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March is absolutely blooming with opportunities to celebrate the onset of spring — even on a budget. I, for one, am excited to get the kids outside to soak up some vitamin D at a parade (or two), welcome spring at a color-throwing Holi fest, trek out to spy cheery daffodils, or set out to hunt for leprechauns. As luck would have it, you can find all these activities and more in my top 25 free things to do around Seattle in March.
Just remember, some activities require preregistration and can fill up quickly, so make plans soon.
1. Auburn Library Mini-Con
Date and time: Saturday, March 1, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
Tickets to Comic Con didn’t quite fit into the budget? Don your most creative cosplay costume and head over to Auburn Library’s Mini-Con instead for a day of superheroes, games, stories and crafts.
2. Petit Troll Parade
Date and time: Sunday, March 2, noon–1:30 p.m.
Starting at Evanston Plaza, this Mardi Gras parade will weave through PCC with floats, live bands, giant puppets, costumes and dancing, ending at the Fremont Sunday Market. Join the fun, watching from the sidelines or marching in the procession.
3. Nowruz and Easter Egg Painting Workshop at the Renton Highlands Library
Date and time: Monday, March 3, 4–5 p.m.
Decorate eggs for Easter and Nowruz, the Persian New Year, at the Renton Highlands Library. Learn about the vibrant traditions of the Persian holiday while you get creative with designs and colors. Space is limited. Passes will be given out 30 minutes before the workshop starts.
4. Mardi Gras Celebration
Date and time: Tuesday, March 4, 6–8 p.m.
Gather the fam and celebrate together at Ballard Community Center’s festive Mardi Gras carnival. Expect games, crafts, delicious eats and live zydeco music. Preregister.
5. Black Artists Exhibition
Date and time: Tuesday–Friday, through March 7, times vary
Catch the last days of Tacoma Community College’s Black Artists Exhibition held at the school’s Gallery, featuring paintings, photographs, glass sculptures and other works of art by 23 artists.
6. Community Sing-Along
Date and time: Thursday, March 6, 6:30–8 p.m.
Belt out familiar tunes alongside friends, family and neighbors at a community sing-along occurring on the first Thursday of each month at the Redmond Community Center. Perfect for music lovers of all ages. Bring a ukelele, guitar or percussion instrument if you have one! Preregister.
7. Concert: The Healing Heart of the First People of This Land
Date and time: Friday, March 7, 7:30–9 p.m.
The Seattle Symphony performs a concert drawing inspiration from two sacred Coast Salish songs aimed at bringing people together and “healing the heart of the world.” The concert will be paired with “The Healing Heart of the Lushootseed” documentary. RSVP requested.
8. Kathputli and Friends
Date and time: Saturday, March 8, 11:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Hindi Time Kids will be at the Newport Way Library to present an entertaining bilingual story time and puppet show introducing Holi’s traditions, colors and joy to kids.
9. Washington State Parks Free Day
Date: Sunday, March 9 and Wednesday, March 19
Washington State Parks is celebrating two birthdays — Native American environmental leader, Billy Frank Jr., and the State Parks’ own birthday — in March with Discover Pass-free days. There are close-to-town destinations like Bridle Trails, Saint Edwards or Dash Point state parks perfect for an outdoor adventure.
10. My Gym Bellevue Story Time
Date and Time: Monday, March 10, 11:40 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
My Gym Bellevue is offering a free monthly story time — no membership required! March features space-themed activities, a puppet show and stories, as well as active playtime with swings and more. Space is limited so please register online in advance.
11. Leprechauns on the Loose
Date and time: Monday–Friday, March 10–14, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Leprechauns are on the loose in Tacoma’s Cross Park starting Monday, March 10, and it’s up to you to spot them for a “pot o’ gold” prize. To participate, grab a form at Frederickson Community Center and get hunting. The hunt is on through Friday, March 14.
12. Science Dome: Pi Day Celebration
Date and time: Friday, March 14, 10:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.
