Music festivals practically reek of loud music, excited fans, and fun. . With summer approaching, going to a music festival is the perfect outdoor activity to do with friends and family! But what festivals reside around  Seattle you may wonder? Well, it turns out there are many! Finding one to attend consists of many factors. When it comes to festivals there are many things to take into consideration such as, age range, vibes, genre, price, and size of the event. Whether you’re looking for something adjacent to the city, or a fun little getaway a great festival can be all one needs.

Watershed (August 1-3)

Watershed is a very popular country music festival in the Columbia River Gorge about 3 hours outside of Seattle. The venue is called the Gorge and the event is held in August every year This year it will be held from August 1st to the 3rd. So saddle up those horsies, giddy up, pull out the boots and hat, and get ready to ride the watershed wave. Some artists attending will be Jason Aldean, Karley Scott Collins, and Nate Smith. The event requires you to set up camp on sight, whether you choose to set up a tent, drive the RV or of course, glamping-whatever floats your boat.

Would highly recommend for those of you who love country, this festival is definitely for you. Some big takeaways you should know before racing to buy a ticket is that it is extremely crowded and everyone is under the influence throughout the entirety of the festival, so you will be surrounded by an influx of intoxicatedpeople. The camping aspect is also very crowded. Just be aware and ready for the rave-like natureof the festival. Bring your boots, hats, and get ready.

THING (August) 

THING is a music and art festival originally started in 2019. While its original venue was Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend, WA last year the festival moved to Remlinger Farms in Carnation, WAAnother alteration is that instead of the usual one weekend festival schedule, this year THING will be taking place every Saturday in August. The festival is an extremely community centered event. When it took place in Fort Worden, people who lived in the community got to experience many aspects of the festival for free and children 12 and under (accompanied by an adult) were and are always free. This year the festival features artists such as Father John Misty, Orville Peck, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, The Japanese House, The Roots, and many more. There are also many food and art vendors, as well as access to the Remlinger Farms Fun Park which includes many rides including a zip line. While there is no doubt that simply attending is a blast, volunteering is also an option and some may say an even better experience (and a way to get some volunteer hours in!) In past years, one volunteer shift got you a free ticket to the festival, it isn’t guaranteed to be this way this year but if you’re interested sign up here! (insert qr code)

Bumbershoot (Labor Day weekend)

Bumbershoot is an annual music festival that occurs during Labor Day weekend (August 30-31) every year in Seattle Center. It’s Seattle’s longest standing music festival, starting in 1971. The festival is all ages and kids ten and under can get in free with adult supervision. Some standout artists attending this year will be Weezer, Digable Planets, Bright eyes and many more. The event also displays fashion, comedy, sculptures, animation, and many more genres of art. It’s pretty hard to be bored at Bumbershoot, regardless of who you are or what you’re interested in.