This Friday is definitely one to check out the listings for outdoor movie showings! Lots of locations to choose from. Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend. :)
Make sure to check out these fun ideas around the Northwest:
- Fairs & Festivals in the PNW: Puget Sound Edition 2019
- Portland Staycation Ideas
- Seattle Staycation Ideas
- NW Weekend Getaway Ideas on a Budget (updated weekly)
And if you find a fun, frugal event that’s not listed, feel free to leave a comment so we can add that event to our list.
Cheap Event Tickets for Seattle Area
Head to Goldstar and select Family events to easily find these. Some of the tickets sell out fast, so it’s a good idea to buy ahead if you see an event your family would want to attend!
- Evan’s Family Variety Show – Seattle; FREE
- AMC – Multiple Locations; $9 (reg. $13.50)
- Comedy Sportz – Seattle; $7.75 (reg. $15.50)
- Find more Cheap Event Tickets for Seattle area on Goldstar HERE.
Cheap Event Tickets for Portland Area
Head to Goldstar and select Family events to easily find these.
- Portland Timbers 2 Soccer – Portland; $6 (reg. $10)
- Find more Cheap Event Tickets for Portland area on Goldstar HERE.
Things To Do in Seattle Area
Friday, August 23rd, 2019
Music in the Park: Infinity Project & Seattle Food Trucks – Mercer Island; 5pm – 8pm; Free; Enjoy music and food with the family. Plenty of food trucks to choose from!
Chehalis Garlic Festival & Craft Show – Friday, August 23rd, 12pm – 7pm; Saturday, August 24th, 10am – 7pm; Sunday, August 25th, 10am – 5pm; Chehalis. General admission – $5, Kids 5 and under are free! Garlic themed cuisine, artisan & craft vendors, kids activities, chef demonstrations, live music on two stages, and more.
Kitsap County Fair & Stampede – August 21st – 25th; 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.
Goats for Good Petting Zoo – Seattle; 11am – 2pm; $5; Pet a goat and help them raise money for the goats.
Kids Night – Seattle; 6pm – 8pm; Free; Kid-friendly concerts, art, entertainers, and other activities.
Summer Bash At Star Center – Tacoma; 6pm; Free; Outdoor showing of the movie Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse. Seating is on the lawn so they encourage you to bring a chair or blankets to sit on.
YMCA Movie Night – Everett; 6pm – 8:30pm; Free; Enjoy a showing of the movie Secret Like of Pets 2, arts, crafts, face painting, popcorn, music and more. The movie starts at dusk.
Movies in Freeway Park – Seattle; 6pm – 9pm; Free; Enjoy a free showing of the movie Crazy Rich Asians.
Movies in the Park: Incredibles 2 – Seattle; 7pm – 11:30pm; Free; Movie showing for the family along with activities happening at 7pm before the movie at dusk.
Kids Art in the Park – Seattle; 2:30pm – 4pm; Free; Arts and crafts workshop in the park for the kids.
Downtown Summer Sounds – Seattle; Noon – 1pm; Free; Outdoor summer concerts at various locations.
Seattle Center Concerts at the Mural – Seattle; 5pm – 7pm; Free; Outdoor summer concert. Seating is a first-come, first-serve. Check out who is performing at the link.
Movies and Art in the Park – Seattle; 7:30pm – 10:30pm; Free; Children’s art activities begin at 7:30pm, then the movie beings at dusk. They’ll be showing the movie Balto.
Community Kite Painting – Seattle; Noon – 2pm; Free; Paint a kite to be included in Freeway Park’s Annual Art Kite Installation.
Garden Tots – Shoreline; 10am – 1pm; $10 per family; Fun nature exploration in the garden. Simple plant activity and craft project. This weekends theme is bold bugs.
Mommy Matinees at the Movies – Seattle; 9:30am; Children 5 and Under Free, Adult tickets are Matinee Pricing; Every Friday you can show up with your young children and don’t have to worry about interrupting anyone with a crying or antsy little one. Actually, enjoy yourself, worry-free.
Saturday, August 24th, 2019
Living Montessori Summer Celebration – Bellevue; 10am – 2pm; Free; Games, water play, face painting, bouncy house, and music from Eli Rosenblatt.
Family Jump – Issaquah; 10am – Noon; Free; Jump for free with the family at the Springfree Trampoline.
Community Day – Lakewood; 10am – 4pm; $9, free ages 12 and younger; Look at the 10-acre garden along with games and activities for all ages.
Cedar River Salmon Journey – Seattle; 11am – 3pm; Free; Watch the salmon migration and learn from volunteer naturalists on select weekends.
