Pike Place
- Unofficial Tour of MoPOP’s Infinite Worlds with a Former Curator
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show
- Hike or Stroll Mount Rainier
- Argosy Harbor Cruise
Mornings at the Market
- Sunday, August 10 through Tuesday, August 19 at 7 a.m.
Why not start your day with tea, crumpets, and Worldcon friends? The Crumpet Shop in Pike Place Market opens at 7 a.m. and serves a delightful assortment of crumpets, scones, tea, and coffee. This is one Fringe activity you could participate in during Worldcon as well as before and after. Come any day between August 10–19, or all of them! Please RSVP to get connected.
RSVP for Mornings at the Market
Seattle Mariners vs. Tampa Bay Rays
- Sunday, August 10 at 1:10 p.m.
Join us for a ball game at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park. The more people attend, the more discounts and benefits we get, so please RSVP if you’re interested! The first 20,000 fans to arrive at this game will receive an Ichiro Suzuki Hall of Fame plaque. You will need to contribute the cost of your ticket.
RSVP for Mariners Game
RSVPs requested by April 1.
Take the Monorail to Seattle Center
- Monday, August 11 (9:30 a.m.)
- Tuesday, August 12 (9:30 a.m.)
- Monday, August 18 (9:30 a.m.)
There is a lot to see at Seattle Center, so we will provide help and direction for groups to visit. Taking the Monorail is inexpensive and can be done using the same ORCA card used by the bus system. Some of the attractions below are free, while others require the purchase of tickets.
Seattle Center attractions built for the 1962 World’s Fair:
- The Monorail, a fast and futuristic way to travel between downtown Seattle and the heart of Seattle Center.
- The Space Needle, Seattle’s most iconic landmark, where you can ride the golden art deco elevators to the top and get a nice view of the city, and, if the weather is clear, Mount Rainier.
- The Pacific Science Center, where airy white arches soar above, and dinosaurs roam the waters below.
- The International Fountain, where kids run and play next to a shiny metal dome, trying their best not to get soaked by water that gushes in time to the rhythm of music.
Other Seattle Center attractions and amenities:
- The Museum of Popular Culture (MoPOP), with the Science Fiction Hall of Fame and exhibits dedicated specifically to science fiction, fantasy, and horror, as well as music and other elements of culture, inside one of most unique buildings you’ll ever see.
- Chihuly Garden and Glass, a museum dedicated to the surreally beautiful work of famed Seattle glass artist Dale Chihuly.
- Climate Pledge Arena, a modern, eco-friendly sports and entertainment venue.
- KEXP, a public radio station dedicated to great music that maintains a wonderful gathering space with lots of seating and a coffee shop.
- Seattle Center Armory, where weary tourists can find a food court and bathrooms.
- The Seattle Children’s Museum, also located in the Armory.
- Artists at Play, a playground designed by the folks at Chihuly Garden and Glass, where kids (or adults!) can climb high, slide down very tall slides, pace a labyrinth, solve a dinosaur riddle, or play music with billiard balls.
RSVP for Seattle Center Visits
Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour
- Monday, August 11 (5 p.m.)
- Tuesday, August 12 (5 p.m.)
- Monday, August 18 (5 p.m.)
For 60 years, Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour has been leading people on hilarious and informative jaunts through secret tunnels hidden beneath modern Seattle. Join one and learn all about the seamstresses, toilets, and disastrously flammable conditions of Seattle’s early history.
Tours are available every hour on the hour, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., seven days a week, and can be booked in advance online. If you would like to tour the Underground with the Worldcon crowd, please RSVP (on this page) and book your own tickets for August 11, 12, or 18 at 5 p.m. Tours may fill up as we get close to August. Group tickets are not available.
Seattle’s underground regions feature dim lighting and somewhat uneven footing, and are accessible only via staircase. The tour is suitable for all ages, though children should be able to stay with the group.
RSVP for the Underground Tour
Meetup at Old Stove Brewing Co. in Pike Place
- Monday, August 11 (7–9 p.m.)
- Tuesday, August 12 (7–9 p.m.)
- Monday, August 18 (7–9 p.m.)
Perched on the western edge of Pike Place Market, perfectly positioned for picture-perfect sunset views, is a brew pub with plenty of space for a meetup. Come hang out and relax after a long day of sightseeing, August 11, 12, and 18, any time from 7–9 p.m. The brewery is kid-friendly and has a full food menu. Please RSVP to let us know you’re coming!
RSVP for Old Stove Meetups
Unofficial Tour of MoPOP’s Infinite Worlds with a Former Curator
- Tuesday, August 12 at 1 p.m. (FULL: New signups will be waitlisted.)
- Monday, August 18 at 10 a.m.
A former curator has graciously offered to take small groups on an unofficial tour through the Infinite Worlds science fiction exhibit and the fantasy exhibit at MoPOP. Groups will be limited to 20, and guests will need to purchase tickets to get into MoPOP, though the tour itself is free.
RSVP for MOPOP Tour
The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Midnight at SIFF Cinema Downtown
- Friday, August 15 at Midnight
Have you really seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show if you haven’t seen it in the unique Cinerama format, available in only a handful of theaters worldwide? SIFF Cinema Downtown is just blocks from the convention center, so it should be easy to access even in the middle of the night.
RSVP for Rocky Horror
Hike or Stroll Mount Rainier
- Monday, August 18, 7:15 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Decompress from Worldcon by hiking or strolling through the panoramic vistas of Mount Rainier National Park. Transportation leaves from the front of Seattle Convention Center | Summit at 7:15 a.m. for arrival at Paradise in Mount Rainier National Park by 10 a.m. We’ll stay and explore the wildflowers, lodge, and exquisite area trails until 2:30 p.m., and then back to the SeaTac area by 5:30 p.m. where you can be dropped at the airport, airport hotel, light rail station, or attend an evening barbeque with convention members at an area home in Normandy Park. Bring hiking boots, a water bottle, lunch, and snacks, or buy food at the lodge. Cost of transportation and park entry will be divided equally amongst participants.
RSVP for Mt. Rainier Hike
Argosy Harbor Cruise
- Monday, August 18, 3:20 p.m.
Spend an hour on the water in Seattle’s Elliott Bay, learning about Seattle’s waterfront and getting a good look at Seattle’s shipping terminal. all while sipping a drink and taking in the mountain views and city skyline. Argosy cruise boats have both roofs and roof decks, for all kinds of weather. Please RSVP (on this page) and book your own tickets to join us on August 18 for the 3:20 p.m. cruise.
RSVP for the Argosy Harbor Cruise
There is a Google Calendar for all of these events. This is all that’s on our schedule so far. Check back for more later—you never know what might crop up! If you have any suggestions for this list, contact fringe@seattlein2025.org.
