25 Best Things to Do in Seattle in April

woman standing in tulip fields, one of the best things to do in Seattle in April

Finding the best things to do in Seattle in April is easy since the city starts to become more active this time of year. The sun doesn’t set until past 7:30 PM, and the weather is in the high 50s. This means our winter hibernation is finally ending, and the spring foliage is revitalizing the city.

As we approach the warmer months, you’ll find tons of indoor activities like art shows and Easter celebrations, along with outdoor events like flower festivals and Earth Day events. Whether you’re visiting or a local, you can consider this your guide to everything there is to do in April in Seattle!

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Best Things to Do in Seattle in April

Save this list to Pinterest for later, as I’ll update it every year with all the best activities in Seattle in April! For more events, check out my Seattle events calendar.

Check out Seattle Restaurant Week

website | neighborhood: various | dates: Mar 30-April 12 | price: ~$20-65pp | best for: tasting menu

salad with sliced pears piled high from a lunch spot in Seattle

Seattle Restaurant Week is a bi-annual event where dozens of Seattle’s best restaurants show off with discounted 2-3 course tasting menus. The menus vary in price and include a range of options, from food trucks to fine dining, pop-ups, and everything in between.

Attend the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

website | neighborhood: Mt. Vernon (get directions) | dates: April 1-30 | price: $10-$20 to go to some farms, free for others | best for: tulips

woman covering head with rainjacket during rain storm in a tulip field

I look forward to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival every year. It’s the largest tulip festival in the country and takes place every April across multiple farms in the valley. Throughout the month, you’ll find additional events like the tulip street fair and art exhibits.

While you’re there, make sure to experience the Valley’s best restaurants and things to do, or spend the day in Anacortes.

Experience the Festival of Colors

website | neighborhood: Redmond (get directions) | dates: April 5 | price: ~$10pp | best for: Holi festival

People celebrating Holi, one of the best things to do in Seattle in March — *Image courtesy of Eric Sonstroem via Flickr*

Holi is a kid-friendly Hindu holiday that celebrates the end of winter and the birth of springtime. It’s best known for live music, dancing, good food, and colorful powder throwing.

Romp around at the Daffodil Festival

website | neighborhood: Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, & Orting | dates: April 5 | price: free | best for: parade

This year marks the 92nd year of Pierce County’s Daffodil Festival. The parade covers four cities in one day and includes music, princesses, and a massive daffodil-covered float.

Get rowdy at the Monster Jam

website | neighborhood: SoDo (get directions) | dates: April 5 | price: ~$25pp | best for: monster trucks

I never considered myself a monster truck kind of gal, but even I’m intrigued by the high-flying stunts at this annual event. If your kids are into it, you can even arrange a post-driver meet-and-greet.

Seek out cherry blossoms

University of Washington quad with cherry blossoms, one of the best things to do in Seattle in March — *Image courtesy of Michael Camilleri via Flickr*

Cherry blossoms cover the UW campus, but they only bloom for a few weeks near April. Check how they’re doing on the school’s Instagram, or look for them in other parts of town, like Sea-Tac’s Highline Botanical Gardens, Washington Park Arboretum, or Green Lake Park.

Attend a food & drink festival

There are food and drink festivals happening every month in Seattle, and April is no exception. Here are some that caught my eye:

Snohomish on the Rocks (April 12, $35+ pp, Snohomish) – Spirits tasting and small bites
Burien Uncorked (April 12, $40pp, Burien) – Sip local wines and shop small businesses
Vino in the Village (April 26, $40pp, Magnolia) – Local wineries pouring the latest vintage
The Big Taste (April 19, $50pp, Sandpoint) – Beer, wine, spirits, and local food trucks

Immerse yourself in the Bubble Planet Exhibit

website | neighborhood: Bellevue (get directions) | dates: April 18 – May | price: ~$21+ pp | best for: immersive bubble experience

huge pink room with a ball pit that has life-sized art sculptures of a head, balls, and rubber duck in it — *Image courtesy of Fever*

If you’ve ever wanted to enjoy an immersive bubble experience (or you want to know what the heck that means), check out the Bubble Planet Exhibit. It’s perfect for kids and promises to be a feast for the senses.

