New York has its annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Chicago has Lollapalooza, New Orleans has Mardi Gras, and even Nevada’s Black Rock Desert is the home of everyone’s favorite week-long Burning Man festival. There are so many great festivals and events that are rich in celebration yet seemingly so far away with no chance to join in on the fun.
But do not despair! Just because these celebrations may be well known nationwide doesn’t mean that other places are hosting spectacular annual events and festivals. Snohomish County is home to many fun festival events every year, so get out your calendar and be sure to mark these special days here in the region!
Fisherman’s Village Music Festival
Downtown Everett
Since 2012, the Everett Music Initiative (EMI) has been a central force for music, community, and the arts in Everett. The Fisherman’s Village Music Festival is just one of many unique events they hold throughout the year, but it is by far the biggest, with the three-day music festival taking downtown Everett by storm annually.
Held the third weekend in May, this past year’s event featured over 40 bands. The festival’s nightly Night Market will feature a music stage and dozens of vendors selling locally-made goods. Best of all, it is one of the few multi-day music festivals that is literally free for everyone!
Taste Edmonds
Main Street, Edmonds
Edmonds is home to the third-largest festival in Washington. Taste Edmonds, which takes place in August, is among the “Top 100 North American Festivals,” attracting an estimated 80,000 visitors annually.
The weekend is packed full of fun for the whole family, featuring three stages of live music, arts and crafts, food vendors, and a beer and wine garden for adults, along with dedicated kids with rides and entertainment. At over 40 years old, it truly is a legacy celebration of the community’s favorite flavors here in this seaside corner of the Pacific Northwest.
Aquafest
Lake Stevens
One of the largest summer festivals in the Pacific Northwest can be found at Lake Stevens. Each year, Aquafest sees anywhere from 20,000 to 30,000 attendees for this fun-filled family event with loads of activities. From food and games to sporting events, arts and crafts to music and entertainment, they’ll have it all and much more for this summer fun festival held in late July. This includes parades, a Firefighter’s Pancake Breakfast, and fireworks. For ages 3 to 93, there is something for everyone at Lake Steven’s Aquafest.
Classic Car & Motorcycle Show
Downtown Edmonds
In early September, Downtown Edmonds takes 10,000 spectators back in time to the “good ole days” and they “ooh and ahh” over 300+ classic cars and motorcycles. It’s all vroom-vroom on the city streets for this annual Classic Car & Motorcycle Show, which the whole family can enjoy, from the hardcore gearhead to the smallest child. Eight square blocks of downtown will be filled to the brim with these customs and classics, along with food vendors and entertainment. Plus, it’s all free!
Everett Pride
Downtown Everett
All are welcome to join the inaugural Everett Pride block party held in June each year. Here, family, friends, and allies come together to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community with this spectacular event. The celebration includes a drag show, live music, LGBTQ+ resources, face painting, food trucks, and plenty of vendors happily showcasing everything pride!
Edmonds Art Festival
Frances Anderson Center
For more than half a century, the Edmonds Arts Festival has been celebrating the arts and culture of Edmonds with artist’s booths, music, and food. Each year, the festival is held on Father’s Day weekend at the Frances Anderson Center. Since its inception, it has grown from a small community art fair to one of the most prestigious in the Pacific Northwest, attracting artists from across the nation and Canada.
The festival provides a unique opportunity for patrons to meet artists of all kinds of backgrounds, specializing in a wide variety of mediums, so that they may see firsthand their beautiful masterpieces, as well as have an opportunity to purchase their work. Along with the live entertainment, the festival also features a juried gallery art exhibition and sale, a nationally recognized juried student art exhibit, and a hands-on children’s art activity area.
Everett 3on3
Downtown Everett
Each July, the streets of downtown Everett are transformed into a basketball playground for the annual Everett 3on3 Basketball Tournament. Boeing sponsors the event, transforming the city to accommodate 50 basketball courts. Registered players will go head-to-head for various contents and challenges, including a 3-point shot contest and slam dunk contest. It’s an action-packed weekend where families are welcome to team up and work as a unit to come out on top!
Who says you must pack a bag to enjoy some of the world’s finest festivals and events? Here in Snohomish County, that can’t be further from the truth, as the region’s annual calendar of events is enough to keep the community entertained and busy all year long!
