Happy Earth Day, and 50th anniversary of the World's Fair, and Huskyfest, and and and ... there is *a ton* going on this weekend. See below for our top picks, and our calendar for the full list -- believe me, this is only a fraction.
1. Do the classic April road trip to the Tulip Festival -- the tulip fields are peaking right now, and you can also go to the Mt. Vernon street fair.
2. Celebrate Earth Day -- let us count just a few of the ways. Rock out in Fremont; get eco-geeky at Pacific Science Center; explore the monorail and hear eco-stories at Seattle Center, learn about eating green on Mercer Island; build a birdhouse at Seward Park; make art at Olympic Sculpture Park or at Bellevue Arts Museum; go on a hay ride in Redmond; volunteer all over the place. Or, chill at home with some Earth Day crafting.
3. Celebrate all things UW at HuskyFest (last day is Saturday). Highlights for families include free admission to the Burke Museum, solar model car races at Red Square, and story time and arts and crafts at the steps of Kane Hall. Don't forget to check out the cherry blossoms!
4. After a loooong time prepping, the Seattle Center's Next 50 celebration is here! Saturday's opening day schedule is chock full of free performances and history exhibits, while Sunday is a Next 50 Earth Day celebration with cool hands-on activities for kids and adults.
5. Or head to Eatonville for Endangered Species Weekend at Northwest Trek and close-up views of species like wolverines.
6. Take a trip to a local petting zoo/farm for some hands-on time with spring babies -- Kelsey Creek Park in Bellevue reports they have some new goat kids, piglets and chicks that will soon be on view.
7. On Saturday, gear up for summer by attending a free April Pools Day water-safety event at your local pool.
8. Also on Saturday, rock out at two kindie concerts, Johnny Bregar at Town Hall, or The Not-Its! in Mount Baker.
9. Take in a show or get tickets for next weekend: SCT's Beatles-themed HELP is getting raves; Village Theatre's Seussical, Jr. showcases well-loved stories and awesome kid talent; and -- speaking of well-loved stories -- A Wrinkle in Time is opening at Youth Theatre Northwest.
10. Nurture your kids' international spirit by taking them to the International Children's Friendship Festival at MOHAI (Sunday): dances, music, and performances from 10 countries, plus arts and crafts and a passport game.
Hot ticket alert! SCT's production of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which opens May 3, is selling out quickly.
