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 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.
We have just published our Fall Consignment Sale round up here. Be sure to stop by and check that big list of sales out too!
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 August 24th:
*Kitsap County Fair - Bremerton; through -8/26; See website for times. Entertainment, kids’ entertainment, kids’ carnival rides, food, livestock, agricultural exhibits and more. $9, $7 ages 6 to 12 and seniors, free ages 5 and younger, $6 parking. ($1 Admission until 1pm on Friday, 8/24)!
*Evergreen State Fair – Monroe; through – 9/3; See website for times; Traditional fair with all of the fixings includeing rodeo, carnival, vendors, concerts, entertainment and more. All admissions discounted Labor Day. $8 to $10 parking. Find a full schedule of fair specials here.
*Sand in the City - Olympia; 8/24 – 8/26; Free event, sand sculpture competition with live entertainment, food, rock climbing wall & more.
*Makah Days – Neah Bay; 8/24-8/26; see website for schedule details; Celebrate Makah heritage with traditional dancing and singing, canoe races, Slahal games and more. Admission is free, but there is a $10.00 recreational use permit is required if you are planning other recreational activities, such as hiking, camping, fishing, or visiting Cape Flattery, Shi Shi or other trails and beaches.
*On The Songs Of Birds Fun Run – Kent; 8/25 – 8/26; Come out and enjoy fun and giveaways, while supporting this Wa. based charity raise funds for SUDC research and awareness. Enjoy food and drinks, fabulous raffle prizes, Shoe Dog stride analysis at Road Runner shoes, and in-store specials. Find out more details on the On The Songs of Birds website.
*Summer Bash - Tacoma; 8/24; 5pm; Games, food, activities and entertainment, followed by a family-friendly outdoor movie. Tonights showing is the Lorax.
*Seattle Centers ‘The Next 50′ celebration - Seattle; through 10/21; 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.
Summer events will include: FREE Movies, FREE Concerts, and FREE Programming at the International Fountain
*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; 8/24; 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 – Vikings and Dragons.
*FreeTête-à-têter At Frye Museum – Seattle; 8/24; 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; 8/24; 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 August 25th:
*Back to School BBQ – Tacoma; 8/25, 10am to 2pm; Back to School Barbecue and Health Fair at the Mountain View Community Center in Edgewood; Kids can get free school supplies, health screenings. Thanks Sounds Fun Mom !
*Big Day Of Play - Magnuson Park; 8/25; 10 am-3 pm; Free event (some activities will have a cost) where you can enjoy aquatic and recreational activities for the entire family and more.
*All American Salute To The Troops – Puyallup; 8/25; 10am to 5pm in the Old Cannery parking lot. Free Food, Give-a-Ways, Children’s Games, Face Painting & More.
*Tacoma Maritime Fest - Tacoma; 8/25 – 8/26; 10:00am to 6:00pm; Free port harbor tours, entertainment, Tacoma Rail train rides (10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 27), Quick & Dirty Boat Building Competition, tall ships, radio-controlled boats, children’s concerts and more. One of the free harbor tours includes the Lady Washington!
*Menchie’s Grand Opening - Gig Harbor; 8/25 – 8/31; Menchies just opened its newest location in the area and is welcoming the Gig Harbor community with a seven-day grand opening celebration beginning this Saturday (8/25) through next Friday (8/31), with free, family fun activities and giveaways, including free tastes!
*DigiPen Fun – Redmond; 8/25; 12pm to 3:00pm; DigiPen Institute of Technology in Redmond throws open its doors to families so kids can explore the world of gaming and art. Life drawing sessions, face painting, free food, interactive games and more! Admission is free.
*Vintage Plane Fly Day – Paine Field; 8/25; 12:00pm to 1:00pm; Watch historic aircraft from the Flying Heritage Collection take to the sky for a maintenance flight. Bring lawn chairs. Its free! Watch our Hurricane and Spitfire soar across the skies, plus Historic Flight Foundation’s Spitfire this weekend.
*Duwamish River Festival- Duwamish Waterway in Seattle; 8/25; 12pm to 6:00pm; Free event where you can hop on a water taxi to explore the Duwamish Waterway Park in Seattle; Take kayak tours of the river, enjoy live music and kids’ activities and more.
*Tibet Fest - Seattle Center; 8/25 – 8/26; Noon to 5pm; Tibetan cultural performances, bazaar, traditional food, costumes, children’s activities and more.
