Artists at Play to open

Seattle Center will open Artists at Play, its new family-focused outdoor play area, on Friday, May 22, at noon. Festivities, which coincide with the first day of the Northwest Folklife Festival at Seattle Center, will include performances by Northwest Tap Connection, Simba Youth Marimba Ensemble, drummer Steve Roy and spoken word artist Adillia Scott.

The playground includes a 35-foot climbing tower, the largest one in North America, according to spokesperson Deborah Daoust; a labyrinth; an accessible carousel; child-inspired musical instruments; listening stations; SOUND swings; play mounds; and “story lines” spread across Next 50 Plaza.

It was designed by artists Trimpin and Judith Caldwell, with Site Workshop and Highwire Inc.