Seattle's Child

Your guide to a kid-friendly city

Green and white lion participate in traditional Lion Dance in street, onlookers line street watching.

(Image courtesy Tet in Seattle)

Erika’s Picks: Family fun this weekend, January 18-19, 2025

Concerts, Lunar New Year, Kraken, and monster trucks!

Hey there families, and welcome to Erika’s Picks. For years, Iā€™ve been on the lookout for the best kid-friendly events happening each weekend around the greater Seattle area. Whether you’re looking to explore a new park, attend a fun workshop, or catch a local performance, I’ve got you covered. Each week, Iā€™ll share my handpicked activities that are sure to keep the little ones entertained, engaged, and maybe even learning something new along the way. So, grab your calendar, gather up your crew, and get ready for a weekend full of fun! Letā€™s dive into the picks for this weekend, January 18 and 19, 2025.

Kindiependent Kids Rock Series

  • Saturday January 18: 10:30 a.m.
  • Mount Baker Community Club
  • Cost: $10 per person (free for babes in arms). Series pass also available to all shows

Head to the Mount Baker Community Club for a fantastic kid friendly concert this Saturday. Kindipendentā€™s series offers a show each third Saturday through May 17th. Doors open at 10 a.m. and the one hour shows start at 10:30 a.m. This Saturday, come join a Family Dance Party with Eli Rosenblatt. Eli combines world-music, movement, and imagination in a high-energy mix guaranteed to get you all dancing. Parking is free on the streets around Mount Baker Community Club.

Logo spelling Kindiependent Kids Rock Series with colorful letters

(Image: Kindiependent Kids Rock Series)

Celebrate Tet

  • Saturday January 18: 10:30 a.m. ā€“ 4 p.m., Sunday January 19: 9:30 a.m. ā€“ 4:30 p.m.
  • Little Saigon Creative
  • Cost: Market is FREE, BĆ”nh TĆ©t workshop is $35

Experience Tįŗæt, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, in the heart of Seattleā€™s Vietnamese community during this multi-day festival. Come celebrate the year of the snake through a Lunar New Year Market, and a BĆ”nh TĆ©t Workshop at Little Saigon Creative. During the Lunar New Year Market on Saturday, you can expect cultural performances, including a lion dance, a Tet Market, paper flower workshops with Pink and Posey, and a book signing. On Sunday, join a BĆ”nh tĆ©t workshop, where you will make a cylindrical cake from sticky rice, mung bean paste, pork fat, shallots, and black pepper, wrapped in banana leaves. It’s a central food during Tįŗæt, and symbolizes good fortune and prosperity. Specific performance times are available online.

(Image: Friends of Little SĆ i GĆ²n)

Seattle Kraken Open Practice

  • Saturday January 18: 10 a.m. ā€“ noon.
  • Kraken Community Iceplex
  • Cost: FREE

Come watch your Seattle Kraken open practice at their official training facility for free this Saturday. The Starbucks Rink can accommodate up to 600 fans, so get there early. Doors open 15 minutes prior to the practice time and practices run between 30-60 minutes. Know that practices are fluid and subject to day-of cancelation, so please check the Kraken page for updates before you go. This is a great way to see some of your favorite players in action, up close.

Parent holding a child up to the screen of a hockey rink, looking over the ice at practicing players

(Image: Seattle Kraken)

Lunar New Year

  • Saturday Jan. 18: 10 a.m.- 3 p.m.
  • Wing Luke Museum
  • Cost: Free with museum admission (tickets are discounted $5)

The Lunar New Year Fair will be held at theĀ  Wing Luke Museum Ā to ring in the Year of the Snake on Saturday. This will be a day full of festive art activities for the family, community booths, story time, and more! You will be joined by the Mak Fai Kung Fu Dragon and Lion Dance Association for a special Lion Dance, then you can head indoors and meet local artists, enjoy a lesson in calligraphy, and take part in Year of the Snake crafts. Craft activities and prizes reserved for visitors ages 12 and under. Cost: Museum admission and the lion dance are free. Timed museum admission applies to indoor activities.

Two performers mid lion dance in front of a crowd outside on the street, wearing colorful Lunar New Year garb

(Image: Wing Luke Museum)

Monster Jam Motorsports

  • Saturday January 18 at 1 & 7 p.m., Sunday January 19 at 1 & 6:30 p.m.
  • Tacoma Dome
  • Cost: $25+

Tacoma Dome Monster Jam is an action-packed motorsports event, back by popular demand at the Tacoma Dome. Come watch world-class drivers and trucks tearing up the dirt while competing in intense competitions of speed and skill. There are even additional ticket experience opportunities like theĀ  Monster Jam Pit Party or post-event driver meet-and-greet, where you can get up close to the monster trucks, gain insider knowledge on how the trucks are built to withstand competition, meet and greet your favorite drivers, and take part in autograph and photo opportunities with them. The show averages about two hours with a 15-20 minute halftime.

Huge green and black Monster Truck driving up the side of a dirt hill, in front of a crowd of people

(Image: Monster Jam Motorsports)

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About the Author

Erika Bigelow

Erika lives in Seattle with her husband, three human kids, two furry kids and a school of fish. When she's not scribbling, cooking or chauffeuring, Erika enjoys running and reading, although not simultaneously.