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.