10 Things to Do in Seattle in February

Washington State, on the northern west coast of the United States, is one of the most picturesque corners of the country when it comes to natural beauty. At the same time, there are plenty of things to see and do in Seattle, its largest city, all year round. Especially in the winter and summer months.

I invite you to take the time to read through all the activities I've found for you, so you'll have a better idea of the festivals and cultural events you can find in Seattle during a trip in February.

The Northwest Flower & Garden Show is a favourite event when it comes to Seattle in February, as it has a family-friendly atmosphere that focuses exclusively on the diversity of flora that can grow across the United States.

This 4-day event almost always features up to 20 simultaneous exhibits covering mountain, arid, tropical and oceanic vegetation from both coasts of North America. There are also free workshops on botany and gardening, always accompanied by a long list of horticultural workshops with experts in the field.

Drinks and gourmet food complete the staging of this annual event, as it is an activity designed for landscape enthusiasts, but also for the curious who are looking for alternatives to fill their sightseeing afternoons in the city. Seattle' s tour buses often come to this area and it's worth bearing this in mind if you want to round off your day with alternative plans.

Interesting details

• Dates: Mid-February, exact day may change each year depending on other cultural events in the same week.
• Location: usually takes place at the Washington State Convention Center.
• Ticket prices: Children under 12 are usually free, two-day passes are available at discounted rates, but 25 euros is usually the going rate for a single-day admission.

February is a great month to visit the city of Seattle for the simple fact that every year there are a variety of events taking place in this beautiful northwestern American city. One of them is the Seattle Cake Con, which is basically a convention of master bakers who come together to showcase the greatest innovations that have been happening in this sector of the food industry.

You're bound to run into some iconic American TV personality when it comes to baking. There are autograph signings and live workshops. All this while the participants themselves have stalls so that the thousands and thousands of visitors can get to know the quality that defines their brand.

Details of interest

• Price: Children under the age of 12 are usually free, and the rest have an approximate admission of 25 euros per person.
• Location: The venue is changeable depending on attendance expectations, although 115 Bell Street is a convention hall often used for Seattle Cake Con.
• Dates: Spread over the two days of what is known as President's Day Weekend. Which each year begins on the third Monday in February.

Improv theatre is a hilarious activity all over the world, and in Seattle you have the opportunity to enjoy a festival that focuses exclusively on this type of performance art during the month of February.

It is organised by Jet City Improv, one of the companies par excellence when it comes to stage improvisation in the northwest of the United States. But the reality is that up to 25 groups usually participate in this festival, which aims to entertain audiences through the interpretive ingenuity of improvisation. This generates countless laughs from the general public, even tourists who don't speak perfect English.

It's one of those great things to do or see in Seattle at night if you visit in February, as it's an offbeat activity that can give you a more intimate look at how the cultural scene works. Which is important knowing that this is a city known for the number of artists and genres of music it has forged over the last few decades.

Details of interest

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• Venues: the facility at 5510 University Way NE is usually the theatre where all of the festival's performances take place.
• Dates: change every year, the only thing that is concrete is that it takes place during some weekend in February.
• Prices: There are no age distinctions in terms of ticket prices, but neither is there a fixed price knowing that there are more than 25 groups participating and sometimes there are shared itineraries and sometimes there are individual ones.

A non-profit organisation called Northwest Film Forum organises an annual film festival that focuses exclusively on the premiere and screening of films created for children's audiences. With dozens of countries participating and always a minimum of 50 competitors selected, it's a great opportunity to take the little ones to enjoy a day full of cinematic fantasies.

There are also other activities for audiences of all ages such as educational workshops, animation tutorials and live performances by artists related to the world of children's films.

A fun and very curious thing about this festival is that the juries are a group of 30 children from local schools. So these kids are in charge of selecting the film that wins the most important awards such as: best director, best animated film, best animated short, among others.

This activity is part of the plans to see or do in Seattle with children during the month of February for the simple fact that it is an interesting activity that goes out of the typical itinerary of going for a run to a park or going out to eat candy.

Interesting details

• Location: takes place at the Northwest Film Forum's headquarters at 1115 12th Avenue, Seattle, Washington.
• Dates: Dates change and the only thing that remains the same is that it takes place during the month of February.
• Pricing: Every year there is a fee adjustment, but there are usually admission tickets that allow you to see several films on one day of the festival for the price of a single ticket.

Seattle Museum Month is another big event when it comes to cultural activities in February in this beautiful city. It revolves around a series of 50% discounts on admission tickets to a couple of dozen museums located throughout Seattle.

There are very specific conditions to be a beneficiary of this kind of event organised by the city council. You need to be staying at one of the downtown hotels participating in this financial exchange.

