The best part about the international festivals that happen throughout the year in Seattle is that nobody’s ever actually crashing—the whole city is invited to these parties. Wherever they come from, immigrants and their descendants carry on the traditions of their native lands, recreating the celebrations they remember, usually in the form of dancing, music, and (everyone’s favorite) food. Seattle is not a very diverse city, but all of the small communities that throw the festivals open the door to their friends and neighbors, sharing their culture, their holiday, their traditions, and their snacks with anyone who wants to join. In general, the events are free, fun, family-friendly, and a great way to learn more about fellow Seattleites. Wondering where to start? Here are a few perennial favorites:
Bon Odori
Seattle’s Japanese community celebrates this mid-July festival with a huge dance party that basically takes over the street, with all comers encouraged to join in—no experience necessary. In addition to the dancing and music in the street, the booming Taiko drums are played, crafts displayed, martial arts demonstrated, and of course, Japanese snacks are on offer, such as yakitori (fried noodles) and onigiri (rice balls).
Pista sa Nayon
Almost three percent of Seattle is Filipino (the tenth largest Filipino population in the country), and this is their festival—which is the largest outdoor Filipino festival in the country. Each summer, Pista sa Nayon (“town festival”) takes over Seward Park in south Seattle for a day in the end of July, offering professional and amateur entertainment (singing and folk dancing), food booths, and information about community services. Look for stands frying up lumpia (spring rolls) and cooking longanisa (sausage).
Syttende Mai
The Ballard neighborhood is not as Scandinavian as it once was, both in culture and in population, but the Syttende Mai parade (literally, the 17th of May) is a tradition that remains. The holiday celebrates Norway’s Constitution Day, and Ballard’s celebration is the largest outside of Norway. Along with music and dance, there is a lunch at which Norwegian dignitaries speak, and the centerpiece of the event, the parade.
Ethiopian New Year
Ethiopian restaurants are extremely popular in Seattle and the population is large; however, their community festivals are just getting started. Ethiopian New Year is the biggest one—2014 will be its fifth year. It is an informal event put on by the Ethiopian Community Mutual Association in September, featuring music, dancing, games, and food.
Missed the festivals? Don't worry, there's always something to do in Seattle.
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Things To Do In Arlington
Gleneagle Golf Course
Round of Golf with Cart Rental for Two or Four at Gleneagle Golf Course (59% Off)
18-hole, 5,851-yard course winds through towering cedars and firs and scenic waters
Gleneagle
$85 $35
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The Sweat Shop
Arlington
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Body & Mind Fitness
Timbergrove
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Absolute Air Park
Arlington
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Aka Mma &fitness
Arlington
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Cleaved through rows of muscular cedar and fir trees and mature arbors, Gleneagle Golf Course's 18-hole course stretches across 5,851 yards of meandering fairways and treacherous hazards. Though the relatively short course does not demand gargantuan drives to contend for par, it counters with an ensemble of strategically placed bunkers, ball-hungry water hazards, and shape-shifting greens to affect a moderately challenging course. Patrons can prepare for the picturesque par 70 with a stint at the driving range, where an irons-only restriction keeps unruly drivers at bay and fosters the type of short-yardage precision that will prove advantageous on the course. After looping the emerald links, players can recess to the Gleneagle Family Restaurant Bar & Grill, where three large flat-screen TVs fill the room with sports-world happenings.
Course at a Glance: * 18-hole, par-70 course * Length of 5,851 yards from the farthest tees * Course rating of 69.1 from the farthest tees * Slope rating of 138 from the farthest tees * Four tee options available * See the scorecard
7619 E Country Club Dr
Arlington,
WA
US
It sounds just like a movie: a former Disney employee and a former mayor team up to run their own theater. That's exactly what Jeff Brein and Sam Granato did in 1988 with Bainbridge Cinemas, where they still spend Friday and Saturday nights tearing tickets and scooping popcorn. Besides Bainbridge Cinemas, their theater collection—Far Away Entertainment —oversees seven other local theaters, including the historic single-screen Lynwood Theatre. Opened in 1936, Bainbridge Island's first talking picture house now specializes in independent features and foreign films in which actors rearrange the English alphabet to make strange new sounds.
Over at the two-screen Admiral Theater, projectionists give newer Hollywood releases a second run, plus host screenings every year for the Seattle International Film Festival. Far Away's five remaining theaters, each with three to five screens, show digital versions of Hollywood's freshest celluloid. Lean back in the Anacortes' reclining seats, or scarf down an all-beef frank at Oak Harbor while taking in a flick or live screening of the Metropolitan Opera.
6996 265th st NW
Stanwood,
WA
US
A father-son team, Dickson Flyfishing guides and teaches fly-fishing to all levels of anglers on Olympic Peninsula waters, Puget Sound rivers, and many eastern Washington rivers. Conscious of their environmental impact, they lead eco-rafting trips throughout the year on the Skagit, Sauk, and Queets Rivers, as well as fishing trips for steelhead, cutthroat trout, and salmon with scales made of gold. More adventurous clients can embark on winter fly-fishing trips for tarpon on the flats of the Caribbean or three-day campouts on the Grande Ronde River. Additionally, scenic rafting tours bring visitors up close to wildlife such as eagles. Dickson Flyfishing also runs a virtual fly shop, where they sell their own line of equipment.
12021 Route 530
Arlington,
WA
US
Glider-Rides.com’s FAA-certified pilots propel Grob Motorglider planes skyward, treating passengers to astounding aerial views of Washington's verdant landscape. One passenger weighing up to 200 pounds rides along in a streamlined, self-launching motorglider, which can comfortably fit people up to 6'2" tall. When the plane reaches a suitable altitude, the pilot shuts off the engine, leaving the aircraft completely silent except for the occasional scream of clouds. Passengers may specify sights and landmarks to view along the way, snapping panoramic photos of regal Mount Rainier, the inspiring Seattle skyline, and the Puget Sound. Each side of the plane sports a window, facilitating clear, crisp photography and gesticulations for truck drivers to honk their horns.
18204 59th Drive Northeast
Arlington,
WA
US
The magic bean that sprouted into Whiskey Ridge Brewing was a Christmas gift that Francine Hatley gave to her husband, Jack. That gift: a homebrewing kit that Jack set up in his garage. Nearly a decade later, that garage operation has expanded into Darrington's old City Hall, has come to involve Jack's entire family, and has churned out delicious microbrews such as the Henrietta Chocolate Porter and the Tarheel Stomp.
650 Emens Ave.
Darrington,
WA
US
