Best family events in Seattle

September 30, 11:37 PMSeattle Events ExaminerMaria Christensen

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Winterfest at the Seattle Center

What's that saying? You can't please all of the people all of the time, but you... oh, never mind, the point is that it can be difficult to please every member of a family when spending quality time together. The following list of Seattle events have a little something for everyone, from tots to teens to parents. We can't guarantee complete family harmony or that you'll agree on what to eat for dinner, but we can promise plenty of varied fun at these festivals.

Whirligig!
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Where kids go to bounce, soar, run, jump, leap and break the chains of winter while parents are glad someone else is cleaning up the mess. Spring at the Seattle Center ushers in a fabulous carnival for kids called Whirligig, where inflatable rides, clowns and face painters celebrate for two weeks during Spring Break.

Seattle International Children's Festival
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The week after Mother's Day in May, children and the young at heart gather at the Seattle Center for performaces by troupes from all over the world. Puppets, music, magic, theater and laughter rub shoulders with unicycles, dancers, and face painters, while kids busily create sidewalk paintings around the International Fountain. It's a madcap week of fun.

Northwest Folklife Festival
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Held every Memorial Day weekend, the Folklife Festival celebrates the folk arts communities of the Northwest. This popular and free event offers a blend of world music and dance performance, arts and crafts exhibits, musical and artistic workshops, and films and demonstrations focusing on ethnic and folk heritage in the Northwest. There are indoor and outdoor activities and performances suited to many ages and tastes.

Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival
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Every summer the Center for Wooden Boats on the south end of Lake Union hosts a free waterfront festival where families can admire and explore beautifully handcrafted wooden boats, learn to make a boat together and even take a boat ride.

Bumbershoot
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The grand-daddy of all Seattle festivals held every Labor Day weekend showcases well over a couple thousand artists from all over the world. Chock full of art, music, dance, poetry, literature, film, theater, street performers, food and crafts, there's also a special section for children where they can do things like make mandalas and build and race Lego vehicles. And isn't the hula hoop fun for all ages?

Winterfest
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From November through December the Seattle Center lights up with Winterfest, an annual holiday event featuring a Winter Train and Village, school choirs, dance performances, ice sculpting, winter solstice in the International Fountain, lots and lots of lights and an ice skating rink. There's much more and you're bound to find something magical during the festival's five week run.