Coming up with the best things to do in Seattle in March was easier than I expected. True, it is a rainy month, with an average of 4 inches of rain bi-weekly, but the weather is finally in the mid-50s, and the sun doesn’t set until almost 6 PM. Provided you have rain gear, there are plenty of March activities to keep you busy.
As we reach the end of the winter months, you can expect a range of indoor and outdoor activities like Mardi Gras celebrations, live music, and budding cherry blossoms. Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a long-time local, you’ll get a kick out of my list of all the best things to do in March in Seattle.
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Best Things to Do in Seattle in March
Save this list to Pinterest for later, as I’ll update it every year with all the best activities in Seattle in March! For more March events, check out my Seattle events calendar.
Celebrate Women’s History Month
Officially established in the 80s, Women’s History Month celebrates the contributions of women in American society. Seattle celebrates with its fair share of women-centric events. Here are some going on this year:
- See Her Be Her (Mar 8, ~$66pp, Belltown) – Inspirational panels, skill-building workshops, and music
- Drunk HERstory (Mar 13, $15+pp, Capitol Hill) – Learn about history’s most fascinating women over a beer
- War Front: Fly for Freedom (Mar 20, free, Tacoma) – Multimedia performance highlighting little-known stories of working women in the World War II aeronautics industry
Party during Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras refers to the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (Mar 5) and marks the close of the pre-Lent season. Thus, major cities worldwide celebrate with parades, dancing, and yes, drinking. Here are the Mardi Gras events happening in Seattle:
- Mardi Gras Pub Crawl (Mar 1, $10-25pp, Downtown)
- Mardi Gras Party Cruise (Mar 1, $85pp, Interbay)
- Petit Troll Mini Mardi Gras Parade (Mar 2, free, Fremont)
- South Hudson Music Project (Mar 4, donations, Columbia City)
Go to a hot air balloon festival
website | neighborhood: Winthrop (get directions) | dates: Feb 28-Mar 2 | price: free, or ~$250pp + if you want to go up in a hot air balloon | best for: photos and checking off a bucket-list activity
If you feel like going cross-country skiing in Washington, there’s no better place in Washington than the Methow Valley. If you go in March, you can experience the hot air balloon festival at the same time. One of my favorite things to do in Winthrop in winter is to watch them inflate the balloons and float across the valley. The colorful balloons dotting the snowy valley is a photographer’s dream!
Celebrate the Oscars
The Oscars are on March 2, and many businesses will be live streaming the event and hosting mini red carpets. Here are some that caught my eye:
- Film Awards Party ($25pp, Tacoma)
- Clock Out Lounge (free to all ages, Beacon Hill)
- Urban Family Watch Party (free, Ballard)
Enjoy the last month of Astra Lumina
website | neighborhood: West Seattle (get directions) | dates: Mar 1-23 | price: ~$28+pp | best for: nighttime light exhibit
The Seattle Chinese Garden is worth a visit in the daytime, but it transforms into something even more magnificent come nightfall. Astra Lumina is a family-friendly, immersive evening of enchanted trails and astral music with coordinating light shows.