Tibet Fest – Seattle; 11am – 5pm; Free; Live music, dance, visual exploration, foods, workshops, demonstrations and hands-on learning for kids and adults.
Meet Moana & Princess Tiana at Kids on 45th – Seattle; 1pm – 2pm; Free; Meet the princesses! Take part in activities such as storytime, meet & greet, sing-along, and more.
Everett Food Truck Fest – Everett; Noon – 6pm; Free Admission; Food trucks and entertainment.
Children’s Hour – Seattle; 10:30am – 11:30am; Free; Short films, storybooks, art activities, and science experiments kids can learn new concepts.
Drive-In Movie – Tacoma; 4:30pm – 10pm; Free; Watch the outdoor showing of the movie Captain Marvel. Parking starts at 4:30pm.
Summer Concerts at Ballard Locks – Seattle; 2pm – 3pm; Free; Outdoor Summer concert.
Seattle Center Movies at the Mural – Seattle; 5pm – 7pm; Free; Enjoy a showing of the movie Black Panther on a 40-foot screen
Redmond Saturday Market – Redmond; 9am – 3pm; Free; Farm-fresh family fun to be had at the market. They have local farmers, gardeners, artists, crafts, food, and more.
Mary Olson Farm Day – Kent; Noon – 5pm; Free; Your family can take a trip back in time while meeting cows, chickens, and mini donkeys. Pack a picnic to enjoy while visiting. This is the last weekend for this.
Sunday, August 25th, 2019
Olympic Music Festival Children’s Concert – Port Townsend; 10:30am – Noon; Free; The Musicians from GardenMusic will present an hour-long program of music.
Kidz Kraze Children’s Festival – University Place; Noon – 4pm; Free; Fun with inflatables, obstacle course, arts, crafts, and field games.
Evan’s Family Variety Show – Seattle; 4pm – 5:30pm; Free; Variety show of musicians, magicians, comics, acrobats, jugglers for the whole family to enjoy together.
Seattle Design Festival Block Party – Seattle; 10am – 7pm; Free; Interact through art, architecture, and design installations. Performances and design activities centered around the theme of balance.
Fremont Sunday Market – Seattle; 10am – 4pm; Free; Fun European-style street market with food trucks, handcrafts, produce and more.
Auburn Farmers Market – Auburn; 10am – 3pm; Free; Shop for fresh foods, enjoy live entertainment, activities, and demonstrations.
Sunday Public Sail – Seattle; 10am – 4pm; Free; Center for Wooden Boats offers 45-minute rides on Lake Union. Sign up for a slot in person. They have several trips throughout the day.
Alki Point Lighthouse Tours – Seattle; 1pm – 4pm; Free; Get a chance to look inside a lighthouse. Children ages 7 and younger are allowed to visit the landing, but only 8 and older can visit the top. This will be open now from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
Ballard Farmers Market – Seattle; 10am – 3pm; Free; Do some shopping, get some fresh vegetables and fruits. Maybe even try some of the food!
Things to Do in the Portland Area
Friday, August 23rd, 2019
Sunflower Festival – Tualatin; 9am – 8:10pm; $12 general admission, $18 activities bracelets (weekend Sat & Sun pricing is more); Enjoy a hayride, one flower bloom, access to farm grounds, sunflower fields, play area, and animals for general admission.
Hot Air Balloon Night Glow – Albany; 5pm – 10pm; Free; Watch hot air balloons light up the sky. Plus they’ll have music, food booths, art vendors, a beer garden, and a family zone!
Portland Art Museum – Portland; 5pm – 8pm; $5; Enjoy admission to the museum for just $5 per person.
The David Show – Portland; 10:30am; Free; Fun songs and sing-alongs for the family.
Toddler Time – Portland; 10am -11am; $5; Toddler morning time bring them in to craft a little something special.
KiLoFriDay Ft. Zazzy Zoe and Mr. Ben – Portland; 5pm – 6pm; $10 per family; Enjoy live children’s music.
Saturday, August 24th, 2019
Dahlia Festival 2019 – Canby; 10am – 6pm; Free; Indoor flower display, over 400 floral arrangements, food booths, live music, and more.
Annual Johnson Creek-Clean Up – Milwaukie; 8am – 2pm; Free; Rally together and clean up the creek. They have a schedule of times for certain things going on, just check out the website link.
Grandparent’s Day – Portland; 9am – 1pm; $14; Two for one craft special for grandparents and their grandchildren at the Craft Factory
Harpers Playground, Community Play Day – Portland; 10am – 2pm; Free; Play and local entertainment. They’ll even have food vendors on site.
