Fairs! Festivals! Flights! Cruises! Celebrate Labor Day Weekend Seattle-Style
This year’s Labor Day weekend runs Saturday September 3rd through Monday, September 5th. But certainly—at a minimum—most people will take Friday, September 2nd off too right?
And for those who don’t take Friday off, can you imagine how much work will they’ll get done that afternoon? Not much! Ah yes, how we love holiday weekends.
Of course, for the stoic, passionate staff here at Inn at the Market…and our kinfolk: the vendors located throughout Pike Place Market…we’ll be jammin’ the whole time. As will the staff and management at our favorite restaurants (conveniently located literally within feet of our tranquil yet city-centered hideaway): Café Campagne, Sushi Kashiba, and Bacco.
But the point is this: most travelers celebrate Labor Day at least over the course of a four-day period (or even longer for more organized folks). Which is just enough time to work in some unique Labor Day activities beyond the traditional picnic or BBQ.
For those honoring us with their presence by booking a Labor Day stay at Inn at the Market, well, they may need us to break down some of the one-of-a-kind, “unofficial end of summer” experiences around Seattle so they can properly celebrate.
Good thing we’re both pretty plugged in and highly skilled at making handy lists. Here we go!
The Evergreen State Fair takes place August 25-30 (dates relevant to those more organized travelers we mentioned earlier) & September 1-5, 2022 (for the rest of us) in Monroe, Washington, 35 miles northwest of Seattle by car.
Deemed the largest county fair in the Pacific Northwest, it’s full of…well, let’s call them…surprises:
- the International Lumberjack Show (think logging skills like chopping, cutting, tree climbing, and running atop those floating, terrifyingly spinning logs)
- three days-worth of rodeos!
- concerts by country music stars such as Gary LeVoxx of Rascall Flatts
- bubble gum blowing contests (what?)
- “Farmer for a Day” activities for the kids…they can milk a cow!
- monster truck shows + demolition derbies
- fireworks
- and much more
Whew! And don’t forget rides like The Zipper, Super Shot Drop Tower, Tilt-a-Whirl, and Zillerator. We’ll stick with the Ferris wheel, thank you very much.
The Washington State Fair in Puyallup, Washington (37 miles south of Seattle by car) steadily ranks in the top ten fairs in the United States and includes amusement rides, food, pastoral and agricultural displays and shows, and a concert series.
Speaking of which, this year’s Labor Day weekend concert lineup includes:
- Anne Wilson of Heart with special guest Night Ranger
- Blake Shelton
- Nelly (that’s right, It’s Getting Hot In Here)
- The Beach Boys
- and many more…cool!
It doesn’t stop there. Visitors can experience:
- huge animatronic dinosaurs at Expedition: Dinosaur
- cuddlier (and real) critters at The Farm, Piglet Palace, and the “Extreme Dogs” show
- upwards of 70…yes, 70 rides like the Classic Coaster, Extreme Scream—the highest structure in Puyallup at 185 feet tall that launches thrill-seekers 20-stories in the air, sheesh—the Wild Cat, and for the little kiddos, Tractor Tracks: children can go over the river and through the woods on mini tractors.
Wait! Don’t forget the grub!
The scones are infamous and elephant ears are a must. A perfect sweet to cut the savory from the ½ pound cheeseburgers, mountains of curly fries, flamin’ hot corn on a stick, piroshkis, alligator burgers, chili roasted grasshoppers, BBQ crickets, and Manchurian scorpions (all real offerings) popular among fairgoers.
Um, that’s quite a bit, maybe bring friends.
The Bremerton Blackberry Festival covers all the bases. Festival lovers start with a gorgeous, 50-minute ferry ride across Puget Sound from downtown Seattle (making sure to snap some pics of the iconic Seattle skyline along the way). Once docked, it’s a short walk to this festival that “celebrates everything blackberry on the Bremerton Boardwalk.” Over 100 vendors offering concessions, craft & packaged foods, beer, and blackberry wine. There’s live music too: five shows on Saturday and Sunday, four on Monday…from bands like “Hippy and the Squids” and “Hair Nation.” The Bremerton Blackberry Festival runs September 3-5.
Seattle Seaplanes offers scenic flights ranging from 20-minute Seattle tours to an up close and personal fly-by of Mount Rainier. Or if the mood strikes, passengers can choose a romantic dinner flight to their location of choice…San Juan Island, Whidbey Island, Hood Canal’s Alderbrook Resort and Spa, and more.
Pilots even serve as concierges—they’ll offer restaurant recommendations based on the ones they fly to on a regular basis!
Seattle’s Favorite Cocktail Cruise provides for an impressive display of boats and floating homes on Lake Union—including the famous floating domicile from Sleepless in Seattle. Captains pull double duty as bartenders, whipping up popular craft cocktails when not navigating this busy urban waterway. This cruise is 2-hours of fun: see the iconic Space Needle, Fremont Bridge, Gas Works Park, and University of Washington while enjoying the perfect Labor Day weather. Choose from a morning, midday, afternoon, or evening cruise.
Not bad right? Some heavy hitters, a few sneaky surprises, all a hop, skip, or jump from our lovely accommodations. Speaking of which, we’d be remiss to not mention how Inn at the Market is the only downtown Seattle hotel located directly in famous Pike Place Market—yet a tranquil, comfortable hideaway ripe with Pacific Northwest style. We’d love to have you here. And if you’d like to chat, give us a call, we’re happy to help!
