Seattle, WA
Seattle weekend events: Bye, State Fair and hello, Oktoberfest
Happy Friday and welcome back to the weekend. There are loads of events to check out in and around Seattle in the coming days.
Fall is in the air and, to celebrate, you can head to Green Lake in Seattle for a parade. The Luminata is Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. and features a short walk and tons of custom lanterns. There have been workshops throughout the month for folks to make their own lanterns for the event, but if you missed out on those, the lantern workshop will open at 5:30 p.m. The workshop and starting point of the parade will be right around the Green Lake Boathouse.
It’s the final weekend of the Washington State Fair in Puyallup. So, this is the last chance for fans to eat all your favorite fair food and ride your favorite rides. Get tickets and details of what’s going on the weekend events at the fairgrounds at its website.
Who needs to wait for October for Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest has arrived in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood this weekend for what they call on their website Seattle’s biggest beer festival. More than 100 different types of beer will be available to try, as well as live music, food and a couple of friendly competitions. See how strong you are during the stein-hoisting contest or watch chainsaw-wielding pumpkin carvers create one-of-a-kind pumpkin art. Fremont Oktoberfest runs Friday through Sunday, and if you have a four-legged friend who wants to join in on the fun, Sunday is Dogtoberfest!
Does Oktoberfest get you in the mood for brats? What about brats for a cause? The Great Wallingford Bratwurst Festival is Friday and Saturday at St. Benedict School in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood. This will have all your festival favorites, live music from local bands and a beer garden.
It’s still a family event, so that means bouncy houses, games at the Fun Zone, a shop for sweets and more are also available. Get more details by searching Wallingford Bratwurst Festival on Facebook.
Rainer hosting R Day, Farm Fest
Few things are better on the weekend than an ice-cold Rainer, at least for me. It’s more than just an adult beverage for some, it’s a lifestyle and that is on full display during R Day. The lineup includes live music, your chance to find and buy cool Rainer merch — both new and vintage — and there’s even an arcade. This takes place on Saturday in Georgetown, and no ticket is required.
Head out with the kids and learn about the world of urban agriculture at the Farm Fest at Rainer Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands. This informative event will teach people about urban agriculture, offer a variety of crafts to make and food and cooking classes. This event is free and open to the public. Check out their website for more details.
Even more weekend events from listeners and readers
Support heart health this weekend at the Puget Sound Heart and Stroke Walk. This is happening this Saturday at the Seattle Center and will feature a non-competitive walk with 1-mile or 5K options. Proceeds will benefit the American Heart Association and it also offers quick CPR lessons as well. Get more details on Puget Sound Heart & Stroke Walk’s website.
The Chinatown-International District (CID) Night Market Returns at Hing Hay Park on Saturday. The free event offers an open-air market experience with dozens of food offerings, arts and crafts, cultural performances and lots more. Things get started at 1 p.m. Saturday and last until 9 p.m. Get more details here.
There’s also a night market going on at 37th Ave. S and Hudson Street from 6-10 p.m. Saturday. This is the Columbia City Night Market and there will be live music and plenty more to do.
Paul Holden produces the Seattle weekend events calendar for KIRO Newsradio and a weekly story for MyNorthwest. He also appears regularly on KIRO Newsradio’s “Seattle’s Morning News.” If you know of even more cool things going on in the area, let him know at PaulH@kiroradio.com.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson answered pressing questions about the city’s most pressing issues, including the steps she’s taking to protect residents’ public safety and affordability, while also touching on activating CCTV cameras across the city.
Anyone waiting for the ferry, taking a stroll along the revamped Seattle waterfront or visiting the Seattle Aquarium just got a new option for finding a sweet treat: Ben & Jerry’s is coming to Pier 54.
A lease announcement last week shared that the new shop will be operated by local franchise owners Lance and Moria Blair, owners of the Green Lake and Gig Harbor Ben & Jerry’s locations. They pair is also opening another Seattle location in Northgate soon.