Autism Empowerment 7th Annual Summer Potluck Picnic – Vancouver; 11am – 3pm; $3 per car for parking, admission free; They’d love if you can bring an item for the potluck, they’ll provide hamburgers, hot dogs, buns, water, soda, and juice. Fun games, music, and more.
POP (Power of Produce) Club – Portland; 9am – 12:30pm; Free; Fun kids program to help kids make healthy food choices.
Pearson Education Center – Vancouver; 10am – 5pm; Free; Open Saturday is this weekend at the Pearson Field Education Center. The youth of all ages can experience STEM education through aviation.
Sunday, August 25th, 2019
Hawthorne Street Fair – Portland; 11am – 6pm; Free; Music, stage, kids activities, and beer gardens.
Miller Family Free Day – Portland; 10am – 5pm; Free; Join in the Sunday Parkways route by jumping on your bike on the car-free 8-mile loop. Then be sure to stop by the Museum for art-making, music, and more.
Picnic in the Park – Portland; Noon – 3pm; Free; Pack a lunch and head out to the park for music, lawn games, food vendors and a lot more.
End of Summer BBQ – Portland; Noon – 3pm; $10; Eat some yummy BBQ food, face painting, photo booth, and vendors.
National Events:
National Park Day – Enjoy free admission to many National Parks this Sunday, August 25th.
Barnes & Noble Saturday Storytime – Enter your zip code to see special storytime events at your local Barnes & Noble store.
Michaels’ Kids Club – every Saturday from 10am-noon; $2 for children ages 3 and up with all supplies included. There are also special projects for spring break. Check your local Michael’s store to see if they are participating in this weeks’ project.
Lakeshore Learning Stores– every Saturday from 11am-3pm there are fun free crafts at Lakeshore Learning Stores for ages 3 and up. Check with your local store to see if they are participating.
lori harris says
February 20, 2015 at 8:51 PMThank u, thank u, thank u for going back to original format- took no time at all to check and plan. I am one of your biggest advertisersn- I tell all the school moms about your site – love it.
Rice NW Museum says
April 3, 2015 at 10:54 AMHi, Thrifty NW Mom! Thanks for featuring our Thundereggstravaganza event. I’d like to share a couple of small corrections: our event runs from 10 AM through 5 PM, not 11 to 1. (We are having talks at 11 and 1). Also, please note that children 4 and under are free!
Sia says
April 3, 2015 at 11:36 AMThanks for letting us know – we will get those updates made asap!
Sarah says
April 18, 2015 at 8:58 AMI agree with Lori! I haven’t been to your site in a while because I found the other style to difficult to use. I just came back and am thankful you changed back. So much more user friendly. Thank you!
Jen says
April 18, 2015 at 5:07 PMThank you for the feedback, Sarah! We’re sorry it was a frustrating experience, please always tell us if you’re having any frustrations and we will work on solutions. We definitely want this as user-friendly as possible!
Rachel says
August 5, 2016 at 8:03 AMTacoma Concert Band: Clarinets and Brass at the Museum of Glass
2pm Saturday Aug 6th FREE, just outside the Museum of Glass in Tacoma.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1783589378579421/
Here’s the info from their e-mail
—————————–
Tacoma Concert Band presents…
Clarinets and Brass
at the Museum of Glass!
Free and fun for the whole family!
TCB band members are performing a free summer concert featuring a clarinet choir (12 clarinets) and a brass quintet, on the terrace of the Museum of Glass.
Join us on Saturday afternoon, August 6th, at 2:00 p.m.
for a delightful hour of music, played by members of the Northwest’s premier symphonic band.
You’ll also have a chance to learn about the TCB’s upcoming season, which will feature, among others, world-class guest soloists on clarinet (Robert Spring) and brass (trumpet virtuoso Allen Vizzutti and saxophone soloist Erik Steighner).
Bring the whole family. The weather should be great, the setting beautiful, and the music sublime.
See you there!
Karina says
February 3, 2017 at 2:27 PMI’m taking my kids to see Willu Wonka Jr with Youth Theatre Northwest this weekend.
LCM+L says
July 7, 2017 at 11:16 AMHello! We appreciate the shout-out but did want to mention that our name was changed last October to Living Computers: Museum + Labs.
Krista says
August 26, 2017 at 10:58 AMYou can meet Catboy from PJ Masks today from 12-4 at Learning Express Toys in The Landing in Renton. My sons are excited to meet him! :)
ashley says
October 27, 2017 at 10:31 PMI wish eastern wa was included in this list!
