What to do in Seattle this weekend: Restaurant Week, dinosaurs, and indie bookstores

The final weekend of April is here. Can you believe it?

Seattle Restaurant Week is underway, offering the perfect excuse to try somewhere new in a different part of town for date night this week. There are hundreds of participating restaurants that are offering curated menus at a variety of price ranges, starting at $20. Seattle Restaurant Week’s website also has helpful tools and articles to help you find the perfect place to eat. Seattle Restaurant Week runs until May 2.

Who doesn’t love dinosaurs? Whether you have a little one who is obsessed with the prehistoric era or maybe you love paleontology, the U-District will be the place to be this weekend for Dino Fest. Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Burke Museum, you can dig up fossils, look at dinosaur exhibits, learn from the experts, and check out the unearthed T. Rex Skull. There will also be a photo booth, story time, a film screening, and craft stations throughout the museum. Get details and tickets at the Burke Museum’s website.

In Olympia, this weekend is all about the art. The Olympia Arts Walk returns this weekend with highlights including the luminary procession on Friday at 8:30 p.m. and the Procession of the Species on Saturday afternoon. The Procession of the Species is all about appreciating and protecting the natural world through art and dance. Participants will be dressed in animal costumes as they make their way through downtown Olympia. This event is free, and many studios and businesses throughout downtown Olympia are participating. The Olympia Arts Walk starts Friday at 5 p.m.

More to do in Seattle this weekend: Bookstores, Earth Day cleanups, live sports

If there’s one thing we know the Pacific Northwest loves, it’s a good book and a cool store to buy them from. Saturday begins Seattle Independent Bookstore Day. This is a one-day celebration of independent bookstores, not only in Seattle but across the country. Over 33 local bookstores will be participating, each offering their own parties, including author appearances, treats, scavenger hunts, events for kids, and lots more. A reminder, events will vary between each bookstore. It also kicks off the 10 days to complete the Passport Program, which has rewards for visiting different stores. Get a list of participating stores and more at seattlebookstoreday.com.

Earth Day celebrations continue this weekend. If you are looking to get some volunteering time in, there will be litter clean-up events at Green Lake, Ravenna Park, and Lincoln Park on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Volunteers will also be helping Camp Long remove weeds, pick up litter and work on trails Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and at the Garfield Community Center the Ladybug Festival is from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., make sure you stick around for the annual release of ladybugs.

In the world of sports this weekend, the Kraken’s season might be over, but the Seattle Torrent continue their 2026 PWHL season with a matchup against the Montréal Victoire Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena, puck drop is at 7 p.m. The Seattle Sounders have a home match against FC Dallas on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Lumen Field. And on Sunday, the Seattle Reign will take on the Utah Royals at 5 p.m., also at Lumen Field. In Tukwila, the Seattle Seawolves take on the Chicago Hounds as the Major League Rugby season continues. The game is on Friday at 7 p.m. at Starfire Sports.

How are you spending the rest of April? Let me know at paulh@kironewsradio.com.