10 Things to Do in Seattle in June

Between Lake Washington and Pudget Sound lies Seattle, one of the most beautiful and visited cities in the United States. Regardless of the time of year, there is plenty to see and do in Seattle. This is a city of skyscrapers as well as the imposing Mount Rainier, where you can go on fantastic hikes.

All this scenery will keep you company in this amazingly vibrant and young city as you walk around and breathe in the greenery in early summer. Plus, it's the best time of year to visit as it' s not yet high season, so prices aren't as high and you won't have to walk through the summer tourist crowds. Are you up for ten things to do in the city in June?

Attend and share in the diversity at America's fourth largest Pride parade with over 500,000 members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Seattle Pride Parade welcomes you to its incredible annual gathering to commemorate, embrace, remember, honour and celebrate the diversity of the LGBTQIA+ community and its history of struggle and recognition.

Marvel at the parade of floats from local groups, while being dazzled by the amount of colours and vibrant music in downtown Seattle.

All this with an amazing cold local beer in hand. Here many people from the community take the opportunity to sell their crafts and artwork where you can collaborate with a local artist and support their art and craft work.

Don't forget that this day besides being a huge party, also has the purpose of claiming and demanding more rights and inclusion for LGBTQIA+ people in the country and in the world. In addition, the activity is totally free and the march usually starts at 1st Ave, but the route can change from year to year, so it's best to check it out before you leave.

Think the blues is only important in the American South? Well, Seattle is in for a treat at the Gorge Blues & Brews Festival Music.

For two days you can enjoy live American blues music on the amazing stages provided by the festival while sampling the amazing craft beers and wines it has to offer.

One of the unique features of the event is that it has camping style accommodation. It is a beautiful place to camp because of its extraordinary sunsets and its comfortable option to stay in its cabins or tent spaces. Going there is one of the best excursions you can make from Seattle.

Apart from camping, the festival also offers hotel options near the fairgrounds, called Skamania, with transportation included.

The festival gives you several ticket options. The cheapest price for one day is around €5 and includes a glass for you to sample the range of beers and wines on offer.

The most expensive ticket is around €70 and includes a bunch of stuff. Are you going to pass it up? The best option from Seattle is to rent a car and take Highway 14 East to Stevenson.

Practical info

• Location: Skamania Fairgrounds is located at 710 SW Rock Creek Dr, Stevenson, 98648.
• When: Fourth week in June
• Price: Tickets range from €5 - €70
• Hours: 6:00 pm - 11:30 pm

Seattle's ethnic inclusion has been an annual event at the Sundiata Festival since 1980 when the Black Arts Fest, part of the Seattle Center Festival series, is presented in June.

This is an event in partnership with the Sundiata African American Cultural Association (SAACA) and is not to be missed if you want to meet, eat and dance to the rhythms of Africa, along with African Americans of African descent.

You can also take advantage of this activity and stroll around downtown Seattle, a site not to be missed if you spend at least two days in the city.

The festival is named in honour of King Sundiata Keita, also known as Mansa: King of Kings of the Malian Empire, a state that was important at the time for its economic and cultural system. This event promotes the promotion and integration of these incredible cultures and their heritage.

That's why you won't stop marvelling at the cultural and artistic acts while you fill your stomach and heart with their amazing gastronomy.

The best part is that if you go to this festival with your family or friends there are activities for all tastes and colours: local entertainment to meet the city's public figures; photographic encounters to learn about the historical record of Seattle, African and African-American societies; more than 60 commercial booths to indulge yourself and contribute to the local economy; historical, art, dance, music and art exhibits around the clock.

After this festival you'll feel like you've not only been to Seattle, but you've taken a trip to African shores.

To get to the festival in ten minutes, you can use the monorail to Seattle Center Station if you catch it at the Westlake. In addition, there are numerous bus routes that stop in downtown Seattle, including Metro routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 13, 13, 24, 29, 31 and 33. All of these stops are just minutes from the festival.

Practical Info

• Location: Seattle Center 305 Harrison St, 98109. - When: third weekend in June - Price: free, although some events are fee-paying - Opening hours: Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6pm to 11:30pm.

If you love extreme experiences on your travels and you love the rock culture of the United States, then you can't miss the Northwest Terror Fest.

I'm not lying when I tell you that this festival is pure catharsis of people from all over. Here you will see the best local bands, accompanied by iconic metal and heavy rock bands like Ludicra, Repulsion, Suffocation and Windhand.

