Is it too early for some fall fun? Check out these events in the Seattle area

Sep 5, 2025, 5:02 AM | Updated: 5:19 am

Photo of the grand opening of Waterfront Park in downtown Seattle. (Photo courtesy of the City of Seattle via Friends of Waterfront Park)

(Photo courtesy of the City of Seattle via Friends of Waterfront Park)

BY PAUL HOLDEN

KIRO Newsradio producer and writer

One thing we know for sure about the Pacific Northwest, once the calendar hits September, fall really moves in quickly. Cooler mornings with some fog, the days are slowly getting shorter, and school is back in session. That means it’s time to make the most out of your weekends!

The Friends of Waterfront Park and the City of Seattle are putting on a Grand Opening Celebration of Waterfront Park this weekend. The latest improvement to the waterfront is here, and not only can folks enjoy the new 20-acre park, but live music, parades, games and activities for all ages, pop-up performances, art, and so much more. The party is Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

MOPOP is saying goodbye to its Nirvana Exhibit this weekend after 14 years. It closes on Sunday, September 7, but there will be a closing celebration on Saturday with t-shirt printing, button-making, and other activities, plus film screenings, confessional video, and more. This runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.

There are still plenty of festivals going on throughout the weekend. You can learn about cultures from around the world and see traditional performances, and enjoy traditional foods at the Northwest Ukrainian International Festival in Bellevue on Saturday at the Bellevue Downtown Park, the Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival at the Seattle Center on Sunday, and the Thai Festival at North Seattle College on Saturday.

There will be a pirate landing, fireworks, and more at the Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival, which runs through the weekend at Lighthouse Park. The weather will still be great for getting out on the water, and you can see a whole fleet of ships and learn about what it takes to build a boat at the Wooden Boat Festival in Port Townsend. Not only can you see hundreds of ships, but enjoy hands-on activities and more for you and the kids near the Northwest Maritime Center.

Seattle-area events for kids this weekend

BrickCon 2025 is in Bellevue this weekend, and according to the event’s website, there will be over 400 fan builders, over 1,000 models of LEGOs, plus absolutely amazing creations on display. You can even find hard-to-find LEGOs from vendors and pick up some tips and tricks from builders. BrickCon 2025 is at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Saturday and Sunday.

If you kids who love big vehicles, you will want to head to the free Touch-a-Truck event at the Sprinker Recreation Center. Here, kids can check out a fleet of vehicles, including a fire truck, school bus, dump trucks, and plenty more. They will be able to explore the vehicles and even get into the driver’s seat, where the horns will be waiting to be honked until noon, that is. Touch-A-Truck runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.

It’s also a loaded sports weekend with the return of the NFL and regular-season action for the Seattle Seahawks. It’s an early-season divisional matchup for the Hawks as they take on the San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field Sunday afternoon. It’s another home game for the UW Huskies as they take on U.C. Davis Saturday night at Husky Stadium. The Storm are in town Friday night, taking on the New York Liberty at Climate Pledge.

How are you spending your first weekend of September? Let me know at paulh@kiroradio.com.

Read more of Paul Holden’s stories here.

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