Editing Bellevue, Washington (section)

==Arts and culture==

===Cultural events===
Bellevue is the site of the annual Bellevue Arts and Crafts Fair (originally Pacific Northwest Arts and Crafts Fair), held since 1947 during the last weekend in July.

The biennial Bellevue Sculpture Exhibition draws thousands of visitors to the [[Bellevue Downtown Park|Downtown Park]] to view up to 46 three-dimensional artworks from artists around the country.

In celebration of its strawberry farming history, Bellevue holds an annual Strawberry Festival on the fourth weekend in June at Crossroads Park.<ref>{{cite web | year = 2018 | url = http://www.bellevuestrawberryfestival.org/Index.asp | title = Bellevue Strawberry Festival | access-date = November 15, 2018}}</ref> The festival initially began in 1925, and continued to 1942 when many Bellevue's strawberry farmers were incarcerated as part of the [[Internment of Japanese Americans|Japanese Internment]]. In 1987 the festival was resumed as a one evening event, and in 2003 it was expanded back to a multi-day festival.<ref>{{cite web | last1 = Trescases | first1 = Heather | title = Strawberry Festival Historical Sketch | url = http://bellevuestrawberryfestival.org/Content.asp?ID=362 | website = Bellevue, WA Strawberry Festival | access-date = February 22, 2017 | archive-date = August 8, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070808002029/http://bellevuestrawberryfestival.org/Content.asp?ID=362 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

Bellevue is host to the Northwest Ukrainian International Festival, founded in 2017 and one of the largest Ukrainian culture festivals in the United States.<ref>{{cite news |last=Saunders |first=Hannah |date=September 9, 2022 |title=Northwest Ukrainian International Festival returns to Bellevue |url=https://www.bellevuereporter.com/news/northwest-ukrainian-international-festival-returns-to-bellevue/ |work=Bellevue Reporter |accessdate=December 30, 2023}}</ref> Since the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]] in early 2022, the [[Grand Kyiv Ballet]] has been based at the International Ballet Academy in Bellevue.<ref>{{cite news |last=Davis |first=Mike |date=December 20, 2023 |title=How Bellevue became home to Ukraine's ballet diaspora |url=https://www.kuow.org/stories/how-bellevue-became-home-to-ukraine-s-ballet-diaspora |publisher=KUOW |accessdate=December 30, 2023}}</ref>

===Museums and arts===
[[File:BellevueArtsMuseum01.jpg|thumb|right|Bellevue Arts Museum]]
The [[Bellevue Arts Museum]] first opened in 1975, then moved to Bellevue Square in 1983. In 2001, the museum moved into its own building, designed by [[Steven Holl]]. The museum subsequently ran into financial difficulties and was closed to the public in 2003. After a lengthy fundraising campaign, a remodel, and a new mission to become a national center for the fine art of craft and design, the museum reopened on June 18, 2005 with an exhibition of teapots.<ref>{{cite web | last = Pastier | first = John | date = January 8, 2001 | url = http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=2936 | title = Bellevue Art Museum | publisher = [[HistoryLink.org]] | access-date = December 7, 2006}}</ref>

The [[Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art]] – now closed – contained one of the largest doll collections in the world—more than a thousand dolls—displayed on two floors of a Victorian-style building,<ref>{{cite web | year = 2006 | url = http://www.dollart.com/ | title = Rosalie Whyel Doll Museum | access-date = December 7, 2006 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061014223521/http://www.dollart.com/ | archive-date = October 14, 2006}}</ref> which is now the site of the [[KidsQuest Children's Museum]].