Enjoy the WA State Spring Fair

website | neighborhood: Puyallup (get directions) | dates: April 10-13, 17-20 | price: ~$13pp | best for: state fair

swings at the Washington State Fair, one of the most fun summer activities

I eagerly look forward to taking my nieces to the fair each year. The spring fair has the same rides, carnival food, games, and petting zoo as the summer fair, but with fewer crowds (and often less hot weather).

Explore the Best of the NW Spring Art Show

website | neighborhood: Sandpoint (get directions) | dates: April 12-13 | price: ~$3-5pp | best for: art show

Check out local and emerging artists at the NW Spring Art Show. There will be over 100 talented artists showcasing work across all mediums. You can even purchase a one-of-a-kind piece for your home.

Enjoy cabaret or acrobatics

If catching a cabaret show is on your Seattle bucket list, consider this your sign. Here are some April can’t miss performances:

Moisture Fest (Mar 20-April 13, $45+ pp, Capitol Hill)
Protégé Show (April 11-12, $18-38pp, SODO)
Circus Anthology (April 19-21, 26, and 28, $20pp, Georgetown)

Celebrate Easter & Passover

Easter is on April 20 this year, and Passover runs from April 12-20, so you’ll find a range of activities that are perfect for families looking to celebrate. Here are some events happening around Seattle:

Easter Swing (April 17-20, ~$75+ pp, Bellevue) – Swing dance competitions and workshops
Easter Parade (April 19, free, Snohomish) – Washington’s only Easter parade
Waterway’s Brunch Cruise (April 20, $140pp, South Lake Union) – Brunch buffet cruise with kids activities

person picking up matzo ball that's been bitten with spoon

If you’re looking for a just a special meal, here are some restaurants offering Easter and Passover dining options:

Cedarbrook Lodge (Sea-Tac) – $110pp Easter brunch buffet with fresh seafood
Ray’s Cafe (Ballard) – A la carte Easter brunch, $95pp brunch buffet, or $80pp 3-course dinner
The Lodge at St. Edward (Kenmore) – $85pp afternoon tea or $65pp 3-course Easter brunch
Zylberschtein’s (Lake City) – A la carte Passover pre-order, take-home meals

Celebrate Earth Day

Earth Day is Tuesday, April 22, which is the perfect excuse to get out and explore a park in Seattle or give back to your community. Here are some events happening around town:

Earth Day at the Arboretum (April 19, Madison Park) – Restore the park with weeding and mulching
Earth Day Run (April 19, $32+ pp, Sandpoint) – Fun run followed by tree plantings
Sammamish Earth Day (April 19, Sammamish) – Crafts, petting zoo, food trucks, and gardening demos
Earth Talks (April 22, First Hill) – Series of 5-minute guest talks on the environment
Outdoor Innovators Earth Day Event (April 26, Burien) – Restore parks by planting native flora

Washington Arboretum, one of the best parks in Seattle — *Image of the Arboretum courtesy of Anthonix*

Hike a state or national park for free

Washington’s state parks and national parks are free to enter on certain days of the year. In April, you can visit any state park for free on April 22 (Earth Day) and any national park on April 19 (the first day of National Park Week).

