There are plenty of summery Seattle activities you can do on nearly any sunny day you please: hiking through wildflowers near Mount Rainier or lounging at Alki Beach, to name a couple.
But some uniquely Seattle experiences are only possible once a year, and they can slip by fast. From Juneteenth celebrations that long preceded federal recognition to fairs with 100-year histories, here are some of Seattle’s largest and most distinct summer celebrations.
June: Celebrating Seattle’s diversity
Pride Month
June 1 marks the start of Pride month across the country. To jump into the festivities right away, head to Volunteer Park (1247 15th Ave. E., Seattle) on June 3. This year’s Galactic Love-themed Pride in the Park features a lineup of LGBTQ+ performers, food trucks, local nonprofit booths and queer vendors. The free festivities run noon-7 p.m. Learn more at seattlepride.org/events/seattle-pride-in-the-park-2.
Seattle PrideFest also kicks things off on June 3 with Taking Pride in Capitol Hill. Attendees meet at 118 Broadway, E. Barbara Bailey Way at 9 a.m. for a day of coffee, snacks, community building, lunch and cleaning up a five-block Capitol Hill area (from Roy Street in the north to John Street and Olive Way in the south) in preparation for PrideFest. June 24-25, those five blocks transform into the festival with three performance stages, two beverage gardens, over 100 vendors and activities like drag queen story time and a dance party. The free event runs noon-8 p.m. both days. Learn more at seattlepridefest.org.
On June 25, don’t miss the Seattle Pride Parade marching along Fourth Avenue downtown between Pike Street and Denny Way from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Watching the parade is free, though you have the option to purchase certain seating options, which start at $40, to guarantee you have the best seats (well, bleachers) for the celebration. Learn more at seattlepride.org/events/seattle-pride-parade-2023.
Juneteenth
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were finally told of the Emancipation Proclamation, over two years after it was issued. Though the day was declared a federal holiday just two years ago, many Seattle communities have been celebrating it for decades.
Now reaching its 22nd year, Atlantic Street Center’s Juneteenth Celebration is a staple of South Seattle. Local food, entertainment, family-friendly activities and vendors from Black-owned businesses make up the 11 a.m.-3 p.m. event on June 17 at the Rainier Beach Community Center (8825 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle). Learn more at st.news/juneteenth-celebration.
Seattle’s Northwest African American Museum (2300 S. Massachusetts St., Seattle) holds a Juneteenth Week, which this year includes a youth day with art activities, sports games and other youth programming June 17, and an all-day Juneteenth celebration with a Black vendors market, roller skating party, yoga and more in Judkins Park (2150 S. Norman St., Seattle) June 19. Learn more at naamnw.org/juneteenth.
Outside of larger events and festivals, you can celebrate with Seattle Theatre Group’s “Songs of Black Folk 2023.” Performers will use a variety of media from blues and hip-hop to spoken word to take the audience through a four-century history of Black musical culture and its role of resistance and hope for Black people facing white supremacy. The show is at 7 p.m. June 18 at Paramount Theater (911 Pine St., Seattle), and tickets are $30-$75. Learn more at st.news/songs-of-black-folk.
If the weather’s nice, you can spend Juneteenth in the quietude of nature — for free — at a state park. It’s one of a handful of special days throughout the year when you don’t need to purchase a $11.50 day pass or $35 annual Discover Pass. Learn more at discoverpass.wa.gov/136/State-Parks-Free-Days.
Solstice
Welcoming all ages and body types, the Fremont Solstice Parade is known for its (often elaborately painted) nude bicyclists and for creating a space where anyone can be an artist. This year, the 33rd annual parade kicks off at 2 p.m. June 17 at Third and Leary Way. There'll be over 60 community groups parading down the streets of Fremont as stilt walkers, dancers, musicians and more.
The famous parade is just one aspect of the Fremont Fair, though. Before or after the parade, you can browse handmade goods from local vendors, listen to live music from two performance stages, enjoy fair food and drinks and more. The fair runs June 17, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., and June 18, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., west of Fremont Avenue North on North 35th Street and North 34th Street. Learn more at fremontfair.com.
July: Fourth of July (and other parades)
Seattle’s largest fireworks show 一 also a USA Today pick as one of the nation’s best 一 is put on over Lake Union by Seafair for its Summer Fourth. The show, accompanied by a musical score, follows a day of activities like live music, a dance party, games and beer gardens at Gas Works Park (2101 N. Northlake Way, Seattle) and Lake Union Park (860 Terry Ave. N., Seattle).
