The first week of October will turn Seattle and its surrounding areas into one large outdoor stage, bringing together jazz, theater, ballet, cultural festivals, sporting events, and fall fairs. The lineup includes performances by Sting, Jacob Collier, Carín León, and Aespa; Seattle Seahawks and Kraken games; the Earshot Jazz Festival; Oktoberfest celebrations in Puyallup and Leavenworth; and festivals devoted to seafood, cranberries, chocolate, and family farms. Those looking for unusual experiences can take tours beneath the city streets, cruise the bay, watch a kinetic sculpture race, attend a pet costume parade, or enjoy Halloween events, while art lovers can visit art walks and an experimental dance festival. Many events are free, making it easy to plan an exciting weekend without spending much. Details, schedules, and links to organizers are compiled from Events12 Seattle: https://www.events12.com/seattle/
Seattle and Area Events: October 4–11, 2026
| Date(s) | Location | Description | Resources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 4 | Seattle, Paramount Theatre | Comedian Jim Gaffigan performs observations about everyday life. | Event website, tickets |
| Oct. 4 | Seattle, Town Hall Seattle | Four authors share short stories about unexpected moments in life, accompanied by marimba music. | Event website |
| Oct. 4 | Seattle, Seattle First Baptist | Free jazz evening featuring the Pearl Django ensemble. | Event, parking information |
| Oct. 4 | Seattle, Erickson Theatre | The Men in Dance festival features dance artists from a range of genres. It began October 2; the same program is presented each day. | Festival website |
| Oct. 4 | Seattle, Seattle Center Armory | Free CroatiaFest featuring Croatian music, dancing, food, and children’s activities. | Festival website |
| Oct. 4 | Seattle, McCaw Hall | Pacific Northwest Ballet performs George Balanchine’s Serenade and two additional works. Performances began October 2. | Production website |
| Oct. 4 | Seattle, Seattle Center Exhibition Hall | Chocolate festival with tastings, workshops, and more than 100 participants. | Workshops, festival website, tickets |
| Oct. 4 | Seattle, Volunteer Park | Free pet costume parade with contests, food trucks, and vendor booths. | Event website |
| Oct. 4 | Seattle, St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church | Free Greek festival featuring traditional food, music, dancing, and church tours; runs October 2–4. | Festival website, shuttle and parking |
| Oct. 4 | Seattle, Carkeek Park | Free Fruit Festival featuring music, dancing, fresh cider, apple tastings, and apple variety identification. | Event website |
| Oct. 4 | Issaquah | Issaquah Salmon Days celebrates the return of the salmon with a fair, music, barbecue, and hatchery tours. Runs October 3–4. | Festival website, schedule |
| Oct. 4 | Monroe, Evergreen State Fairgrounds | Free exhibition of minerals, gems, jewelry, and fossils, with children’s activities. Runs October 3–4. | Exhibition information |
| Oct. 4 | Tacoma Dome | Tacoma Fall RV Show. Runs October 2–4. | Show website |
| Oct. 4 | Port Townsend | Free kinetic sculpture race featuring unusual creations and costumed participants. Runs October 3–4. | Race website |
| Oct. 4 | Mount Vernon and surrounding farms | Free family farm festival featuring farmers, tastings, animals, and family activities. Runs October 3–4. | Festival information, farm map |
| Oct. 4 | Shelton | Oyster and seafood festival with music, an oyster-shucking contest, food, and drinks. Runs October 3–4. | Festival website |
| Oct. 4 and 6 | Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Shoreline, Tacoma | Free animal blessing ceremonies at several churches across the region; pets must be leashed. | — |
| Oct. 4–31 | Seattle, Seattle’s Tall Ship | Two-hour Bay Lady schooner cruises on Elliott Bay, including daytime and sunset sailings. | Departure information |
| Oct. 4–31 | Seattle, DAR Rainier Chapter House | Haunted Soiree: Hauntoberfest — a Bavarian-themed beer hall with music, theatrical scenes, and Halloween characters. For guests 21 and older. | Tickets |
| Oct. 4–11 | Seattle, Lumen Field | Seattle Seahawks home games: October 4 against the Los Angeles Chargers and October 11 against the San Francisco 49ers. | Team website, tickets |
| Oct. 4–11 | Seattle, Pier 55 | One-hour narrated Argosy cruise along Seattle’s waterfront and working harbor. | Tickets and information |
| Oct. 4–11 | Seattle, Pioneer Square | Tour beneath modern Seattle’s streets along the city’s original street level, buried after the 1889 fire. | Tickets and information |
| Oct. 4–11 | Seattle, Climate Pledge Arena | Seattle Kraken home games: October 4 against the Calgary Flames and October 6 against the Vegas Golden Knights. | Team schedule, tickets |
| Oct. 4–11 | Seattle and surrounding areas | Free activities including the Bellevue Botanical Garden, museums, gardens, the Olympic Sculpture Park, and walking trails. | — |
| Oct. 6 | Seattle, Pike Place Market | Charity food tour of market restaurants with tastings. | Event website |
| Oct. 7–11 | Bellevue, Meydenbauer Center and other venues | Free series of jazz and blues concerts; some headliner performances may require paid tickets. | Series website |
