10 Things to Do in Seattle in February

So don't spend any more time searching for things to see and do in Seattle in February, I've compiled a list of plans that can keep your whole family entertained from the beginning to the end of your trip.

Keyvis Montilva

Keyvis Montilva

10 min read

10 Things to Do in Seattle in February

Seattle | © Georgie Devlin

The state of Washington, 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, plans to see or do in Seattle, its largest city, abound throughout the year. Especially in the winter and summer months.

I invite you to take some time to read all the activities I have found for you, because with them you will have a clearer idea of the festivals or cultural events that you can find in Seattle during a trip in the month of February.

1. Attend the Northwest Flower & Garden Show

Northwest Flower and Garden Show| ©Courtneygoetz
Northwest Flower and Garden Show| ©Courtneygoetz

The Northwest Flower & Garden Show is one of the favorite events when it comes to Seattle in February, as it has a family-friendly atmosphere that is focused exclusively on the diversity of flora that can grow throughout the United States.

In this event, which usually lasts for 4 days, there are almost always up to 20 simultaneous exhibits that address mountain, arid, tropical and oceanic vegetation on 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 tourist afternoons in the city. Seattle tour buses often approach this area and you may want to keep this in mind if you want to round out your day with alternative plans.

Details of interest

  • Dates: mid-February, the exact day may change every year depending on the existence of other cultural events in the same week.
  • Location: usually held at the Washington State Convention Center.
  • Ticket prices: children under 12 are usually free, there are two-day passes with discounts, but 25 euros is usually the rate for a single-day admission.

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2. Enjoy a good cake at the Seattle Cake Con

Seattle Cake Con| ©Joshua Scoggin
Seattle Cake Con| ©Joshua Scoggin

February is a very favorable month to visit the city of Seattle for the simple fact that every year there is a great variety of events taking place in this beautiful city in the northwestern United States. One of them is the Seattle Cake Con, which basically consists of a convention of master bakers who gather to show the greatest innovations that have been happening in this sector of the gastronomic industry.

It is very likely that you will meet some iconic U.S. television personality when it comes to baking. There are autograph signings and live workshops. All this while the participants themselves have sales booths so that thousands and thousands of visitors can get to know the quality that defines their brand.

Details of interest

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

3. The Seattle Festival of Improv Theater offers live entertainment

Jet City Improv| ©Sage Ross
Jet City Improv| ©Sage Ross

Theatrical improvisation 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 performing art during the month of February.

It is organized by Jet City Improv, one of the companies par excellence when it comes to stage improvisation in the northwestern United States. But the reality is that up to 25 groups usually participate in this festival, whose purpose is to entertain the audience through the interpretive ingenuity of improvisation. Which generates countless laughs among the general public, even among 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 unconventional 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 musical genres it has forged over the past few decades.

Details of interest

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  • Venues: the facility located at 5510 University Way NE is usually the theater where all the festival performances take place.
  • Dates: change every year, the only thing that is concrete is that it occurs during some weekend in February.
  • Prices: there are no age distinctions in terms of ticket prices, but there is no fixed rate, knowing that there are more than 25 participating groups and sometimes there are shared itineraries and sometimes there are individual ones.

4. With the Seattle Children's Film Festival you can also entertain the little ones

Seattle Children's Film Festival| ©nwfilmforum
Seattle Children's Film Festival| ©nwfilmforum

A non-profit organization called Northwest Film Forum organizes an annual film festival that focuses exclusively on premiering and playing films created for children's audiences. Dozens of countries participate and a minimum of 50 competitors are always selected, making it an excellent opportunity to take the little ones of the house 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.

Something fun and very curious about this festival is that the jurors are a group of 30 children from local schools. So these children are in charge of selecting the film that wins the most important awards such as: best director, best animated film, best animated short film, 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 to 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: changeable and the only thing that remains valid is that it takes place during the month of February.
  • Prices: every year there is a readjustment of rates, but the common thing is that there are admission tickets that allow you to see several films in one day of the festival for the price of a single ticket.

