Narrowing down my list of the best things to do in Seattle in October was surprisingly tricky. That’s because there’s more to do than most people realize. The leaves are changing and the weather is cooling off, but it rarely gets below 50°F, and the sun still sets at a reasonable hour so you can make the most of your day.
With fall in full swing, the city’s iconic fall events are at their peak, be it beer festivals, pumpkin patches, or Halloween festivities. Whether you’re a local or a first-time visitor, here’s a list of all the best things to do in October in Seattle.
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Best Things to Do in Seattle in October
Save this list to Pinterest for later, as I’ll update it every year with all the best Seattle October activities! For more October events, check out my Seattle events calendar.
Experience an arts fest
Being an art-centric city, there’s always an arts festival around the corner. The Seattle Glass Experience will showcase creative uses of glass in the PNW from October 17-20. It’s kicking off on the 17th with Gather: Opening Night (21+, $55pp). Expect VIP tours of Chihuly Gardens, hors d’oeuvres, and cocktails.
Another option is the Fall Conservatory Show (Oct 5-6, $6 adults, $4 kids) featuring plant displays and competitions for the best miniature and best-flowered plants.
Grab a bite at a food & drink festival
Why experience a mere one or two restaurants in a day when you can sample from dozens in a few hours? Here are some of the best food and drink festivals happening this month:
- Yelp’s Seven Deadly Sips (Oct 1-31) – Eastside drink specials at various restaurants
- NW Chocolate Fest (Oct 4-6, $35+pp) – Artisanal chocolates to taste and workshops
- Oysterfest (Oct 4-6, $5pp admission) – Shucking competitions, food, live music, and more
- Taste of Iceland (Oct 5-7, various prices) – An Icelandic menu, cooking classes, and more
- Fall Mead Festival (Oct 13, $30pp) – Mead tastings and seminars
- Queen Anne Wine Walk (Oct 26, $35pp) – Local merchants hosting pop-up wine tastings
- Hallo-wine Speakeasy Pop Up (Oct 26-27, free) – Frichette Winery is popping up in Woodinville
Cheers to Oktoberfest
Most Oktoberfests in Washington happen in September and October. Here are the ones happening in October:
- Oktoberfest Northwest (Oct 4-6, $6+pp) – Food, ales, dog races, a stein dash 5k, and Bier-lympics
- Great Pumpkin Beer Festival (Oct 4-5, $35+pp) – 80+ pumpkin beers and pumpkin weigh-offs
- Leavenworth Oktoberfest (Weekends Oct 4-19, $15+pp) – The largest Bavarian festival
- Burien Oktoberfest & Brat Trot (Oct 5, $25pp) – Will have a family-friendly 5K and root beer garden
- Oktobearfest (Oct 5, $70+pp, 21+) – 50+ local breweries and cideries in the zoo’s bear exhibit
Partake in Seattle Restaurant Week
From October 27 to November 9, diners are invited to experience Seattle Restaurant Week. Participating restaurants, bars, food trucks, and pop-ups will feature curated menus for $20, $35, $50, and $65 for both lunch and dinner.
Want to find restaurant deals earlier? Burien Restaurant Week is happening October 6-19.
Go on a food crawl
One of the most quintessential things to do in Seattle is to embark on a food crawl. My self-guided food tours feature my favorite restaurants across foodie neighborhoods. Each tour is updated and includes tips on when to visit and what to order, along with a few honorable mentions.
Or, take advantage of one of these in-person guided tours:
- Pike Place Market Tasting Tour
- Craft Cocktail Gourmet Food Tour
- Haunted Seattle Booze and Boos Ghost Walking Tour
See a performance
Come spooky season, Seattle’s theater scene is alive and well. From October 19 to November 10, The Village Theater of Everett will be hosting a showing of Camelot ($59+pp).
From October 12-26, the Seattle Opera will honor the African-American acappella ensemble, the Fisk Jubilee Singers, with the world premiere of the Jubilee opera ($35+pp).
