Fairs & Festivals in the Pacific Northwest: Puget Sound

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Fair & Festivals in the Northwest 

We are back this year with a list of all the summer fairs & festivals for the Puget Sound area of Washington. There are so many fun events going on every single weekend in the summertime – many are free or very frugal, too, but so many options for family fun & memory-making!

There are a number of 4th of July events happening in almost every community & we only listed a few of the larger events, so make sure to check with your community to see what they have going on.

If you’re looking for more ideas for fun family activities around the Northwest, make sure to check out these pages:

• Staycation -Things to Do in Seattle post with all sorts of ideas for all around Seattle
• Kids Eat Free List – Find a list of locations around Puget Sound & around the country with Kids Eat free programs, organized by night of the week

We have included a large list of fairs and festivals we usually see throughout Washington, year to year. The exact dates for the festivals often change each year, so we have included the month it typically falls within, but you will want to check their website for current events and times (as well as pricing). 

King County:

• Juneteenth at Les Gove Park in Auburn – Juneteenth, is an annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. The celebration will feature live music, food trucks, inflatable rides for the kids to enjoy, and opportunities to support Black businesses.
• Auburn Kids Day –  June; FREE Les Gove Park; Live entertainment, inflatables, rides, arts & crafts, food & much more
• Fireworks at Emerald Downs – July; Auburn; Come early to enjoy the races and grab a seat. Fireworks start approximately 30 minutes after the final race.  Gates open approx 30 minutes before the first simulcast race, with EmD post time of 4:30 pm (tentatively).
• Seafair – July – August; Seattle’s traditional summer festival. A month-long, region-wide barbecue, that brings an entire community together in celebration. Events include a Seafair Triathalon, Seafair Parkadilly Kids Concert & Fair, and much more!
• Seattle’s Family 4th of July Event – July 4th; Gas Works Park, 2 or South Lake Union Park.  Both locations are FREE to the public and also feature reserved seating available for purchase.  Both locations will have live entertainment, food booths, and more.  The day ends with the Western Display Fireworks over Lake Union.
• Redmond Derby Days –  July;  Community races and contests, parades, Dash 5K, pancake breakfast, carnival, entertainment, and more.
• Kent Cornucopia Days –  July; Street fair, Dragon Boat races, Farmers Market, Parade & more
• West Seattle SummerFest – July, Friday/Saturday (California Stage and Beer Garden open later); Entertainment, shopping, and lots of fun for kids.  FREE admission.
• King County Fair –  July; Enumclaw; Carnival rides and games, fair food, exhibits, animals, shopping, live entertainment, beer, and wine garden, and more!
• Vashon Island Strawberry Festival – July; Grand parade, classic car show and parade, live music, vendor booths, local artists, street dances, pancake breakfasts, beer garden, fun run, children’s activities, and more!
• Bite of Seattle – July, Seattle Center; FREE admission. A chance to sample 50+ Seattle-area restaurant offerings (fee based(, celebrity chef cooking demonstrations & more. We went to this a few years ago & had a blast trying out yummy foods but it was very crowded & not the easiest to maneuver around the crowds with kids, so this may be more fun for a date night! (Jen)
• Covington Days  – July. SeaFair comes to Covington with a parade, carnival, and lots of kids’ activities.

• Renton River Days – Lots of changes for this year’s event – find them here.
• Sixth Street Fair – Friday & Saturday, July, Bellevue; free admission, Arts and crafts, hands-on activities, food booths, and more!
• Scottish Highland Games – July, Friday evening kick-off events are free and open to the public to attend!
• Lake City Summer Festival – August; Entertainment, hand-made crafts, food booths, and an unparalleled Salmon Bake.  Evening Parades. Rotary Kiddies Parade, Dogs Parade, and Grand Seafair Parade.
• SLU Block Party -August – FREE, South Lake Union; Beer garden, burger grilling competition, food sampling, children’s play area, movies, and more.
• Covington Kids Fest – August, – KidsFest is a FREE, family-focused event that promotes play and healthy living! Come enjoy inflatable bounce houses, princesses and superheroes, live family entertainment, and visit with vendors that each will have something fun for your kiddos!
• Snoqualmie Railroad Days – Friday, August; Snoqualmie; Entertainment stages, vendors, grand parade, children’s field of fun, timber sports demos, food and drink venues, pancake breakfast, train rides, and more.

