Movies

'Beasts of the Southern Wild'

Director Benh Zeitlin's film, starring Quvenzhané Wallis as a 6-year-old girl living in an imaginary bayou world called The Bathtub, has a magical, dreamlike quality and a warm, quirky heart. For showtimes, see Page H5. For Seattle Times movie critic Moira Macdonald's 3-½-star review, go to www.seattletimes.com/movies.

TV

'Project Runway'

The 10th anniversary season of this sartorial competition series begins with an outdoor fashion show in New York City's Times Square. Make it work! Season premiere, 9 p.m. Thursday on Lifetime.

Food

Bite of Seattle

Cooking demos, celebrity-chef appearances and endless food to sample. The three day food-and-wine extravaganza starts Friday at 11 a.m. at Seattle Center. For full lineup, check www.comcastbiteofseattle.com.

Kirkland Uncorked

One of the most picturesque summer settings for a food-and-wine event, which features about 60 local wines and noshes from Eastside restaurants; Friday through July 22 on the banks of Lake Washington at Marina Park, 25 Lakeshore Plaza, Kirkland; $25-$30 (www.kirklanduncorked.com).

Festivals

Dragon Fest

There's still time to catch Seattle Chinatown International District's Seafair celebration with Chinese lion and dragon dances, martial-arts demonstrations and Japanese Taiko drumming. Noon-6 p.m. today, Hing Hay Park, 409 Maynard Ave. S., Seattle (seafair.com).

Sequim Lavender Festival

Follow your nose and head north to the "Lavendar Capital of North America" with more than 150 craft and vendor booths, food, music and self-guided farm tours (10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. daily). 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. July 22, Sequim; free (lavenderfestival.com).

Pop music

Capitol Hill Block Party

With Neko Case, Fitz and the Tantrums, and hot new San Francisco folk-rockers the Lumineers, this annual, six-stage, indoor-outdoor summer blowout across six blocks of the Pike-Pine corridor should shake, rattle and roll. 4 p.m. Friday to after midnight Sunday, main entrance at East Pike Street and 12th Avenue, Seattle; $30 per day or $85 for a three-day pass (www.capitolhillblockparty).

Florence + the Machine

Flamboyant British redhead Florence Welch brings her catchy tunes and cheeky lyrics ("Kiss with a Fist") to Auburn on the opening gig of the U.S. leg of her world tour. Riding the critical wave of her well-received 2011 album, "Ceremonials," the indie rocker plays at 8 p.m. Saturday at White River Amphitheatre, Auburn Enumclaw Road, Auburn; $29.50-$49.50 (800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com).

Theater

'Rent'

The 5th Avenue Theatre staging of Jonathan Larson's award-winning rock musical stars up-and-coming young local actors Daniel Berryman, Aaron C. Finley, Naomi Morgan, Jerick Hoffer, Ryah Nixon and Andi Alhadeff. Bill Berry directs. Saturday-Aug. 19, The 5th Avenue Theatre, 1308 Fifth Ave., Seattle; $29-$139 (206-625-1900 or www.5thavenue.org).

The Pinter Festival

ACT Theatre shifts into full Harold Pinter mode with a monthlong appreciation of the Nobel-winning British playwright: performances of four plays ("The Dumb Waiter," "Celebration," "Old Times" and "No Man's Land"), sketch nights, three film screenings (July 21, 28, Aug. 4) and a Pinter Party featuring Henry Woolf (Aug. 15). Friday-Aug. 26, ACT Theatre, 700 Union St., Seattle; films are free, sketch nights are $10-15, party is $15-$20, plays are $15-$50 (206-292-7676 or www.acttheatre.org).

Classical music

Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival

The annual festival continues with concerts and free preconcert recitals on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, plus a family concert on Saturday (Peter Schickele's "The Emperor's New Clothes"). Notable this week: the world premiere of Canadian composer Gary Kulesha's Quartet for Piano and Strings, in Friday's preconcert recital. All concerts start at 8 p.m.; free recitals before each concert at 7 p.m., family concert at 11 a.m. Saturday, Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., Seattle; $15 and $45, family concert $10 (206-283-8710 or www.seattlechambermusic.org).

Literary events

Sam Kean

Come hear the author tell amazing true stories about our genetic makeup and how it shapes us when he discusses his new book, "The Violinist's Thumb and Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code." Part of the Seattle Science Lectures series. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., Seattle; $5 (800-838-3006 or www.townhallseattle.org).

Visual arts

Frye Art Museum

The museum, open again after being closed three months for renovations, welcomes visitors with three new exhibitions: "The Perfection of Good-Nature," "Ties That Bind: American Artists in Europe" (both drawn from the Frye's permanent collection), and "Liu Ding's Store: Take Home and Make Real the Priceless in Your Heart," the first solo show in the U.S. by the Chinese artist. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursdays, Frye Art Museum, 704 Terry Ave., Seattle; free (206-622-9250 or www.fryemuseum.org).