Icons of Pop Culture Gala

The Museum of Pop Culture hosts its annual Icons of Pop Culture Gala on Thursday, October 22, from 5 PM to 11 PM. It's the museum's biggest night of the year, a fundraiser that honors visionaries across its five pillars: film, fashion, gaming, music and community. This edition runs under the theme The Future is Now, and the proceeds go toward the museum's exhibitions, youth education programs, artifact preservation and community initiatives.

The honorees this year cover a wide spread. Bruce Lee represents film, Jeremy Scott takes fashion, HALO stands in for gaming, Salt-N-Pepa covers music, and the Wing Luke Museum is recognized for community. One more award—for a museum employee—will be announced during the gala itself. Mike McCready of Pearl Jam joins as a special guest, and Salt-N-Pepa will perform on the Sky Church stage. A long list of tribute artists also takes the stage: Devon Allman, Samantha Fish, Noah Hunt, Ayron Jones, Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram, Chris 'Whipper' Layton, Kevin McCormick, Robert Randolph, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Dweezil Zappa.

Syreeta Gates chairs the event. She's a creative and archivist who founded The Gates Preserve and runs Most Incredible Studio, where she turns cultural stories into tangible, LEGO-based creations. If you're not looking for the full evening, there are performance-only tickets and an online auction to participate in without attending the whole thing.

Tickets come in three levels: General Admission at $250, Lieutenant Commander at $350 and Captain's Chair at $500. Members get a discount on all three: $235, $335 and $485. The gala runs from 5 PM to 11 PM at MOPOP, 325 5th Avenue N in Seattle.