Three Ways to Rock a Summer Weekend in Seattle

Growing up on a small island in the Pacific Northwest, going into Seattle was always a treat. This summer when I was visiting home, I got to swing by Seattle for a weekend—my birthday weekend, coincidentally. I wanted to find something more special than my usual Pike Place circuit, and all the stars aligned! I found three ways to rock a summer weekend in Seattle, and I think I saved the best for last! Do you agree?

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Friday: Dance, Dance

Dance #1

Thanks to the connections of a friend I ended up at a rooftop party I was waaaay underdressed for (the young professionals of Seattle don’t play). I felt awkward and out of my depth—once again that frizzy girl at the middle school dance who tried to overcompensate by putting way too much energy into the Cha Cha Slide. But all it took was one good conversation to get the ball rolling, and soon enough I felt ready to mingle—and dance of course.

And anyways once it got dark and everyone was a bottle of wine deep nobody cared what anyone was wearing. For all of the insecurity I started with, the night was worth it—and I finally got to see that Seattle skyline. But the best was yet to come.

Dance #2

Two words: Adult. Prom.

That’s right, prom’s not just for adolescents trying to look like they know how to grind anymore. My prom had a chocolate fountain, so I can’t complain, but this adult prom took the cake.

A group of youngsters decided to form their own prom committee and put on the event of the year. I spent the night gleefully noting each detail—the live band in suspenders playing Irish jigs, the committee members in white dresses with sashes reading “iceberg”, the cardboard cutout of a door on the floor that you have to try and fit two people on to…this was Titanic down to the detail. The 1900s-costumed patrons swigging Rainier gave the night equal parts Belle Époque glamour and Seattle grunge, and I preferred this company far more than the walking LinkedIn profiles of the rooftop before. I could have played Titanic all night, but I abandoned ship, early, cuz we all know how that story ends.

Saturday: Find a Festival

In a city as multicultural as Seattle, you can bet there will be ample opportunity to celebrate food and drink from all over. The festival stars aligned one July weekend, in the perfect way for anyone to eat, drink, and be merry.

First stop, the UberEats Food Festival

Normally I’d avoid loitering on a downtown Seattle street for hours on a hot summer’s day, but it’s different when there’s five-ish blocks packed with street food. Entry to the UberEats festival is free, so you can save your money for what really matters: buying too many reinventions of fries. The best approach was to explore with a friend and go halvsies on everything and try twice as much.

With so many options, I appreciated the tried and true comfort foods (shout-out to my philly cheese steak), and then the wacky innovations (J-shaped ice cream cone, I’m looking at you). Prize for most memorable definitely goes to the nitro-pumped cereal, though.

Second stop, Seattle International Beerfest—tasting the world through one 4 oz beer sample at a time. (See cover photo.)

I imagined a beer festival in Seattle would be akin to some frat party with a Space Needle backdrop, but it was far more enjoyable. For $35 I entered the pavilion with over 200 beers and started scanning where I should use my 10 tickets (samples cost me 1-4 tickets, although you could purchase more if you ran out). Although in the city center, the area was comfortably calm, with people listening to the live music, sharing grassy spots in the shade, and raising their glasses to the miraculously sunny weather. While I’m not a huge beer fanatic, I’m glad to say I expanded my scope. Sure, I had to go through some samples that tasted like the bottom of a trash can, but I did find a pineapple cider that was just lovely.

Sunday: Flying Lessons

Ever fancied yourself as someone who could soar through the air? You can walk in to Emerald City Trapeze with no experience (as I did) and have the opportunity to work your way up to a flying catch by the end of your session! The instructors are full of positive critique and encouragement—they helped me believe in myself even when my knees were knocking at the top of the platform.

Aside from starting my circus resumé, I was blown away by the sense of self-confidence and accomplishment that came from this lesson. The instructors tell you how to time each step, but at the end of the day, I was the one who had to choose to jump. I’m so proud! Don’t be scared off by the $70 price tag for this 2 hour lesson, it is WORTH IT. For a Sunday it was a great way to praise God—that I didn’t break my neck and that I had the courage to let go.

Don’t want to go alone? I did this with my mama and we bonded over high-flying adrenaline. Great activity for a birthday, girls’ day, or other bonding activity!

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Thanks to my Seattle-savvy friends and a bit of research, my birthday weekend was jam packed with memorable experiences. Which would you hit up first if you had one summer weekend in Seattle? Let me know!