Get tickets to a Halloween burlesque show
Want to see a Halloween-themed performance? This is Halloween, is a burlesque parody adaptation of Jack Skellington’s misadventures told via orchestra, vocal performance, and video projections. It’s running October 17 to November 2 for ~$49+pp. Note that all 9 PM shows are 21+.
Another option is Can Can Cabaret’s The Hitchcock Hotel playing October 19-31 for ~$59+pp. It follows the graveyard “maitre d” as they navigate hiring precarious “night shift” employees that are unfit for the job. Given the sultry music, dance, and costumes, this show is 21+ all days.
Jam to some tunes at a jazz festival
Seattle has a thriving jazz scene and big-name performers often make their way through the Emerald City. Earshot Jazz Festival (Oct 17-Nov 3, $30+pp/per performer) has been called “Seattle’s most important annual jazz event” by DownBeat Magazine and will feature local and national jazz legends.
Bellevue Jazz Fest (Oct 2-6, $10+pp/per performer) brings together top national and regional talent to celebrate jazz’s history and its rising stars.
Attend a cultural festival
Every month the Seattle Center hosts festivals to celebrate the different cultures across the city. They’re free to the public and great for families looking to enjoy unique entertainment, food, and culture. In October, there’s Croatiafest (Oct 6), Turkfest (Oct 12-13), and Día de Muertos (Oct 26-27).
Outside of Seattle Center, there’s also the Tacoma Greek Festival (Oct 4-6), which will feature dancing, authentic Greek dishes, and handmade pastries.
Relax at an orchestra concert by candlelight
Combine a romantic evening with the chance to catch a cover band of the greats. In October, there’s a tribute to Metallica (Oct 11), along with covers of the best horror movie soundtracks (Oct 23) and other Halloween classics (Oct 16-17).
Catch your favorite band
If you’ve got your eye on a specific band, you’ll be pleased to know many are making their way through Seattle in October. Here’s a shortlist of some that caught my eye:
- Weezer (Oct 4)
- Zedd (Oct 4-5)
- Hans Zimmer (Oct 5)
- Dashboard Confessional (Oct 13)
- Charlie XCX (Oct 23)
Go leaf peeping
One of my favorite things to do during fall in Seattle is to go leaf hunting. Check out my guide to find the best fall foliage in Seattle, and if you’re up for a road trip, embark on one of Washington’s many larch hikes.
Watch a live sports game
If you’re a sports fan, you won’t let a little cold weather get in the way of catching your favorite game. In October, you can catch a game with the Sounders, OL Reign, Seahawks, Huskies, or the Kraken hockey league.
Hike for free at a state park
In honor of World Mental Health Day (Oct 10), all state parks will offer free admission. Now’s your chance to explore some of the best hiking spots near Seattle, free of charge!
Have fun wine or beer tasting
Seattle has more than its fair share of urban wineries, breweries, and craft beer bars. For a bunch of breweries in walking distance of each other, I suggest exploring the Ballard neighborhood. For wine tasting, nothing beats a day trip to Woodinville.
Go apple and pumpkin picking
Every October, I look forward to taking my niece to apple and pumpkin picking at one of the many western Washington farms. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Swans Trail Farms – U-pick apples, pumpkin patches, and a harvest festival
- Skipley Farm – Organic u-pick apples, cider pressing, and kiwis
- Lattin’s Country Cider Mill & Farm – Pumpkin patches, petting zoo, and wagon rides
- Bellewood Farms – Apple picking, cider pressing, and family tours in Bellingham
When time allows, I love driving to Skagit Valley and exploring the local farms, like Gordon Skagit Farms and Schuh Farms, for their u-pick apples, pumpkin patches, and hot cider. It’s the perfect excuse to visit all the restaurants and fun things to do in Skagit Valley.
