So much good stuff happening this weekend and all of these terrific events are FREE (except $3 for a Magnuson Park Night Walk)
The Festival at Mt. Si, Fri Aug 12 5-10 p.m., Sat Aug 13 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sun Aug 14 10 a.m.m – 4 p.m. Si View Park. FREE. Like live music, cherry pie, fireworks and trains? Head to Mt. Si for their awesome annual weekend festival and check out the petting zoo, a Saturday parade, arts and crafts, martial arts demos, laser tag, a kids’ zone and rides on the Snoqualmie Valley Railroad. Admission is free, fees for some activities. The Festival at Mt. Si. Festivalatmtsi.org
Zucchini 500, Sat 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Magnolia Farmers Market. FREE. Think you can make the most aerodynamic cucurbit car? The challenge is here. At the Magnolia Farmers Market, kids can make and race zucchini cars using car bodies and parts supplied by the farmers market and farmers (If you have spare parts floating around your home, donations are gratefully accepted). https://seattlefarmersmarkets.org/programs-events/events
Seattle Summer Parkways: Rainier Valley, Sat Aug 13 12:30 – 4:30 p.m. Rainier Valley Neighborhood. FREE. From South Othello Street to South Alaska Street, roads will be closed to cars and full of outdoor activities. Enjoy a day of food trucks, live music, bike rentals, yoga, the Big Day of Play, a Walk-Bike- Run for Education, ice cream, a Bike Rodeo and much, more, more. Activities will take place at six parks and natural areas: Rainier Valley Playfields, Columbia City, Columbia Park, Hillman City, Brighton Playfields and Othello Park. Seattle Summer Parkways: Rainier Valley.
Backyard Bard: Twelfth Night, Sat Aug 13. 1 p.m. Volunteer Park. FREE. It’s one of Bill’s most popular comedies. Join GreenStage as they bring Twelfth Night to life at Volunteer Park. Watch twins Viola and Sebastian as they are separated in a shipwreck and subsequently try to find each other and their happy endings in a series of mishaps, disguises, misplaced love and hilarity. Donations welcomed. GreenStage’s encore will be the play Pericles at 2 p.m. Backyard Bard: Twelfth Night
Nighttime Nature Walk: Bats and Beavers and More, Oh My! Sat Aug 13 8:30-10 p.m. Sidewalk on north side of Magnuson Boat Launch (park in Lot E-1 or E-2). The bats come out on a warm summer evening. Watch as they forage back and forth over the wetland ponds and maybe get a glimpse of the resident beavers as they tend their lodge and dams. You might also spy a few resident owls on this fun walk. Games, bat detectors, binoculars and night-vision scopes included. Please bring a small flashlight. $3, pre-register. Nighttime Nature Walk: Bats and Beavers.
Adventure Playground, Sun Aug 14 1-4 p.m. Deane’s Children’s Park. FREE. It’s a build-it- yourself paradise at Adventure Playground. Upon entry, kids get toolboxes, various building supplies, safety items and most importantly, the freedom to create. Staff will be on hand to assist. Ages 12 and older may play without a parent present with a signed permission slip. Open 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and Sundays, through Aug. Sundays only in Sept. (closed Sept. 4). Donations accepted. Closed-toe shoes required. Read more about Adventure Playground: A Place on Mercer Island Where Kids Swing Hammers and Build Confidence.
