Weekender: Best Family Events for Seattle, the Eastside and South Sound

So ... snow. Was it a winter wonderland or a dainty dusting at your house? Either way, the weather is kind of exciting, but not necessarily quite the way we'd like it to be.

This coming Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, which means a three-day weekend for many of us. Honor Dr. King's life and legacy at one of 17 local MLK events for families this weekend, and go wild at one of our amazing state parks or epic national parks; both are free Monday in honor of MLK. Happy trails!

Seattle area:

• Groove to the expressive rhythms of Senegalese drummer Thione Diop at an inexpensive Town Hall show for families (Saturday).
• Celebrate and learn about the culture of Vietnam and Vietnamese Americans at Tết in Seattle's annual Lunar New Year Fest featuring music, dance and tasty food (Saturday–Sunday).
• Take a warm-up trip to the islands and learn about ocean conservation through "Honu by the Sea," a musical story for families (Saturday–Monday).
• All aboard for terrific choo-choo fun as Pacific Science Center hosts its annual model railroad show for train fans of all ages; build with Brio, ride the mini train and more (Saturday–Monday).

Eastside and environs:

• Browse a bundle of terrific preschool options on the Eastside at ParentMap's free preschool fair and find the right fit for your family (Saturday).
• Craft your own sweet (or scary!) mini monster out of fabric, buttons and other elements (Saturday).
• Visit the fascinating Cedar River Watershed for one of two free programs: winter story time (Saturday) or a family adventure hike (Sunday).
• Venture through the wardrobe to Narnia along with children searching for Aslan and trying to defeat the White Witch in this theater show for young audiences (opening Saturday).

Around the South Sound:

• Keep warm inside the theater watching a free family flick; show up early to make sure you get a free seat (Saturday).
• Head to the library for a free workshop crafting your own decorative lantern in celebration of Chinese New Year (Saturday).
• Inspect all kinds of creepy critters and slithery snakes, plus check out interactive exhibits at this reptile and exotic animal show (Saturday–Sunday).
• Also at the fairgrounds, find a Great Train Show featuring tons of model train displays (Saturday–Sunday).

More ideas for fun:

• Use our 2020 family vacation planner to dream up your next trip, near or far!
• Venture out for a tasty treat at a fab local bakery; we've paired each one with a place to play for a sugar-in/sugar-out outing!
• The Seahawks are out of the playoffs (drat), but Marshawn is still doling out free Skittles at the Beast Mode store.
• We've rounded up some fun indoor sports and activities that you and your crew can do together; check them out!
• Bookmark our family fun calendar for great activities happening every day of the week.