With views of sparkling waters, blue skies and lush scenery in almost every direction, Seattle is looking its best when August rolls around. The time has come to spend every possible waking hour in the sunshine! Fortunately with everything happening in the Emerald City this time of year, between street festivals and hikes, patios and outdoor concerts, this is easy to achieve. We rounded up 10 things to do in Seattle this August to get you started!
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1. Free Entrance to National Parks – August 4
Grab your hiking poles and fill up that canteen! In honor of the recently-passed Great American Outdoors Act, the entrance fee is waived on Friday, August 4th. Get away from the city this weekend and escape to one of the state’s three beautiful national parks. Catch a ferry or take a road trip and visit the lush, green canopy of the Hoh Rain Forest in the Olympic National Park to witness one of the country’s finest examples of an untouched temperate rainforest. If you’re feeling more adventurous, the North Cascades National Park offers an immense spread of northwest wilderness and contains Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas.
2. Seahawks Football Fest – August 4
Calling all Hawks superfans! Mark your calendar for the first Friday of the month to head down to Lumen Field for this year’s Seahawks Football Fest. Don your brightest blue and green apparel for a day that promises a mock game, live music, food trucks, a post-practice autographed football toss from the players, plus lots more football fun at the adjacent Muckleshoot Heritage Plaza. Go Hawks!
3. Free Movies at the Mural – Fridays
As the sun sets over Seattle, kick back and spend a balmy evening relaxing on the Seattle Center’s lush lawn during their weekly summertime series, Movies at the Mural. Gather up your friends, grab some snacks and take in films ranging from the 1995 favorite Clueless to more recent hits like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The best part? The screenings are all free!
4. Seafair Weekend – August 4-6
For the 74th year, Seafair Festival is back with all of the PNW’s most exhilarating events! Snag a spot along Fourth Avenue for the annual Torchlight Parade, and enjoy the grit and determination of the Seafair Triathalon participants!
The fanfare wraps up during the final blow-out weekend! Between August 4th and August 6th, prepare to be amazed by displays ranging from a Blue Angels Air Show to a thrilling hydroplane boat race.
5. Summer at SAM – Thursdays and Saturdays
Play, picnic, and create at the Olympic Sculpture Park with a summer series by SAM – the Seattle Art Museum. With an entire summer season packed full of activities and performances that combine visual art, music, and community, you’re bound to find something on the calendar to suit your taste. Spend your Thursday evenings with concerts, food trucks and art making, or Saturdays for daytime movement classes, tours, and community partner activities. The kicker – all activities are free!
6. South Lake Union Block Party – August 10
Every year, South Lake Union lets its hair down and turns up the tunes. Be a part of SLU’s largest neighborhood celebration this Friday and come enjoy free vibes at the SLU Block Party. Treat your eardrums to indie rock mainstays Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, rock out to local band Smokey Brights, along with a roster of other great artists all free of charge. Throw in a gaggle of food trucks and an open-air beer garden and you’ve got a perfect summertime evening al fresco.
7. Columbia City Farmers Market – Wednesdays
If you’re looking for a mid-week infusion of delicious goods to your kitchen pantry, the Columbia City Farmers Market is a one-stop shop for delectable goodies. Swing by Seeking Kombucha for a fizzy, fermented refresher. Or really indulge and skip straight to dessert, it is summer after all! If you’re ice cream inclined (like us) don’t skip Bluebird Ice Cream to grab a scoop in a fresh-made waffle cone. Before you head home, take a stroll over to Seward Park and enjoy the sunset as you dip your toes in Lake Washington.
8. Day In Day Out Fest – August 12-13
Follow the thumping bass and soaring guitar riffs to the heart of the Seattle Center for a weekend of killer tunes at Day In Day Out Fest. Some of this generation’s most lauded musicians – from Leon Bridges and Dominic Fike to Bon Iver and Ethel Cain – will be performing all weekend in downtown’s Fisher Pavilion. In between the smooth sounds, head to the outskirts of the grassy venue to grab some grub from the local food trucks and restaurant pop-ups to fuel up for your next show!
9. Fremont Sunday Market – Sundays
Self-proclaimed as the “center of the universe,” Fremont really feels like it is on Sundays. Year-round, rain or shine, the Fremont Sunday Market takes over the city with sights, sounds and smells converging to meet your senses around every corner. Be sure to arrive hungry to take full advantage of the dozens of food trucks, peruse more than 100 curated vendor booths, do a little vintage and antique shopping, plus take in some local art and music. The quirky market is free to the public, pet-friendly, bike accessible, and happens rain or shine. Afterward, wander over to the water and watch the rowing team practice, and if you have time, why not pay the Fremont Troll a visit!
10. Candlelight Concert in Olympic Sculpture Park – August 27
Experience one of the city’s most stunning public parks in a whole new light – candlelight, in fact! – with a candlelit orchestral concert at the Olympic Sculpture Park. Enjoy the smooth sounds of three different vocalists with a live instrumental backing, followed by a cocktail party, and a ballet performance, with all proceeds going to the Encanto Arts nonprofit. A night of culture for a good cause, what could be better?