Celebrate St Patrick’s Day
St. Patrick’s Day is Monday, March 17, so you can expect a weekend of bar hoppers and these fun events:
- Irish Film Festival (Mar 7-9, $10+ pp, Queen Anne) – Films celebrating Irish cinema
- Celtic Celebration (Mar 15, $27+ pp, Edmonds) – Family-friendly performance by The Gothard Sisters
- Geoffrey Castles (Mar 15, $25+ pp, Kirkland) – Nationally-recognized six-string violinist
- Party Cruise (Mar 15, $69+ pp, South Lake Union) – 2-hour cruise with bites, cocktails, and live music
- Magical Strings (Mar 16, $20pp, West Seattle) – Celtic music performance
- St. Patty’s Day Dash (Mar 16, $20+ pp, Queen Anne) – Family-friendly 5K and costume contests
- McMenamins St. Patty’s Celebration (Mar 16, free, Bothell) – All-ages music event and party
- St. Patrick’s Day Dinner (Mar 22, $190pp, Belltown) – Traditional Irish dishes and paired cocktails
Attend a food & drink festival
No matter the month, there are always food and drink festivals in Seattle. Here are some worth checking out:
- Snohomish Wine Fest (Mar 1, $40+ pp, Snohomish) – Wine tasting, small bites, and chocolate
- Bellevue Bourbon Bash (Mar 1, ~$260pp, Bellevue) – Upscale tasting of rare bourbons and heavy apps
- Love Shucks (Mar 1, $82pp, Phinney Ridge) – Oysters and wine while learning about animal mating rituals
- Penn Cove MusselFest (Mar 7-9, $50pp, Whidbey Island) – Tour mussel farms, sample chowder, and find more things to do in Whidbey Island
- Carnival of Cocktails (Mar 8, $65pp, Queen Anne) – Spirit tastings, mini cocktails, and learning sessions
- Alki Food Truck Fest (Mar 8, $20+ pp, Alki) – Food trucks, ales, and polar plunges benefiting Special Olympics Washington
- Taste of Washington (Mar 13-17, $129+ pp, Pioneer Square) – Seattle’s largest wine and food event
- Razor Clam Fest (Mar 21-23, $20+ pp, Ocean Shores) – Seafood, Dungeness crab, and enjoy live music
- Boots Barrels and Brews (Mar 21, $50pp, Issaquah) – Live music, line dancing, food, and libations
- Craft & Concrete Beer Fest (Mar 22, $30pp, Bothell) – Underground beer festival featuring local ales
Enjoy cabaret or acrobatics
If you’ve ever wanted to experience a cabaret or acrobatics performance, now’s your chance. Here are some of March’s can’t-miss performances:
- KOOZA Cirque du Soleil (Mar 1-16, $55+pp, Redmond)
- Up in a Twist Circus Gala (Mar 15, $175pp, Georgetown)
- Moisture Fest (Mar 20-April 13, $45+ pp, Capitol Hill)
Experience a niche interest festival
If you have a hobby that you’re convinced no one else could relate to, odds are Seattle has a festival for it. Here are some worth marking on your calendar:
- Sewing Expo (Feb 27-Mar 2)
- Int’l Dance Fest (Feb 28-Mar 9)
- Miniature Show (Mar 1-2)
- Emerald City Comic Con (Mar 6-9)
- Seattle RV Show (Mar 6-9)
- Remodeling Expo (Mar 7-9)
- Quilting Seattle (Mar 14-16)
- NW Birding Fest (Mar 14-16)
- Indoor Plan Fest (Mar 22-23)
- Children’s Film Fest (Mar 23-27)
- Emerald City Hoedown (Mar 27-30)
- Supercross Championship (Mar 29)
Seek out cherry blossoms
University of Washington’s campus is covered in cherry blossoms, but they only bloom for a precious few weeks. Come the end of March and early April, you can spot them a mile away. Keep an eye out on their Instagram for when they start blooming.
If you can’t make it to campus, you can also find blossoms in Seatac’s Highline Botanical Gardens, Washington Park Arboretum, or Seward Park (one of my favorite Seattle parks).
Attend a cultural festival
One of the highlights of living in Seattle is that you’re constantly exposed to different cultures, many of which host annual festivals that are free to the public and great for families. Here are some I’m looking forward to:
- African Dance (Feb 27-Mar 1)
- Irish Week (Mar 8-16)
- Balkan Festival (Mar 15)
- Irish Festival (Mar 15-16)
- Jewish Film Fest (Mar 22-April 6)
- French Fest (Mar 23)
- LEL Norweigan Heritage Day (Mar 23)
Celebrate Holi
Holi is a family-friendly Hindu spring holiday that celebrates winter’s end and the arrival of springtime. It’s typically a day filled with live music, authentic Indian food, and a colorful powder throwing event. Here are some Holi events happening around Seattle in March:
- CRY Seattle (Mar 15, $15+ pp, Bellevue)
- Holi Festival of Colors (Mar 16, $15pp , Bellevue)
- PNA Holi Celebration (Mar 22, $15pp, Phinney Ridge)
See a theatrical performance
March is the perfect time of year to throw on some fancy clothes and catch a live theatrical performance. Here are the best live shows happening in March:
- Last 5 Years (Feb 8-Mar 16)
- Kathy Griffin (Mar 1)
- Hamilton (Mar 1-2)
- Dial M for Murder (Mar 1-23) – This one’s in Everett
- Mother Russia (Mar 6-April 6)
- Waitress (Mar 11-30)
- Clue the Musical (Mar 14-April 6)
- Jersey Boys (Mar 18-April 27) – This one’s in Issaquah
Attend an orchestra concert by candlelight
What could be more romantic than celebrating your special someone with a candlelight cover band of their favorite performers? In March, you can catch The Beatles (Mar 11), Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (Mar 12), Queen (Mar 27), A.R. Rahman (Mar 27), and Fleetwood Mac (Mar 31).
