Weekend revelry roundup: Comic Con and the Seattle Sounders return

Yes, that’s right, it is Friday yet again and my, oh, my, are there plenty of things to do this weekend, including Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC) and the return of the Seattle Sounders for 2024 Major League Soccer (MLS) season.

Catch Comic Con this weekend

ECCC is underway and tickets are still on sale for Friday and Sunday. There’s plenty of convention programming going on throughout the day Friday.

More from ECCC: Chris Evans, Christina Ricci and more will be there

Friday night, the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, Tom Kenny, will perform a live concert with his band at 8 p.m. Check out ECCC’s website for tickets and the schedule.

Brittany Davis is celebrating the release of their new album “Image Issues” at Easy Street Records in West Seattle on Friday at 7 p.m. The show is free and open to all ages.

Past Seattle events: Northwest Flower and Garden Festival brings an early spring to Seattle

If you’re up for a bit of a drive…

If you are up for a bit of a drive to the Cascades, the Winthrop Balloon Roundup returns for the 27th time. The balloons will take off around 7 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The view of the balloons is free, but taking to the skies in one is not. You can learn more on Winthrop, Washington’s website.

In Coupeville, the annual Penn Cove Musselfest takes place on Saturday and Sunday. The festival said the weekend is about celebrating all things bold, briny and blue. There will be boat tours of the Penn Cove Mussel Farm, live music, a mussel eating contest, activities for kids and more. If you’ve got a seafood craving, there is no better spot to be than the Coupeville Recreation Hall.

Cheer on the Seattle Sounders and Kraken

It’s the home opener for MLS’ Seattle Sounders and the March to the Match is returning. You can meet up with your fellow Sounders fans at Occidental Park in Pioneer Square an hour and a half before kickoff for live music and giveaways. About an hour before the game, the march down Occidental Avenue will feature chants and cheers. Bring a friend and your Sounders gear to one of the best traditions in MLS.

Sticking with sports, if you don’t have a ticket to the National Hockey League’s Seattle Kraken’s matchup against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, you can watch it on the big screen at Seattle Center Armory. The party starts two hours before the puck drops with the making of signs, floor hockey, live music from Red Alert and more. You can also hit the ice yourself at the Kraken Community Iceplex in Seattle’s Northgate neighborhood and catch the game while working on your skating skills.

More from Paul Holden: The events will be ‘Unstoppable’

You can celebrate with your mug overflowing with chocolate goodies

On Sunday, it’s the Hot Chocolate Run at Seattle Center. You can run either a 5K, 10K or 15K and when you reach the finish line, you can celebrate with your special mug overflowing with chocolate goodies. There’s also an expo that’s open to the public if you are looking for a sweet treat.

If you are a fan of vinyl or physical media, and supporting Northwest Harvest, the Northwest Record Show is a perfect event for you. The event is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Seattle Center Armory. You can scour records, CDs, collectibles and more. You never know what you might find. It’s $3 to get in the door, or $2 if you bring a nonperishable food item.

This just scratches the surface of what is happening this weekend.

Paul Holden produces the Seattle weekend events calendar for KIRO Newsradio.