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January

Seattle is filled with events and attractions. Watch for the big fireworks show, next year, from the Space Needle on New Year's Eve. Chinese New Year is celebrated in late January or early February where you can see parades and colorful displays in the International District. The Seattle Boat Show will host over 1,500 exhibits this year during its 58th annual show. The Boat Show will be held at Qwest Field on the 6th-13th of January, with a Sailing Center, free seminars and over 1,000 magnificent boats! Honoring the legacy of Dr. King, the Seattle Center will hold a celebration at Center Stage on January 16th for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

February

Over 30 full-scale landscaped gardens created by top designers can be seen at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show, held February 8th-12th at the Washington State Convention Center in downtown Seattle. Also downtown on the 18th-26th is the Seattle Home Show, featuring tons of creative ideas from over 500 home and garden displays and model homes.

March

Check out the Eastside Expo at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue. Enjoy live music, entertainment, celebrities and delicious food while you connect with other local businesses. The Apprentice is coming to town March 18th! If you're a die-hard Trump fan, Click Here to download your personal application and join the crew at Bellevue Square. To get there, take 4th Ave West exit off the I-405. St. Patrick’s Day is a week long festival for Seattle’s Irish Heritage Club. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade will start at 12:30pm at 4th and Jefferson in downtown Seattle and will end at Seattle Center. for closing ceremonies. Join the fun and be sure to wear green. There will be lots of Irish and Celtic vendors, food, music, workshops and lectures on display and activities for kids and adults. For the hardcore, walk the route the night before and help lay the green stripe for the following day. If you’re really energetic, run the St. Patty’s Day Dash, a 3 ½ mile run where many paint their faces and wear costumes in honor of the Irish spirit. Watch for the tulips throughout the month of March in Mount Vernon and the surrounding area. The official kickoff date for the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival will be March 24th with music, mingling and a short program. After the program will be a catered dinner and a silent auction. Contact the festival office for tickets, 360-428-5959 or Click Here for a full calendar of events.

April

In honor of 1,000 cherry trees given to Seattle by the late Prime Minister of Japan, Takeo Miki and the Japanese Government in 1976, Seattle residents celebrated quietly in Seward Park. Now, this gathering has grown to over 30,000 visitors and the Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival will be held at The Seattle Center this year, beginning April 21st. Watch for three days of performances including dancers, puppeteers, sword makers and other performers in a grand display of Japanese culture. Also, Hoop Into Spring Breakfast, April 15th, $25, at the Children's Museum.  A breakfast, puppet show, and photos with that other non-Santa Clause holiday figure.  æ  Also, the Zoo holds it's annual Bunny Bounce, April 15th, free with admission, of an egg hunt and craft activities for kids.   If you like to dance, then Single's Black & White Ball, April 15th, $35.  If you're single and wondering what to do this night, then this certainly beats staying at home dinking on the computer.  æ  If you'd rather watch the dance, then Seattle's Annual Easter Swing Convention, April 13-16th, $95 for the event pass.  Swing dancers are certainly less scary than a hoard of square dancers - they got that whole retro cool thing going on.

May

One event you won’t want to miss is Opening Day of Boating Season. The first Saturday of May, Lake Washington will come alive with a big parade of boats and the Windermere Cup Races. Visit for the Official Race Schedule. Top rowing teams will visit from around the world to compete in the Montlake Cut.. On the third weekend of May, visit the University District Street Fair and take part in the many food and craft booths. More than 6,000 musicians, dancers, and craftspeople display their talents while enormous amounts of food are consumed at the Northwest Folklife Festival held at Seattle Center on Memorial Day weekend. This is one of the largest fold festivals in the world! In late May, the Pike Place Market Festival has free entertainment and music, a beer garden, and some fun for the kids too. May 25th through June 18th, the Seattle International Film Festival will feature over 170 films to more than 132,000 people. It is the largest film festival in the United States. May 21, 2006 Nordstrom Beat the Bridge to Beat Diabetes event features an 8k run, 4 mile fun run starting at Husky Stadium in Seattle. For more details call (206) 838-5153.

