Seattle Annual Events

The Bellevue Arts & Crafts Fair is the premier juried art event in the Northwest. Enjoy 325 artists' booths, free live entertainment, tantalizing foods and activities to delight all ages. Kids will love the award-winning Kidsfair at Bellevue Arts Museum, offering quality hands-on craft activities for children of all ages. Don't miss Chalk It Up! where you can create your own sidewalk chalk masterpiece.

The Bite of Seattle brings together the two most universal things that excite all people, food and entertainment. The Bite is a place where ethnic diversity is celebrated and age is measured only by the size of your appetite. The Bite is held at Seattle Center and features over 100 food booths, 4 beer gardens, 7 outdoor entertainment stages with local and national entertainment, the Family Fun Zone, Comedy Club, Wine Tasting Exhibit, The Bite Cooks!, and many delicious charitable fundraisers.

Since 1971, Bumbershoot has drawn artists representing the best in music, film, comedy, spoken word, dance, visual, performance, and literary arts to the Seattle Center over Labor Day weekend. North America’s largest urban arts festival, Bumbershoot takes place in the heart of the city at the 74-acre Seattle Center. Over 150,000 visitors from near and far spend the weekend reveling in the world of Bumbershoot, experiencing everything from regional favorites to international superstars across all arts disciplines.

Located in the funky and friendly Fremont neighborhood—Seattle's own "Center of the Universe"—Fremont Fair celebrates the Summer Solstice and the best of our community: art, spirit, sharing, celebration and working together to help each other. During Fair weekend, people from all walks of life come together to shop, eat, drink, perform, smile, dance, run, converse, debate, groove and parade.

Over 350,000 tiny twinkling lights will transform Bellevue Botanical Garden into a winter wonderland every evening during this nationally recognized display. Hundreds of volunteers bundle strings of commercial grade outdoor lights into three dimensional flowers, shrubs, vines, and critters, creating a spectacular holiday display of brilliance and providing a magical setting for an evening stroll for all.

A celebration of the returning salmon to our lakes, streams and downtown hatchery. This two day event held annually the first full weekend in October draws crowds of more than 150,000 people. Salmon Days features a weekend full of salmon and free fun, including more than 300 artists, the Foods of the World, a Grande Parade, 5k and 10k runs, four stages of live entertainment, the Field of Fun, salmon viewing, and much more.

Held over Memorial Day weekend at the Seattle Center, the Northwest Folklife Festival is one of the largest, most varied and most vibrant free folklife celebrations in North America. It hosts more than 7,000 participants, 27 stages and venues, roughly 1000 performances, and an audience of approximately 220,000. Participants immerse themselves in four days of music and dance performances, visual arts and folklore exhibits, symposia, workshops, craft and cooking demonstrations, and films.

Kick off the summer at the Pike Place Market Street Festival. Enjoy free live music and entertainment, live chef demos, kids' activities, a dog parade, wine & cheese tasting, a beer garden, chalk art exhibition, arts and crafts booths, and more.

The Puyallup Fair is the largest single attraction held annually in the state of Washington. The Fair continually ranks in the top ten largest fairs in the world. The Western Washington Fair Association hosts two annual events, the 17-day Puyallup Fair every September, and the four-day Puyallup Spring Fair every April.

Every summer since 1950, Seafair has brought the entire Seattle-area community together in celebration. The exciting events that take place during the five-week festival are far too many to name, but some highlights include hydroplane races, an air show featuring the Blue Angels, the Torchlight Parade, Milk Carton Derby, triathlon, live concerts, fireworks display, and so much more. Don't miss it!

The SICF is a celebration of world cultures through the performing arts, held the third week in May at the Seattle Center. Kids and adults alike will enjoy music, dance, storytelling, puppetry, clowning and more from all over the world. In addition to the shows, check out the cool hands-on activities and fun interactive events.

Celebrate the culture and art of the moving image at this outstanding festival of features, documentaries, short films and animation that inform, educate and entertain. With over 550 screenings of 270 features and 140 shorts in 25 days, SIFF is the largest film festival in the United States.