Whether you’re into blues music, dragon dancing, glassblowing, Vietnamese food, naked (or fully clothed) bike rides, or smoking weed, there’s a festival to celebrate that this summer while also soaking up some of that sweet Seattle sunshine, and we've rounded up the biggest and best ones you need to know about below. You can also find a complete list of festivals in Seattle this summer on our Things To Do calendar, or check out the rest of our critics' picks from Seattle Art and Performance.
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Jump to: Music | Food & Drink | Community | Queer | Arts & Performance | Geek | Weed
MUSIC
June 15–16
Paradiso Festival Paradiso is the PNW’s premier festival of WUB-WUB-WUB, colloquially known as brostep, also called EDM, which is short for “electronic dance music” (you’re welcome, grandpa). Headliners include Deadmau5, DJ Snake, and Armin Van Buuren. Trust that glow sticks will be wielded, hearts broken, and vape pens smoked. (Gorge Amphitheatre, $195+)
Sat June 30
The Vera Project Presents Elysian Brewing’s Search Party Show your support for excellent all-ages music venue Vera Project by dancing to live sets from local rockers Young the Giant, Deerhunter, Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, and Sundries (as well as KEXP DJs) while drinking Elysian brews. (Seattle Center, 2 pm, $35/$40)
July 12–14
Timber! Outdoor Music Festival Timber is back for its sixth year of crowd-friendly folk, rock, and pop performances, and activities like camping, kayaking, and stargazing. This year's lineup includes Car Seat Headrest, Industrial Revelation, and Naked Giants. (Tolt-McDonald Park, Carnation, $99+)
Sat July 14
TUF FEST The local TUF collective of female/nonbinary/trans artists and creatives will throw their third annual festival, with an emphasis on electronic music and support from the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture. Panels will cover nuts-and-bolts matters like how to set up a PA, career advice like business skills for artists, and critical reflections on the music industry, with a stacked lineup of daytime performers and a late-night after party. (Judkins Park, free)
July 20–22
Capitol Hill Block Party 2018 Twenty-plus years ago, Capitol Hill Block Party was a one-day music event, featuring just a single stage. These days, the now iconic Capitol Hill festival takes over six blocks of the Pike/Pine corridor for three days of local and national artists on five separate stages. This year's lineup includes mainstage heavy-hitters like Father John Misty, Dillon Francis, Oh Wonder, and BROCKHAMPTON, as well as mid-size artists like Bully, Yaeji, and Ryan Caraveo, and smaller local acts like Dude York and Parisalexa. (Pike St and 12th Ave, 3 pm, $65—$300)
July 27–29
Cascadia NW Arts and Music Festival Starborne presents an entire weekend to camp out and enjoy live music, interactive art, workshops, performances, and artisan vending. In their words: “Family Friendly and Party Approved.” (Masonic Family Campground, Granite Falls, $150–$225)
Sun July 29
Wine Country Blues Festival Chateau Ste. Michelle kicks off another year of blues in the wine country, with a stacked summer festival bill of live sets by genre masters TajMo (The Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ Band), Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and John “Greyhound” Maxwell. (Chateau Ste. Michelle, Woodinville, 3 pm, $55/$85)
Aug 1–6
Doe Bay Fest 11 Doe Bay Fest’s weekend of camping, local music, food, and dancing in a little Orcas Island cove will return for its 11th year. (Doe Bay Resort, $195)
Aug 2–5
Summer Meltdown 2018 Summer Meltdown aims to provide a weekend of high-energy live music performances—from the likes of Bassnectar, Big Gigantic, Greensky Bluegrass, Lettuce, and Beats Antique—along with horseback riding, rafting, and other adventures. (Darrington Bluegrass Music Park, $225—$400)
Aug 3–5
7th Annual Watershed Festival Watershed Country Music Festival will return for a wild weekend of twangin’ goodness. Get ready for three whole days of down-home studs, including Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, Cassadee Pope, Big & Rich, and more. (Gorge Amphitheatre, $215+)
Aug 10–12
