Here is this week’s list of family-friendly free or frugal events for around the Northwest, as well as some events going on around the country. Don’t forget to check out Goldstar for Discount Tickets on many local activities and events, if you are looking for a specific event and want to save some money!
Be sure to check out Thrifty NW Moms Fall Fun Page for frugal fall fun ideas, as well as our big list of fall festivals and pumpkin farms in the Northwest!
Make sure to check out our Fall Consignment Sale round up here, as there are some great sales happening this fall, especially this weekend.
If you see a fun, frugal event that’s not listed, feel free to leave a comment so we can add that event to our list.
PUGET SOUND AREA::
Friday October 19th:
* Apple Festival – Olympia; 10/19; 9am to 5pm; Enjoy bluegrass music, farm animals, tractor rides, apple bobbing, maze and food. FREE, parking $3.
* Harvest Festival – Tacoma; 10/19; 5pm to 9pm; Free event with activities for children and adults such as a pumpkin patch, Oktoberfest Beer Garden, musical entertainment and a Click! Family Flick feature movie.
*Family Movie Night at the Twirl Cafe - Seattle; 10/19; Movie starts at 6pm, but you can come earlier to get settled. Enjoy a fun and enjoyable age appropriate kids’ movie upstairs in the gym, with a kid-friendly movie snack bar with popcorn, pretzels and more. Parents can enjoy the movie or come to socialize with friends. There is also a selection of board games from Blue Highway Games for kids ages 3 to 10. Movie: TBA (animated, G rated) Free movie and play admission Red Carpet Package: $7.00 includes: One kids meal (snack or small plate), and a bag of snacks. Bag of Snack: $3.00.
*Hamlin Halloween Haunt - Shoreline; 10/19; Join us for spooky songs and tales told around a campfire, hayrides, games and more!
*Goblin Splash – Everett; 10/19; 7:00pm to 8:00pm; Wear a costume for games, prizes and refreshments. Bring a swimsuit for a ghostly swim. FREE swim with canned food or monetary donation.
*Friday Night Live - Everett; 10/19; 5:30pm to 9pm; Admission is FREE to Imagine Children’s Museum on the third Fridays of each month.
*Seattle Centers ‘The Next 50′ celebration - Seattle; Last Weekend! Join The Next Fifty for a full schedule of activities launching the six-month celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. Most of the events are FREE.
*FreeTête-à-têter At Frye Museum – Seattle; 10/19; 11:00am to 5:00pm; Frye Museum entrance and parking are free all the time. You can check their events page here, for a list of weekly events.
*Free Entrance to Seattle Symphony’s “Soundbridge”- Seattle, Beneroya Hall; 10/19; 12:00pm to 4:00pm; Soundbridge is a music discovery center and is free each Friday after 12 pm; Ages 2-5, 30 minute interactive storytelling with song & rhythm, dance & musical instruments.
Saturday October 20th:
* Harvest Fest at Sky Nursery – Shoreline; 10/20; 11am to 4pm; Zucchini races, scavenger hunt, maze, face painting and more. FREE, bring a nonperishable food donation.
*Fall Festival at Swanson’s Nursery - Seattle; 10/20 – 10/21; 10am to 2pm; Have fun with veggie car races, pumpkin decorating, art projects, hay mazes, tractor hay rides, and kids’ pumpkin themed workshops! Free admission ($10 for 10 activity tickets)
*University YMCA Open House - University District; 10/20; 8:30am to 12pm; Free event with free classes all morning long. Open to non-members. Join us for Zumba, Barre, Hip Hop, Turbo Kick, Yoga, and more!
*Trinity Tree Farms Pumpkin Patch- Issaquah; Through October 31st; Enjoy free hayrides, print a coupon for 20% off bouncy house fun and more!
*Turk Fest – Seattle; 10/20 – 10/21; 12pm to 7pm; Experience Turkish culture with ethnic dancers and musicians, language and food workshops, arts and crafts exhibits, and children’s activities. Free.
