If summertime makes you want to do as many things outside as possible, you won't be disappointed this weekendâthere are festivals both nearby and day-trip worthy for people who love music, food, arts, theater, and everything in between, ranging from the Capitol Hill Block Party to Bite of Seattle, and from the Seafair Indian Days Powwow to the Sequim Lavender Festival. See them all below, and plan ahead for the weekends to come on our festivals calendar or our outside calendar.
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ARTS
Gig Harbor Summer Art Festival
This festival in its 35th year will feature art from over 100 artists, local authors and illustrators, live music, children's activities, art demonstrations, and an exhibit by members of the Peninsula Art League.
Saturday-Sunday, Downtown Gig Harbor
Salish Sea Anti-Space Symposium (SSASS) 2019
The anarchist gallery is "celebrating" the 50th anniversary of the lunar landing in its own special way: by drawing attention to the Seattle juxtaposition of "constantly-increasing numbers of unhoused people" and "a half-dozen delusional billionaires groping for the stars." This multidisciplinary party will express their anti-space-exploration platform through talks (the Black Panther Party's Elmer Dixon, UW climate scientist and artist Judy Twedt, the Tulalip Tribe's Natural Resources and Treaty Rights Commissioner Terry Williams, and others), a children's "lively musical reinterpretation of the Apollo 11 moon landing," punk music by Pigeon, comedy by Emmett Montgomery, a poster show, and more. Whether or not you agree with their position, this should be a fascinating evening full of local talent and intellect.
Friday-Sunday, Pipsqueak Gallery (Central District)
SandBlast Festival of the Arts
Enjoy two days of live music, artist booths, sand sculpting, and more family-friendly activitiesâplus a beer and wine garden for adults.
Saturday-Sunday, McCormick Park (Duvall)
COMMUNITY
7th Annual Car Show 4 Kids
Got a cool-looking car, truck, or motorcycle? Show it off (or just check out others') at this fundraiser for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. There will also be door prizes and raffles, food trucks, and more.
Saturday, Emerald Downs (Auburn)
Chinatown Parade
See lion and dragon dances, a performance from the Seattle Chinese Girls Drill Team, and other local community groups at Chinatown's annual parade.
Sunday, Eighth Ave S and S King Street (Chinatown-International District)
Covington Days Festival
Covington's summer festival features a parade, carnival games, arts and crafts, a watermelon-eating contest, and more family-friendly activities.
Saturday-Sunday, 169th Pl SE & SE 270th Pl (Convington)
Des Moines Waterland Festival and Parade
The park will host an arts and crafts market, a Waterland Parade, kids' activities, artsy vendors, and more.
Saturday, Des Moines Beach Park
King County Fair
Billing itself as the longest-running fair west of the Mississippi, the King County Fair includes carnival rides and games, 4-H exhibits, vendors, and more classic family fun.
Friday-Sunday, Enumclaw Expo Center
Lakefair
Head to the state's capital for this multi-day festival featuring a carnival, live entertainment, arts and crafts vendors, a car show, a basketball tournament, a parade, fireworks, and more.
Friday-Sunday, Heritage Park (Olympia)
North Bend Downtown Block Party
Breathe in some fresh Snoqualmie River air at this all-day block party replete with food, vendors, and family activities. There will also be dance and martial arts performances, and live music from bands.
Saturday, Downtown North Bend
Olde Burien Block Party
Burien will close its main downtown street to make way for live music, beer gardens, and kids' activities.
Saturday, SW 152nd St and 10th Ave SW (Burien)
Parkadilly Kids Concert Fair and Fun
Kids can groove along to live performances by Recess Monkey, Rhythms of India, Northwest Tap Connection, Joyas Mestizas, and Hoopsmiles, bond with animals in a petting zoo, take an REI wilderness survival workshop for kids, make arts and crafts, and check out "kid-centric vendors."
Sunday, Lake Sammamish State Park (Issaquah)
Renton Summerfest
This festival brings together and celebrates the Renton community with live music, art activities, games, food, an outdoor movie, a rummage sale, and much more for a day full of fun.
Saturday, City of Renton Pavilion Event Center
Sequim Lavender Festival
After a long winter hibernation, the lavender fields of Sequim come abloom to soothe the souls and nasal passages of passersby. Take in the sights, shop for lavender goods, and more.
Friday-Sunday, Carrie Blake Park (Sequim)
Vashon Island Strawberry Festival
Despite its name, the Vashon Strawberry Festival brings a lot more than sweet red fruits. The 109-year-old community event also brings a car show, live music, local artists, a carnival, a beer garden, pancake breakfasts, and much more for the whole family.
Friday-Sunday, Various locations (Vashon Island)
Walla Walla Sweet Onion Festival
The official Washington State vegetable can make you cry on a dime, but it also adds character to almost any savory dish, just like a true heartbreaker. This annual festival along downtown Walla Walla's Main Street hosts onion growers, BBQ cook-offs, a farmer's market, a fun run, a grape stomp (Walla Walla's famous for its wine, too), a classic car show, and more.