6th Annual Columbia City Blues Festival The sixth annual Columbia City Blues Festival allows the Royal Room to do what it does best: spotlight important historical music developments and put them into contexts that 21st-century folks can comprehend. The event's three nights will explore the crucial impact of certain cultural icons, with each night focusing on different themes and periods of their lives as legendary blues musicians. DAVE SEGAL (The Royal Room)
Sat Aug 11
SPF30: Sub Pop's 30th Anniversary Party Sub Pop Records will celebrate their 30th birthday in West Seattle with live sets from bands on their label (stay tuned for details), food, booze, and a record sale. (Alki Beach, 12—10 pm, free)
Aug 11–12
107.7 The End Summer Camp 2018 Summer Camp is 107.7 The End's version of Warped Tour: all the bands you hear on your favorite Seattle rock station, but actually in the flesh on stage. This year's lineup features AWOLNATION, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Man- chester Orchestra, Robert DeLong, Elle King, Alice Merton, Dreamers, lovelytheband, Moon Taxi, and Pale Waves. (Marymoor Park, 1 pm, $90+)
Sat Aug 18
Mercer X Summit Block Party The new-ish Mercer X Summit Block Party intends to be a free all-ages music festival held at the intersection of Summit and Mercer on the north end of Capitol Hill. The day-long fest will take place in the center of beloved local businesses Indian Summer, Summit Pub, Itto’s, Sun Liquor, Generations, Single Shot, and Top Pot, so support your community and shop around. (Summit Public House, free)
Aug 24–26
Gigantic Bicycle Festival 2018 First you ride your bike (for 50 miles), and then you're done and you get to hang out and listen to music. You also can just drive. Cyclists take off from Centennial Fields Park on Saturday morning, follow an established route throughout Snoqualmie, and then go back to the park, where artists will be waiting to play live sets over the weekend, all in celebration of the Northwest's favorite populist transit option: the bicycle. (Centennial Fields Park, Snoqualmie, 5 pm, $35—$70)
Pain in the Grass 2018 KISW’s Pain in the Grass promises rock and punk warfare thanks to massive headliners like Slayer, Alice in Chains, and Avenged Sevenfold. (White River Amphitheatre, $50–$130)
Aug 31–Sept 2
Bumbershoot 2018 Bumbershoot, Seattle's biggest music, comedy, and arts festival, will take over Seattle Center for Labor Day weekend for the 48th year. Musically, this year's fest will be helmed by the likes of J. Cole, the Chainsmokers, Fleet Foxes, Lil Wayne, Portugal. The Man, Ludacris, and Blondie. The "comedy & conversation" portion will be headlined by Eugene Mirman and the Last Podcast on the Left. There will also be an arts and culture component with standbys like the 1 Reel Film Fest and shows at the Laser Dome. Bumbershoot's culinary offerings, also called B-Eats, will include Bok a Bok Fried Chicken, Little Uncle, and Frankie & Jo's ice cream. (Seattle Center, $220—$775)
Sept 7–9
Chinook Fest Chinook Fest spends three days every summer boasting plenty of camping, artisanal food, craft booze, and some of the finest roots rock, blues, Americana, country, and folk artists out there, including Austin Jenckes, Jonathan Tyler, and Whitney Mongé. (Jim Sprick Community Park, Naches, $87.50–$200)
FOOD & DRINK
June 15–17
13th Annual Washington Brewers Festival Experience the dizzying choice of over 500 beers from over 100 Washington brewers. There’s also a specialty root beer garden, a kids’ playground, 17 food vendors, and music and entertainment all weekend. (Marymoor Park, $25–$35)
Sat June 16
POUR Seattle Urban Wineries’ second annual POUR wine festival will offer tastings from over 20 wineries, live music, and food. (Block 41, $35–$50)
Sat June 30
Grillfest Northwest At this carnivorous competition sanctioned by the Steak Cookoff Association, watch expert pitmasters engage in a barbecue battle royale. (Seattle Center, free)
July 6–8
Seattle International Beerfest This specialty beer fest boasts everything from classic beers to "a gaudy selection" of sours, stouts, and other styles "delicious yet shunned by the masses." (Fisher Pavilion, 12—10 pm, $25—$40)
Sat July 7
