For September 2019, we inspected the Greater Seattle on the Cheap event calendar and latest website posts for free events that might be especially worthy of your consideration. Since we publish hundreds of events every month, we like to highlight some of the best, unique, and free community events around the region. We try to whittle it to 10 events, but often overshoot that mark. Sometimes there’s just too much free fun!
If you want to splurge a bit, there’s the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe, which closes Monday and the Washington State Fair in Puyallup, which continues until September 22, 2019–both with admission fees, carnival rides, rodeos, concerts, and lots more. Other interesting seasonal events with low-price admission include Improv campfire ghost stories at Post Alley ($15, Thursday-Saturday, September 19 – October 31, 2019) and Michelmasse Medieval festival in Carnation ($10, September 28-29, 2019). There are also classes to learn the “Thriller” dance in Redmond and Seattle in preparation for the worldwide Thriller dance on October 26, 2019. Finally, if you are a movie buff, beginning around mid-September a number of film festivals begin the fall season.
Beyond these, the following list includes what we think are the 10-ish best free events in September. We lean towards multi-day festivals, which means you can sometimes make it to more than one event in the same weekend.
Best free events in September
August 30, 2019-September 1, 2019. Free Oak Harbor music festival on Whidbey Island. Three days of free music in historic downtown Oak Harbor. There are two main stages with bands planning throughout the festival featuring all types of musical genre. Enjoy two beer gardens, a variety of food vendors, and sidewalk cafes, plus arts and crafts vendors as you stroll from one stage to the other.
August 30 – September 2, 2019. Sale on skiing & snowboard gear at Ski Bonkers in Bellevue. The annual Labor Day Weekend sale of ski and snowboard related gear and clothing is a unique event that local skiers and snowboarders look forward to every year. You’ll find great deals on older merchandise and brand new merchandise for this upcoming season.
August 31 – September 2, 2019. Free family-friendly blackberry festival in Bremerton. Family-friendly festival on the picturesque waterfront boardwalk in Bremerton. Enjoy berry treats such as blackberry pie, lemonade, and blackberry wine. Plus chalk art, live music, kids entertainment, beer & wine garden, and live music.
September 3-28, 2019, Tuesday-Saturday. Sale on computer techology products in Seattle. HUGE sales during the month of September at 3R Technology. Students and educators will receive an additional 10% off of everything at both stores: laptops, desktops, tablets, Apple products, gaming devices, and so much more! Not a student or educator? Don’t worry there are still lots of great deals. Everything carries a 30-day money back guarantee so you can buy with confidence. Two store locations in Seattle: North/Green Lake and South/Georgetown.
September 6-8, 2019. Free lighthouse festival in Mukilteo. Mukilteo’s biggest celebration of the year the weekend after Labor Day. The festival will feature food, entertainment, artists booths, beer garden, children’s entertainment, football on a big screen Sunday afternoon, and fireworks shows. Entry to the Festival is free; however, some activities are offered for a fee, such as the children’s bounce houses, rides, and Beer Garden.
September 6-8, 2019. San Gennaro Italian Festival in Seattle. Brings together the best Seattle Italian food and entertainment in the Georgetown neighborhood (south of SODO). Festivities include food vendors, Italian wares for sale, beer and wine garden, children’s activities, and music stage featuring Italian-American bands.
September 13-14, 2019. Oktoberfest Wurst Festival in north Seattle. Inflatable rides, an array of delicious foods, games for kids of all ages, craft booths, homemade sweets, a book sale, a Biergarten, a raffle, plus live entertainment on an outdoor stage. An end-of-summer celebration and fundraiser for the school.
September 13 – October 13, 2019. Where to see wild salmon in Snoqualmie Valley. During the fall salmon spawning season, many people enjoy watching wild salmon as they swim upriver to lay their eggs. View returning adult salmon in Snoqualmie Valley around the town of Carnation from mid-September through October at several locations. A great weekend outing for fall. You might combine salmon viewing with one of the 13 best nature walks in the city to see fall color or 10 scenic drives for Washington State fall color.
September 13-15, 2019. Free Puget Sound Bird Fest in Edmonds. Annual fall celebration of Puget Sound birds includes speakers, guided walks, land and water-based field trips, exhibits, and educational activities for children and adults. Many free activities. Some guided walks and field trips require advance registration and a fee.
September 21, 2019. Free Art Studio Tour in Edmonds. An exclusive glimpse into private art studios showcasing the work of local artists. This free, annual, self-guided tour is an opportunity to meet professional artists, see how they create their work, and purchase pieces directly from the maker.
September 21, 2019. Free luminata festival at Green Lake in Seattle. Celebrate the autumnal equinox and bid farewell to summer. Everyone is invited to bring lanterns, glowing umbrellas, luminous costumes, or other beaming creations to parade around the lake. Throughout the park you will encounter magical art installations, music, performances, and a secret banquet.
September 21, 2019. Free trapeze show of high-flying aerial arts in Seattle. Features students of all ages performing fully choreographed acts. Get ready for high-flying fun on the ground and in the air as they amp up the tricks, the air, and the style with their creative and genius skills. Concessions will be available. All Ages Welcome.
September 21, 2019. Free “Chuseok” Korean cultural festival in Tacoma. Celebrate the Korean autumn festival “ChuSeok” with activities for the whole family. Highlights include Korean culture and crafts including tea ceremony, lantern making, paper folding, instruments, wrestling, and of course food.
September 22, 2019. Day trip: Oyster Run motorcycle ride to Anacortes. Oyster Run has no official starting point, time, or schedule. Just pick your own route to Anacortes and plan to stop at a few “Biker Friendly” places along the way. Come early and stay all day, street vendors are setup in Anacortes from 9AM-5PM. If you want to make a weekend out of it, there’s also a suggested list of lodging. Estimates range from 10,000 to 20,000 motorcycles in recent years. No one cares what you ride or even if you ride. So drive, walk, crawl, sail, or swim into Anacortes and enjoy the fun.
September 27-29, 2019. Bite of Broadview family festival in north Seattle. Commonly called “BOB”, is held at Christ the King Church. BOB offers a weekend filled with mouth-watering food and entertainment—including carnival rides, live music, beer and wine garden, marketplace booths, a kids’ zone, and car show.
September 28-29, 2019. Free Wooden Boat Festival at CWB on South Lake Union. An old-fashioned, down-home waterfront event where everything is fun and most things are free.
September 28-29, 2019. Free Romanian festival in Mountlake Terrace. Eat, dance and experience the hospitality that Romanians are famous for. Come savor traditional Romanian dishes, enjoy lively music and dances,and explore a marketplace with authentic Romanian crafts.
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