5. Take advantage of Seattle Museum Month discounts

At the Seattle Children's Museum| ©Erich Iveans
At the Seattle Children's Museum| ©Erich Iveans

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

There are very specific conditions to be a beneficiary of this kind of event organized by the city council. And that is that you need to be staying at some of the downtown hotels participating in this financial exchange.

This is favorable, as the discounts extend to up to 4 guests who would have to pay for 4 tickets individually at full price. The best part of 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, the 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 to fill you up with plans to see or do in Seattle during your 5-day visit.

6. Get acquainted with the Brazilian community at a local reinvention of Carnival.

Rio-style carnival in Seattle| ©Gigithomps
Rio-style carnival in Seattle| ©Gigithomps

Interestingly, Seattle has a relatively large Brazilian community compared to other U.S. cities. Perhaps this is the reason that influenced the creation of a carnival in the best Rio de Janeiro style, only in this case it takes place in the misty streets of Seattle.

The allegorical floats are the great protagonists of each edition, as this 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 stroll through the state of Washington annually.

There is live music with trumpets and tropical drums that recreate the atmosphere of an authentic Brazilian carnival. It is also known for electronic music that entertains the younger members of the family and presents itself as a middle ground between the Carioca rhythm and the U.S. cultural scene.

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

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

7. In February there is another improvised music festival

Participant of the Improvisation Festival| ©Paul H
Participant of the Improvisation Festival| ©Paul H

As the idea of visiting a city at a specific time of the year is to experience it in all its splendor, it is preferable that you have another cultural alternative to occupy the nights of your tourist routine. In this case it is a festival of improvised music 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 quite particular for the fact that it is an approach to music with orchestral instruments from a different perspective. In which you will encounter complex and innovative melodies that are spontaneously born right in front of your eyes.

The location of these performances changes every year, as it is something that adapts to the amount of artists that are added to the experience. So it's likely that you may find yourself at a fancy coat and tie performance, while on other nights they may take place in an outdoor space at sunset.

Keep in mind that this is a free festival that runs 100% on funding from cultural organizations, as well as donations from attendees. Therefore a contribution per attendee is expected to be around 5 to 20 euros.

8. Celebrate Valentine's Day with the vibrant gastronomic scene

Seattle's signature oysters| ©Boca Dorada
Seattle's signature oysters| ©Boca Dorada

For many people, the most important holiday of the entire month of February is the one that falls on the 14th on Valentine's Day, known worldwide as Valentine's Day. So it's only fitting that you set aside this day to take a gastronomic tour of the best this city has to offer you and your significant other.

Oysters, venison and an authentic American hamburger with a side of Canadian bacon are 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 of the restaurants offer special menus for those who come as a couple.

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.

9. Experience the winter atmosphere of Pike Place Market

Christmas at Pike Place Market| ©Jeanmarie Shelton
Christmas at Pike Place Market| ©Jeanmarie Shelton

Pike Place Market is an iconic spot in Seattle and it is a local produce market that spans over 5 streets, right across from a pier. Which in turn is a couple of steps away from the city aquarium.

So this is a very busy area of the city and is a point that you can not miss during the month of February, because the winter atmosphere permeates the streets, from the type of products offered to the weather you will find, while walking through the alleys full of 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. I assure you it's an excellent investment if you're looking to explore all the culinary dimensions of the local offerings.

Buy the best food tours in Seattle.

10. Organize a beach walk to get to know the winter Tidepools

Gathering on Seattle's beaches| ©CAusley
Gathering on Seattle's beaches| ©CAusley

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 colors and textures. Those are some of the wonders you can explore on your own terms if you venture to one of the beaches near the city's harbor. 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 tours of Seattle, such as those focused on its musical history or architectural peculiarity is an excellent idea to end your sightseeing itinerary with a day of marine and beach exploration.

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

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What are the temperatures like in Seattle during the month of February?

In Seattle| ©Michael Gwyther-Jones
In Seattle| ©Michael Gwyther-Jones

During the month of February you can expect a very 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 revolve around 9 degrees as maximum temperature and 5 as minimum. But the truth is that there are great possibilities of reaching sub-zero levels and that there will be an occasional snowfall in 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 great feature of the Seattle environment during the month of February.