Visit a museum on their free days
If you’re looking for free things to do in Seattle, museums across Seattle offer free admission at least once monthly on their off-days. These museums offer free admission on the first Thursday of every month (October 3):
- Seattle Art Museum
- Seattle Asian Art Museum
- National Nordic Museum – Must be reserved in advance
- Museum of History and Industry – 5-8 PM
- Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
- Henry Art Gallery – Suggested donation of $20 other days
- Museum of Flight – 5-9 PM
- Volunteer Park Conservatory – Also on the first Saturday (Oct 5) for kids under 12
- Washington Park Arboretum Walking Tour – 11:30 AM-1 PM starting at the Graham Visitors Center
- Seattle Japanese Garden
These museums offer free admission every day:
- Frye Art Museum
- Olympic Sculpture Park
- Center for Wooden Boats – Also free sailboat rides
- The Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center
- Klondike Gold Rush Museum
- Center on Contemporary Art
Get spooked at a haunted house
October is my favorite month of the year for one reason: Halloween. Of course, one of the best parts about Halloween is the haunted houses and general spooky activities. Here’s a list of some of my favorite haunted houses:
- Nightfall Orphanage (Every Fri-Sat in October & Halloween, $25pp or $20 with food donation) – Neighborhood haunted house to raise money for the local food bank
- Georgetown Morgue (Daily Sept 20-Nov 1, $35pp) – Historic morgue turned haunted house and a pitch-black maze
- Stalker Farms (Fri-Sun Oct 4-Nov 2 plus Halloween, $20+pp) – Get dropped into the middle of a horror movie and navigate your way through haunted corn mazes
For more spooky goings on, check out my guide to the best Halloween fun in Seattle.
Watch animals play with pumpkins
website | neighborhood: Phinney Ridge (get directions) | dates: Oct 26-27 | price: free with zoo admission | best for: trick-or-treating and kids costume contest
Each year, the Woodland Park Zoo hosts a family-friendly bash that promises to be “scary fun” for all ages. There will be trick-or-treating, a costume parade, and pumpkin treats for the animals.
Head out for a night of trick-or-treating
Many of Seattle’s neighborhood businesses host events for kids to go trick-or-treating the days leading up to Halloween. Here are some options, or you can check your local neighborhood’s website:
- West Seattle
- Edmonds
- Bothell
- Des Moines
- Burien
- Ballard
- Phinney Ridge
- Fremont
- Queen Anne
- The StoneHouse Cafe in Rainier Beach
Dance the night away at the Halloween parties
Put on your favorite Halloween costume and celebrate with a Halloween-centric celebration. Here are some parties happening this month:
- House of Spirits: Haunted Cocktail Soiree (Oct 4-Nov 2, ~$80pp)
- Seattle Halloween Haunted Hotel Rooftop Party (Oct 26, ~$20-60pp)
- Nite Wave’s 80s Halloween Party (Oct 25, ~$27.50-35pp)
- Seattle Halloween Weekend Bar Crawl (Oct 19, ~$25pp)
Attend a fall festival
Fall festivals are a chance to take advantage of the still somewhat sunny days before the winter gloom officially hits. Here are some happening around the Seattle area this October:
- Fall Farm Fest (Oct 13, free) – Tours, pumpkin picking, seminars, and more
- Fauntleroy Fall Festival (Oct 20, free) – Live music, pumpkin painting, and kids activities
- West Seattle Harvest Festival (Oct 27, free) – Live music, pie eating contest, chili cook off, and more
- Stocker Farms Fall Festival (all October, ~$15-25pp) Corn maze, pumpkin patch, and attractions
Board the Halloween train
website | neighborhood: Snoqualmie (get directions) & North Bend (get directions) | dates: October 12-13, 19-20, 26-27 | price: ~$18-36pp | best for: picturesque train ride
I love train rides, but I rarely have an excuse to take one—that is unless it’s a scenic ride that takes you back to where you departed. The Northwest Railway Museum runs a Halloween Train and takes guests on a fall-decorated ride through the gorgeous upper Snoqualmie Valley, including Snoqualmie Falls. Bring the kids, wear costumes, and get ready for a festive experience!
