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Everything You Have to Do in Seattle This Fall
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Timberland
The best thing about fall in Seattle is... that it's not as bad as winter. The second-best thing about fall is that there's so much entertaining stuff to do -- from wild weed festivals and Halloween parties, to popular pub crawls and bawdy burlesque shows -- it can be hard to keep track. That is, unless you check out our list of autumn events below.
Don't eat apples -- drink them
Catch the second half of Washington Cider Week at places like Seattle Cider Company for a slew of special events, including dinner pairings, trivia nights, and even a cider-inspired Taco Tuesday.
Do something hilariously sketchy
As the name implies. SketchFest is a sketch comedy festival featuring one night of hilarious films (9/16) and 13 other nights of live comedy in Greenwood and Downtown.
Do the Puyallup
The Fair, as it's technically called now, features 20 days of concerts, wild carnival rides, a rodeo, and tons of amazing food. But you're really just going for the scones.
See some 'cool' burlesque
Just in time for the end of summer, the Can Can is turning their tiny subterranean cabaret into a stylized mid-century ice cream shop for upbeat one hour brunches and evening shows inspired by summertime cult-classics like Grease, Cry Baby, Hairspray, and Beach Party.
Two words: Go sailgating
Seriously, screw tailgating! Why not kick back on a boat with drinks/snacks before Husky home games, and arrive at the stadium in style?
Start off Oktoberfest with a bang
The second annual Brewer's Kickoff Party features eight local beer makers debuting their seasonal suds, including Black Raven, Diamond Knot, and more.
See music, fashion, and aerialists in the same place
Seattle's "most explosive annual fusion of Art, Music, Dance, Entertainment and Fashion" (or AMDEF) is back for its 10th year with live music, DJs, fashion shows, break dancing, aerialists, and more. Way more.
See some crazy motorized stunts
At Nitro Circus Live, which will feature 30 freestyle athletes performing mind-blowing freestyle motocross jumps, BMX routines, and all kinds of other death-defying feats.
Drink delicious beer on a relaxing farm
The Hops & Crops Music and Beer Festival features craft beer (Airways, Iron Horse, Georgetown, etc.), live music, and food trucks (Hot Revolution Donuts!) at Mary Olson Farm.
Go for a lovely stroll with some zombies
Beware! Zombies will start roaming the sidewalks of charming Historic Downtown Snohomish around 5:30pm. To get in on the action show up in costume an hour or so early.
Show everyone how dirty you are...
... by posting shots of yourself after running the Tough Mudder, a muddy annual 5-mile obstacle course complete with after-party.
Eat all of Seattle's best kalbi beef in one place
Four Korean community groups are hosting a competition to find the "Baddest Kalbi in the Northwest" and they want you to try, and vote on, all the entries. How can you say no?
See a very legit fashion show
Bellevue Fashion Week's putting on three different runway shows featuring professional models and the latest in clothing from both independent and premiere brands.
Screw Woodstock -- check out 'Weedstock'
Camp out at Cloneapalooza, a “green” camping festival featuring live rock and hip-hop shows, comedians, vendors, and, well, passionate hobbyists at AYH Ranch on Vashon Island.
Hit up Oktoberfest in Kirkland
Enjoy beer, sauerkraut, bratwurst, wiener dog races, costume contests, games, and live music at Kirkland's waterfront Oktoberfest celebration.
Hit an even BIGGER Oktoberfest in Fremont
The 80 kinds of beer offered here is just the start: There are bands, a scavenger hunt, chainsaw pumpkin carving, indoor sports screens, and more. Oh, and dogs get in free.
Take a freaky ass trip to the morgue
This intense tour of the fictional Georgetown Morgue might be the best (or worst?) haunted house in Seattle. Just don't say we didn't warn you.
Celebrate Italy's contributions to the world
Vintage Ferrari's, a grape stomp, live music, bocce, and tons of pasta, pizza, and other Italian specialties... who wouldn't want to be from Italy?
Experience a night of WhimSea
Hosted by a former finalist on The Voice, Misfit Cabaret promises a night of decadence, bawdiness, and damsels (not) in distress. Also some bad puns, maybe.
Take it (Big) Easy
The New Orleans Food & Funk Festival is really just an excuse to stuff yourself with gumbo, crawfish, shrimp, grits, po-boys, beignets, hush puppies, etc. from a dozen different restaurants.
Drink beer from a giant pumpkin
Going down at Seattle Center for the first time, the Great Pumpkin Beer Festival (GPBF) is back with 80 pumpkin beers, a marching band, DJ, and food trucks, plus their traditional giant beer-filled pumpkin. Get tickets ASAP.
