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.
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::
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.
Friday July 6th:
*Free Entrance To Hands On Childrens Museum – Olympia; 7/6; 5:00pm to 9:00pm; Free entrance for the evening on the first Friday of each month.
* Half Off Admission To KidsQuest Children’s Musuem – Factoria; 7/6; 5:00pm to 8:00pm; First Friday evening of the month offers free admission.
*Free Entrance To Bellevue Art Museum – Bellevue; 7/6; 11:00am to 8:00pm. First Friday of the month Bellevue Art Museum offers free admission.
*Jetty Island Days - Everett; through 9/3; Jetty Islands Open Day is today. Enjoy Sandblast celebration, pirates hunt, crafts and more. Ferry rides to Jetty Island are free, but donations of $2 per adult and $1 per child help offset this cost and are appreciated. Find the calendar for the all of the Jetty Island Days activities here.
*Funtastic Fridays – Mercer Island; 7/6; 1pm; Join the Fun Mobile crew for wacky, zany fun at nine special Friday events this summer for our new program, “Funtastic Fridays! There will be crafts, games and more. This weeks theme is This week: Fourth of July theme and Brian Waite Band concert at 1:30 p.m .
*Children’s Storytime at Northgate Mall – Kidgits members can come for storytime from 10:30-11:30 at Center Court at Northgate Mall. After storytime, they can enjoy a FREE treat from Baskin Robbins. The first 40 Kidgit members to show their Kidgit membership card (costs $5/year) will also get a FREE book.
*Kids Day at the Juanita Friday Market – Kirkland; 7/6; 3pm to 7pm; On the first Friday of each month through October, kids can enjoy free crafts and a puppet show.
*Columbia City BeatWalk – Columbia City /Seattle; 7/1; 7:00pm to 10:00pm; BeatWalk always features a diverse line-up of first-rate, local musicians hosted by neighborhood businesses for audiences of all ages. $7 for adults. Free ages 14 and under.
*FreeTête-à-têter At Frye Museum – Seattle; 7/6; 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.
On the first Friday of the month Children’s stories are brought to life with movement and play in the Frye Art Museum galleries by Frye educators or librarians from The Seattle Public Library. Visit the galleries after story time. Ages 3 to 5 with adult. Both museum entrance and story time are free
*Free Entrance to Seattle Symphony’s “Soundbridge”- Seattle, Beneroya Hall; 7/6; 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 July 7th:
*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.
*Free Family Days At Seattle Asian Art Museum - Seattle; 7/7; 11:00am to 2:00pm; Admission to the Seattle Asian Art Museum is free on the first Saturday of each month for families. Celebrate the lunar New Year with dragon prints, music and family tours.
*Kids Event at Redmond Saturday Market – Redmond; 7/7; 9am to 3pm; Shop for fresh, local produce, plus Kids are invited to sell their art and crafts at the market. Must pre-register in person at the Info Booth. music and stories by Mr. Darby from 10 a.m. to noon
*The Seafair Pirates are Landing! - West Seattle; 7/7, starts at 9:30 am; Free to come to Alki beach to watch the Seafair Pirates land. Music and fun for all. Don’t forget free beach fun too!
*Pioneer Square Fire Festival – Seattle; 7/7; 11:00am to 5:00pm; Antique fire trucks and police vehicles, pipes and drums and kids’ activities.
*Wallingford Street Fair and Kiddie Parade – North Seattle; 7/7; 11am to 5pm; Children’s parade at 11 a.m. (all children invited to march in the parade), followed by a street fair with vendors, food and more.
*Free Casper Babypants Concert – Seattle; 7/7; 10:30am; Hear a concert by popular kids’ entertainer Caspar Babypants, featuring music on guitar and piano.
*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; 7/7; 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.
Sunday July 8th:
*Return To Renton Cruise In – Renton; 7/8; 10am to 3pm; Free; Classic cars, plus music and entertainment, kids’ activities, vendor displays and sales
Tuesday July 10th:
*Free Casper Babypants Concert – Seattle; 7/10; 10:30am and 1:30pm; Hear a concert by popular kids’ entertainer Caspar Babypants, featuring music on guitar and piano.
*Free Family Days at Westfield Mall - Tukwila; 7/10; 4:30pm; Every country has their own unique architecture, so as part of our “Let’s See the World!” theme, kids will have the ability to make their own house that’s unique to themselves with graham crackers, frosting and candy.
Wednesday July 11th:
*Wild Wacky & Sometimes Wet Wednesday - Bremerton; 7/11 (every Wed. through Aug.); Join The Naval Undersea Museum where kids and parents are invited to drop in from 10:00am to 2:00pm every Wednesday this summer for hands-on activities about the undersea. Free.