The permanent shop announcement comes after Ben & Jerry’s operated a pop-up at the waterfront location last simmer.
“As a Seattle native, the waterfront holds a special place in my heart,” Lance Blair said in a news release. “I could not be more excited to be a part of bringing Ben & Jerry’s to Pier 54 and continue building connections with the local community while serving visitors from around the world.”
The new location comes as local ice cream chains Molly Moon’s and Salt & Straw have also expanded into the downtown area in the past year.
Where is the new Ben & Jerry’s location?
The new Ben & Jerry’s is located at Pier 54 on the Seattle Waterfront: 1001 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98104.
The shop will be open Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Where are the other Ben & Jerry’s locations in Seattle?
The ice cream chain operates four other locations in the Seattle area:
- Alki Beach: 2742 Alki Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116
- Bellevue: 166 Bellevue Way NE Bellevue, WA 98004
- Green Lake: 7900 E Green Lake Drive N Suite 104, Seattle, WA 98103
- Kirkland: 176 Lake Street South, Kirkland, WA 98033
How many locations does Ben & Jerry’s have in Washington?
Ben & Jerry’s has ten locations across Washington, including two in Issaquah and three in the Spokane area. See the full list of locations at benjerry.com/ice-cream-near-me.
Zachary Fletcher is a trending news reporter with USA TODAY Network’s Washington state team. Keep up with him on X (@zdfletch), BlueSky (@zfletcher.bsky.social) or reach him at zfletcher@usatodayco.com.
Seattle, WA
VIDEO: Mayor Wilson proposes renewing, expanding Seattle Transit Measure by doubling the sales-tax percentage that funds it.
Through the end of this year, 0.15% of the sales tax you pay funds the voter-approved Seattle Transit Measure. That would double to 0.30% if the City Council and Seattle voters approve the renewal/expansion that Mayor Katie Wilson officially introduced this afternoon. She said it’ll make living in Seattle more affordable by enabling more people to “live car-free or car-light.” She acknowledged that raising the sales tax isn’t ideal but noted that it’s one of the few revenue-raising tools available under state law. Besides paying for more transit – 280,000 additional Metro bus trips a year, 100,000 more than the current measure funds – it also would pay for 22,000 free ORCA transit passes, more than double what the city provides now, said acting SDOT director Angela Brady during the announcement event at City Hall. The passes are now available to Seattle Promise scholars, low-income Seattle Preschool Program families, and Seattle Housing Authority residents. The measure’s renewal/expansion would also make those passes available to Housing Choice Voucher participants.
The mayor’s announcement says the Transit Measure isn’t just about buses: It also would “support the design and delivery of Sound Transit’s West Seattle Link Extension, Ballard Link Extension, and Graham Street Station.” The 0.30% sales tax would generate an estimated $138 million average per year for the 10 years of this measure, which is proposed to go to voters in November. Council review starts this Thursday and will be led by District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka, who chairs the council committee that oversees transportation. We’ll add the specific text of the proposal when we get it; the slide deck for Thursday’s council meeting is now available, and we’ll add some highlights from that soon.
-
Maine7 minutes agoSix Maine food producers win Good Food Awards
-
Maryland10 minutes agoSpotted lanternflies are reemerging in Maryland. Here’s what to know.
-
Michigan15 minutes ago2 historic Michigan lighthouses to split $120K in preservation grants
-
Massachusetts22 minutes agoKaren Read files lawsuit against Massachusetts State Police and Canton Police
-
Minnesota25 minutes agoSchool bus company’s inspection history in question after kids hurt in Hamline University crash
-
Mississippi30 minutes agoFerris, West to discuss Mississippi folk artists at UM Museum – The Oxford Eagle
-
Missouri37 minutes agoAmerican Shaman agrees to suspend kratom sales in Missouri
-
Montana40 minutes agoMontana Supreme Court Decides International Child Custody Case – Transnational Litigation Blog