Prefer a concert under the stars? Check out ABBA (Mar 5) or Frank Sinatra (Mar 19).
Rock out at a concert
The music scene is alive and well year-round, and many of the nation’s top performers make their way through the Emerald City come springtime. Here are some live performers that caught my eye:
- Freakout Fest (Mar 1-2)
- Tyler the Creator (Mar 2)
- Conner Price (Mar 4)
- G. Love and Special Sauce (Mar 7)
- National Geographic Live (Mar 16-18)
- Hot Java Cool Jazz (Mar 28)
Experience SAM Remix
website | neighborhood: Downtown (get directions) | dates: Mar 28 | price: ~$50pp | best for: after-hours museum experience
Twice a year, the Seattle Art Museum hosts an after-hours art show that’s 21+ and features live DJs, dancers, and cocktails. Plus you’ll have a unique chance to connect with the exhibited artists and witness some genre-smashing performances.
Watch a game
Professional football may be over for the season, but there are plenty of games to be watched. In March, you can still catch the Kraken (hockey), Seattle Redhawks or UW Huskies (college basketball), Sounders (men’s soccer), Reign (women’s soccer), and Jet City Roller Derby.
Embark on a food crawl
You could visit a new restaurant every day and still not scratch the surface of all Seattle has to offer. To make it easier, my self-guided food tours include lists of my favorite restaurants broken up by foodie neighborhoods. Each guide includes a curated list of spots (plus alternates) and tips on what to order, when to visit, and how to maximize your experience.
Prefer in-person, guided tours? Here are some to check out:
- Chef Guided Food Tour of Pike Place Market
- Seattle Chocolate Tour
- Savor the Sea: Guided Seafood Tasting at Pike Place Market
- Craft Cocktail Gourmet Food Tour
- Haunted Seattle Booze and Boos Ghost Walking Tour
Hike on one of the state parks’ free days
On certain days of the year, Washington state parks are free to enter. This year, March 9 is free in honor of Billy Frank Junior’s birthday, as is March 19 for the State Parks’ birthday.
Have fun at a wine tasting or go on a brewery crawl
Seattle’s beer and wine scene never ceases to amaze me. There are always new Seattle breweries and tasting rooms popping up, enough to easily fill a weekend with friends.
You can check out the local urban wineries or take a short drive to Woodinville and check out over 100 tasting rooms. Beer lovers can embark on a brewery tour of Ballard or refer to my guide for the best craft beer bars and Seattle breweries.
Visit the museums on their free days
More than a handful of Seattle’s museums are free, and most offer free admission on the first Thursday of the month to encourage locals to seek out a dose of history. Here are the museums that offer free admission on the first Thursday (March 7):
- 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 on other days
- Museum of Flight – 5-9 PM
- Volunteer Park Conservatory – Also on the first Saturday (Mar 1) for kids under 12
- Washington Park Arboretum Walking Tour – 11:30 AM-1 PM starting at the Graham Visitors Center
- Seattle Japanese Garden – Free tour at 1 PM
These museums offer free admission every day:
- Frye Art Museum
- Olympic Sculpture Park
- Center for Wooden Boats
- The Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center
- Klondike Gold Rush Museum
- Center on Contemporary Art
Wine and dine during Seattle Restaurant Week
website | neighborhood: various | dates: March 30-April 12 | price: ~$20-65pp | best for: tasting menu
Twice yearly, dozens of Seattle’s best restaurants participate in Seattle Restaurant Week. For two weeks, diners are encouraged to explore the local food scene with curated lunch and dinner menus priced at $20, $35, $50, and $65. This includes fine dining establishments, bars, food trucks, and pop-ups across greater Seattle.
More to do around Seattle
After you check out all the best things to do in March in Seattle, check out my other guides for exploring the city.
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