Thursday July 12th:
*Half Priced Admission Imagine Childrens Museum – Everett; 7/12; 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 July 6th:
*Gorge Days - Multiple locations in Bonneville Wa.; 7/6-7/7; See website for schedule. Most events are free. Enjoy a Sock Hop, Hot Rod Cruise and fun, food, arts & crafts, and free entertainment, and family activities!
*Free Admission To The Children’s Museum - Portland; 7/6; 4:00pm to 8:00pm; The first Friday of the month you Target sponsors free admission to the Childrens Museum. This month you can make a book.
*First Friday Art Walk - SE Portland; 7/6; 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm; Hosted by Portland’s Eastside art galleries and alternative art venues, First Friday provides arts enthusiasts the opportunity to wander from gallery to gallery for artist receptions and openings during extended hours on the First Friday of every month
* Camas First Friday - Portland; 7/6; 5:00pm to 8:00pm; Come and join us for January’s First Friday- Game, Craft & Cocoa Night! Enjoy family friendly games and crafts throughout participating downtown merchants. Have fun and the chance to win prizes!
*Vancouver First Friday Art Walk - Vancouver; 7/6; 5:00pm – 7:00pm; Join us for a fresh spring evening with refreshments, stimulating conversation and inspiring art! Walking maps will be provided to all attendees. This event is free to attend, but an RSVP is requested by replying to this email at firstfriday.artwalk@yahoo.com.
*Free Walk Climbing Wall – Portland; Now through end of September ; The Rock Climbing wall starts to travel throughout Portland for free rock climbing fun for all. Check website for locations, dates and times in your area!
*Pier Pool - Through 8/1; 1:30pm to 3:30pm; Admission is free every Friday!
*Free Movies In The park Summer Series - Portland; See website for specific times. Come enjoy free movies at various Portland area parks all summer. Pre-movie entertainment begins at 6:30 pm. Movie begins at dark.
*Free Playground Programs & Free lunch – Portland area playgrounds. Enjoy free playground programs and free lunch for kids 0 -18 all summer. See website for locations and times.
*Family Movie Night at Café Sip-n-Play - Portland; 7/6; 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; 7/6; 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; 7/6; 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; 7/6 & 7/8; 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 July 7th:
*Pop-in Saturday: Summer in the City - Portland; 7/7; 12pm; Make tie-dye shirts, headbands, listen to Beatles tunes, blow bubbles, and do some face painting. Free.
*Free Movies In The park Summer Series - Portland; See website for specific times. Come enjoy free movies at various Portland area parks all summer. Pre-movie entertainment begins at 6:30 pm. Movie begins at dark.
*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; 7/7; 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; 7/7; 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; 7/7; 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 ; 7/7; 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 – 7/7; 10:00am to 11:30am; Enjoy free guided walks with park ranger.
Sunday July 8th:
*Wooden Boat Festival - Portland; 7/8; 12pm to 6pm; See classic wooden boats, watch boats being built, build your own toy boat, enjoy live music, food, and more.
Monday July 9th:
*Washington County Museum Free Admission – Portland; 7/9; 10:00am to 4:30pm; Admission is free to this museum every Monday.
*Mondays On The Mall – Portland – Downtown Central Transit Mall; 7/9; Various Times; Free events all day including Wii play, caricatures, the original photo booth and entertainment.
Thursday June 12th:
*Lunch Time With Mr. Ben at Eat. Art. Theater - Portland; 7/12; Every Thursday from 11-12pm, join us for family friendly music! Every week Mr. Ben performs and kids are free to interact.
*Marion County Fair - Salem; 7/12-15; Times vary see website for details. County Fair with entertainment, carnival, animals and much more. Different discounts are available depending on the day you go, go here for more detail.
NATIONAL EVENTS:
*Free Craft Activities at Lakeshore Learning Stores– Sat. 7/7; 11am to 3pm; Kids can come to this free craft time each week for a new craft (plus print a $5 off $25 coupon).
*Bank Of America Museums On Us Free Entrance – 7/8 & 7/9; Bank Of America card holders can get free entrance to Museums Nationwide. Check website for participating museums in your area.
*Home Depot Kids Workshop –7/7; 9:00am to 12:00pm; Kids can participate in free building projects the first Sat. of the month.
*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 - 7/7; 1:00pm to 4:00pm; Come learn about . Free.
* Summer Movie Express - $1 movies on Tues. & Wed. through the summer with this program.
*Barnes and Noble Free Storytime - 7/7; Times and events vary by location. Check your location for specific story’s available this weekend.