V Gani says
December 22, 2017 at 6:24 PMThe Festival of Trees has ended. We tried to go last weekend and there were no trees. Apparently they had already been auctioned off.
Sarah Fairchild says
February 4, 2018 at 1:58 PMHi there! There is a free production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
The show will be provided free and open to all ages!
Charles Schulz’s classic musical “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown” comes to Newcastle this February presented by the Newcastle Players in partnership with Newport Creative Arts. The show, produced by Tony Ventrella Productions and King County’s 4Culture, is the first of the inaugural season for the theater group.
Starring Adam Minton as Charlie Brown, Jenn Ollivier as Lucy, Jelani Kee as Snoopy, Sarah Fairchild as Sally, Jake Atwood as Linus, and Manny Golez as Schroeder, the charming and uplifting story based on Schulz’s comic strip “Peanuts” with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner will run six shows including two matinees over the course of two weekends in February at the Newport Covenant Church in Bellevue. Choreographed by Tony Pallozzi with Musical Director Benjamin Bentler and Directed by Mary Rudd.
https://www.facebook.com/events/191670521568553/
Hayk S says
February 17, 2018 at 10:32 PMThank you for posting this great deals.This is exactly what i was looking for.
Jen says
February 19, 2018 at 12:44 PMYou’re very welcome – glad that it is helpful for you!
Natalie says
June 26, 2018 at 8:51 AMI only find events up to June 25….when will you update your list to include the 28th?
Sia says
June 26, 2018 at 9:02 AMHi Natalie – The list is updated every Thursday. This list is the one that includes all the events we highlighted through the 28th (many of the weekday events are library events, or community parks ones, so you should be able to find those in your local library or parks departments listings. Thanks!
Dacha Theatre says
November 26, 2018 at 4:07 PMDacha Theatre is touging an original, musical fairytale show for all ages, called “The Bee-Man of Orn” through Ballard and Phinney Ridge. There are sliding scale ($20/$10) and Pay-What-You-Can tickets available for every performance!
Saturday 12/1 — Ballard Underground — 5:30PM
Saturday 12/8 — Phinney Neighborhood Association — 5:00PM
Friday 12/14 — Phinney Neighborhood Association — 6:30PM
Friday 12/21 — Ballard Underground — 6:30PM
More info on the ticket website: https://beeman.brownpapertickets.com/
Thank you!
Jen says
November 26, 2018 at 11:04 PMThank you for sharing! We will work to get these added to our list for these upcoming weekends & you can email us in the future if you have more details: [email protected] – thank you!
iBrent says
January 31, 2019 at 6:27 PMHello, thrifty moms! Here is a free live music event.
iBrent
DATE Saturday, February 23, 2019
TIME 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm PST
WHERE Third Place Books – Lake Forest Park
17171 Bothell Way NE
PERFORMANCE TYPE Music
AGE RECOMMENDATION Toddler, Preschool, Elementary School, 30 somethings
WHAT IS THE COST? Free!
DESCRIPTION
Catchy, colorful, kindie pop-rock for the full fun-loving family. Acoustic Show!
MORE https://www.reverbnation.com/ibrent
See you there ;)
Sarah Lacey says
February 23, 2019 at 2:41 AMThank you for sharing these, especially the national events. The Bank of America Museums will be of interest to our readers at https://foodstampsnow.com, most of whom are on low income.
A similar program is https://museums4all.org/, which provides free or discounted admission for people with EBT cards.
Jami Geppert says
May 24, 2019 at 5:51 AMI love in Tacoma, WA but noticed not one single event listed for my area. Is thus a standard for Thrifty NW MOM? Your answer is appreciated.
Sia says
May 24, 2019 at 7:52 AMHi Jami – we definitely include events in the Tacoma area when we find them, my kids and I love heading there for family fun (we usually highlight the larger events, so not library days etc), but we are not aware of too many events there this weekend. If we missed something we can definitely add it. You might want to also check out Sounds Fun Mom (https://www.soundsfunmom.com/) if you do not already follow her She shares about South Sound events and happenings, so should have lots of great info for where you live. Thanks so much! Sia
Kat KOch says
July 31, 2019 at 9:02 PMHow can I register an event?
Katherine Koch says
July 31, 2019 at 9:05 PMHow can I register an event.?
It’s a great FREE family event
https://www.facebook.com/cascadegemandmineralshow/
I can send you more info.
Sia says
July 31, 2019 at 9:08 PMHi Katherine, feel free to send us the details at [email protected]. Thanks!