Grab your calendars. Here’s our round up of every community fair and festival in the South Sound for the summer of 2018!
We’ll also have these listed in our summer guide, and we’ll include as many as possible in our calendar, too! For now, I hope this inspires some playdates and helps you plan around your favorites. Do let me know if I missed one! While our goal is always to be the best resource around, we have also provided links so you can double check details before you head out. And, finally, note that this list is of day long or multi day festivals. We will have separate posts with info. on outdoor movies and concerts, parks events, and more!
June
Food Truck Feast in Gig HarborJune 16th 2018 11 – 4pm at Sehmel Homestead Park
Kick off the start of summer with tasty food trucks, local beverages and bands!
This is the only food truck event in the greater Gig Harbor area. Event is held on Saturday, June 16th from 11 – 5pm at Sehmel Park.
Be sure to check out our Root Beer Float Garden! Proceeds will support the Park District’s sports and recreation scholarship fund!
Meeker Days, Puyallup – June 15-17 Friday, 12:00pm-9:00pm, Saturday, 10:00am-9:00pm, Sunday, 10:00am-5:00pm. This annual street fair is a community celebration with kid friendly entertainment, 200 craft vendors, food courts, kids’ activities, car shows, a Farmers’ Market and more!
Auburn Kids Day – June 22nd, 11:00am-4:00pm
This FREE festival includes live entertainment, inflatable rides, arts, crafts, over 100 activity booths, mini golf, large vehicle and equipment display, food concessions and more! Some attractions may have a small fee. Leashed, licensed and well-behaved pets welcome. We’ll be there! Don’t miss it!
Yelm Prairie Days Parade – Saturday June 23rd, 9:30am
Taste of Tacoma at Pt.Defiance – June 22nd-24th Friday 11:00am-9:00pm, Saturday 11:00am-9:00pm ,Sunday, 11:00am-8:00pm. FREE admission to this popular festival with lots of tasty treats. Have a picnic on the grass with the family, enjoy live entertainment, and check out the Funtastic Carnival with loads of rides and games just for kids! Free “Taste Express” transportation will be provided by Pierce Transit from Tacoma Community College.
Washington State Toy and Geek Fest June 30th and July 1st at the fairgrounds in Puyallup.
The Absolutely Can’t Miss Event of the Summer where we take a comic con and add toys, amazing vehicles, and tons of exhibits and fun for the whole family. June 30th and July 1st at the Washington State Fair Events Center in Puyallup.
July
Note-Due to space issues most fireworks displays and events specific to the 4th of July/Independence Day are in a separate guide (we’re updating that now).
Wings and Wheels at the Tacoma Narrows Airport, Gig Harbor – June 30th-July 1st Your plane lovers will love this event with a car show, live music and aerial demonstrations. You can also view the aircraft on the ground.
Fireworks at Emerald Downs – Tuesday, July 3rd. Celebrate the 4th early at the races!
Our Fireworks Spectacular is a summer tradition.Bring out the family and enjoy the races and afterwards look up in the sky! Admission $9 for adults, children 17 and under, always free admission.
For grandstand seat tickets call 253-288-7711 beginning at 9 AM on Tuesday, June 19. Limit of 10 tickets per call. Might want to come out early and map out a good spot to see the terrific show. Gates open at 9:30 AM.
Tacoma Freedom Fair – 2018 details still TBA In the past this event has been on the 4th and featured a full day with a firework spectacular, Freedom Fair Air Show, and fun on Ruston Way with an airshow, food, vendors, exhibits, rides.
Family Fun Night at Fort Nisqually – Friday July 6, 6:00pm-9:00pm. Bring a picnic dinner to the Fort, and join in games, dancing, and relay races with the Fort’s re-enactors. There will be ice cream and lemonade on hand while supplies last!
Art on the Ave Street Festival– Sunday, July 8, 11:00am – 7:00pm. This festival celebrates the art of Tacoma and has traditionally included booths, kids’ zone, entertainment and more!
Kent Cornucopia Days July 13-15. South King county’s largest family festival features a street fair, parade, entertainment, and more.
Pacific Days – Friday-Sunday, July 13-15. 4-9PM Friday; 11-9 Saturday; 11-4 Sunday Music, parade, food trucks, vendors, and more family fun.
SummerFest in Lakewood – Saturday, July 14, 11:00am-11:00pm. FREE all day festival with activities, food, entertainment, car show, Kids’ Zone and more! Free outdoor movie in the evening, too!
Capital Lakefair, Lacey – Wednesday-Sunday, July 11-15. Enjoy a parade, fireworks, and rides.
Vashon Island Strawberry Festival – Friday-Sunday, July 20-22. Take a ferry to Vashon for the Grand parade, car show, children’s activities and more. Several music stages, vendor booths, alternative carnival, local artists, and street dances are all part of the fun. Be sure to read up on road detour and transportation information.
