Downtown (Center City) Parks
All events are free unless otherwise noted.
Dancing
Dancing til Dusk
Honky Tonk, Big Band Swing, Salsa, Zydeco, Blues, Gypsy Swing, West Coast Swing, Tango, Country Western and Waltz. 13 magical evenings of Free live music and social dancing, starting with a 1-hour beginner lesson at 6 p.m (No Experience or partner required.) July and August. Visit danceforjoy.biz or call 206-264-5646 for schedule and more information. Download the flyer
Good Ol' Square Dance in the Park
Swing your partner to a live band and caller. All ages and abilities welcome! Co-hosted by the Seattle Subversive Square Dance Society
Date: Thursday, August. 24
Time: 6-9 p.m. *For rain-out, call after 1pm: 206-264-5646
Location: Freeway Park, 7th and Seneca (West Plaza)
freewayparkassociation.org
Family Fun
Cascade Kids Days
Bouncy houses, imagination playground, hands-on learning, art, and entertainment
Dates: July 8, July 29, August 12 from 12-2 pm
Location: Cascade Playground, 333 Pontius Ave N
cascadeplayground.org
Family Fun Evenings
Join community center staff at the park every Friday night to create some fantastic art and other games; kid-friendly concerts and entertainers, special activities.
Dates: Fridays, July 14 – August 25
Time: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Location: Donnie Chin International Children’s Park, 700 S Lane St
Hi Neighbor Picnics
Meet your neighbors and local businesses at this community picnic. Enjoy food, lawn games, and entertainment on the first Saturday of every month.
Dates: Saturdays June 3, July 1, August 5, September 2, October 7
Time: 4-6:30pm
Location: Cascade Playground, 333 Pontius Ave N
cascadeplayground.org
Pop up dog park in Occidental Square
Featuring live music, hot dogs for humans and food trucks specifically catering treats for your best friends!
Dates: Last Sundays of June, July and August.
Time: 9am-3pm
Location: Occidental Square
downtownseattleparks.com
Used Books Sales from the Seattle Public Library
Dates: Mon-Fri, June 1 – Sept 30
Time: 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Location: Freeway Park
Seattle Fire Festival
Antique fire engines, music, kids' storytelling and other activities. For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/SeattleFireFestival/ or call 206-799-8695
Date: Saturday, July 8th
Time: 11 a.m. 3 :00 p.m.
Location: Bell Street Park, 5th and Bell Street
Outdoor Movies
Movie Night at Freeway Park
Calling all movie lovers! The First Hill Improvement Association is hosting an outdoor movie night in Freeway Park. Bring a blanket and a friend to the park at dusk for a screening of the Stanley Kubrick classic, Dr Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Enjoy free popcorn and this classic comedy with your neighbors!
Date: Thursday, August. 31
Time: 7:30 p.m. *For rain-out, call after 1pm: 206-264-5646
Location: Freeway Park, 7th and Seneca (East Plaza)
freewayparkassociation.org
Movie Night at Westlake Park
- July 14 - Dirty Dancing
- July 21 - Ghost Busters
- August 4 - Moana
- August 11 - La La Land
- August 18 - Star Wars: Rogue One
- August 25 - Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Dates: Fridays on the above dates
Time: Dusk (varies by sunset)
For rain-outs call after 1:00pm: 206-613-3206
downtownseattleparks.com
Center City Cinema
Pre-movie activities 6:00pm to sunset, MOVIE AT SUNSET *
For rain-outs call after 1:00 pm: 206-684-7710
Denny Park, 100 Dexter Ave N
- August 1st Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Cascade Playground, 333 Pontius Ave N
- August 18th Star Wars: ROGUE 1
- August 25th Zootopia
- September 1st Moana
Hing Hay Park, 423 Maynard Ave South
- July 22nd A Taste of Home
- July 29th Moana
- August 5th Mr. Nice Guy
- August 12th The Mermaid
- August 19th Fearless
- August 26th Big Hero 6
Music and Concerts
Out To Lunch Concerts
Out to Lunch (OTL) is bigger than ever for its 39th season, bringing free live music to 12 venues throughout downtown Seattle. For the first time ever, we have music every weekday from July 5 through Sept. 1. Every show goes from 12 to 1:30 p.m. except on Mondays, when OTL is from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
downtownseattle.org/otl
Cascade Summer Stage
Concerts in the park with talented local musicians
Dates: Fridays, June-September
Time: 4-6pm
Location: Cascade Playground, 333 Pontius Ave N
cascadeplayground.org
Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival - Music Under the Stars
Live broadcast of the performance from Benaroya Hall on 98.1 Classical KING FM. Bring a picnic! BBQs are available for grilling. Visit FreewayParkAssociation.org for information about special arts programming prior to the broadcast.