Celebrate Pi Day at the Pierce College Science Dome with hands-on math and science activities and showings of the video, “Chaos and Order: A Mathematical Symphony.” Preregister to save your seat for the video.
13. Holi: Renton Festival of Color
Date and time: Saturday, March 15, noon–4 p.m.
Gather at Liberty Park for the return of Renton’s Festival of Color. Enjoy DJ tunes, food trucks, vendors and of course, color-throwing. Preregister; colors provided.
14. Irish Festival
Date: Saturday–Sunday, March 15–16
Just in time for Saint Patrick’s Day, go green and be immersed in the music, food, dancing and history of Ireland at the Irish Festival held at the Seattle Center Armory.
15. Early Engineers: Simple Machines
Date and time: Mondays, March 10–24, 10:30–11:30 a.m.
Drop into the Auburn Library with your budding engineer to join KidsQuest Museum in a workshop and story time that put kids’ problem-solving skills to work building toys and learning about simple machines. Space is limited.
16. La Conner Daffodil Festival 2025
Date: Daily, March 1–31
Gather the family to chase spring all the way to the fields of Skagit Valley to find over 500 acres of the very symbol of spring itself — cheery yellow daffodils — at the La Conner Daffodil Festival. Check the Bloom Map for field locations.
17. Spring Into Art
Date and time: Friday, March 21, 5:30–8 p.m.
Bellevue’s Northwest Arts Center invites families to its spring open house where both kids and adults can explore the center, take part in mini art sessions and complete make-and-take crafts.
18. Bike Rodeo
Date and time: Saturday, March 22, 10–11 a.m.
Pack up the kids, bikes (or trikes and scooters) and helmets, and let them loose on the bike rodeo course at Victoria Heights Playground. Decorations are encouraged!
19. Seattle’s French Fest
Date and time: Sunday, March 23, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Learn about the music, dance, foods and traditions of varied French-speaking cultures from across the globe at French Fest, part of the Festal cultural series at the Seattle Center and experience some “joie de vivre” with your crew.
20. Color Storm! Yarn bombing the Arboretum
Date: Daily through March 31
Behold bursts of color and imagination created in yarn at Everett’s Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens during Color Storm, a month-long yarn bombing event. Be sure to snap some photos amongst adorned tree trunks and garden greenery during this inspired outing.
21. Workout Wednesday: Zumba
Date and time: Wednesdays through March 26, 6–7 p.m.
Try out a fun fitness class that anyone can join. The Seattle Center Armory hosts weekly Zumba sessions on Wednesday evenings that will get your whole crew moving with lively rhythms from around the world and easy-to-follow choreography.
22. Free Admission at Foss Water Seaport
Date and time: Thursday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Maritime fans rejoice! The Foss Waterway Seaport is now free for all visitors. So, stop by as often as you like and explore the Heritage Boat Shop, maritime exhibits and education center. Kids will especially love checking out the humpback whale skeleton, model trains and hands-on touch tanks.
23. Family Movie Nights at Sunset Hill Community Hall
Date and time: Friday, March 28, 6–8 p.m.
Turn up for a PG-rated family-friendly movie every fourth Friday of the month at the Sunset Community Club in Seattle. Popcorn and beverages are also served at no cost!
24. March of the Vegetables Parade
Date and time: Saturday, March 29, 3 p.m.
Make veggies fun! Join the crowd and watch as carrot, sweet pea or other favorite vegetable-clad participants stroll along the route of the March of the Vegetables Parade in Duvall. The procession starts at the Houston Barclay parking lot and heads to Depot Park, where live music and kids activities await. Lettuce go!
25. Issaquah Highlands Lego Expo
Date and time: Sunday, March 30, noon–3 p.m.
Lego fanatics, get ready for all the brick-building fun you can handle under one roof. Preregister to save your spot, then head to Issaquah’s Blakely Hall for hands-on activities, a giant free-build area, displays, models, photo ops and more.
More free activities for Seattle-area families: |
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in January 2024 and was most recently updated in March 2025 to include 25 new exciting free things to do in Seattle for families by ParentMap’s calendar editor, Julie Dodobara.
