Weekender: Family Fun Ideas for Seattle, the Eastside and South Sound

This past week, my family hung out with friends at our neighborhood’s secret beach (sorry, can’t tell you where it is); we ate meals outdoors; and I did an exercise class on a rooftop deck with gorgeous views. Remind me of all of this come January ... just kidding, let’s live in the moment! Bike races, tide-pool inspections, community festivals and free movies are all queued up for your weekend playtime. Enjoy these activities, along with the rest of our top picks below, and don’t miss out on a romp at the playground of the week. Have fun!

10 activities for family fun this weekend:

1. Pop your popcorn! It’s another perfect summer weekend for free outdoor movies showing in parks all around town (Thursday–Saturday).
2. Explore the shore during more summertime minus tides and spot fascinating critters at beaches up and down the sound (Thursday–Sunday).
3. Partake in true old-fashioned county fair fun with animal exhibits, pedal tractors, a bubble show and extreme stunt dogs (Thursday–Sunday).
4. Bring bikes for kids to ride the free Kiddie Kilo, and then catch super-tactical and exciting bike-racing action at the velodrome during the Marymoor Grand Prix (Friday–Saturday).
5. Meet Sounders legend Brad Evans, practice some soccer skills and test-drive the new playground at this celebration of Lakeridge Playfield (Saturday).
6. Renton Summerfest will be rockin’ Piazza Park — be there for kids’ activities, food-truck fare and music, capped off with a free showing of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (Saturday).
7. Need we say anything more than “cherry-pie-eating contest” to entice you to the Festival at Mount Si? You’ll also enjoy two parades, live music and a pickleball tourney (Saturday–Sunday).
8. Engage with the rich cultural traditions of Arab communities at a free family fest featuring food, music and a marketplace bazaar (Saturday–Sunday).
9. Book your family tix to Brigade Encampment at Fort Nisqually, where your family will learn to build a fire and spin wool, just like trappers and traders of yore (Saturday–Sunday).
10. Join the South Seattle community for its party in the park featuring hands-on activities, multicultural music and dance performances, and delish food-truck fare (Sunday).

More any-time outings:

• Sunflower fests are beginning to bloom! Book a spot to frolic among the flowers.
• Some really good candy and these hikes with a prize will get reluctant trekkers out on the trail.
• There's still time to ignore bedtime! Stretch out on the grass for free outdoor summer movies with your crew.
• We're counting three-plus weeks of summer remaining: Fill your days with these awesome ideas.

Plus, our family fun calendar features great community events — every day of the year!