Take a road trip to very authentic Oktoberfest
Washington's fake German town hosts a seriously authentic Oktoberfest celebration with free shuttles in town, live music, German food, arts and crafts, and beer. Lots of beer.
Have a Feast at Pike Place Market
The annual Feast starts with wine reception, then gives you a chance to try dishes from 20 different restaurants and vendors in America's premier farmers market.
Drink beer... at the zoo
Brew at the Zoo returns with beer from 30 breweries, plus food, music, and animal encounters in the Rain Forest Food Pavilion and Zoomazium, which sounds like something they named after a few too many of said beers.
Hit Seattle's freshest beer festival
Drink over 20 newly released beers (Fremont, Diamond Knot, Pike, etc.) made with freshly picked hops from the Yakima Valley at Uncorked's second annual Fresh Hops Festival.
Learn how bad you are at Legos
Hit BrickCon to check out thousands of models, including sculptures, pop-art, massive cityscapes, and more, all created by Lego enthusiasts from around the world.
Get three courses for $33
At 165 of Seattle's best restaurants during Seattle Restaurant Week... which sadly does not include Fridays and Saturdays, but sometimes does include lunch for even less dough.
Eat with some of Rain City's best chefs
The first Rain City Chefs Alliance Dinner will feature a seven-course tasting menu, made by seven different chefs that you won't want to miss. That is, if you can afford it. (It’s at least $200 per person.)
Go on a giant Halloween pub crawl
Put on a costume, grab some cash, and spend all day drinking with hundreds of fellow revelers at Seattle's massive annual Halloween Pub Crawl.
See some very NSFW homemade movies
Dan Savage's touring erotic film festival -- HUMP -- kicks off in Seattle with a collection of explicit five-minute films by amateurs of all persuasions, as well as prizes based on audience votes. It will sell out.
See what a 'sinister circus' is all about
Well, it’s more of a concert. Welcome to FreakNight, an annual carnival-themed electronic dance music show with rides, midway-style games, flame throwers, aerialists, a costume contest, and more.
Hit a hauntingly good Halloween party
Join 2,000 of your closest costumed friends at the former EMP for Haunt: The Ultimate Halloween Bash featuring live music, a DJ, and more.
Go running... and dancing?
The Boogie Nights 5K & Dance Party starts with a 5K run/walk around Green Lake Park and ends with a costume dance party at the community center.
Walk with even more zombies
Join (or watch) zombies staggering into Redmond Town Center where there will be a costume contest, photo booth, live music, and a massive “Thriller” dance performance at Thrill the World Redmond.
Sip on some seasonal ciders
Seattle Winter Ciderfest promises “fall and winter ciders from the Northwest's best producers” plus local beer, wine, soda, and more.
Pleasure your ears with some sexy poetry
Inspired by 19th-century bordellos of Paris and New Orleans, The Poetry Brothel presents love poetry in an immersive speak-easy-style environment with a bar and cabaret-style entertainment.
Get dressed up. Drink whiskey.
The Whisky Extravaganza includes unlimited tastes of more than 100 whiskeys, food pairings, and master classes in this most delicious of spirits. Jackets required.
Eat a ton of oysters
One of Seattle's most popular food events, Elliott's Oyster New Year, is back again with 30 varieties of oysters, a seafood buffet, 60 wineries, microbrews, and live music on Pier 56.
Drink like it's winter
It's basically like every other beer event -- there are local brews, food, etc. -- but this time it's winter beer from 35 different brewers, plus sliders and commemorative glasses.
Eat pancakes. Drink booze. See art.
Yes, you can do all those things at the same time at the Pancakes & Booze Art Show, which will feature 70+ emerging artist, live body painting, live DJ sets, and a FREE pancake bar.
Try 30 food trucks at the same time
Trucktoberfest means 30 food trucks, and 30 breweries pouring fall beers, all posted up in the same place.
Run around Green Lake...
... and then eat mashed potatoes at the Green Lake Gobble & Mashed Potato Munch Off. It's a 5K and 10K run/walk with post-race beer garden and mashed potato-eating contest.
Take someone special to the ballet
Seattle's renowned Pacific Northwest Ballet brings the The Nutcracker by George Balanchine back again with a live orchestra, magnificent sets and costumes, and a huge cast, just in time for the holidays.
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Bradley Foster was the former Seattle editor at Thrillist, and he loves a good Oktoberfest.