*Get OUT Summer with Sam – Seattle (Sculpture Park); Various times and dates throughout the summer; Stay active in the park this summer. Drop by and participate in a weekly line-up of events, including a brand-new Thursday farmers market, performances, social dancing, yoga and drawing in the park on Saturdays and more.
*Free Bootcamp with YMCA - N. Seattle (Greenlake) – Held every Saturday through Aug. 25. 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Enjoy a free boot-camp workout at the field near Green Lake Community Center, hosted by University YMCA.
*Beach Explorations – Throughout the Puget Sound; see website for specific locations and times. Join beach naturalists and explore the beach at low tide. Free.
*Bellevue Art Museums Get Crafty Saturday – Bellevue; 8/25; 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 August 26th:
*Sleep Country USA’s Wild Waves Day for Foster Kids – Federal Way; 8/26; 10am to 6pm; Bring a donation of school supplies to the Sleep Country Foster Kids Day at Wild Waves Theme Park on Sunday, and receive half off the price of admission! That’s a 25 dollar savings, per person, on a day full of water slides, thrilling rides, warm sun and family fun!
*Dizzy’s Bus Stop Carnival – Bellevue; 8/26; 12:00pm to 5:00pm; Bring the kids out for a day of fun with bouncy houses, carnival games, face painting, train rides, yummy food, lively music, pony rides, sand art, and of course tumbling fun on Dizzy’s Tumblebus. Purchase a $20 bracelet and enjoy unlimited rides and more or pay $.50 and up per activity.
Wednesday August 29th:
*Wild Wacky & Sometimes Wet Wednesday - Bremerton; 8/29 (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.
*Free Casper Babypants Concert – Seattle; 8/22; See website for schedule; Hear a concert by popular kids’ entertainer Caspar Babypants, featuring music on guitar and piano.
Thursday August 30th:
*Half Priced Admission Imagine Childrens Museum – Everett; 8/30; 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 August 24th:
*Washington State International Kite Festival -Long Beach, through 8/26, Times vary see website for details; Starting on Monday and ending on Sunday this Long Beach, Washington State vacation extravaganza boasts skies ablaze with color, high flying action and choreographed movement. Washington’s Kite Festival draws famous kite fliers from all around the world, and tens of thousands awed spectators, many of which participate in the fun with their own kite flying adventures.
*Mt. Hood Huckleberry Festival - Mt. Hood; 8/24 – 8/26; 8:00am to 7:00pm; Free event celebrating the 28th annual festival at the Mt. Hood Village Resort. Historical tours of the Oregon Trail, folk music, Huckleberries, arts & crafts, antiques & collectables, exhibits, and watermelon launch.
*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.
*Pier Pool - Through 8/31; 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; 8/24; 5:00pm; Free Movie Night. Grab a bite to eat, relax, and unwind while you enjoy a movie with the little atmosphere.
*Music From Mr. Hoo from The Alphabeticians – Portland; 8/24; 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 August 25th:
*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.
*Family Movie Night at Café Sip-n-Play - Portland; 8/25; 5:00pm; Free Movie Night. Grab a bite to eat, relax, and unwind while you enjoy a movie with the little atmosphere. This weekend: .
* Free Family Swim At Marshall Community Center - Vancouver; 8/25; 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 ; 8/25; 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 – 8/25; 10:00am to 11:30am; Enjoy free guided walks with park ranger.
Sunday August 26th:
* Hawthorne Street Fair AND Sunday Parkways - Portland; 8/28 ; 11:00am to 5:00pm; Enjoy both events in big outdoor celebration! Car-free streets, music, kids’ activities like magic, music, puppet shows, face painting and more. Admission is Free!
Monday August 27th:
*Washington County Museum Free Admission – Portland; 8/27; 10:00am to 4:30pm; Admission is free to this museum every Monday.
*Mondays On The Mall – Portland – Downtown Central Transit Mall; 8/27; 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. 8/25; 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 8/25; 10:00am; Come join Lowes Build and Grow Clinic to make an onion carriage. Register here.
*Lowes Build And Grow Clinic - Saturday 8/26; 2:00pm; Come join Lowes Build and Grow Clinic to make an onion carriage. Register here.
*Michaels Make It Take It Event - 8/25; 1:00pm to 3:00pm; Come make locker decor (14 and over). Free.
*Michaels Make It Take It Event - 8/26; 1:00pm to 3:00pm; Come make a clay pot photo craft. Free.
*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.
* Summer Movie Express - $1 movies on Tues. & Wed. through the summer with this program.
*Barnes and Noble Free Storytime - 8/25; Times and events vary by location. Check your location for specific story’s available this weekend.