Saturday, West Main St (Walla Walla)
West Seattle Grand Parade
This annual parade has been happening since 1935, and includes pirates, clowns, marching bands, drill teams, floats, members of Hi-Yu royalty, and other general pageantry.
Saturday, California Ave SW and SW Lander Street (West Seattle)
Whidbey Island Fair
Enjoy entertainment as well as education at this fair, which will have farming demonstrations in addition to the usual rides, carnival games, petting zoo, and more.
Friday-Sunday Whidbey Island Fair Events Center (Langley)
White Center Jubilee Days
White Center's long-running Seafair event features a street fair with local vendors and food purveyors, a main stage with live acts, a beer garden, a car show, a parade, and a carnival.
Friday-Sunday, Various locations (White Center)
CULTURE
Kla Ha Ya Days Festival
This festival celebrates Snohomish's native community and cultural history with a carnival, a kids' fair, a grand parade, and a car show.
Friday-Sunday, Harvey Field (Snohomish)
2019 Seattle Bon Odori
This celebration of traditional Japanese culture will bring dance performances, live music, food, and more to Seattle for the 87th year.
Saturday-Sunday, Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple (Chinatown-International District)
2019 Seafair Indian Days Powwow
This 32nd annual Seafair tradition hosted by United Tribes of All Indians brings together Native American tribes from all over the Pacific Northwest for three days of Indian cooking, jewelry-making, live music, and traditional dancing.
Friday-Sunday, Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center (Magnolia)
Natsu Matsuri Outdoor Summer Festival
Enjoy live entertainment, eating contests, games, and over 15 food booths at this annual festival in Chinatown.
Saturday-Sunday, Uwajimaya (Chinatown-International District)
FOOD & DRINK
Bite of Seattle
Seattle boasts plenty of food and drink festivals year-round, but Bite of Seattleâbilled as âSeattle's original and largest food and beverage showcaseâ and claiming to draw more than 375,000 guests each yearâis the most well-known gluttonous gathering by far, having been in business since 1982. Each year, the event assembles upwards of 200 food and specialty vendors, as well as offering craft beer and cider tastings, beer gardens, live cooking demos and mystery ingredient cook-offs with local chefs on the âBite Cooksâ stage, and more. When you canât eat any more, wander over to the free outdoor movie night for a viewing of Wayneâs World on Friday, or to one of three stages for live music by a range of artists throughout the weekend. JULIANNE BELL
Friday-Sunday, Seattle Center
Federal Way Rhythm & Brews Festival
Because beer and blues go together like hard luck and bad company, spend a day with folksters Lost and Found, Mark Hurwitz and Gin Creek, and Kristi Lynn while sipping brews, ciders, and wines from 20 regional craft breweries.
Saturday, Town Square Park (Federal Way)
Food Truck Fest 2019
Head to Tacoma to feast on cuisines of all kinds, from It's Greek to Me to Kama'aina Grill.
Sunday, Wright Park (Tacoma)
Seattle Night Market: Europe
If you can't jaunt across the pond, take your tastebuds on a trip to this street market with pop-ups, entertainment, and Euro-inspired flavors.
Saturday, South Lake Union Saturday Market
GEEK
Bones & Brews - Fossils, Crystals & Minerals
FossilEra and Dreadnought Brewery are teaming up for a weekend of fossils, crystals, craft beer, and local eats. While adults drink beer and shop for cool rocks, kids can search for treasures in a dig pit.
Friday-Sunday, FossilEra Warehouse (Monroe)
Ferndale Renaissance Faire
Both history and fantasy lovers will find something to enjoy at this medieval themed fair, from belly dancing, to soap making, to fighting demonstrations and many other activities of the era.
Saturday-Sunday, Pioneer Park (Ferndale)
Lunar Block Party
Venture to Tukwila for a three-day 50th anniversary celebration of the moon landing, where you'll get to witness a performance by American Idol season 17 winner Laine Hardy, chat with space experts, look at outer space through a telescope, eat from food trucks, and much more. Plus, since the moon landing happened in 1969, much of the weekend features flash-back events like a performance from Beatles tribute band Britishmania and a classic car show.
Friday-Sunday, Museum of Flight (Tukwila)
MUSIC
10th Annual Cornbread Ball
Slim's 10th annual Cornbread Ball features a whole heap of deep-fried greasy goodness, musical and otherwise, from the likes of Tom Howard, Joe Buck Yourself, Wildcat Rose, Ohio Valley Boys, and many more.
Saturday, Slim's Last Chance Chili Shack and Watering Hole (Georgetown)
BrodieNation Music Festival 2019
For the 13th year in a row, BrodieNation will return for a fest in the woods featuring two days of music on split stages with 28 PNW music acts (including Whitney Mongé, the Blake Noble Band, the Salmonberries, and Everson Pines) and a special edition of Nectar's Mo' Jam Monday. This year's event is Game of Thrones-themed.
