From egg hunts to a grand floral parade, here’s how to spend Easter weekend in the Seattle area

Easter weekend is here, and not only that, the weather is supposed to be GREAT, so let’s get out there and enjoy all the fun our region has to offer.

Downtown Seattle will be bustling with plenty of characters from all sorts of anime, manga, and more as Sakura Con returns. This weekend-long celebration will have the usual panels, cosplay, and concerts, but there will also be over 20 video game tournaments, a charity auction, and a nerd prom. You can see the full schedule and get tickets at the event’s website.

In SeaTac at the DoubleTree Hotel Seattle Airport, Sci-Fi and Fantasy fans are in for a great weekend at Norwescon. There will be over 200 panelists and vendors, plus a weekend full of tabletop games, workshops, dances, and even a masquerade contest. There’s also a film festival, laser tag and Nerf battles, concerts, and plenty more. Tickets are still available, and Norwescon is already underway.

The Daffodil Festival continues this Saturday across multiple cities with the Daffodil Parade. It’s one of the biggest events of the year for Pierce County — the grand floral parade, with over 100 floats, marching bands, and more local organizations taking part. The parade will make its way through Tacoma at 10:15 a.m., Puyallup at 12:45 p.m., and Sumner at 2:30 p.m. before it finishes in Orting. You can find the parade routes and more information on the Daffodil Festival’s website.

All aboard for Easter fun on the rails

If you are looking for some Easter-themed fun this weekend, why not try a scenic ride on one of our railroads? Multiple railroads are offering special Easter-themed rides, including the Easter Eggspress at the Everett Railroad, going on Friday afternoon. There will be an Easter egg hunt, a chance to meet the Easter Bunny, and even a petting zoo. There’s also the Easter Bunny Express at the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad, which also features a scenic ride along the rails, plus an Easter Egg hunt and other family-friendly activities. The Easter Bunny Express runs Friday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and on Easter Sunday at 4 p.m. There’s also another Easter Eggspress departing from Chehalis on Saturday. After your ride, you and your family can check out the Easter Egg hunt, mini golf, bounce houses, and you know the Easter Bunny will be stopping by as well. The Chehalis Easter Eggspress runs between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday.

In Snohomish, the Snohomish Easter Parade will be Saturday at 10 a.m. The route will go along 1st Street, and following the parade, there will be an Easter Bonnet Contest for all ages, a perfect way to enjoy the holiday with the family.

From Ballard to South Park, Seattle is loaded with Easter egg hunts

Speaking of Easter Egg hunts, there are PLENTY going on throughout the region, especially at local community centers, including Ballard, Bitter Lake, Delridge, Garfield, Green Lake, Montlake, Northgate, Queen Anne, South Park, and many more. These hunts are taking place at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Maybe you aren’t in King County and are still looking to find something going on. Check out this website, which has Easter egg hunts from around the state.

If you are looking to get your sports fix this weekend, the Seattle Seawolves rugby team has a match at Starfire Sports tonight at 7:30 p.m., taking on Old Glory DC. The Kraken are in the home stretch of the season and will face off against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, with puck drop at 7 p.m. at Climate Pledge.

How will you enjoy the wonderful weather on a holiday weekend? Let me know at paulh@kiroradio.com.