Seattle’s event calendar runs year-round despite the rain, with major festivals anchored in the dry summer months between May and September. The city hosts the largest film festival in the US by attendance, a legendary Labor Day arts festival, and one of the country’s biggest summer celebrations with hydroplane races and the Blue Angels. Here is a month-by-month guide to Seattle’s major events and festivals, with exact dates where available and approximate timing for annual events. Also see our Seattle weather by month for more planning information.
Seattle Events & Festivals: Spring (March to May)
Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF)
Running mid-May through early June, SIFF is the largest film festival in the United States by attendance, screening 400+ films from 80+ countries across multiple venues including the Egyptian Theatre on Capitol Hill and SIFF Cinema Uptown in Queen Anne. Individual tickets are US$15, with festival passes starting at US$150. The opening night gala at the Paramount Theatre is US$50-75. Film buffs should target weekday screenings for easier availability; weekend shows at prime venues sell out fast. The full schedule is published in late April at siff.net. Also see our best time to visit Seattle for more planning information.
Northwest Folklife Festival
Held Memorial Day weekend (last weekend of May) at Seattle Center, Northwest Folklife is one of the largest free community arts festivals in the country, drawing 250,000+ attendees. The four-day event features 5,000 performers across 25 stages covering folk, world, roots, and indie music plus dance workshops and artisan booths. Admission is free but a US$10-20 daily donation is suggested. Food vendors price meals at US$8-15. The festival runs Friday 11am-10pm, Saturday-Sunday 11am-10pm, Monday 11am-7pm. The drum circle at the Mural Amphitheatre on Saturday night is a longstanding local tradition. Also see our things to do in Seattle for more planning information.
Seattle Events & Festivals: Summer (June to August)
Seafair
Seafair spans all of July and August with dozens of events culminating in the Seafair Weekend Festival the first weekend of August at Genesee Park on Lake Washington. The main draw is the Blue Angels aerial demonstration team performing over the lake, drawing 500,000+ viewers. The hydroplane races (H1 Unlimited series) run alongside the air show. Weekend passes are US$35-45, with premium grandstand seating at US$75-125. Free viewing is available from the Lake Washington shoreline and the I-90 floating bridge pedestrian path (closed to vehicles during the show). The Torchlight Parade runs the last Saturday of July through downtown on 4th Avenue, starting at 7:30pm, free to attend. Also see our Seattle neighborhoods guide for more planning information.
Capitol Hill Block Party
This three-day music festival in late July (typically the third weekend) takes over six square blocks of Pike Street and Broadway on Capitol Hill. The lineup skews indie rock, hip-hop, and electronic with 100+ acts across outdoor stages and indoor venues like Neumos and Barboza. Single-day passes run US$65-85, weekend passes US$150-190. Attendance is capped at 10,000 per day. The festival is 21+ in venue spaces but all-ages in the outdoor main stage areas. Also see our where to stay in Seattle for more planning information.
Bumbershoot
Bumbershoot runs Labor Day weekend (Saturday-Monday) at Seattle Center, filling the 74-acre campus with music, comedy, visual arts, and theater. The 2025 lineup and pricing is announced in spring, but historically single-day passes run US$60-90 and weekend passes US$130-180. The festival attracts 100,000+ attendees across three days and features 5-6 music stages plus the Fisher Green comedy stage inside McCaw Hall. The EMP Museum (now MoPOP) traditionally offers free admission with a Bumbershoot wristband. Food vendors ring the International Fountain with options at US$10-18 per plate. Also see our Seattle travel tips for more planning information.
Seattle Events & Festivals: Autumn (September to November)
Fremont Oktoberfest
Held the third weekend of September in the Fremont neighborhood, Fremont Oktoberfest is a three-day beer festival with 100+ craft beers and ciders from Pacific Northwest breweries. A tasting admission package (US$35-45) includes a 150ml tasting mug and 5-10 tasting tokens; additional tokens are US$2-3 each. The Texas Chainsaw Pumpkin Carving contest on Saturday afternoon is one of the event’s signature spectacles. The festival runs Friday 5pm-midnight, Saturday 11am-midnight, Sunday 11am-6pm. The Sunday morning 5k Brew Ha-Ha run (US$40 registration) includes beer at the finish line.
Seattle Events & Festivals: Winter (December to February)
Winterfest at Seattle Center
Running from the day after Thanksgiving through December 31, Winterfest transforms Seattle Center with a winter ice rink (US$10-15 including skate rental), the Winterfest Train & Village display (free), and weekend performances at the Armory. The New Year’s Eve celebration at the Space Needle includes an 8-minute fireworks show launched from the tower (launched every year since 1992). Free viewing areas include Seattle Center grounds, Kerry Park on Queen Anne, and Gas Works Park.
Lunar New Year in the International District
Seattle’s Chinatown-International District hosts one of the largest Lunar New Year celebrations on the West Coast. Events run across two weekends in late January or early February depending on the lunar calendar. Highlights include the lion dance parade along S King Street (free), the Night Market with 50+ food and craft vendors, and the Tet Festival at the Seattle Center Armory celebrating Vietnamese Lunar New Year. Dragon Fest in July is the district’s summer counterpart with similar scale and free admission.