Dates: Fridays, July 7, 14, 21 and 28
Time: 7 p.m. -10 p.m.
Concert at the Columns: Random Acts of Music
Mini concerts with talented local musicians
Dates: Fridays, July 7 – Sept 15,
Time: 5:30-8:30pm.
Location: Plymouth Pillars Park, Boren Ave & Pike St
Free Blues and Cool Jazz in Freeway Park
Listen to the raw sounds of electric blues or sway to some smooth jazz in a hidden oasis of fountains, trees and blooms!
Dates: Sundays, July 9 through August 27
Time: 2 p.m. – 4p.m.
Location: Freeway Park, 6th and Seneca
Gigs4U.org
July 09 Industrial Revelation
July 16 The New Triumph
July 23 Jacqueline Tabor
July 30 Fabulous Roof Shakers
Aug 06 Dlo3
Aug 13 Pearl Django
Aug 20 Lady A
Aug 27 Big Road Blues
Belltown Beats
Evening performances by local musicians
Dates: Fridays June 9 through August 25, 2016,
Time: 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 pm.
Location: Bell Street Park, 3rd and Bell Street
Gigs4U.org
KING FM Brass Band in Westlake Park
Date: July 12
Time: Noon-1pm
Location: Westlake Park
downtownseattleparks.com
Festivals and Celebrations
Freeway Park in Bloom
Celebrate Spring in our secret garden in the city with garden themed activities for the whole family, free treats, live music and more!
Date: Saturday, June 3,
Time: 11a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Freeway Park, 7th and Seneca (West Plaza)
freewayparkassociation.org
Wooden Boat Festival
The Wooden Boat Festival is designed to celebrate the maritime heritage of the Northwest, putting tools in hands and getting people out on the water in historic wooden boats. There’s nothing stuffy about the wooden boat festival. This is an old-fashioned, down-home waterfront event where everything is fun and most things are free.
Date: July 1 - 4
Time: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Location: Lake Union Park
cwb.org
Freeway Park Fountain Festival
Water is life! Celebrate the return of the Freeway Park fountains with water themed games, sprinklers, ice cream, live music and more!
Date: Saturday, July 8,
Time: 11 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Location: Freeway Park, 7th and Seneca (West Plaza)
freewayparkassociation.org
Dragon Festival
The largest Pan-Asian American street-fair in the Pacific Northwest! The Dragon Fest event will feature nonstop cultural performances including Dragon and Lion dances, Traditional Korean drumming, martial arts demonstrations, the Chinese Girls Drill Team, and much, much, more. For Seattle’s foodies we are proud to bring back the Annual $3 Food Walk with over 40 restaurants offering a wide array of international $3 bites and a few bonus retail!
Date: July 15 and 16,
Time: 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Hing Hay Park
cidbia.org/events/dragonfest/
Arts and Crafts
Kids Art in the Park
Weekly arts and crafts workshops in the park with ReCreative and other artists
Dates: Thursdays, June 29-August 31
Time: 12-2pm
Location: Cascade Playground, 333 Pontius Ave N
cascadeplayground.org
Community Kite Painting and Installation
Paint a kite to be included in Freeway Park’s 5th annual art-kite installation.
Dates: Thursday’s in July (kites on view August-October)
Time: 12:00 noon – 2:00 p. m. *For rain-outs call after 10 am - 206-623-0340
Location: Freeway Park, 7th and Seneca (West Plaza)
freewayparkassociation.org
Urban Craft Uprising Presents First Thursdays in the Park
Urban Craft Uprising, Gage Academy of Arts and Pratt Fine Arts hosts art in the park every first Thursday 4pm-9pm in Occidental Square with live music, art demonstrations, live model figure sketching and games for the kids!