The international and local extreme rock scene is concentrated in the historic venues of Neumos and Barboza where they have witnessed the best acts of the Northwest's rock culture.

As you can imagine, this festival has age restrictions for the public, but if you are of age and don't have children then be prepared for the incredible pogos that form inside the venues.

The festival has the advantage of offering different ticket deals depending on whether you want to attend three, two or just one day or the type of experience you want to experience inside the concerts held in the venues. You can enjoy from €75 up to €220 for an unimaginable extreme experience.

Please note that tickets sell out quickly as the venues have a maximum capacity of 200 people each. And if you're worried about transport, there's no need to worry, as the Neumos and Barboza venues are just a few metres from the Capitol Hill light rail (Link) station.

Practical Info

• Location: Pike Street, 98122. Near Capitol Hill Link Station - When: Last week of June - Price: Tickets range from $75 to $220 - Hours: 6pm - 11:30pm

Do you like fairs? In the 1950s at the Lake Wilderness Lodge in Gaffney, near Seattle, a group of citizens needed to raise funds to buy a truck for the county. So they decided to hold a fair to raise the money. It went so well that it is still held today as Maple Valley Days.

There's nothing like going and enjoying a good home festival in the USA. The best food you can taste while you listen to live music from local acts. It's a festival for all families, so it's one of the things to do with kids in and around Seattle.

You can also have fun at the various events and competitions. The festival features a beautiful parade along with the best colourful carnival Seattle has to offer. The art is present so you can walk around and enjoy a nice afternoon with your family.

Maple Valley Days is the event of a non-profit organization where everyone involved is a volunteer who wants to support the community.

You can participate in this amazing event and support the local economy of Maple Valley, a small city within the Seattle urban area. The festival is free and the best bus routes to Lake Wilderness Park are 168 and 907.

Practical information

• Location: Lake Wilderness Park. 22500 SE 248th Street. Maple Valley, 98038
• When: Second weekend in June
• Price: Free
• Hours: 12:00 noon - 6:30 p.m.

The Seattle Iranian Festival is part of the Seattle Center Festival, the same institution that organises the Sundiata Festival.

In addition, this festival is organised together with the Iranian American Community Alliance (IACA). It is a festival that celebrates Iranian culture and tradition and its contribution to the world.

Inclusion and diversity come together under one roof to enjoy this beautiful culture through its art. Poetry will accompany you in the magnificent bazaar they organise while you enjoy their delicious, predominantly Persian food. I suggest you try the Iranian pastries, there is nothing that compares to their desserts.

At this festival you can even learn to dance with Iranian dance groups while you marvel at their rhythms and the exquisite Persian music they offer. Are you going with your children? Well, the festival has a space for children to enjoy various children's events.

All that's left for you to do is sample their incredible teas, while you learn about this historic civilisation and its rich history. Admission is completely free and the bus stop is just a two-minute walk away on Republican St & 1st Ave N, with the 1, 2, 8, 13, 32 and D lines.

Practical information

• Location: Seattle Center Armory. 305 Harrison St, 98109.
• When: 3rd weekend in June
• Price: free
• Hours: Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

The Kent International Festival is a space to celebrate the cultural diversity that breathes the community of Kent, a city that is part of the same county as Seattle.

Different cultures and identities come together in a community where respect and tolerance prevail.

Get involved in all the fun activities for the day of the festival. There are talks and cultural programmes from around the world that are perfect for tourists. You can learn Hindi words in workshops organised by locals from India. Also, taste and learn how to prepare Pakistani cuisine. While having fun you will travel the world without leaving Seattle.

Origami is also present and art exhibitions are part of the festival landscape. Of course, there is no shortage of fun and food at this celebration.

The festival is free to attend, but you are invited to support social foundations at the designated booths. You can support the Kent community with your contribution, in addition to having a great time.

To get to the ShoWare Center, where the event is being held, I recommend using bus lines 150, 161, 165 or 183.

Practical information

• Location: ShoWare Center. 625 West James Street, Kent, 98032
• When: Third Saturday in June
• Price: free
• Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Head to the Burke Museum, home of the only dinosaur fossil discovery in Washington State, for a full day of DinoFest. The festival guarantees fun and knowledge as you enter the ancient world of dinosaurs.

Here you can witness the latest research and paleological innovations from the Burke's researchers and museologists. The fossil collection is impressive with hundreds of different species from the age of dinosaurs.

This is one of the ideal places to do some research, while learning about the different methodologies of dinosaurs. 10 Things to Do in Seattle with KidsYou'll learn about the different methodologies of excavating and discovering these incredible fossils in the museum's active laboratory, where hundreds of researchers excavate new finds in real time.