When dusk sets in, you can settle down on Gas Works Park’s hilltop for an elevated view, South Lake Union for a darker sky view facing north or find your own little nook around the lake — or on it, by boat. The activities and show are free with the option to reserve seating, starting at $50. Learn more at seafair.org/summerfourth.
While Seafair’s show snatches the spotlight, there are plenty of other ways to celebrate the Fourth in and around Seattle.
The annual Burien Independence Day Parade is back for its 100th year on July 4 at 3 p.m. Youth groups, local businesses, bands, churches and other local organizations plan to march through downtown Burien and hand out candy at the parade, which is the largest in the city. Learn more at st.news/burien-parade.
Bellevue Family 4th starts at 5 p.m. with live music, children’s activities and food trucks, and builds up to a fireworks show at 10:05 p.m., synchronized with a live performance by the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra. The festivities are held in Bellevue’s Downtown Park (10201 N.E. Fourth St., Bellevue). Learn more at bellevuedowntown.com/events/family-4th.
As July draws to a close, there’s a few more parades worth mentioning. Seafair’s Torchlight Parade on July 29 in downtown Seattle celebrates traditions and cultural diversity in the Pacific Northwest with over 100 participating groups, ranging from dragon dancers to marching bands. The event is free, though you can reserve seating starting at $40. Learn more at seafair.org/tlp.
Leading up to this large-scale event is the West Seattle Grand Parade on July 22 at 11 a.m. and the Seattle Chinatown Seafair Parade, known for marching with a 100-foot dragon and the Chinese Community Girls Drill Team in traditional Chinese opera costume, on July 23 at 7 p.m. Learn more at thewestseattleparade.com/about and seattlechinesechamber.org/chinatown-parade.
August: Seafair by the water
No list of iconic Seattle summer events would be complete without mentioning Seafair, now nearly three-quarters of a century old, and particularly its boat-focused Fleet Week and the Seafair Weekend Festival. Though it starts with a bang on July 4, the bulk of summer Seafair activities take place in August this year.
Fleet Week on the Seattle waterfront kicks off with a parade of ships sailing through Elliott Bay and runs Aug. 1-6 with a week of music, ship tours and opportunities for members of the public to engage with Seattle’s sailing community.
On the final three days of the week, join in the Seafair Weekend Festival, which marks the end of a summer of Seafair events. At Genesee Park and Playfield (4316 S. Genesee St., Seattle) along Lake Washington, you can watch hydroplanes (read: super fast motor boats) race at over 200 mph.
The weekend isn’t all water activities, though: During the Boeing Seafair Air Show you’ll have to look up to catch displays by military aviation teams, civilian pilots and parachuters.
General admission to Seafair Festival Weekend is $40/day or $60/weekend pass, with child and senior discounts, and free with military ID. General admission is free on Aug. 4. Learn more at seafair.org.
September: State fairs
Say goodbye to summer with perhaps the most nostalgia-inducing events of them all: state fairs.
The Washington State Fair originated back in 1900, when a group of local farmers, business owners and residents organized a gathering aimed at uplifting farming and manufacturing interest in the Puyallup Valley.
Today, Seattle-area residents still count on it for the fair favorites like rides, fair scones, the Puyallup rodeo, interactive farming exhibits and lots of live entertainment. Though the full entertainment lineup hasn’t been announced, performers this year include American comedian Jeff Foxworthy; you might know this Grammy Award nominee by his “You might be a redneck” one-liners.
The fair runs Sept. 1-24 at the Washington State Fair Events Center. Learn more at thefair.com/washington-state-fair.
Farther north, the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe also takes place every August. With a history tracing back to the late 1800s, the fair is known for upholding traditions. This year’s theme is “Little Moment, Big Memories,” and includes a backdrop of vibrant colors simulating “a very vivid summer dream” for fairgoers to make memories against.
While details of this year’s performers and attractions haven’t been released, you can expect concerts, fireworks, equestrian events and roaming entertainers. The fair runs Aug. 24-29 and Aug. 31-Sept. 4 at Evergreen State Fair Park (14405 179th Ave. S.E., Monroe). Learn more at evergreenfair.org.
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