Proof: Washington Distiller’s Festival Taste offerings from over 40 Washington distillers—including 2bar Spirits, Bad Dog Distillery, and Scratch Distillery—supplemented by food from local restaurants, and meet the makers themselves. (Fremont Studios, 5:30–9 pm, $50–$75)
July 7–8
Seattle Street Food Festival Mobile Food Rodeo gathers food trucks, trailers, street food vendors, and handmade shops in South Lake Union for two days and one Saturday night market. (217 9th Avenue N)
July 13–15
Kirkland Uncorked This summer wine festival encompasses a wine tasting garden, a “burger brawl,” music, a street fair with a boat show, a food truck feast, and other activities. (Marina Park, $10–$25)
July 20–22
Albert Lee Appliance Bite of Seattle Seattle’s “Original Food & Beverage Showcase” rounds up food from over 60 restaurants and pop-up vendors, along with craft beer and cider tastings, live music, and a movie night. (Seattle Center, free)
Sat Aug 18
Seattle Hot Sauce Fest Enjoy hot sauce tastings, food trucks, a beer garden, lawn games, movies at dusk, and more at this spicy festival. (Ballard Commons Park, 11 am–11 pm, free)
Aug 24–26
Washington State Garlic Fest Stave off vampires and boost your immune system by surrounding yourself with garlic-centric foods—including garlic ice cream, chocolate-covered garlic cloves, and deep-fried garlic—and crafts. Dixieland bands will provide tunes throughout the festival. (Southwest Washington Fairgrounds)
Sun Aug 26
Little Saigon Festi-Roll Celebrate “Vietnamese street food with a twist,” with a focus on “all things rolled,” inspired by spring rolls. Enjoy live performances and inflatable activities for kids, enter pho- and spring roll-eating contests, and browse specialty gifts and products. (Chinatown-International District, 11 am–7 pm, free)
COMMUNITY
June 16–17
Fremont Solstice Fair Let that free spirit fill you at the annual Fremont Solstice Fair, a massive outdoor urban festival filled fit to bust with hippies, families, foodies, and artists. It's primarily for the parade, featuring elaborately painted (and sometimes just wild 'n' free) nude bicyclists, but also offers tons of food, crafts, activities, performances, great people-watching, and a beer garden. (Fremont, free)
June 21–Aug 18
Seafair Every year, this iconic summer festival puts on dozens of events, including community parades, cultural celebrations, and Fourth of July fireworks at Gas Works Park. Other highlights include the 31st Annual Seafair Pow Wow (July 20), which showcases traditional Native American cultures; the Seafair Pirates' Landing (July 7), in which "pirates" come ashore to snarl in a friendly fashion at the kids; the Lucerne Seafair Milk Carton Derby (July 14), when 100 milk carton boats of all shapes, colors, and sizes race around Green Lake; the nighttime Seafair Torchlight Parade (July 28); and the culminating Seafair Weekend (Aug 3—5), featuring a Boeing air show, a hydroplane race, and live entertainment. There are also festivals of food—like the Ballard Seafood Fest (July 13—15) and the Bellevue Strawberry Festival (June 23)—and culture, like the Japanese Bon Odori Festival (July 21—22), the Filipino Pista sa Nayon (July 29), and the Umoja Fest Africatown Heritage Festival (Aug 3). Neighborhoods throw themselves celebrations, too, like the West Seattle Summer Fest (July 13—15), Kirkland Summerfest (Aug 10—12), and many, many more. (Various locations, $25—$150)
July 14–15
DragonFest When you live in Chinatown, you start to take the dragon and lion dances for granted. But the performances are longer and more elaborate during Dragon Fest, taking on extra festive overtones as the team of performers maneuvers and manipulates the long, undulating bodies down the streets of the I.D. using poles positioned along their length. It is quite the sight. Dragon Fest also boasts 14 hours of cultural performances outside of these dances, the $3 Food Walk, and a range of vendors hawking food, goods, and bevvies galore. LEILANI POLK (Chinatown-International District, 12 pm, free)
Fri Aug 10
South Lake Union Block Party Every year, South Lake Union throws itself a party featuring diverse musical pleasures from local bands, food trucks, a beer garden, a free print-your-own-poster station, a "letterpress steamroller smackdown," and more. (South Lake Union Discovery Center, 12—11 pm, free)
Aug 20–26