| Oct. 7–11 | Seattle, various venues | Earshot Jazz Festival featuring dozens of performances by local and international jazz musicians. | Festival website, schedule |
| Oct. 8 | Seattle, Climate Pledge Arena | Carín León concert. | — |
| Oct. 8 | Seattle, Moore Theatre | Jacob Collier concert. | — |
| Oct. 8–9 | Seattle, Benaroya Hall | Sting concerts. | — |
| Oct. 8 | Seattle, Climate Pledge Arena | Aespa concert. | — |
| Oct. 8 | Bellevue, Meydenbauer Center | A Night of Rest charity evening with dinner, an auction, and stories supporting survivors of human trafficking. | Event website |
| Oct. 8 | Tacoma, Dune Peninsula | Taking Back Sunday concert overlooking the bay, with food trucks, beer, and wine. | Venue website, tickets |
| Oct. 8–10 | Seattle, 12th Avenue Arts | Out There — festival of experimental dance and new works. | Festival website |
| Oct. 8 | Bellevue | Latino Chamber Music Festival featuring works by Latin American and Spanish composers. | Festival website |
| Oct. 8–11 | Seattle and surrounding areas | Seattle Art Walks: evening visits to exhibition venues in Capitol Hill, West Seattle, Belltown, Ballard, Georgetown, and Edmonds. | Art walk schedule |
| Oct. 8–11 | Seattle and Woodinville | Candlelight Concerts series: a string quartet performs popular music by the light of electronic candles. | Tickets and schedule |
| Oct. 8–11 | Seattle, Pike Pub and other bars | Walking tour of four bars featuring ghost stories; for guests 21 and older. | Tickets and information |
| Oct. 9 | Seattle, National Nordic Museum | Hope on the Horizon Gala charity dinner supporting homeless youth. | Event website |
| Oct. 9–10 | Tukwila Community Center | Free Seattle Philatelic Exhibition stamp show with 15 dealers. | Show website |
| Oct. 9–11 | Seattle, Rainier Beach Community Club | Cascadia Poetry Festival with workshops, panel discussions, and poetry readings. | Festival website |
| Oct. 9–11 | Tacoma, St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church | Tacoma Greek Festival with Greek food, music, dancing, and souvenirs. | Festival website |
| Oct. 9–11 | Puyallup, Washington State Fair Events Center | Oktoberfest Northwest with beer, sausages, music, games, children’s activities, and dachshund races. | Festival website |
| Oct. 9–11 | Port Angeles | Dungeness Crab & Seafood Festival featuring crab, oysters, music, a fun run, and a fair. | Festival website, schedule |
| Oct. 9–11 | Leavenworth | Leavenworth Oktoberfest with German food, beer, music, dancing, contests, and a parade. | Festival website, shuttle |
| Oct. 9–11 | Seattle, Unexpected Productions Improv | Poe Unexpected — improv comedy inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe. | Tickets |
| Oct. 9–11 | Federal Way, Wild Waves | Halloween at Wild Waves: daytime children’s programming and an evening Fright Fest with rides and haunted houses. | Park website |
| Oct. 9 | Seattle, Husky Stadium | Washington Huskies home game against Iowa. | Team schedule, tickets |
| Oct. 10 | Seattle, Cal Anderson Park | One Shot Seattle — team-based urban game featuring fantasy challenges and clue hunting. | Registration and tickets |
| Oct. 10 | Seattle, Mount Baker Community Club | Tasting of dozens of wines with snacks and live music; for guests 21 and older. | Event website |
| Oct. 10 | Bellevue College | Free Japan Week day featuring music, games, lectures, martial arts, films, and vendor booths. | Schedule |
| Oct. 10 | Burien | Burien Uncorked — wine walk through local shops with tastings. | Event website, tickets |
| Oct. 10 | Washington State Parks | Free admission day at all Washington State Parks. | Free admission information |
| Oct. 10 | Sumner, Sunset Chev Stadium | Sunset Festival of Bands high school marching band competition. | Festival website, ticket prices |
| Oct. 10–11 | Seattle, Seattle Center Armory | TurkFest featuring Turkish food, dancing, music, games, and a market. | Festival website |
| Oct. 10–11 | Seattle, Lake Union | Floating dance party aboard The Hiyu ferry, with music, food, and bars; for guests 21 and older. | Sailing schedule |
| Oct. 10–11 | Seattle, Volunteer Park Conservatory | Northwest Orchid Society orchid show and sale. | Show website |
| Oct. 10–11 | Grayland and Long Beach | Two cranberry festivals featuring food, crafts, and tours of cranberry bogs. | Grayland map, Long Beach map |
| Oct. 10 | Concrete | Concrete Ghost Walk — historical walk featuring characters and stories about early-20th-century workers. | Walk website, tickets |
| Oct. 10–11 | Seattle, Hotel Andra | Hot Stove Society cooking workshops featuring Mexican, Vietnamese, Italian, and Japanese dishes. | Schedule and tickets |
| Oct. 10–11 | Seattle, Seattle Meowtropolitan | Carve pumpkins with cats; for guests 8 and older. | Information and tickets |
| Oct. 10 | Skykomish | Free ride on a miniature train across a bridge and through a tunnel. | Railroad website, Kitsap Live Steamers schedule |
| Oct. 11 | Seattle, Phinney Center | Free Jimothy Jaunt, a 10-mile walk through Fremont and Ballard. | Walk website, route |
| Oct. 11 | Edmonds and Kitsap Peninsula | Kitsap Color Classic bike ride with 26-, 34-, and 52-mile routes. | Ride website |