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.
Be sure to check out Thrifty NW Moms Summer Fun Page for park reviews and other frugal summer fun ideas, as well as our roundup of Summer Reading Programs in the Pacific NW and our around the Pacific NW too! We’ve got a big list of summer festivals and fair in the Northwest as well.
Sounds Fun Mom always has a great list of events local to the South Sound area of WA as well, so make sure to check out her extensive list.
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 June 22nd:
*Fire Department Safety Day – Seattle; 6/22; 10am to 1pm; On this day, kids of all ages can view fire equipment on display in the east parking lot of the museum and meet the men and women who serve them. Kids (and adults too) will have the opportunity to climb aboard a fire engine, see how tall an aerial ladder extends, talk with firefighters and department personnel, and learn fire and life safety skills through fun activities.
*Auburn Kids Day – Auburn; 6/22; 11am to 4pm. This is a very popular event that takes place at Les Gove Park (it gets crowded)! Live entertainment, inflatable rides, mini golf, arts & crafts, face painting, activities and information fair featuring over 70 vendors, food concessions and more. Thanks Sounds Fun Mom!
*The Next 50 Video Arcade - Seattle; through June 30th; 11am to 7pm; free exhibit; Play and learn about video game progression throughout the years in this interactive display.
*Free Casper Babypants Concert – Seattle; 6/22; 7:00pm; Hear a concert by popular kids’ entertainer Caspar Babypants, featuring music on guitar and piano.
*Movies In The Park – Puyallup; 6/22; Dusk; Movies in the Park. Watch the movie “Zoo Keeper” (rated PG) under the stars. Bring a blanket or chair. Concessions available. 7 p.m. pre-show activities; movie starts at dusk.
*FreeTête-à-têter At Frye Museum – Seattle; 6/225; 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; 6/15; 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 June 23rd:
*Seattle Centers ‘The Next 50′ celebration - Seattle; through 10/21; Join The Next Fifty for a full schedule of Opening Day activities launching the six-month celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. Most of the events are FREE.
*Kandle Pool Grand Opening – Tacoma; 6/23; Free wave pool grand opening. Enjoy free open swims and live music today, first 250 will get a free hot dog or orange and water and more.
*International Festival - Seatac; 6/23- 6/24; Cultural village, entertainment, vendors, food, children’s area ($5) and more. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
*Bellevue Strawberry Festival – Bellevue; 6/23 – 6/24; Celebrate Bellevue’s agricultural past with the Eastside Heritage Museum’s mini museum displays, plus enjoy live entertainment, strawberry shortcake eating contests, family fun area, classic cars, food and crafts. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
*Free Casper Babypants Concert – Seattle; 6/23; 10:30am; Hear a concert by popular kids’ entertainer Caspar Babypants, featuring music on guitar and piano.
*Touch A Truck – Tukwila; 6/23; 11am to 3pm; Free event. Kids can explore trucks of all types with help from the professionals who use them. Vehicles on display may include construction trucks, utility vehicles, emergency responders, buses and semi trucks. Tow Mater from Disney’s Cars will be on hand for photo opportunities for a fee that will benefit projects by the Tukwila Rotary.
*Buckley Log Show – Buckley; 6/23 – 6/24; Starts at noon on Sat. and 11am Sun.; Free admission; Watch a variety of logging competitions; parade and more. Thanks Sounds Fun Mom!
*Bellevue Botanical Garden 20th Anniversary – Bellevue; 6/23; 2pm to 5pm; Free. Celebrate the garden’s 20th anniversary with the opening of the new fuchsia garden, tours, tea ceremony, kids’ activities and more.
*Beach Explorations – Throughout the Puget Sound; see website for specific locations and times. Join beach naturalists and explore the beach at low tide. Free.
*Camlann Village Weekend – Carnation; Noon to 5 p.m. Through July 22 and Sept. 1-23. Live portrayals of medieval villagers and every-day village activities. $5 suggested donation, free ages 4 and younger.
*Bellevue Art Museums Get Crafty Saturday – Bellevue; 6/16; 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.
* Science & Technology Center (MaST) – Saturdays 10am – 2pm; kids can explore sea life with touch tanks & more. Thanks Sounds Fun Mom!
Thursday June 28th:
*Half Priced Admission Imagine Childrens Museum – Everett; 6/28; Thursday 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. is half priced ( $3.88)
PORTLAND AREA:
Here’s our list of weekly events for the Portland area. For more Portland happenings, check out the PDX Kids Calendar, a comprehensive events-based website for families in the Portland area.
Friday June 22nd:
*Siletz Bay Music Festival - Lincoln City; through – 6/24; See website for full schedule of musical events!
*Free Entrance To The Portland Art Museum- Portland; 6/22; at 5:00pm to 8:00pm. The Portland Art Museum offers free admission on the fourth Friday of every month.
*Festival of Balloons – Tigard; 6/22 – 6/24; Get up at dawn to watch the hot-air balloons launch, enjoy music, food, carnival rides, and more. Admission is $5 online/$7 day of.
*Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts - Lake Oswego; 6/22 – 6/24; 12pm to 4pm; Kids Day is Friday 12pm to 4pm; The 49th Annual Festival features a craft fair, wine and beer tent, music, theater, and Kids’ Day activities on Friday afternoon. Free.
*Sternwheeler Days - Columbia Gorge; 6/22 – 6/23; This historic festival features live entertainment, food and craft vendors, kid’s games, sightseeing cruises, a dunk tank, bingo, of course, sternwheelers.
*Good in the Hood - Portland; 6/22 – 6/34; See website for times; Multicultural festival featuring music, parade, kids activities, and more. Entry fee is two cans of food.
