Seattle Center Festál Announces 2023 Festival Schedule

Seattle Center Festál is back for its 26th year, with two dozen festivals produced by Seattle Center in partnership with community-based organizations from across the region. All festivals are free and open to the public to encourage curiosity and appreciation for Seattle's cultural communities.

For the first time since the start of the pandemic in 2020, the full Festál festival series - with the theme Where the World Gathers - will feature all in-person events with some festivals also offering virtual content.

"Seattle Center Festál is a festival series that reflects our approach to building One Seattle," said Mayor Bruce Harrell. "Bringing Seattle's diverse communities together to share cultural traditions and customs enriches everyone's lives and highlights what makes our city special and vibrant."

Festál invites broader community engagement through celebrations of cultural histories, arts, customs and rituals. Festivals combine the new with the old-including traditional and contemporary music and dance, visual arts and crafts, children's activities, vendor marketplaces, food demonstrations and learning experiences for everyone in the family.

"Seattle Center lives in the heart of Seattle," said Seattle Center Director Robert Nellams. "It's only right that our campus serves as a meeting place for the city's many communities. We are proud to host Festál year after year."

Throughout the year, some festivals serve as markers of time passing, celebrating the change of seasons, harvest time or the new year. Other festivals draw attention to political emancipation, departed loved ones, ancient civilizations and contemporary influences.

Visitors at Seattle Center can look forward to 24 festivals on the weekends throughout next year, providing many chances to experience community, activities, cuisines and art forms in 2023. In 2022, more than 150,000 people attended Seattle Center Festál.

Seattle Center Festál Schedule 2023:

Têt in Seattle - Vietnamese Lunar New Year, Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 14-15

Irish Festival Seattle, Saturday-Sunday, March 11-12

Seattle's French Fest: A Celebration of French-Speaking Cultures, Sunday, March 19

Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival, Friday-Sunday, April 14-16

Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration, Saturday, May 6

Spirit of Africa, Saturday, May 13

A Glimpse of China - Seattle Chinese Culture & Arts Festival, Saturday, May 20

Northwest Folklife Festival, Friday-Monday, May 26-29

Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival, Saturday-Sunday, Jun 3-4

Indigenous People Festival, Saturday, June 10

Seattle Iranian Festival, Saturday, June 24

Polish Festival Seattle, Saturday, July 8

Festival Sundiata presents Black Arts Fest, Friday-Sunday, July 14-16

Seattle Arab Festival, Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 12-13

BrasilFest, Sunday, Aug. 20

Tibet Fest, Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 26-27

Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival, Sunday, Sep. 10

Sea Mar Fiestas Patrias, Saturday-Sunday, Sep. 16-17

The Italian Festival, Saturday-Sunday, Sep. 23-24

CroatiaFest, Sunday, Oct. 1

Turkfest, