Seattle Design Festival, Aug. 16-25
In its ninth year, Seattle Design Festival is the largest event of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, where more than 120 creative partners (who like to push the limits) and 30,000+ attendees experience dozens of events citywide. This year’s theme is “Balance.” The festival will feature walking tours (in Capitol Hill and Georgetown), exhibits, outdoor installations and workshops. It will be capped by a block party at Lake Union Park on Aug. 24-25.
Free Entrance to National and State Parks, Aug. 25
Happy birthday to the National Park Service. It turns 103 on Aug. 25 (and it looks good for its age!). To mark the day, all national and Washington State parks are open to the public at no cost. Get outdoors and take advantage of one of the last days of August by visiting Olympic, Mt. Rainier or North Cascades national parks. [If visiting the Olympics, you have to visit nearby Quinault, home to the world’s largest Sitka Spruce tree, pictured, at 191 feet tall, 59 feet in circumference and about 1000 years old. Or, closer to home, check out St. Edward, Bridle Trails or Squak Mountain state parks on this special day. Open dawn to dusk.
Washington State Fair, Aug. 30-Sept. 22
You can be sure our state has a BIG fair when its web address is simply “thefair.com,” am I right?! This is such a great time of year to be in the Pacific Northwest, and nothing captures the fun and vibrancy of our community better than The Washington State Fair in Puyallup. There are farm animals, amusement-park rides and games, a wide array of great food (barbecue and corn on the cob are my faves), a fine-art show, butterfly house (so cool!), an exhibit about dragons, jugglers, and so much more. You can easily spend a day at the fair. And, then, you have the live performances (tickets sold separate from the fair) from some big-name musical favorites – Billy Idol, Keith Urban, Weezer, The Beach Boys, Boyz II Men, 98 Degrees, Sir Mix-a-Lot, Ciara, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Brad Paisley and, yes, so much more. What more do you want?! Hours are generally 10:30am-10:30pm most days; closed Sept. 3, 4, 10 and 17.
Run the Puyallup!, Aug. 31
One of the nice outcomes of the fair are the scholarship recipients from The Washington State Fair Foundation. And one of the main fundraisers for the foundation takes place on this date. Bring your friends and join thousands of people for the 2nd Annual Run the Puyallup! Get a behind-the-scenes peak at the fairgrounds, collect fair goodies (or should that be Fair goodies?) and support the foundation as you run, walk or trot the 4.3-kilometer (about 2.6-mile) course. Aug. 31 from 8:30am
University of Washington Football season kickoff, Aug. 31
I’m not one for hype when it comes to sporting teams leading into a new season….but….we should be on the lookout for a good campaign from the UW football team. It all kicks off Aug. 31 (noon) at Husky Stadium against the Eagles of Eastern Washington and rumbles through autumn against Pac-12 foes Southern Cal, Oregon, preseason favorite Utah, Washington State, among others. The conference is loaded with talented teams and the squad that prevails should expect a possible invite to a major postseason bowl. Go Huskies!
Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival, Sept. 8
Embrace the Hawaiian culture or relive your time spent in the 50th state by attending the Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival at Seattle Center. This family friendly event is about more than hula performances, islander music (including five-time Grammy nominee Amy HānaialiˋI Gilliom) and shaved ice. It’s a fun exploration of the culture, crafts and cuisine of all things Hawaii. The event is free. Sept. 8, 11am-7pm.
Seattle Seahawks season kickoff, Sept. 8
Pete Carroll begins his 10th season as head coach of the Seahawks, his longest run as a pro or college boss. This year’s squad features new wide receivers, a changing defensive line (traded Frank Clark; suspended Jarran Reed) and the addition of 2018 All-Pro placekicker Jason Myers. Seattle’s schedule starts Sept. 8 (1:05pm, CBS) at CenturyLink Field against Cincinnati. In addition to facing NFC West rivals home and away, the Seahawks play twice in Pennsylvania – at Pittsburgh (Sept. 15) and Philadelphia (Nov. 24). Go Hawks!!