Dates: First Thursday of every month
Time: 4pm-9pm
Location: Occidental Square
downtownseattleparks.com
Path with Art Classes
Free drop-in art class in Occidental Square. Join us for paper lantern making, erasure poems, and more!
Dates: Wednesdays June 14-August 9
Time: 11:30 am-1:30 pm
Location: Occidental Square
downtownseattleparks.com
Gage Academy of Art Classes
Free drop-in art class in Occidental Square. Varying media every week!
Dates: Tuesdays June 6-Aug 9 (no class July 4th)
Time: 4-6pm
downtownseattleparks.com
Children’s Summer Arts Program
Westlake Park will feature museum activities brought to you by Seattle Children’s Museum, Pacific Science Center, Seattle Aquarium and KidsQuest Children’s Museum. Free! every
Dates: Fridays June 30- Sept 1
Time: 10am-noon
Location: Westlake Park
downtownseattleparks.com
Gardening
Growing Healthy Food
Urban Gardening Classes with Tilth Alliance. Learn about growing food in classes and activities at downtown parks! Topics include: growing vegetables and herbs year-round in the ground or in containers, water conservation, and small scale food composting. Participate in classes at Freeway Park, Cascade Playground and Belltown Cottage Park, or come to drop-in activities at Westlake Park, Occidental Park, Victor Steinbrueck Park and Denny Park. Download the flyer.
Free but registration is required. Register for classes online tilthalliance.org/learn/downtown or call (206) 633-0451 ext. 128.
Herbalism and Foraging Classes
Learn about herbalism, medicine making, urban foraging, and wildcrafting at our summer workshop series in Cascade Playground. Bring a jar and you’ll get to take something home with you!
- July 19 Herbs 101: Skin Stuff
- August 23 Herbs 101: Foraging and Digestion
Location: Cascade Playground, 333 Pontius Ave N
cascadeplayground.org
Giving Garden at Cascade P-Patch
Join the weekly Alleycat Acres gardening party at the Cascade Giving Garden. Work a little and take home fresh produce!
Dates: Tuesdays, July 4 - October 23
Times: 4-7pm
Location: Cascade People’s Center, 309 Pontius Ave N
cascadeplayground.org
Fitness
Yoga on the Lawn
Free yoga class taught by Ripple Yoga. Yoga mats provided.
Dates: Saturdays, June through September
Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Location: Cascade Park
cascadeplayground.org
Cascade Playground Fun
Stop by the park for lawn games, giant connect four, basketball, free books, Imagination Playground blocks, and fun for the whole family!
Dates: Wednesday-Saturday
Time: 12-5pm
cascadeplayground.org
Free Fitness Classes in Freeway Park, hosted by the Washington Athletic Club
All levels welcome!
Monday Zumba Classes - July 17, July 24, July 31, August 7, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m (West Plaza)
Wednesday Yoga Classes - July 19 and July 26, 12-1pm August 2 and August 9 5:30-6:30 pm (East Plaza)
Freeway Park, 7th and Seneca
freewayparkassociation.org
Tai Chi in Westlake Park
Free Saturday morning Tai Chi classes
Dates: Saturdays July 8 and 15, August 12 and 19
Time: 8-9am
Location: Westlake Park
downtownseattleparks.com
Spin Classes in Westlake Park
Join us for a full day of free spin classes in Westlake Park! Gym instructor-led classes will be held last Wednesdays of June, July and August at 7am, noon and 5:30pm with open cycling in-between.
Dates: June 28, July 26, August 30
Times: 7 am, 12 pm, 5:30 pm
Location: Westlake Park
downtownseattleparks.com
CrossFit in Occidental Square
Cue CrossFit is hosting free drop-in sessions every Friday morning in July 6:30am-7:30 am and every Wednesday evening in August 5:30-6:30 pm.
Dates and Times:
Fridays in July 6:30-7:30 am and
Wednesdays in August 5:30-6:30 pm
Location: Occidental Square
downtownseattleparks.com