June

In June the Pioneer Square Fire Festival celebrates Seattle's Great Fire of 1889 with free activities in the park, a parade of classic fire-fighting equipment, contests, and entertainment. In late June, the “funky” Republic of Fremont holds the Summer Solstice Parade and Fair. The fair offers many retail booths, live music, ethnic food & drink, and assorted street performers. Come prepared for unusual visual and performances. You never know what to expect from the often bizarre, funny and definitely entertaining troops. Cover your kids eyes, you may even see a handful of nude participants that add a bit of color to this artsy fair. Also in June AT&T will sponsor the Summer Nights at the Pier, offering 20 nights of concerts from nationally renowned artists and all genres. The Washington Brewers Guild will be hosting another festival on Father's Day Weekend featuring three days of fun, food and beer. For the kids there is a root beer garden and plenty of games and activities. Also patrons can enjoy live music and festival activities while traveling between hand-crafted beer tasting and craft and import booths.

July

August

Enjoy the fun and blow some bubbles at the 5-day, annual Bubble Festival, held at the Pacific Science Center, August 10-14. Professional bubble blowers will blow you away with their marvelous creations, tricks and surprises. Also in August, taste Washington’s array of local wines at the Northwest Wine & Food Festival. Watch for the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe August 24 through September 4. It’s “more than a dog and pony show!” For tickets, call their 24 Hour Event Line at (425) 388-3200. Preserve the uniqueness and culture of Tibet by joining the Tibetan Association of Washington in TibetFest, a free Tibetan style bazaar in August at the Seattle Center. Handmade crafts, prayer flags and food will be available.

September

Bumbershoot is another local arts and crafts favorite that will come around on Labor Day weekend. Bumbershoot brings together more than 2,500 writers, musicians, and craftspeople for a huge end-of-summer blowout at the Seattle Center, attracting more than a quarter-million people annually. For the full schedule, visit www.bumbershoot.org. One of the larger ethnic festivals of Seattle will be the Italian Festival Seattle. The free festival will run on September 23rd-24th at the Seattle Center and is the second largest ethnic festival in Seattle. Celebrating Italian culture, Festa Italiana will present authentic art, food and live entertainment. Be sure to take part in the Bolla Grape Stomp, Kid’s Pizza Toss and the Bocce Tournament. Travel to Whidbey Island Center for the Arts and you will find an equally out-of-the-ordinary festival. DjangoFest Northwest will run September 23-24th this year and feature the music of Django Reinhardt and Gypsy Jazz. Take part in workshops and even a few jam sessions.

October

October is filled with haunted houses and fall fairs. Washington’s most famous fair is the Puyallup Fair. Filled with Rodeos, exhibits, concerts and rides, kids love to visit The Puyallup Fair before starting the school year. Beginning September 8th this year, the fair will run for 16 days. You can get to Puyallup off Interstate 5 just outside Tacoma. With 16 showcase rooms, seminars and a huge marketplace, you will be sure to find great ideas for your home at the Seattle Interior Show. Come see some of the world’s top designers and purchase a one-of-a-kind item you’ve been looking for at the Washington State Convention Center. 2 weeks of Jazz in the Earshot Jazz Festival. Held October 20th through November 5th, Earshot Jazz will host jazz musicians with all kinds of types and styles from around the world. Hundreds of concerts will be available. Watch for more information at www.earshotjazz.org. At the end of October, visit the Woodland Park Zoo to find their latest events. Last year the Pumpkin Prowl was a great alternative to trick or treating and the zoo had great entertainment, with hundreds of lighted pumpkins. Fremont Oktoberfest is an annual social gathering with craft booths, classic carnival rides and 75 microbrews on tap! Watch for the 3 mile Bre Ha-Ha Run on the last of this 3 day event – to run, must be over 160 lbs for women and 200 lbs for men. Check the Fremont Chamber of Commerce Calendar for updates on this event.

November

The Seattle Kids Marathon is a run for kids. Kindergarten through eighth grade can participate at their own rate and the run encourages them to read 13 books and do 13 good deeds. The University of Washington Medical Center will host the run November 25th. Visit www.seattlemarathon.org/kids.asp for more information on times and locations. Welcome the holidays with the Macy’s Holiday Parade. All roads lead to Macy’s as Santa Clause and hundreds of floats traverse the streets of Seattle welcoming the holidays. Winterfest at Seattle Center is a five-week holiday festival that begins November 25th. Throughout Winterfest, we’ll see decorations, lots of entertainment, choirs, an ice rink, a lighting ceremony, and a New Year's Eve celebration at Seattle Center. You won’t want to miss it.