*Family Movie Night at Café Sip-n-Play - Portland; 6/22; 5:00pm; Free Movie Night. Grab a bite to eat, relax, and unwind while you enjoy a movie with the little atmosphere.
* Art & More , Be A Messy Monkey - Portland; 6/22; 10:00am to 12:00pm; Drop-in Art, play and relax while enjoying a warm beverage, socializing with other families & making art! Each week we offer a special project and additional 2-3 sensory art stations. 8 hr/per parent and child . Due to popular demand you must pre-register here
*Music From Mr. Hoo from The Alphabeticians – Portland; 6/22; 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.
*Sing a Long With Tyleena – Portland; 6/22 & 6/23; 10am; Join us for a musical sing a-long and story time with the fantastic Tyleena! Sing along to your favorite songs and books. Pick up a tambourine, drum or shaker and jam with us while learning some basic rhythm skills. Fun for the whole family! $3 donation.
Saturday June 23rd:
*Summer Kite Festival - Lincoln City; 6/23 – 6/24; 10am to 4pm; Free. See some of the largest kites in the world. Kids will also a kite and march in a kid’s kite parade.
* Recycled Arts Festival - Vancouver; 6/23; 9am to 3pm; Peruse the artists’ wares, help your kids make their own handiwork, relax and listen to music, and get all sorts of info on what you can do to improve the environment!
*River Heritage Day - Portland; 6/23; 10am to 3pm; A celebration of West Linn’s history, Have fun exploring the stories and images of pioneers and scoundrels, early industrial firsts, the 1873 navigation canal and four-lift locks at the falls, early steamboats, boat-building and the wood train to Willamette. Learn how you can help to get the Locks reopened, and more.
*Closer 2012 Electronic Music Festival - Portland; 6/23; 12pm to 7pm; A free, family-friendly event featuring a selection of house and techno acts.
*Lets Go Camping – Various state park locations, weekends through 8/24; $20 per family. Tent, sleeping bags and mattress pads provided if iy need them. Lots of fun activities for everyone. There are 17 weekend events scheduled at various state parks. A very secure event with ranger-led activities and experienced volunteers on hand to assist you 24/7. Call 888-953-7677 to reserve spots. For more information head here and click on the Let’s Go Camping link on the left side of the page.
*Family Movie Night at Café Sip-n-Play - Portland; 6/23; 5:00pm; Free Movie Night. Grab a bite to eat, relax, and unwind while you enjoy a movie with the little atmosphere. This weekend: .
*Family Happy Hour at Eat. Art. Theater - Portland; 6/23; Every Saturday from 4-6, join us for family friendly music and happy hour food and drink specials with some of Portland’s finest kids acts! Every week, two different acts take the stage to enlighten and entertain. Guests include: The Alphabeticians, Professor Banjo, The Snail People, Mo Phillips, Mr. Ben, and more!
* Free Family Swim At Marshall Community Center - Vancouver; 6/23; 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 ; 6/23; 10:30am to 12:00pm; For $5.50 children 10 and under can skate (skates included). Parents free with paid child admission.
*Free Guided Nature Walk – Portland – 6/23; 10:00am to 11:30am; Enjoy free guided walks with park ranger.
Sunday June 24th:
Sunday Parkways: This time the party is in North Portland. Enjoy activities, food, music, and more at Peninsula, Arbor Lodge, Kenton, and McCoy Parks, plus Columbia Annex and Willamette Bluff. 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Monday June 25th:
*Washington County Museum Free Admission – Portland; 6/25; 10:00am to 4:30pm; Admission is free to this museum every Monday.
*Mondays On The Mall – Portland – Downtown Central Transit Mall; 6/25; Various Times; Free events all day including Wii play, caricatures, the original photo booth and entertainment.
Thursday June 28th:
*Lunch Time With Mr. Ben at Eat. Art. Theater - Portland; 6/28; Every Thursday from 11-12pm, join us for family friendly music! Every week Mr. Ben performs and kids are free to interact.
NATIONAL EVENTS:
*Free Craft Activities at Lakeshore Learning Stores– Sat. 6/23; 11am to 3pm; Kids can come to this free craft time each week for a new craft (plus print a $5 off $25 coupon).
*Lowes Build And Grow Clinic - Saturday 6/23; 10:00am; Come join Lowes Build and Grow Clinic. This week they will be making a Madagascar themed assault vehicle . Register here.
*Kids Skate Free Program – Kids 12 and under can get 2 free skate passes per week during the summer.
*Kids Bowl Free – 2 free bowling passes per child per day for the summer months.
*Kids Bowl Free AMF Program - Kids 15 and under can bowl 2 free games per day through Sept. 3rd.
*Michaels Passport To Imagination Event - 6/23; 1:00pm to 4:00pm; Come learn about Poland with crafts . Free.
*Michaels Passport To Imagination Event - 6/26; 1:00pm to 4:00pm; Come learn about China with crafts . Free.
*Michaels Passport To Imagination Event - 6/28; 1:00pm to 4:00pm; Come learn about Madagascar with crafts . Free.
* Summer Movie Express - $1 movies on Tues. & Wed. through the summer with this program.
*Barnes and Noble Free Storytime - 6/23; Times and events vary by location. Check your location for specific story’s available this weekend.
{ 1 comment }
Hey, Jen and Sia,
That link to the Zookeeper movie in Puyallup isn’t taking me anywhere, and as far as I know, movies in the park don’t start until July. Is this showing somewhere else, maybe? Or am I just not looking in the right place?
There is a free movie on South Hill through Pierce County Parks and Rec. today (Friday). It’s How to Train Your Dragon.http://www.co.pierce.wa.us/pc/abtus/ourorg/parks/movienpark.htm