Arts
Read More ›
23 PNW Events You Must Check out in 2020
We've picked some of the best festivals, fairs and other events in Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Montana and British Columbia
This article originally appeared in the January 2020 issue of Seattle magazine.
This article appears in print in the January 2020 issue. Click here to subscribe.
WASHINGTON
Timbrrr! Winter Music Festival
1/24–1/25
This music fest heats up chilly Leavenworth with musicians like Pedro the Lion, Ivan & Alyosha and Bully playing the Leavenworth Festhalle. The main stage is 21 and older, but there are plenty of stages open to all ages, along with all the wintery Bavarian charm you could ever want. Times and prices vary. Various locations, Leavenworth
Emerald City Comic Con
3/12–3/15
The sea of incredible costumes is a high point of any con; this year’s ECCC also features Chris Roberson, G. Willow Wilson, Jim Lee, Ashley A. Woods and Walter Koenig in the lineup of comic artists, writers and actors participating in panel discussions, photo ops and signing sessions. Times and prices vary. Washington State Convention Center, downtown
Washington Brewers Festival
6/19–6/21
Landing on Father’s Day weekend, this brewer’s festival highlights over 500 beers made by Washington state breweries, including IPAs, stouts, porters, and wheat and Belgian-style beers. The Friday kick-off is a 21-and-older event, but the rest of the weekend features family-friendly activities, including face painting, a kids’ craft tent and a root beer garden. Times and prices vary. Marymoor Park, Redmond
27th Annual Festival of America
7/3–7/4
Each of the two days of live entertainment, arts and crafts, and delicious fair food is capped off by the famous Grand Coulee Dam laser light show, projected onto the face of the dam. On July 4, that show gets an extra-special grand finale: an Independence Day fireworks display. 10 a.m. Free. Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center Park, Grand Coulee
Spokane Scottish Highland Games
8/1
Stone putting! Caber tossing! Whether you’re watching or participating in the Spokane Scottish Highland Games, these feats of strength are a wonder to behold. For a less extreme experience, consider joining a tug-of-war match, sack race or dance competition. 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Prices vary. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, Spokane
Omak Stampede
8/13–8/16
The highlight of this weekend of Western entertainment, from bull riding to barrel racing, is undoubtedly the suicide race. While the anxiety-inducing name is probably due for a rebrand, the race is jaw-dropping: Horses and riders plunge down a 225-foot bluff and into the Okanogan River, racing to make it across the water and then 500 yards farther to the finish line. Times and prices vary. Various locations, Omak
Port Townsend Film Festival
9/24–9/27
Film festivals in beautiful settings are a no-brainer, and Port Townsend boasts one of the best in the region. There are always special guests (last year’s included Cheryl Strayed and Stephen Tobolowsky), and what began as “a film lover’s block party” now boasts a lineup of more than 90 films playing in seven venues. Times and prices vary. Various locations, Port Townsend
The Port Townsend Film Festival offers three outdoor movie screenings in addition to its 90-plus film lineup. Photo by Mark Saran
OREGON
Portland Rose Festival
5/22–6/7
From the opening fireworks to the final parade, the City of Roses’ annual celebration promises a vibrant, invigorating time for visitors and proud Portlanders alike. Highlights include the carnival-ride-filled CityFair, held on weekends throughout the fest, the Starlight Parade (5/30), the Junior Parade (6/3) and the Grand Floral Parade (6/6), as well as the coronation of the Rose Queen. Times and prices vary. Various locations, Portland, Oregon
Estacada Timber Festival
7/4
If timber is your thing (or even if it’s not), get to Estacada for a full day of fun themed competitions—log cutting, log rolling, axe throwing—finished off with fireworks to celebrate Independence Day. 10 a.m. $5. PGE Timber Park, Estacada, Oregon
Oregon Country Fair
7/10–7/12
Every year, a colorful wonderland pops up in the woods west of Eugene, Oregon, populated by the musicians, magicians, jugglers, jesters and more than 700 artisans who participate in the annual Oregon Country Fair. Surround yourself with the splendors of Mother Nature, then bring some of them home with you in the form of handmade, eco-friendly goods, such as candles, clothing, beaded jewelry, furniture and glasswork. 11 a.m.–7 p.m. Prices vary. Veneta, Oregon
TBA Festival
9/10–9/20
TBA stands for Time-Based Art Festival, an annual presentation by the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art celebrating modern work in many forms. The 11-day festival includes performances, music, visual art, films, workshops, lectures and more by a bevy of local and international artists. Times and prices vary. Various locations, Portland, Oregon
Follow Us
Rearview Mirror: Spinasse at Home, a New Spa Experience, and Seattle Mag’s Reader’s Choice Awards
Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).
YOUR VOTE MATTERS Everyone has a favorite restaurant, coffee shop, or local boutique. Call me old-school, but I will die on the hill that Caffe Vita has the best coffee in town. Disagree with me? Now’s your moment to speak up. Each year, we survey Seattle magazine readers, asking them to weigh in on everything…
Studio Sessions: Ling Chun
The Seattle-based artist brings playful color to ceramics and neon while exploring memory, transformation, and life between cultures.
For Ling Chun, creating begins with something sensed before it can be named. Working with clay, glass, light, and sometimes synthetic hair, the Hong Kong-born artist gives physical form to things that words cannot always hold. “For me, the magnitude of making goes far beyond the object that is eventually produced,” Chun says. “The object…
The Magic of PAX Is Stronger Than Ever
PAX West draws more than 100,000 people to Seattle each year. Co-founder Jerry Holkins reflects on what the gaming convention set out to change, how its community has grown and why gathering face to face still matters.
Access to game news as it was happening was difficult back in the day. Even with the advent of the internet, communication between game publishers and journalists was still a very elite affair. I used to fake credentials—via fax machine!—to attend the Electronic Entertainment Expo, mostly just known as E3. It was simultaneously as loud…
Your Guide to Bumbershoot 2026
Navigate Seattle’s wildest end-of-summer weekend with 20 picks spanning Death Cab for Cutie, Blood Orange, wrestling, skateboarding and—obviously—movies made in 48 hours.
Four years after Bumbershoot returned with its quirkiness revivified, Seattleites broadly acknowledge the two-day multimedia extravaganza as a welcome finale to the summer festival season. Fests like Bumbershoot are designed around a choose-your-own-adventure model, but if you’re the kind of person who looked at this year’s sprawling lineup—featuring multiple bands, artists, and exhibits happening at…