Check out a niche interest festival

If you have a niche hobby no one in your friend group understands, Seattle probably has a festival for it. Here are some interesting ones to check out:

PNNA Spring Convention & Coin Show (April 11-13)
Sakura-Con Anime Festival (April 18-20)
Evergreen Spring Home Show (April 25-27)
Cadence Video Poetry Festival (April 25-27)
NW Green Home Tour (April 26)

Be swooned by a candlelight orchestra

Celebrate a special occasion with your loved one with a candlelight cover band of their favorite performers. In April, you can listen to Adele (April 4), Hans Zimmer (April 4 & 18), The Beatles (April 23), Pink Floyd (April 24).

pianist surrounded by candles on a stage — *Image courtesy of Fever*

Attend a cultural festival

We’re luck to be surrounded by a myriad of different cultures in Seattle, and many of them host annual events where you can learn about the culture and enjoy their food and music. Here are the ones happening in Seattle in April:

Cascade Celtic Festival (April 12-13, ~$31pp, Leavenworth) – Irish dancing and music
STSCA’s 2025 Navruz Celebration (April 12, $55pp, Shoreline) – Central Asian food, dance, and activities
Step Afrika (April 19, $23pp, Edmonds) – African dance and powerful storytelling
FIUTS CulturalFest (April 19, $31pp, Downtown) – Music, dance, and art shared across cultures

See a theatrical performance

April is the perfect time of year to treat yourself to pre-theater dining in Seattle, followed by a theatrical performance. Here are some I’m hoping to catch this month:

Clue (March 14-April 16) – This one’s in Edmonds
Jersey Boys (March 18-April 27) – This one’s in Issaquah
Life of Pi (April 15-20)
Parade (April 16-May 4)

Dawn a mask at a masquerade

website | neighborhood: Georgetown (get directions) | dates: April 26 | price: ~$105pp | best for: masquerade ball

Have you always wanted to put on a fancy ball gown and dawn an elaborate masquerade mask? Now’s your chance. The theme this year is Venetian. Expect aerialists, opera singers, and musicians, along with heavy apps and an open bar.

Catch some music

Countless performers travel through Seattle on tour, and April is rich with musical performers. For music festivals, there’s the North Bend Jazz Walk (April 26), which includes over 100 musicians across 18 venues in one night. Or the World Rhythm Festival (April 25-27), which will have multicultural drum and dance performances (and is free for all).

Have a certain performer in mind? Here are some I’ve marked on my calendar:

Papa Roach & Rise Against the Machine (April 1)
Phish (April 18)
Kylie Minogue (April 25)
Empire of the Sun (April 30)

See a game

If you’re a sports person, you’ll be pleased to know plenty of teams are playing in Seattle in April. There’s the Seattle Kraken (hockey), Mariners (baseball), Sounders (men’s soccer), Reign (women’s soccer), UW Huskies (college basketball), Jet City roller derby, and the Seawolves (rugby).

Go on a food crawl

There are so many restaurants in Seattle that you could never possibly visit them all. To cut through the chaos, I create self-guided food tours of my favorite foodie neighborhoods. Each tour includes a running list of the best spots (plus alternates), along with tips on when to visit and what to order.

Self-guided Seattle food tour of the Ballard neighborhood

Ballard Tour

FREMONT TOUR

person diving fork into colorful layered cake from a restaurant on The Emerald Palate's self-guided Seattle food tour of the Georgetown neighborhood

Georgetown Tour

Prefer an in-person guided tour? Here are some you can look into:

Attend a film festival

Film festivals are so much fun, and I always uncover new flick I’d never otherwise find. Here are some film festivals in April:

Jewish Film Fest (March 22-April 6) – Powerful stories that showcase Jewish life
NFFTY (April 3-6) – Films made by directors 24 and under
Black Film Fest (April 24-27) – Black filmmakers telling stories of the African diaspora
Film & Media Student Festival (April 25) – Cornish College film students’ final projects
Short Film Fest (April 26) – Emerging filmmakers’ 3-13 minute short films

Go wine tasting or on a brewery crawl

April is precisely when the local breweries and wineries start getting the most foot traffic. Most of Seattle’s breweries and craft beer bars have some outdoor seating, and many are family-friendly. Bring a deck of cards and soak up the springtime sunshine.

If you’re more into wine, Seattle has plenty of urban wineries that cater to every palate. Or you can take an hour’s drive to Woodinville and check out their over 100 tasting rooms.

Visit a museum on their free days

Many 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 (April 3):