Weekend events roundup: Summer fests, block parties and zoo activities

The weekend is here, the sun is shining and there are plenty of weekend events to do!

At the Port Defiance Aquarium, it’s sharks and rays weekend. You can come face-to-face with these creatures of the sea and there will be activities throughout the weekend as well that will teach you all about sharks, including eating habits, how their teeth work and other fun facts. The Tropical Reef portion of the aquarium has been recently renovated as well, so you will see something new if you haven’t been in a while. Get tickets at their website.

Pride celebrations are still continuing in Washington, this time in Tacoma with the 2024 Tacoma Pride Festival. Happening Saturday from 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. at Fireman’s Park, it will feature booths, food trucks, live entertainment and more. You can also find a spot to watch the parade along Pacific Avenue. Parking will be impacted in the area so plan ahead.

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Ballard Seafood Fest

Along Market Street and Ballard Avenue, there will be lots of tasty treats from the sea from food trucks and local restaurants for this year’s Ballard Seafood Fest this weekend. The food isn’t the only star of the show as Festi-Bowl is back and bigger than ever.

Festi-Bowl is a showcase of “organized skateboarding in a positive environment and highlights the unique attributes of the sport.” There will be a variety of competitions that are for all ages and open to all skill levels. The event is free, runs today through the weekend and more details can be found at seafoodfest.org.

Books, movies, music galore!

Tonight at Seattle’s Cal Anderson Park, you can catch the film Mama Mia at 8:30 p.m. for free as part of the Center City Cinema program. Bring a chair and some snacks, but in case you forget, food trucks will be onsite. You can see the full schedule of films and other locations for free movies throughout the summer on the Seattle Parks website.

At the Fantagraphics Bookstore in Seattle on Saturday, it’s the 11th annual Hot Off the Presses Book Fair. More than 50 artists from across the region and nation are showing off their comics, art and more. There will also be live music and plenty of artists, authors, publishers and more to talk about your work or the cool stuff you’ve seen. The Book Fair runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Details can be found on its website.

If you are looking to beef up your record collection you might want to head to the Clock-out Lounge in Beacon Hill on Sunday. From 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., multiple vendors will be selling your next favorite album and, if you strike out on your search, enjoy some pizza, drinks, specials and some tunes. This event is free, so no need to buy a ticket.

In West Seattle, there’s live music, local food and family fun all weekend long. It’s the West Seattle Summer Fest at the West Seattle Junction! In addition to vendors, music, food and a beer garden, there will be inflatables for the kids, as well as a foam party, arcade, soccer and even drivable robotics! It’s free to attend but be prepared to pay for some, but not all, of the kids’ activities. Get details at westseattlesummerfest.com.

Block party in South Lake Union

In South Lake Union this weekend it’s the Third Annual Seeking Cultura Mexican Filipino Tianguis Block Party. This event will of course have food and music, but also fun for the family, community outreach opportunities and a wellness bar.

This is just a small sample of all the things going on this weekend, and as always, if you know of even more cool weekend events going on in the area, let me know at paulh@kiroradio.com

Paul Holden produces the Seattle weekend events calendar for KIRO Newsradio.