Friday-Saturday, Club Tolt (Carnation)
Capitol Hill Block Party 2019
Capitol Hill Block Party is a large-scale weekend music festival that originally started as a charming neighborhood get-together and has since morphed into a massive spectacle of Top 40 headliners and Seattle heavy hitters converging during the dog days of summer in the Pike/Pine corridor. The complete lineup for CHBP 2019 features more than 60 touring and local talentsâincluding headliners like future-bass producer RL Grime, beat-heavy alt-poppers Phantogram, and twerking-flautist phenom Lizzo; mid-range artists like indie heartbreak queen Mitski, bedroom pop savant Cuco, and ambient house project Shallou; and Seattle stunners like soul-rockers the Black Tones, hooky punks Tres Leches, and up-and-coming dance-pop crafter PSA. Check out our full guide for critics' picks, free events to know about, and more.
Friday-Sunday, Various locations (Capitol Hill)
Cornstock 2019
Camp out on a tree farm for three days of live music. The country-heavy lineup features Pacific Northwest acts like Last Chance, Breaking Down the Night, Long Distance Operator, Swinging the Axe, and Voice of Monarchs.
Friday-Sunday, Cornstock (Snohomish)
Darrington Bluegrass Festival
The Darrington Bluegrass Festival has been going strong for 43 years running, with a lineup of live bluegrass jams, food, booze, and vendor booths, all set against the natural backdrop of beautiful Darrington. This year's headliners include Becky Buller, Jeff Scroggins & Colorado, Country Current, Special Consensus, and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver.
Friday-Sunday, Darrington Bluegrass Music Park
Icicle Creek Chamber Music Festival
The 25th Annual Icicle Creek International Chamber Music Festival beckons, with three weekend-long sessions of musical experiences brought to you by beloved composers and world-class artistsâlike Oksana Ezohkina, Melia Watras, Michael Jinsoo Lim, and Christina Dahlâin an intimate woodland setting.
Friday-Saturday, Icicle Creek Center for the Arts (Leavenworth)
Northwest String Summit
Americana, bluegrass, indie rock, and jam bands like Yonder Mountain String Band, Trampled By Turtles, the Infamous Stringdusters, Fruition, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, the Lil Smokies, and many others will perform among the old-growth trees and alleged wild peacocks of Horning's Hideout.
Friday-Sunday, Horning's Hideout (North Plains, OR)
2019 Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival
The Seattle Chamber Music Society is, once again, throwing its Summer Festival, with free informal recitals and full orchestral performances for all ages throughout the month of July. The cabal of esteemed artists involved this year will include Andrew Wan, Jonathan Vinocour, Jeewon Park, Tessa Lark, Yura Lee, and many more, with pieces by Mozart, Erwin Schulhoff, and Felix Mendelssohn this weekend. Plus, don't miss the Music Under the Stars series, during which a student ensemble sets up in a park and plays to whoever shows up, often folks with picnic blankets in tow and maybe a surreptitious bottle of wine, after which Benaroya Hall pipes in whatever festival performance is happening that night.
Friday, Benaroya Hall (Downtown)
Vancouver Folk Music Festival
Now in its 42nd year, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival is a good reason as any to pay a visit to our neighbors of the north. This year's lineup brings roots and folk artists from all over, including Basia Bulat, Celeigh Cardinal, Zaki Ibrahim, Rebirth Brass Band, Charlotte Day Wilson, and many others. It also features an artisan market and folk bazaar and food from Pete's Eats.
Friday-Sunday, Jericho Beach Park (Vancounver, B.C.)
Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival
For the 32nd year running, Winthrop's the place to be for all your rhythm & blues needs this summer: a full three days of music with on-site camping, beer gardens, food, and actual showers so you can hold onto some semblance of your humanity.
Friday-Sunday, Blues Ranch (Winthrop)
PERFORMANCE
Island Shakespeare Festival
Head to Whidbey Island to see performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Winter's Tale, and Inferno at this festival in its 10th season.
Friday-Sunday, Island Shakespeare Festival (Langley)
QUEER
Kitsap Pride
Celebrate Kitsap County's LGBTQ+ community with drag queen story time, drag performances, and live music by Megan & Heidi and Tacocat.
Saturday, Evergreen Park (Bremerton)
Seattle Latinx Pride
All LGBTQ+ and Latinx identities (and allies) are invited to this third annual celebration with food, community resource booths, vendors, and more.
Saturday, Plaza Roberto Maestas (Beacon Hill)
Tacoma Pride
Keep Pride going at Tacoma's LGBTQ-centered festival, which will fill downtown with vendors, host an outdoor family-friendly party, and sponsor cultural events.
Friday-Saturday, Various locations (Tacoma)
SHOPPING
Renegade Craft Fair
Every summer, hundreds of crafters from around the region gather in Seattle for the Renegade Craft Fair, a pop-up event with a mission, according to the organizers, to âunite a widespread community of creatives with an engaged fanbase by producing inclusive, vibrant events that illuminate and reflect the contemporary craft movement in support of the creative economy.â Itâs also a great place to find gifts for others (or, more importantly, yourself). KATIE HERZOG
Saturday-Sunday, Magnuson Park Hangar 30 (Sand Point)
Shipwreck Fest
Shop antiques and unique items from over 200 vendors at "one of the largest community garage sales in the state."
Saturday, Downtown Anacortes