Pierce County:

• Tacoma Ocean Fest– June, Follow ships to Quick & Dirty Boat Building to tours of the waterfront and lots of activities for kids and kids-at-heart, there will be something for everyone. Admission is FREE. 
• The Taste Northwest– July; Puyallup; The Taste Northwest is a culinary experience that celebrates the tastes of Tacoma and the South Sound. This FREE event features over 150 food and specialty vendors, local chef cook-off battles, outdoor beer gardens, live entertainment on three stages, a retro roller rink and more!
• Meeker Days Festival – Friday-Sunday, June; Puyallup; They will have a car show, live music, educational exhibits and more!
• Pacific Days – Friday-Sunday, July 8th – 9th. A festival of music, a kids’ parade, car show, games, and more!
• SummerFest in Lakewood – Saturday, July. Celebrate the City of Lakewood’s Birthday at this FREE all-day festival with activities, food, entertainment, car show, Kids Zone and more!
• Pacific Northwest Reptile & Exotic Animal Show – July at the Washington State Fair Grounds.
• Gig Harbor Summer Arts Festival– July; More than 120 artists showcasing and selling their work.  Musicians and food vendors are also featured.   Proceeds from the Art Festival provide art scholarships for local students and PAL members.
• Proctor Arts Fest – August; Tacoma.  Free admission.  Enjoy more than 150 art and craft vendors, three stages of music and entertainment (one being designated a Family Stage which is organized by the Tacoma Public Library), a kids area with participation by the Metropolitan Park District, a Farmers’ Market, a merchants sidewalk sale, and more.
• Renaissance Faire – Saturdays & Sundays, August; at the Kelley Farm (Bonney Lake).  Discounts are available for families and for multi-day tickets.  Tickets are good for any one of the three weekends.
• Pierce County Fair – August  Graham.  Thursday is Family Day and Children (6-15). Visit any Pierce County Les Schwab for a $2 off coupon regular admission prices.  Sunday is Military Day.  Members of the Armed Forces are admitted free in uniform or upon presentation of their military identification.
• Puyallup Fair/Western Washington State Fair – September;  Pre-fair tickets are generally available closer to the date of the fair, so check back for those deals (they usually take a few dollars off the gate prices). The first day of the fair has historically been a kids get-in-free day too, but we will update once their deals page is updated – for this year’s deals. 

Snohomish County:

• Marysville Strawberry Festival – June; tons of events including a Kiddie Parade, Berry Run, Strawberry Shortcake Eating contest, Carnival, Grand parade.
• Mill Creek Festival -July; Food vendors, artist plaza, pet plaza, kids place, 3 on 3 basketball, and more.
• Kla Ha Ya Days – July; Snohomish; Parade, frogtastic kids fair, airplane rides, music, games, beer gardens, food, wine tastings, farmers market, street fair, river run, classic cars & motorcycles, and more!
• Darrington Bluegrass Festival – July.  Vendor booths, great food, hiking trails, swimming, dry camping (no RV hookups), and bands to be announced. Tickets available online.
• Lake Stevens Aquafest – July; Lake Stevens. Boat Races, Boat Parades, Fireworks, Pizza Eating Contests, Proud Pet Show, and much more!
• Stanwood- Camano Fair – August , Stanwood.  Described as – ‘Best Lil Fair in the West’. As the Largest Community Fair in Washington State, we strive to showcase the Stanwood-Camano Community’s past, present, and future. Located just outside the City of Stanwood on the historic Pioneer Highway and operated by a team of volunteers, our fair runs the first weekend in August each year.
• Taste of Edmonds –  August  Admission required and FREE/ages 12 and under. Keep an eye out for more updates on events happening at TASTE this year.
• Evergreen State Fair – August & September; Monroe.  Kids Day each year offers FREE admission to ages 12 and under all day.  Several other special admission days – check the website for information.

Skagit County:

• Biringer Farm Strawberry Fest – June, FREE admission.  Reasonably priced food & fun.  Strawberry ride, strawberry inflatables, castle maze, pennies in the hay, kiddie slides and tunnel, face painting, animals, professional kite flyers, chicken dance, and more.
• Skagit Valley Highland Games – July; Mt Vernon; A “Scottish 3-ring circus” with a wide range of activities for the young and old alike.  One-day passes and weekend passes are available.  Children 5 and under are free.
• Anacortes Arts Festival – August; Filling historic downtown of ten blocks of booth artisans. Live music, fine art exhibition, active kids area, and more.
• Skagit County Fair – August, Mt Vernon.   Children 5 and under are FREE. Magicians & hypnotists, animal races, farm animals, car shows, live music, carnival, and more.

