Feeling tired of the same old family activities? We bet your kids are too. Luckily, there are dozens of interesting and fun festivals and family events around Washington State every year for you to liven up your family outings! Start with this list to get you going and ditch those boring old standbys.
Seafair Festival
Lasting all summer long, Seafair is Seattle’s favorite festival, and families all across western Washington agree! Seafair brings some huge entertainment to Seattle, including the Blue Angels that fly through the air, hydroplane races and more, plus, practically every neighborhood in Seattle also holds their own celebrations for families to join in on — from parades to block parties to concerts to art walks. Be sure to visit the Seafair website, where you’ll find a huge calendar filled with family-friendly events.
Locations: Various places around Seattle and the surrounding areas
Phone: 206-728-0123
Website: seafair.com
Puyallup Fair
Do the Puyallup! That’s the slogan of the Puyallup Fair, and families from all around Washington travel to little old Puyallup to have a good time. This is a classic fair with livestock and other farm animals (don’t miss seeing all the baby animals!), live music, carnival rides and games and, of course, the ever popular fair food! At the Puyallup Fair, you can’t miss the Fair Scones — they are world famous… or at least Washington famous!
Location: Puyallup Fair Grounds, 110 Ninth Ave. S., Puyallup, WA 98371
Phone: 253-841-5045
Website: thefair.com
Ski to Sea Festival
Head to Bellingham for this family event — the Ski to Sea Festival literally has participants from all over the world skiing to the sea… and you get to watch! From Mt. Baker Ski Area to Bellingham Bay, you can watch nearly every bit of the race with your kids. Or just hang around in Bellingham to catch the race related festivities such as the parades (one for the kids and one main parade), the carnival, the car and art shows and more. There’s even a kids’ version of the Ski to Sea race, the Jr. Ski to Sea, where they can participate in a relay-style race!
Location: Various locations around Bellingham, WA
Phone: 360-746-8861
Website: www.skitosea.com
Winterfest
It’s winter time in Washington and although that doesn’t guarantee any snow, it does guarantee some fun at Winterfest. Located at the Seattle Center, Winterfest is an annual family event that includes strolling carolers, ice sculpting competitions, a menorah lighting ceremony and, most popular, an indoor ice skating rink! And the best news… every event at Winterfest is free!
Location: Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St., Seattle, WA 98109
Phone: 206-684-7200
Website: seattlecenter.com/winterfest
Bumbershoot
Where music and art meet every Labor Day weekend in Seattle, Bumbershoot comes alive. More and more families in Seattle are making Bumbershoot an annual activity, even spending multiple days at the event. Bumbershoot (which is a word for umbrella, by the way!), brings in some of the most popular musical acts in the nation, plus tons of unknowns and up-and-coming artists that you’ll fall in love with. There are specific kid-friendly areas of Bumbershoot, but in general, despite there being a lot of people at this festival, it is a fun place to expose your children to some new music that isn’t sung by a Disney star!
Location: Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St., Seattle, WA 98109
Phone: 206-673-5060
Website: bumbershoot.org
More Washington attractions
CityGuide: Lunch spots in Seattle, WA
Spend the day in Bellingham
Families love the Magnolia neighborhood
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