Sequim Lavender Festival – Friday-Sunday, July 20-22 Drive over to the largest lavender event in North America, where you can also enjoy food, live entertainment, a street fair, and farm tours. Admission is FREE.
Covington Days – Saturday and Sunday, July 21 and 22nd. This official SeaFair event includes a parade, carnival, and kids’ activities.
Gig Harbor Summer Arts Festival – July 21 and 22nd Saturday, times TBA. Art on display on the waterfront. In the past there have also been children’s activities, food, and vendors.
Renton River Days – Friday-Sunday, July 27-29. An annual multi-day family festival featuring events and activities for kids, arts and crafts, reception, food, and live entertainment.
Enumclaw Street Fair – Friday/Saturday, July 27,28 10:00am-7:00pm. This street fair includes a family fun zone with rides and games, live music, craft vendors, family activities, basketball tournament, farmer’s market, and more!
Highland Games, Enumclaw – July 27-29 Get your kilt on at this celebration of all things Scottish. More here.
Pacific Northwest Mushroom Festival, Lacey – There is NO festival this year. There is a glow-in-the-dark fun run only on the 27th.
August
Thurston County Fair, Lacey – August 1st-5th If you like your fairs more on the old-fashioned/rural side, this is a good one for you!
Kite Festival at Chambers Creek – August 4th, 10:00am-3:00pm. Join Pierce County Parks and Recreation and the Pierce County Kitefliers Association for a fun filled day of kites at Chambers Creek Regional Park! The entire family will be captivated by amazing kite demonstrations, family kite flying, face painting, and more! Bring your kites, blankets and cameras and get ready for a day full of fun!
The first 250 kids will have an opportunity to make their own kites, compliments of the Pierce County Kitefliers Association!
Proctor Arts Fest – Saturday August 4, 10:00am – 5:00pm. Head to old town for arts and crafts vendors, live entertainment, kids’ crafts, and more at this family friendly event. Admission is FREE!
Renaissance Faire, Bonney Lake – Saturdays/Sundays, August 4-5 ,11-12, 18-19. Take a trip back to Medieval times at the Faire! Experience pirates, faeries, and a royal masquerade, all with live entertainment!
Pierce County Fair, Graham – Thursday-Sunday, August 9-12 This small fair has lots of animals on display and is an annual celebration of rural life.
Frederickson Community Festival – Saturday, August 11, 9:00am-3:00pm. The annual Freddie Fest features a car show, chili cook-off, and local vendors.
AuburnFest, Auburn Saturday, August 11, 11:00am-8:00pm
Held at Les Gove park, there will be live entertainment, a car show, literary fair plus lots of free kid’s activities.
Washington State International Kite Festival, Long Beach – August 20th-26th If you plan to take a trip to the ocean this summer, time it for the Kite Festival and enjoy this week long celebration and competition of all things kite flying.
Bonney Lake Days – August 18 This festival is VERY family friendly with Kids Zone, chalk art competition, parade, and more!
Kitsap County Fair & Stampede, Bremerton– Wednesday-Sunday, August 22nd-26th Kids will get a kick out of this event that features a carnival, extreme bulls, stampede and destruction derby.
Milton Days– August 18 Events and activities TBA.
September
Harbor Days in Olympia Olympia Harbor Days –August 31 – September 2, 2018. 5-8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.- 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday
This family friendly festival celebrates the return of the vintage tugboats of the Puget Sound to the beautiful waterfront in Olympia. The kids (and curious adults) can climb aboard the tugs on Saturday and older kids might like to hop aboard a historic steamship or tall ship to watch the World’s Largest Vintage Tugboat Races on Sunday. Either day you attend, you will find lots of children’s STEM activities offered by the award winning Olympia Hands On Children’s Museum and the Puget Sound Estuarium. Kids rides include the famous giant purple slide and more. You will find kid friendly food too!! A great annual destination to make wonderful memories.
Washington State Fair/Puyallup Fair – August 31st-September 23rd Puyallup. This is the BIG ONE with lots of food, animals, and rides! Open Labor Day weekend-Closed Tuesdays & Sept. 5 (Wed). We’ll have more detailed fair going guides closer to opening weekend.
Bremerton Blackberry Festival – September 1st-3rd. This family friendly festival happens right at Bremerton’s waterfront, with lots of food, live entertainment and kids activities.
Roy Rodeo – Saturday/Sunday, June 2-3 and September 1-2 If you’re a rodeo fan, this is a fun one! There will be a variety of events, including bareback riding, steer wrestling, a clown act and more! Cash only at the souvenir booth, food booth, and beer/wine garden.
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Looking for more summer fun? Be sure to check out our South Sound Summer Guide!
You are so awesome!! Thank you for this!
Thank you SO MUCH for this list. New to the area so this helps immensely.
You are amazing!! Just filled in my calendar with all kind of fun stuff..:)
Looking forward to hear about u-pick berries places and Ethnic Festival in Tacoma.. Thanks again!:)
ethnic fest is at wright park in tacoma on july 29-30…. https://www.ethnicfest.org/