Island County:

• Whidbey Island Fair – July;  Langley.  The Parade is usually on Saturday during the Fair.
• Coupeville Arts & Crafts Festival – August.  Experience some of the finest arts and crafts with vendors from all over the country.  In addition to the vendor booths, the festival also features an art gallery and wine reception, a hands-on children’s activity area, a food court, and live entertainment.

San Juan County:

• San Juan County Fair – August; Entertainment schedule, demonstrations, talks, and other scheduled events should be updated soon.

Whatcom County:

• Art 2 Jazz Street Fair & Jazz Festival – Dates not updated yet; Blaine; Arts & crafts festival along with free jazz concerts all afternoon.
• Northwest Raspberry Festival – July. Celebrate the largest harvest of raspberries in North America. Kid-friendly activities, inflatables, face painting, 3-on-3 basketball tournament, raspberry & ice cream sundaes, live music, street vendors at the Berry Fair Street Market, and more!
• Mt Baker Blues Festival – July; Bellingham; Only 1,000 tickets available.  Bands such as Chris Eger Band, Jack Semple, Michelle Taylor Band, and more!
• Northwest Washington Fair – August; Lynden.  Food vendors, exhibits, animals, concerts (Mark Chesnutt, Larry the Cable Guy ) and more.
• Birch Bays Discovery Days – August; Birch Bay; Fun activities with a grand parade down Birch Bay Drive, arts, and crafts fair, a variety of food vendors, live music, crab boil, fireworks, duck derby, and more.

Thurston County:

• Hands On Summer Splash (previously Sand in the City) – All Summer; Olympia; Families can watch expert sand sculptors craft works of art, enjoy dozens of FREE art and STEM learning activities, and visit the award-winning Hands On Children’s Museum for a discounted rate.  Summer Splash Gala: Aug.. This is a party with a purpose just for grown-ups, and the museum will close at 3 p.m. in preparation for the party! Check out the link to see a more detailed schedule.
• South Sound BBQ Festival – Saturday, July ; Huntamer Park; Fun for the entire family.  Live music and entertainment, vendors, and of course, BBQ.  Five different categories of BBQ will be offered: beef brisket, chicken tights, pork baby back ribs, seafood, and others.
• Capitol Lake Fair -July; Olympia.  Grand Parade, Arts & Crafts Booths, Car Show, and more.
• Thurston County Fair – July, Lacey; Musical entertainment, home arts demonstrations, 4-H and FFA events, rides for kids, fair food, and more.
• Olympia Harbor Days – July; Olympia; Percival Landing & Port Plaza.

Lewis County:

• Southwest Washington Fair – Tuesday-Sunday, August; Chehalis.  Check their website soon to see the upcoming 2019 Entertainment Lineup at the Southwest Washington Fair!
• Washington State Garlic Festival – August Chehalis. Garlic-themed cuisine, artisan & craft vendors, kids activities, chef demonstrations, live music on two stages, and more.

Kitsap County:

• Kitsap County Fair & Stampede – August; Bremerton; Xtreme Bulls, Stampede, Carnival, Destruction Derby, and more.  Fair admission is free this year, with the exception of the cost of the rodeo, Kitsap destruction derby, and carnival rides.
• Bremerton Blackberry Festival – September; Takes place over Bremerton’s picturesque waterfront.  FREE admission.  5Ks, food and craft vendors, children’s activities, and more.

Grays Harbor County:

• Grays Harbor County Fair – August; Elma; Contests, vendors, live music, and more. Presale of carnival wristbands and more.

Mason County:

• Mason Area Fair & Rodeo – August. This year they’ll be having Ranch & Rodeo at the derby track on Monday night. Plus along with a pageant, music, and more.

Jefferson County:

• Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Festival – August; Over thirty of the country’s best acoustic blues musicians participate in this summer concert.

Clallam County:

• Sequim Lavender Fair – July; Sequim; Celebrate the lavender season with great food and live entertainment.  This is the largest lavender event in North America.  Seven great lavender farms on tour, a fantastic street fair, and fun for all ages.  FREE admission.
• Clallam County Fair – August; Port Angeles.  Stay tuned for more information once they update.

Pacific County:

• Washington State International Kite Festival – Various dates through August; Long Beach; The Washington State International Kite Festival (WSIKF) is a week-long kite celebration and competition held annually during the third week of August.
• Pacific County Fair – August . Kids day is Saturday, August 24th for Children under 12 admission is FREE.

So, what’s on your list to check out this year? What are your favorite festivals around the Northwest? Let us know if we missed an awesome festival we should share!