With daylight savings just around the corner and the promise of spring ahead, now is the perfect time to think about gardening. Whether you enjoy digging in the dirt, growing houseplants, or viewing interesting outdoor landscapes, the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival has something for everyone.
Photo-worthy displays
On your way in, check out the blooming flower garden and take a selfie at the first of many floral backdrops. The information booth to the right of the main doors has a coat check ($3, cash only). The kids can pick up a scavenger hunt sheet and a pencil here, too.
A field of Dahlia flowers, one of many backdrops to take a selfie or family photo.
Once inside, the atmosphere is very relaxing with the scent of spring flowers and the sound of birdsong. The warm, humid air adds to the feeling of a botanical garden. When I was there, there was even live music.
Garden displays
The first room features garden displays. These are stunning, with huge rocks, waterfalls, statues, and beautiful flowers and plants. Many are roped off, but a few are open to strolling through. I highly recommend visiting the “Worlds Within Worlds” display by Emerald City Orchid. Here, you can walk a winding path while viewing tropical flowers and glowing terrariums set into a stone wall. I saw more than one child enjoying the terrariums filled with tiny plant life.
Need ideas for a new backyard? There are plenty at the Northwest Flower and Garden Festival in Seattle.
As you wander, look for red and white-striped plastic popcorn buckets hidden around the booths and displays. Use them to check off items for the scavenger hunt. After you finish, turn the bucket in for a prize at the information booth on the sky bridge.
Once you’ve had your fill of dreamy gardens, check out the many vendors selling artisan wares. You will find blown glass sculptures, pottery, wind chimes, garden art, home décor, jewelry, and even clothing. You can also sample hot sauce, teas, coffee, and apples (!).
Take a picture with the Sugar Bee and then stroll over to a nearby booth to see what’s buzzing in a real beehive.
Booths kids will love
There are plenty of pretty things to see on a visit to the Flower and Garden Festival, but it can be tiring for kids to walk the entire floor of the show and still stay engaged. Here are a few booths that I thought would be the most interesting for children. Parents can take a look at all the displays and booths with a promise to spend extra time at the these as well.
- Tacoma Glassblowing Studio: Buy a cute glass slug to “adopt” that comes with its own box and adoption certificate.
- Sugar Bee Apple: Kids can get a photo with a person dressed as a bee, taste apple slices, and get fun freebies. Near this booth is a real beehive enclosed in glass for you to observe.
- Carnivorous Plant Nursery: Filled with Pitcher plants, Venus Fly Traps, and more. There are kits available for purchase to grow your very own carnivorous garden at home.
A carnivorous plant nursery may be a reminder of The Little Shop of Horrors.
Booths with swag
Some people love the swag, while others don’t like all the extras they have to bring home (think birthday goodie bags with toys that don’t last or add to the clutter). However, after spending a whole or even a 1/2 day at the festival, young kids may need a distraction while you browse the booths and talk to master designers and gardeners. In that case, visit these booths for the occasional freebie and get your child excited about gardening for the spring.
- Sugar Bee Apple offers apple samples, beaded bracelets, bags, slap bracelets, bee-themed stress toys, coloring books and crayons, and paper drink coasters embedded with wildflower seeds to plant.
- FTS Excavation offers “cups of dirt” (pudding cups) with color-changing spoons.
- Polar Bear Energy Solutions offers cute rubber ducks, gardening gloves, and cups.
- Epic Gardening offers coloring books.
- Skagit Acres/Tulip Town has gifts for sale and a 10 percent off coupon for their events.
- Many booths also offer stickers for kids—bring a sticker book or a pad of paper if your little one likes to peel and stick.
Food and drink
There are many food choices: Solera Café, Solo Pizza, Wild Rye Café and Bakery, and The Grill. Each restaurant has seating available nearby. There are also some coffee stands with refrigerated canned drinks for purchase and water fountains by the restrooms with water bottle spouts so you can fill your own bottles. For adult beverages, the Firey Blossom Bar is a fun stop. You aren’t allowed to bring food from other restaurants into the restaurant, but you can bring snacks or food prepared at home.
Restrooms
Restrooms are located on the bottom floor of the Convention Center, as well as in the two rooms hosting the garden and plant displays and booths.
Age recommendation
I talked with two moms with 2- and 3-year-olds who said the kids enjoyed the swag and flowers. I took my friend’s daughter, Lola (10 years old), and she enjoyed the art vendors the most. She also enjoyed the garden exhibits but said it was tiring with lots of walking, so she recommended planning breaks to sit down.
My recommendation for bringing kids is that it is best for younger kids who can be in strollers or older kids interested in plants. Bring snacks or plan to eat there. All of the parents I spoke with said that the kids lasted 2-3 hours, so plan for a shorter day. Remember that there is lots to see but also quite a bit that is “no touch.”
Works by local artists are available for purchase.
Know before you go and tips to make it a successful day
- Location: The Northwest Flower & Garden Festival is held at the Washington State Convention Center, 705 Pike Street, in downtown Seattle.
- Dates and times: February 19-23, 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday.
- Cost: $29 per adult, $14 per student with ID (ages 13-23), and free for kids 12 and under. Multiday and half-day packages are also available at a discount.
- Accessibility: The convention center is ADA-accessible. However, during peak times (approximately 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.), it can be challenging to navigate wheeled devices (wheelchairs and strollers).
- Parking and transportation: The Convention Center has its garages, but they are expensive. Other options are to look for alternative garages, find street parking, or take the Link light rail to Westlake Station and walk over.
- Use a stroller or carrier for younger children. This place is huge and there is a ton of walking.
- The parents I spoke with recommended bringing snacks for the kids, and most said the kids lasted about two hours. A half-day ticket option would be a good choice for this type of excursion.
- Make an early stop at the booths with swag if you think your kiddo will need something to keep them occupied.
- Although the artisan items are pricey (and worth every penny), there are lots of little things kids can get under $10-$15 if you want to buy them something, including tiny potted plants.
- Parents told me that their kids needed help with the scavenger hunt, and none of the families I spoke with completed all of it. But even without all the items checked off, they received a lovely potted flower as a prize.
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