There’s something about the crisp autumn air that makes you want to do as much as possible before the dreary winter weather returns to the Pacific Northwest. Thankfully, there are pumpkins to paddle, beers to cheers, and shellfish to shuck — and that’s just the beginning. With these suggestions, have no doubt you can fill your weekends with fun until all the leaves fall down.
For a family friendly outing, follow the distant sound of effervescent polka music to the Portland Polish Festival, the largest of its kind in the Western U.S. Centered around St. Stanislaus Church in the Overlook neighborhood, this free celebration honors the history of local immigrants with authentic food (all the pierogis and kielbasa you could ever eat), live music and folk dance performances, cultural exhibits, activities for kids, and local vendors. In Ballard, the Fisherman’s Fall Festival Sept. 13 raises money for families of commercial fishers lost at sea — activities include wooden boat building, face painting, shell art, and more. A little later in the season, the National Nordic Museum will host Julefest, which brings people together to kick off the holidays with a Scandinavian market complete with handcrafted goods and tasty treats.
Seattle Restaurant Week celebrates the region’s diverse culinary community. Photo courtesy of Seattle Restaurant Week.
If you’ve yet to get your fill there’s plenty more to chew on, especially during Seattle Restaurant Week (Oct. 26-Nov. 8). Support the local food economy and check out all the bars, food carts, and bistros on your bucket list with curated menus at $20, $35, $50, and $65. For your sweet tooth, the Northwest Chocolate Festival is first-class. Held in Bellevue’s Meydenbauer Center, this two-day show will melt your cocoa heart with chef demonstrations, workshops and educational talks, and tastings. If seafood is more your style, head to Port Angeles for the Dungeness Crab Festival. Want to know where you can take home a jar of pickles, sip kombucha, join the starter barter, and explore the bacterial petting zoo? It’s all happening at Portland’s Fermentation Festival, of course. Fall wouldn’t be complete without raising a glass at one (or both) of the region’s Bavarian bashes: the Mt. Angel Oktoberfest and Leavenworth Oktoberfest.
The arts are in full swing during autumn too. The Stormy Weather Arts Festival brings Cannon Beach to life under moody skies, welcoming visitors to the Oregon Coast for gallery events and artist meet-and-greets. Another event you’ll love to cozy up to is the Portland Book Festival, featuring talks and readings from 100-plus authors at venues across the city. Seattle’s Northwest Film Forum will host the Local Sightings Film Festival from Sept. 19 to 28, with short films and feature length projects dedicated to the Pacific Northwest’s star cryptid Bigfoot. Rock the Locks Music Festival brings the noise to the banks of the Columbia River, headlined by Seether, The All-American Rejects, and Third Eye Blind.
Finally, it’s time to head for the fields, where there are plenty of pumpkin patches and hay rides to go around. The Hood River Harvest Festival wows out-of-towners and locals alike with its craft market, fresh fruits like apples and pears, and pumpkin carving. West Seattle puts on its own Harvest Fest on Sunday, Oct. 26, setting up community trick-or-treating, a costume parade, pie eating contest, and chili cook-off. Down in Vancouver, Bi-Zi Farms Pumpkin Patch has a nighttime corn maze that will test the bravest of souls.