Washington State International Kite Festival Go fly a kite at Long Beach, or just watch other people’s fancy air choreography. (Long Beach, free)
Aug 31–Sept 23
Washington State Fair This 20-day fair features food, rides, a rodeo, the “Piglet Palace,” and a concert series with headliners including Macklemore and Rascal Flatts. (Washington State Fair Events Center, Puyallup, $14)
QUEER
Fri June 22
Trans Pride Seattle Trans folk push on proud as ever. This annual rally and march will feature special guests Shea Diamond, Carmen Carrera, and Laith Ashley, as well as performances by the House of Luna, Jade Dynasty, and Randy Ford. (Cal Anderson Park, 5—10 pm, free)
Sat June 23
PrideFest Capitol Hill For the fifth year in a row, a glorious mass of rainbow flag-bearers will reclaim the streets of Capitol Hill—a historically queer neighborhood—for PrideFest. This year, the festival sites will be expanded to include Broadway from John to Roy, as well as Denny Way and Cal Anderson Park. (Cal Anderson Park/North Broadway, 12–9 pm, free)
Sun June 24
Seattle Pride Parade The streets of downtown will fill with rainbow flags as thousands of LGBTQ+ Seattleites and allies gather for the 44th annual Pride parade. Afterwards, head to Seattle Center to continue celebrating queer culture at PrideFest. (Downtown Seattle, 11 am–2:30 pm, free)
ARTS & PERFORMANCE
June 30–July 1
Urban Craft Uprising Summer Show “Seattle’s largest indie craft show” boasts a very large number of vendors—150 or more—selling everything from clothing to food to crafts. (Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, free)
Sun July 8
Georgetown Garden Walk/Cross Pollinate Artists paint in local gardens and create multimedia installations at this festival. (Georgetown, 10 am–3 pm, free)
July 21–22
Renegade Craft Fair Renegade Craft Fair (“the largest independent craft fair in the world”) brings together a few hundred makers selling their wares, conducting DIY workshops, and vending food and drinks. (Magnuson Park Hangar 30, 11 am–6 pm, free)
July 27–29
BAM Artsfair Shop arts from more than 300 creators and take advantage of free museum admission at this annual festival, which they claim is the largest arts and crafts fair in the Northwest. (Bellevue Arts Museum, free)
Sun July 29
Glass Fest Northwest This celebration of glass art promises work from more than 25 local artists, live glassmaking demonstrations, food, wine, craft beer, music, and family-friendly activities. (Museum of Glass, Tacoma, 11 am–5 pm, free)
Aug 10–11
festival:festival 2018 This multidisciplinary festival, with contributors selected by Mario Lemafa, Sara Porkalob, and Amina Maya, offers the chance for photographers, multimedia artists, dancers, and others to create artwork on intersectional identities. (Capitol Hill)
Pacific NW Chalk Fest 2018 Fourteen chalk artists will swarm the streets of Redmond Town Center with their artistic implements in hand. (Redmond Town Center, free)
Seattle Tattoo Expo For enthusiasts of permanently decorated flesh, here are three days to admire the art of the tattoo needle-wielder. See displays, attend seminars, and find the right artist to punch that sweet RBG tat into your skin. (Seattle Center Exhibition Hall)
Sept 8–21
Seattle Design Festival The Seattle Design Festival explores how urbanism, architecture, and design can further justice, ecology, and community. It offers arts events, panels, installations, discussions, and fun parties. (Center for Architecture & Design)
GEEK
June 22–24
Ace Comic Con Emerald City Comic Con was in March, but you have another chance to meet your superheroes: Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, and Tom Hiddleston are the biggest guest names. And, of course, you’ll have the chance to meet dozens of comic artists and pick up souvenirs. (WaMu Theater, $46–$96+)
Aug 31–Sept 3
PAX West PAX West is an annual convention devoted exclusively to gaming and one of the largest events of its kind in North America. The convention features panels, an exhibit hall, new game demonstrations, and special guests. (Washington State Convention & Trade Center)
WEED
Aug 17–19
Hempfest This massive annual cannabis convocation boasts five stages of speakers and live music, plus crafts, food, and informational vendors. (Myrtle Edwards Park, $10 suggested donation)