This is favourable, as the discounts extend to up to 4 guests who would have to pay for 4 tickets individually at full price. The best thing about the whole thing is that February is a month that is not high season, touristically speaking. Which means that none of the cultural institutions you visit will be as crowded.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle Children's Museum, the Suquamish Tribal Museum and the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture are some of the establishments you'll get half-price access to with these discounts. Which can be ideal for filling up on things to see and do in Seattle during your 5-day visit.

Interestingly, Seattle has a relatively large Brazilian community compared to other American cities. Perhaps this is the reason behind the creation of a carnival in the style of Rio de Janeiro, only this time it takes place in the misty streets of Seattle.

The floats are the stars of the show, as the city takes the theme of majesty very seriously when it comes to creating a parade worthy of being visited by both the local community and the thousands of tourists who flock to Washington State each year.

Live music with trumpets and tropical drums recreates the atmosphere of an authentic Brazilian carnival. It's also known for electronic music that entertains the younger members of the family and presents itself as a midway point between the Carioca rhythm and the US cultural scene.

You won't find dancers in bikinis simply because it's too cold for that, but there are all sorts of costumes to admire throughout the parade.

As for the date, it's always right around the time of the traditional carnival and therefore coincides with Mardi Gras in New Orleans. It's a free event if you just watch it from the streets that you walk through, but to access the festival of food, drinks and concerts until dusk that accompany the experience, you have to pay an admission ticket, which is usually around 30 euros per person.

Since the idea of visiting a city at a specific time of the year is to experience it in all its splendour, it is preferable that you have another cultural alternative to occupy the evenings of your tourist routine. In this case, it's an improvised music festival that takes place every year in mid-February by the will of a handful of local artists.

The Seattle Improvised Music Festival is an event that is quite unique in that it is an approach to music with orchestral instruments from a different perspective. You'll encounter complex and innovative melodies that are spontaneously born right in front of your eyes.

The location of these performances changes from year to year, as it's something that adapts to the number of artists that join the experience. So it's likely that you may find yourself at a smart suit and tie performance, while on other nights they may be in an open-air space at dusk.

Please note that this is a free festival that is 100% funded by cultural organisations as well as donations from the audience. Therefore a contribution per attendee is expected to be around 5 to 20 euros.

For many people, the most important holiday of the entire month of February is the one that falls on Valentine's Day, known worldwide as Valentine's Day. So it's only fitting that you set aside this day to take a culinary tour of the best this city has to offer you and your partner.

Oysters, venison and an authentic American burger with a side of Canadian bacon are just some of the things you might try in the restaurants that abound on every corner of downtown.

Visiting the streets of the Chinatown District is something that might also appeal to your palate on a day as romantic as February 14. Most restaurants offer special menus for couples.

Keep in mind that Seattle is one of the few American cities with such an influential Asian community in the local cuisine. In fact, a family or romantic Valentine's Day dinner is one of the best things to do in Seattle during the winter.

Pike Place Market is an iconic spot in Seattle. It's a local produce market that spans over 5 streets, right across from a pier. It is also just a couple of steps away from the city's aquarium.

So this is a very busy area of the city and is a must-see during the month of February, as the winter atmosphere permeates the streets, from the type of products on offer to the weather as you walk through the alleyways filled with seafood and local crafts.

If you're left wanting to learn more about the city's food identity, you can round out your day with some of the best food tours in Seattle. It's an excellent investment if you're looking to explore all the culinary dimensions of the local offerings.

Seattle is a city strongly characterized by its fishing and maritime culture. Within this panorama, it is logical that its coasts are well preserved and the beginning of February is a unique time of the year to visit them because the tide is so low that it creates crystalline pools full of marine fauna.

Starfish, sea urchins, algae of thousands of colours and textures. These are just some of the wonders you can explore on your own terms if you venture to one of the beaches near the city's harbour. The ones located in Myrtle Edwards Park are an excellent alternative, as they are right in the middle of the journey from Pike Place Market to the Space Needle area.

Taking the rest of the day to participate in other Seattle tours, such as those that focus on Seattle's musical history or architectural quirks, is an excellent idea to end your day's sightseeing itinerary with a day of marine and beach exploration.

Keep in mind that Seattle is a wet and cold city. So it's imperative that you pack warmly for this little adventure along the city's shores.

During the month of February you can expect some pretty cold weather in Seattle, as it is a city located in the far north of the United States and at the same time this month is one of the coldest of the winter season.

Estimates always hover around 9 degrees as the maximum temperature and 5 as the minimum. But the truth is that there is a good chance that it will be below freezing and that there will be an occasional snowfall during the month.

For these reasons it is quite prudent that you carry enough coats in your luggage and it is also advisable that they are waterproof fabrics. This is because rain is another big feature of the Seattle environment during the month of February.