For all this, Seattle has become a city of reference in the discovery of dinosaur fossils and ancient animals, along with microfossils that tell the story of the life and decline of these incredible creatures that lived on the planet hundreds of thousands of years ago.

The museum has different activities and dynamics where children will be the protagonists of history and knowledge. If you are a student, admission is free, but general admission prices vary between €14 and €20.

The nearest Link station to the museum is U District, on Burke Museum Street. A 3-minute walk will take you to the museum.

Practical Information

• Location: 4300 15th Ave NE. - When: first Saturday in June - Price: you can go without paying at the museum, but for most adults admission is between €14 and €20 - Hours: from 10am to 5pm.

The HONK! Fest West is a four-day festival dedicated to reclaiming the city's public spaces through street music.

Come and vibrate to the rhythm of the city with this festival that takes place in various parts of the city to get people moving and make the most of the streets of Seattle that are less attended by the cultural or artistic community.

The festival is completely free and features various national and international bands and musical groups with the support of the city's communities and where they are held directly.

The venues are not known for being in the city's tourist guides or are not frequented by locals, so it's an incredible way to get to know the deep, alternative Seattle.

All genres are present at this festival so there will always be something for you. Be sure to boost your energy with this self-supported, donation-driven festival.

The inhabitants of these neighbourhoods take advantage of the festival to open businesses and food outlets to help the community economy grow, so if you want to get to know a deeper Seattle that wants to integrate, this is the opportunity for you.

Practical information

• Location: The locations of the festival are random each year, but it takes place in a variety of communities that are less frequented by the city's tourists.

• When: the first week of June, from Thursday to Sunday - Price: free - Opening hours: Thursday from 12:00 to 19:00; Friday from 18:00 to 22:00; Saturday from 12:00 to 19:00; Sunday from 12:00 to 19:00.

Make the most of your stay in Seattle and enjoy the longest day of the year along with one of the most beautiful sunsets in the incredible bonsai forest at the Pacific Bonsai Museum.

Most amazing of all, you'll be able to admire the forest while listening to a ukulele player and watching plein air painters at work. It's definitely one of the best things to do in Seattle during the summer.

On this day only, the museum is open until 9pm for the public to stroll through its beautiful art galleries, bonsai gardens and lush forest. It's the perfect day to get out your professional camera or take pictures with that special someone on your trip.

The longest day of the year can't be complete without music. Take in the image of the sunset light reflecting on the greenery of the unique bonsai trees housed in the museum as you learn about them from the museum's various guides.

The concert of soothing music will accompany your coffee or wine while you walk or simply rest.

The museum is free to visit, but you will most likely be asked to make a donation for the upkeep of the museum facilities at an average nominal cost of €12. The best way to get there is to take bus lines 181, 182, 402, 500 or 501.

Practical information

• Location: Pacific Bonsai Museum at 2515 S 336th Street, Federal Way, WA 98001 - When: on the day of the summer solstice, which is usually between June 20th - Price: free, but you can always donate to the museum with an approximate amount of 12 ¤ - Opening hours: from 4pm to 9pm.

In June it's extremely hot, so walking around the city all the time can be very tiring. Add to that the constant rainfall in Seattle during this month.

Seattle doesn't have the best transportation system, so I recommend that you do most of your activities on the regular bus lines, unless you decide to rent a car.

You could also take advantage of some of the city's best tour buses, which will keep you out of the sun and rain.

That's not to say that buses are the only way to get around. The city also has Sound Transit's Link Light Rail, a metro-area light rail system with two lines, the Central Link and the Tacoma Link.

Additionally, there's a monorail along the city's Fifth Avenue that has just two stations, but if it matches your route it can be great, as well as being very iconic for the best photos.

June is a good month for you to tour Seattle, even though it's hot. It's characteristically dry as it doesn't rain as much as the rest of the year. This allows you to enjoy your trip without the constant rain that will leave you at the hotel without being able to enjoy the sights or the sweltering August heat.

The temperature is nice and cool enough to walk around during the day and at night. Temperatures can reach as high as 23°C, while the minimum temperature is recorded at 15°C, giving an average of 19°C. Being so far north, June has a hot but pleasant climate.

An interesting fact about the city is the length of the day. The sun starts to rise in the city at 04:11 and sets at 20:09. This will allow you to enjoy more of the day visiting its tourist sites and capture the best sunrises and sunsets with your camera. All in all, June is a great time to visit Seattle.