Pro tip: Want to experience a scenic ride without the costumes? The museum also hosts a fall train October 5-6.
Peruse the Antiquated Book Festival
website | neighborhood: Lower Queen Anne (get directions) | dates: Oct 26-27 | price: ~$10pp | best for: antique books
Each year dealers from across North America and beyond descend upon Seattle to sell thousands of collectible books, prints, photographs, and posters. There are world-renowned specialists, historical artifacts, and something for every budget.
Make a wish at Lantern Fest
website | neighborhood: Green Lake (get directions) | dates: Oct 12-13 | price: ~$28-55pp | best for: water lantern lighting
Water lantern festivals are a popular event where participants can celebrate, reflect, make a wish, or find strength in a shared experience. Each ticket gets you a floating lantern kit, an LED candle, and a marker to write what you wish.
Laugh at a comedic take to Edgar Allen Poe
website | neighborhood: Pike Place (get directions) | dates: Fridays & Saturdays through Oct | price: ~$12-20pp | best for: improv
Experience a different perspective of Edgar Allen Poe, as told by Unexpected Production’s improvisers. They’ll take inspiration from Poe’s works and your ideas to create a uniquely chilling experience.
Learn how to forage at the Wild Mushroom Show
website | neighborhood: Greenwood (get directions) | dates: Oct 19-20 | price: ~$10pp | best for: learning about wild mushrooms
The Puget Sound Mycological Society hosts one of the largest exhibits of mushrooms in the United States. More than 200 varieties of wild mushrooms will be displayed and identified, along with exhibits and guest speakers. Visitors can bring mushrooms from their gardens and talk with experts to identify them.
If you’d rather get your hands dirty, the PSMS offers field trips 4-5 times per year, where you can learn how to collect and identify your mushrooms.
Pro tip: The Snohomish County Mycological Society also hosts a free show on October 20 from 8 AM to 4 PM.
Catch a flick at a film festival
Check out the works of local emerging film students at the Tacoma Film Festival (Oct 10-13, ~$20pp/show), with showings like Rainier: A Beer Odyssey, which tells the story of the iconic Washington brewery.
Or head to the Seattle Latino Film Festival happening October 4-12 to watch films from emerging and seasoned Hispanic and Latino filmmakers.
Embrace fashion at Bellevue’s Fashion Week
website | neighborhood: Bellevue (get directions) | dates: Oct 4-5 | price: ~$100-150pp per day | best for: fashion show
Celebrate fall fashion at the PNW’s premier fashion event. You’ll catch the latest trends live on the runway, and 100% of the ticket sales benefit local nonprofits like the Children’s Museum.
Experience the bizarre at the Curiosities Expo
website | neighborhood: Downtown (get directions) | dates: Oct 19-20 | price: ~$14-239pp | best for: discovering oddities
Embrace the weird and view everything from taxidermy to preserved specimens, artwork, quack medical devices, and funeral collectibles. There will even be classes on taxidermy and bug pinning.
Listen to untold stories at Ignite
website | neighborhood: Downtown (get directions) | dates: Oct 3 | price: ~$10pp | best for: storytelling
Ignite Seattle is the largest open submission public speaking event in the Pacific Northwest. Each speaker gets 20 slides and 5 minutes to share their passion, promising an evening of curated discovery.
Get started on your holiday shopping
website | neighborhood: Tacoma (get directions) | dates: Oct 24-27 | price: ~$16.50pp | best for: holiday shopping & Santa Claus
Everyone knows fall is when most holiday shopping starts (or at least, should be starting), so save yourself the hassle of last-minute shopping by attending the Tacoma Holiday Fest. There will be unique gift ideas, handmade arts and crafts, a cooking stage, and Santa Claus!
If you’re looking for more Seattle Christmas markets worth checking out, read my guide.
More fall activities around Seattle
After you check off all the activities on the list of the best things to do in Seattle in October, check out my other guides to fall fun.