*Harvest Carnival - North Bend; 10/20; 1pm to 4pm; Put on your costume and enjoy some harvest season fun. Come try your luck at carnival games, enjoy refreshments and have a fright at our G-rated Haunted House. Free (games will have a cost and $1 for haunted house).
*Fall Tree Festival – Tacoma; 10/20; 10am to 3pm; Free. Supervised tree climbing for kids (ropes, harnesses and helmets provided), leaf art projects and scavenger hunt.
*Free Ninja Lessons for Kids – University District; 10/20; 10am to 12pm; Ninja Lessons offers a fun, exciting, and informative look behind the scenes of stage combat. Candace Marie Hackett – a fight choreographer trained in over 10 weapon disciplines – will give participants the opportunity to channel their inner ninja while safely learning knife skills, sword play, and a little ninja and combat history. Part of Arts Crush. For ages 6 and older.
*Free Wing Luke Museum Entrance – Seattle; 10/20; 10:00am to 8:00pm; The Wing Luke Museum offers free admission on the third Saturday of each month. Make Yo Yos this month.
*Glass Pumpkin Patch - Tacoma; 10/20; 9am to 4pm; Free tours available at the Tacoma location. Great way to enjoy art and autumn!
* Cedar River Salmon Journey – Maple Valley; 10/20; 11am to 4pm; Volunteer naturalists will be on hand to answer questions and help you spot salmon spawning in the Cedar River.
*Salmon SEEson – Issaquah; Every Saturday, September 8 to November 10. See salmon return to Issaquah Creek, where you can view spawning from the bridge or through viewing windows. Trained docents from Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery (FISH) will be available 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
*Bellevue Art Museums Get Crafty Saturday – Bellevue; 10/20; 1:00pm to 3:00pm; Free craft time for kids each Saturday. $2 material fee or free with admission.
*Pond Boat Sailing – Seattle; Saturdays and Sundays through November; 11am to 2pm; Join The Center for Wooden Boats for pond boat sailing in Lake Union Park’s Model Boat Pond. Ages 5 and older. $5 suggested donation for boat rental, free first Saturdays.
Sunday October 21st:
* $1 Rides To The Top Of The Space Needle – Seattle; The Seattle Center is celebrating 50 years with their Next Fifty Celebration, which is coming to an end, Sunday, October 21st and is sponsored by Seattle-based drugstore, Bartell Drugs. The Seattle Space Needle will be offering rides to the top for just $1 on Sunday,10/21! This is the price of tickets when they opened in 1962.
Thursday October 25th:
*Half Priced Admission Imagine Childrens Museum – Everett; 10/25 ; Thursday 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. is half priced ( $3.88)
**Sounds Fun Mom always has a great list of events local to the South Sound area of WA as well, if you are looking for more ideas!
PORTLAND AREA:
Here’s our list of weekly events for the Portland area.
Friday October 19th:
Yachats Mushroom Fest - 10/19 – 10/21; See website for times; Enjoy a weekend of wild forest mushroom cuisine, expert led mushroom walks, talks and exhibits, a variety of mushroom workshops, culinary mushroom markets, books, arts, wine tasting, and more. Events range from free to a small fee.
* LEGO® Creation Nation Portland; 10/19 -10/21; 10:00am – 6:00pm. “Join hundreds of LEGO fans in a huge LEGO building event! Help us construct a large-scale map of the United States using LEGO bricks! Build your own creation and add it to the nation!”
* Halloween Fantasy Trail - Oregon City; through 10/30; See website for schedule; Explore over 1,000 feet of wooded walkway all dressed up for the Halloween and haunted by spooky sights and sounds. Adults $5, children under 13 $4.
* Kruger’s Pumpkin Farm and Corn Maze - Portland; through 10/31; Check website for schedules; Bring the family out to enjoy acres of pumpkins, hay rides, a family corn maze, an animal barn, a hay pyramid, caramel apples, corn stalks, gourds, Indian corn, fresh autumn produce, and family activities. Some activities have fees.
