16 Fun Festivals to Attend in Washington State
One of the great joys of living in Washington is getting to attend some of the best fun festivals our state has to offer. There is a little something for almost everybody and there are so many great festivals it would be almost impossible to list them all here. Some of the honorable mentions go to the Mermaid Festival, Renaissance Fairs, and some of the cultural fairs that celebrate the thriving populations of people living in Washington.
1 . Argosy Christmas Ships Festival
“Argosy Cruises Christmas Ship™ Festival is a ship-to-shore holiday celebration that has been a Northwest tradition since 1949. The Spirit of Seattle™, the Official Christmas Ship™, is decorated with hundreds of shimmery white lights and sails to different Puget Sound waterfront communities – around 40 in all. Choirs on board the Christmas Ship™ perform to guests aboard, to follow boats, and to communities gathered on shore.” - ArgosyCruises.com
2 . Bumbershoot
“Bumbershoot recognizes the great diversity held within our creativity community and serves to amplify and honor the artists that call the Pacific Northwest home. We’re celebrating what it means to be an ARTIST.” - Bumbershoot.com
3 . Capitol Hill Block Party
“The Best Weekend of Summer!” - Capitol Hill Block Party via Instagram
4 . Emerald City Comic Con
“The geeky party in our hearts rages on. Look deep inside yourself to save the date for next year.” - Emerald City Comic Con
5 . Fremont Solstice Parade
“The Fremont Fair is taking over 6 city blocks of the *ICONIC* Fremont Neighborhood during Solstice Weekend and ushering in summer with…live music, vendors, beer gardens, art carts, one-of-a-kind parades, delicious fair foods, and much more!” - Fremont Arts Council
6 . Hempfest
“The world’s largest annual cannabis reform rally.” - Seattle Hempfest®
7 . Paradiso EDM Festival
“#WhereDigitalMeetsNature” - Paradiso Festival
This large EDM music festival features major and regional dance music acts and gets super packed with concert goers. It's a ton of fun; I went there one year and had an absolute blast.
8 . Poulsbo Viking Fest and Parade
Celebrate Norwegian heritage and culture in Washington’s “Little Norway” town of Poulsbo.
9 . SEAFAIR
“Set on Lake Washington’s 1.5 miles of shoreline, Seafair Festival Weekend is the largest boating event, air show, and festival all rolled into one. Fans enjoy the Boeing Seafair Air Show featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, "Miss HomeStreet" racing, and the unforgettable sights, sounds, and smells of Alaska Airlines Park.” - Seafair.org
10 . Seattle Boat Show
“With…exhibitors, new and brokerage boats, boating seminars, fun and exciting attractions, the latest in marine accessories and technology, and destination and service providers to speak with in-person, it’s the West Coast’s biggest boating party of the year that you don’t want to miss.” - Seattle Boat Show
11 . Seattle International Film Festival
Better known as SIFF, this annual film festival draws in huge crowds to showcase and preview the newest independent films from around the world.
12 . Seattle PrideFest
This festival celebrating LGBTQ+ artists, musicians, and performers gets bigger and better every year, drawing in tens of thousands of spectators and dozens of area parties and VIP events. Parking is extremely hard to come by, so plan accordingly.
13 . Skagit County Tulip Festival
Take in the natural beauty of thousands of tulips whilst enjoying gardening exhibits, experiences, and related Tulip Festival events.
14 . Toppenish Pow Wow
There are several entertaining and bonding Indigenous pow wows that occur in Washington, and the Toppenish Pow Wow is one not to miss. The event includes sports like stick games, plus dances, drummers, pageants, family-friendly fun, and delicious authentic Indigenous cuisine.
15 . Washington State Fair
The county fair in Puyallup is the biggest one in the state of Washington. Major pop, country, R&B, and rock concert performers get booked here every year, plus the rides and fair food are huge draws to residents from all over the state.
16 . Watershed
If you are a huge fan of country music and want to spend a hot summer weekend at The Gorge with tens of thousands of other country fans, this is the festival to attend. People line up in droves every year to see major country music acts as well as camp out in their RV, vans, and tents with family and friends.
This list will get you started as you explore some of the best festivals that Washington state has to offer!
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