Frugal & Free Activities For Kids / Families in the Northwest 10/11 – 10/17

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October 10, 2019 25 Comments

Lots of different Fall Festivals happening this weekend! Such an exciting weekend filled with many options to check out. Have a great weekend.

Make sure to check out these fun ideas around the Northwest:

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!

Seattle Festival Orchestra: The Fruits of Summer – Seattle; $9 (reg. $18)
Evan’s Family Variety Show – Seattle; Free
National Nordic Museum – Seattle; $7.50 (reg. $15)
Spookley The Square Pumpkin: The Musical – Tacoma; $7.50 (reg. $15)
Beauty & the Beast – Seattle or Renton; $7.50 (reg. $15)
Frighthouse Station – Tacoma; $10 (reg. $17.56)
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.

Cinderella: Or How Pipsqueak the Mouse Became a Stallion – Gresham; $6 (reg. $14)
World Famous Popovich Comedy Pet Theater – Myrtle Creek; $10-$15 (reg. $20-$30)
How I Became a Pirate – Portland; $9.50-$13.50 (reg. $19-$27)
Matilda the Musical – Portland; $9.50-$11.50 (reg. $19-$23)
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, October 11th, 2019

Crab & Seafood Festival – Port Angeles; Noon – 5pm; Free; Try all kinds of seafood. They’ll have a Grab-a-Crab Derby for kids of all ages. Music, craft, merchant, and many more booths. Lots of fun to be had.

Bainbridge Gardens Pumpkin Walk – Bainbridge Island; 6pm – 8pm; Free; Walk a nature trail that’s lit with nearly 300 glowing, carved pumpkins. They’ll also have games, food, face painting, hay maze, music, and more.

International Quilt & Fiber Arts Festival 2019 – Everett; 10am – 5pm; $10; Experience a variety of quilts and fiber arts on display. Almost 350 art pieces to see.

Sugar Skull Decoration Art Workshop – Duvall; 10:15am – 11:15am; Free; Decorate a pre-made sugar skull. All supplies provided.

Maple Festival – Seattle; 10am – 5pm; $4 – $8; Kids can do nature-inspired craft making and a maple scavenger hunt. Watch live cultural performances and check out all the fall colors.

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, October 12th, 2019

Swanson’s Fall Festival – Seattle; 10am – 3pm; Free; Annual Fall Festival with tractor hayrides, a hay maze, games, and crafts.

Harvest Festival – Carnation; 10am – 4pm; Free; Hayrides, pumpkin patch, food, crafts, animals, and more.

Olympic Peninsula Apple & Cider Festival – Seattle; Times Vary; Free; Food, beverages, live music, and handmade crafts.

Orting Pumpkin Fest – Orting; 10am – 5pm; Free; Pumpkin flavored food and beverages, entertainment, kids activities, farmer market, free farm tour by bus, car show, and a parade.

Lakewood Truck & Tractor Day – Lakewood; 11am – 3pm; Free; Hayrides, hard hats, and pumpkins (1 per family). Pumpkin decorating, crafts, games, and a giant slingshot for pumpkin chucking.

Truck-a-palooza & Sustainability Fair – Kirkland; Noon – 5pm; Free; Touch a truck for families with giveaways, hot cocoa, photos.

Suncadia Harvest Festival – Elum; 10am – 5pm; Free; Live music, hay mazes, a petting zoo, fall crafts, pumpkin archery, wagon rides, and more.

Cedar River Salmon Journey – North Bend; 11am – 4pm; Free; Watch the salmon migration and learn about the journey that happens each year.

Exploration For All: Autism Early Open – Seattle; 8am – 10pm; Free; Families affected by autism spectrum are invited to the Pacific Science Center during a special morning visit closed to the general public.

Puget Sound Heart and Stroke Walk – Seattle; 7:30pm – 10:30pm; Free; 5k untimed walk and a 1k warrior walk to benefit American Heart Association. Kids can also enjoy games and activities in the Kids Zone.