*Portland Nursery 25th Anniversary Apple Tasting- 10/19 – 10/21; There are over fifty varieties of apples and pears to taste, plus live music and activities for the whole family.
*Music From Mr. Hoo from The Alphabeticians – Portland; 10/20; 11:00am to 12:00pm; Mr. Hoo will be singing songs with and for kids. He’ll play his guitar and sing some original songs, some Alphabeticians songs, some classic kid songs and Hoo knows what else? $3 suggested donation pp.
Saturday October 20th:
*Happy Valley Harvest Fest - Portland; 10/20; 11am to 3pm; Bring the family out to enjoy tractor-pulled wagon rides, live music, kids activities, farm animals and more.
*Oregon Maritime Museum - Portland; 10/20; 11am to 4pm; Free Family Day at the museum (2 adults and 2 children under the age of 14 enjoy free admission).
*Harvest Hoe-Down - Portland; 10/13; 4pm to 10pm; Take a nighttime hayride out to the pumpkin patch, pick your prize pumpkin, marvel over the corn maze, check out the big bonfire, listen to live music, and top it off with a fresh caramel apple. $10 per car after 6:00 pm. Children 13 and under free of charge.
*Wooden Shoe Pumpkin Fest - Portland; through 10/31; Come enjoy fall activities including: a hay pirate ship, tube slides, hay tent, paintball gallery, archery, calf roping, giant spider web, hay wagon and the famed Iverson Potato Cannon, cow train through the corn maze, and more. FREE to all ages for the Gift Shop, pumpkin patch, farm market and more. There is a fee for other activities (Free under 5, 5-12yrs is $6 and 7 and up is $7).
* West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta - Tualatin Commons; 10/20; 10am to 4pm Come watch the race with 1000 lb. pumpkin “boats” around the Lake at Tualatin Commons, costume contest, pumpkin carving, live music, and more.
* Monster Mash Magnet Making - Portland; 10/20; 11am to 4pm; Stop by Green Bean anytime to make a Monster Mash Magnet at their crafty magnet-making station.
* Free Family Swim At Marshall Community Center - Vancouver; 10/20; 4:45pm to 6:30pm; Bauman Chiropractic is sponsoring free family swims at Marshall Pool Saturday evenings.
* Kids Saturday Morning Skate Session At Oaks Park – Portland ; 10/20; 10:30am to 12:00pm; For $6 children 10 and under can skate (skates included). Parents free with paid child admission.
*Free Guided Nature Walk – Portland – 10/20; 10:00am to 11:30am; Enjoy free guided walks with park ranger.
Sunday October 21st:
*Wells Fargo 2012 Trail Blazer Fan Fest - Portland; 10/21; 6:00pm; Free tickets and family passes are available at all Wells Fargo locations in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Fans will also be admitted the night of the event by showing a Wells Fargo check/credit card at any entrance. Parking will be free, subject to availability.
Monday October 22nd:
*Washington County Museum Free Admission – Portland; 10/22; 10:00am to 4:30pm; Admission is free to this museum every Monday.
*Mondays On The Mall – Portland – Downtown Central Transit Mall; 10/22; Various Times; Free events all day including Wii play, caricatures, the original photo booth and entertainment.
**For more Portland happenings, check out the PDX Kids Calendar, a comprehensive events-based website for families in the Portland area.
NATIONAL EVENTS:
*Free Craft Activities at Lakeshore Learning Stores– Sat. 10/20; 11am to 3pm; Kids can come to this free craft time each week for a new craft (plus print a $5 off $25 coupon).
*Barnes and Noble Free Storytime - 10/20; Times and events vary by location. Check your location for specific story’s available this weekend.
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There is also a free Halloween Carnival in Shoreline. http://www.shorelinecooperativepreschool.org/carnival/
I think there is also an Air Fair at Hillsboro Airport (west of Portland) from 11-3, unless it is cancelled due to rain. I think that the event & parking are free, and you get a behind the scenes look at Oregon’s second busiest airport.