FREE AND FUN IN SEATTLE

Just because you may be watching your pennies these days, doesn't mean that you can't have fun. Picnicking at a park or hiking a trail doesn't have to cost a lot of money. The Greater Seattle area is packed with opportunities for you to see why the best things in life are free! Check out a few of the suggestions below:

Arboretum The Washington Park Arboretum features 230 acres of beautiful gardens, trees, and plant collections. Meet the Graham Visitors Center for a free public tours January through November. Washington Park Arboretum.

Artwalks Various Seattle neighborhoods as well as neighboring cities offer monthly ArtWalks on most every night of the week. There's the Wallingford Art Walk, the Pioneer Square first Thursday ArtWalk, the Fremont First Friday ArtWalk, the Ballard Second Saturday ArtWalk, and well...you get the idea!

Bookstore Events Authors schedule readings and book signing events at many local bookstores. You'll also find kids events, book groups and more. Check out the events at the University Bookstore or the Elliott Bay Book Company.

The Center For Wooden Boats Every Sunday of the year at 1:30 and 3:30 pm the CWB on Lake Union offers free boat rides. Sign up starts at 10 am and fills up quickly. No reservations Click here for more information.

City Hall Concerts Seattle City Hall becomes concert hall. Lunchtime becomes Showtime. Presented by the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, Seattle Presents features free noontime performances year round at City Hall. Click here for more information

Festivals 'Tis the season for festivals of every kind. From time honored celebrations like Seafair that kicks off with a huge parade in downtown Seattle to brand new events like the GreenNote Acoustic Festival & Green Expo at Myrtle Edwards Park, there are free festivals going on all over the Greater Seattle area.

Free Fishing Free Fishing Weekend in Washington is the weekend of the first full week in June. On these days, no license is required of anyone-resident or non-resident to fish in Washington, except a catch record card is still required to fish for or retain Dungeness crab, steelhead, salmon, sturgeon and halibut in most waters. Click here for more information.

Hiram M. Chittenden Locks For over 90 years these locks have connected the freshwater in Lake Washington to the salt water of Puget Sound. The Visitor Center offers free tours of the Locks from March through November. Call (206) 783-7059 or click here for information.

Jetty Island Ferry From July to September, the free Jetty Ferry departs from the 10th Street Boat Launch and Marine Park in Everett and travels to and from the sandy beaches of Jetty Island at 30-minute intervals throughout the day.

Outdoor Cinema Enjoy free outdoor movies all over the region during the summer months. Watch old favorites under the stars in the cities of Edmonds, Everett, Brier, Kirkland, Kent, Mercer Island, Bellevue, the Seattle Center, and more.

Outdoor Theatre It's As You Like It...FREE! During July and August enjoy Shakespeare in the Park.

Seattle Art Museum Free Days All free day programs include access to special exhibitions as well as all SAM collections and installations. First Thursdays: Free to all First Friday: Free to seniors (age 62+) Second Fridays, 5-9 pm: Free to teens (ages 13-19) with ID. Click here for more information

Seattle Center The center has acres of open space, fountains, gardens and artwork that cost nothing to enjoy. Many annual events like the Festal Cultural Festivals celebrating the diverse cultures of the Pacific Northwest are free to the public as well. For a complete list of year round festivals visit Seattle Center Information.