Open Play – Issaquah; 10am – Noon; Free; Enjoy free open play at Springfree Trampoline.

Redmond Saturday Market – Redmond; 9am – 3:30pm; Free; Farm-fresh family fun to be had at the market. They have local farmers, gardeners, artists, crafts, food, and more.

Sunday, October 13th, 2019

Second Sunday Music – Tacoma; 1pm – 2:30pm; $3 suggested donation; Enjoy music in the conservatory.

Fremont Sunday Market – Seattle; 10am – 4pm; Free; Fun European-style street market with food trucks, handcrafts, produce and more.

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.

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, October 11th, 2019

Firefighter Storytime – Portland; 11am – 11:45am; Free; Storytime with Portland Fire & Rescue. Learn about fire safety with stories, songs, and swag.

Spooky Science Show – Fairview; 4pm – 4:45pm; Free; Join Count Eggbert for a fun science show with Halloween surprises.

Open Studio Exploration – Portland; 11am – 4pm; $10, $5 under age 2; Let the kids explore different mediums like modeling clay, moon sand, and more.

Fall Family Farm Day on Sauvie Island – Portland; 10am – 1pm; Free; Tasting, exploring, learning on the farm. Registration is requested but not required.

39th Annual Portland Regional Gem and Mineral Show – Portland; 10am – 6pm; $5, free 12 and under; Learn, shop and check out the mineral show.

Portland Art Museum – Portland; 5pm – 8pm; $5; Enjoy admission to the museum for just $5 per person.

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, October 12th, 2019

Happy Valley Harvest & Oktoberfest – Happy Valley; 11am – 10pm; Free; Free pumpkins, face painting, wagon hayrides, food, drink, pie-eating contest, petting zoo, and more.

Spooky Fall Planter – Woodburn; 9:30am – 10am; $7.50; Plant and create a spooky planter to display on your porch. Other locations listed at the link.

AppleFest – Hillsboro; 10am – 5pm; Free; Live music, face painting, balloon artist, and apples.

Portland Arbor Day – Portland; 10am – 2pm; Free; Kick-off tree planting season with family and friends to plant trees.

Art in the Burbs Festival – Tualatin; 10am – 6pm; $2 suggested donation; Fun browsing of shops, food trucks, live musical entertainment, and a student art gallery as well.

Family Folk Dance Hoedown – Oregon City; 11am – 1pm; $8-$13; Learn fun and simple folk dances as well as how the culture, history, and lifestyle of Oregon Trail pioneers.

Girls in Aviation Day – Vancouver; 9am – 1pm; Free; Connect, explore, and experience all thins to do with aviation. Activities such as meeting women with careers in aviation, learn about the jobs, and more.

5k Series Fun Runs – Portland; 8:30am; $10, age 17 and under free; Fun run for all ages! Plus raffle prizes, face painting, crafts, vendors, and lots of bananas.

Sibshops: Sibling Support Group – Portland; 9:30am – 11:30am; Free; Group for siblings ages 5-7 of children with special developmental needs.

The Parent Trip – Portland; 10am – 2pm; Free; Meet local practitioners in a low stakes atmosphere. Many different kinds of professionals to meet in one place.

Treemendous Second Saturday – Portland; 10am – 5pm; Free; Fun day at the Discovery Museum learning about trees and forests. The theme this weekend is bugs.

Grandparent’s Day – Portland; 9am – 1pm; $14; Grandparents with their grandchildren can create a fun craft together.

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, October 13th, 2019

Annual Open House at Davis Graveyard – Milwaukie; 11am – 4pm; Free; Take a look behind the scenes. They’ll have tours of the yard, hearses, zombie dancers, and a few vendors.

Family Night Unplugged – Portland; 4pm – 6pm; Free; Hands-on multi-sensory interactive worship with crafts, service project and dinner.

National Events:

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.