Near Interstate 405 is [[Meydenbauer Center]], a convention center that brings corporate meetings and charity events to the downtown area. Meydenbauer also includes a 410-seat theater which attracts operas, ballets, and orchestral performances.<ref>{{cite news | title = Study Meydenbauer expansion options carefully | author = Wallace, Robert | url = http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2007/07/09/focus5.html | newspaper = Puget Sound Business Journal | date = July 8, 2007 | access-date = December 16, 2010}}</ref>

The city government has planned to build a [[performing arts center]], tentatively named the [[Tateuchi Center]] (named for philanthropist [[Ina Tateuchi]]), since the 1980s.<ref>{{cite news | last = Rosenberg | first = Mike | date = March 16, 2018 | title = Fight rages on over Kemper's private helicopter landing spot in downtown Bellevue | url = https://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/fight-rages-on-over-kempers-private-helicopter-landing-spot-in-downtown-bellevue/ | work = The Seattle Times | access-date = December 20, 2018}}</ref> It would include a 2,000-seat concert hall, offices, and creative spaces at a site in [[Downtown Bellevue]]. The $200 million project is partially funded with private donations and grants from the city and county governments.<ref>{{cite news | last = Kelety | first = Josh | date = April 16, 2018 | title = County Funding for Eastside Performing Arts Center in Jeopardy | url = http://www.seattleweekly.com/news/county-funding-for-eastside-performing-arts-center-in-jeopardy/ | work = [[Seattle Weekly]] | access-date = December 20, 2018}}</ref>

===Sports and recreation===
Since the 1970s, the city has taken an active role in ensuring that its commercial development does not overwhelm its natural land and water resources.<ref>{{cite book | title = Yard, Street, Park: The Design of Suburban Open Space | year = 1996 | publisher = John Wiley and Sons | isbn = 978-0-471-17844-6 | pages = 213–216 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=u6xqBKdpSdgC&pg=PA213 | author1 = Girling, Cynthia L. | author2 = Helphand, Kenneth I.}}</ref> Today, the Bellevue Parks and Community Services Department manages more than {{convert|2,500|acre|km2}} of parks and open spaces, including the Downtown Park and the [[Bellevue Botanical Garden]], as well as several playgrounds, beach parks, and trails. More than 5,500 Bellevue residents participate in volunteer activities through this department annually.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.bellevuewa.gov/pdf/Parks/bellevue_parks_at_a_glance.pdf | title = Bellevue Parks at a Glance | author = Bellevue Parks & Community Services | year = 2010 | access-date = December 16, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20101216165530/http://bellevuewa.gov/pdf/Parks/bellevue_parks_at_a_glance.pdf | archive-date = December 16, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Bellevue was home to the [[American Basketball Association (21st century)|American Basketball Association]] team, the Bellevue Blackhawks. The Blackhawks in 2005, despite being ranked 13th in the league, made it to the championship game in front of 15,000 fans in [[Little Rock, Arkansas]].<ref>{{cite news|date=November 1, 2006|title=IBAC Corporation Unit Announces Alignment with the American Basketball Associations (ABA) Arkansas Rivercatz|newspaper=Business Wire|url=http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-5978352/IBAC-Corporation-Unit-Announces-Alignment.html|url-status=live|access-date=December 16, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615065910/http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-5978352/IBAC-Corporation-Unit-Announces-Alignment.html|archive-date=June 15, 2011}}</ref> The team has been inactive since 2006.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.slamonline.com/online/columnists/2008/12/dead-balls/ | title = Dead Balls: A reporter exposes the ABA graveyard | last1 = Caputo | first1 = Matt | last2 = Munson | first2 = Chris | date = December 3, 2008 | work = SLAM Magazine Online | access-date = December 16, 2010}}</ref>

The city has a small baseball stadium, [[Bannerwood Park]], that has a listed capacity of 700 spectators.<ref>{{cite web |title=GCU Baseball 2020 Media Guide |page=11 |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/gculopes.com/documents/2020/2/11/2020_GCU_Baseball_Media_Guide.pdf |publisher=[[Grand Canyon University]] |accessdate=February 23, 2023}}</ref> The [[Seattle Redhawks]] of the [[Western Athletic Conference]], an [[NCAA Division I]] baseball team, have played their home games in Bellevue since 2010.<ref>{{cite news |last=Willits |first=Joel |date=February 24, 2010 |title=Seattle University opens up season at Bannerwood Park with loss to St. Martin's |url=https://www.bellevuereporter.com/sports/seattle-university-opens-up-season-at-bannerwood-park-with-loss-to-st-martins/ |work=Bellevue Reporter |accessdate=February 23, 2023}}</ref>