Weekend arts & culture picks: Folklife, Nordic sights, and live music in-person

Most Fridays on KUOW's All Things Considered, we give recommendations for the weekend. And for this Memorial Day weekend, KUOW's Ross Reynolds has some ideas to help you make the most of your extended break.

Northwest Folklife Festival (Virtual)

"It's Memorial Day weekend, which in Seattle, as you might know, is always the Northwest Folklife Festival. Unfortunately, (of course) it's going to be virtual this year. And yes, this year won't be quite the same as walking around in-person and stumbling upon performances, but you will be able to hop from stage to stage virtually. It's always free and remains one of the premier events in Seattle. I strongly recommend checking it out."

"Also, KUOW'S RadioActive youth producers will be putting on a showcase. Each youth producer will play and reflect on an audio story they produced last year and will have a Q&A afterward."

The National Nordic Museum (Among Forests and Lakes Exhibit)

"It's going to be forests and lakes and landscape masterpieces from the Finnish National Gallery. It's opened recently and it's going to be there through Oct. 17. It's 150 years of landscapes in 50 different paintings. Finland is a beautiful country with rolling hills and bone-chilling waters.

Also, there's going to be a short film by a contemporary photographer and video artist who's going to explore the overlaps between the Finnish and Indigenous cultures."

Little Red Hen (Live Music)

"It's a little bit country, it's a little bit divey. But, it's totally fun to go there. Ordinarily, there would be line dancing, but that's not going to be happening because of Covid precautions. But performing this weekend (May 28 and May 29) is Buck Ellard with Rodger 'Crash' Bigelow. If you want to actually see some music in person, go check it out."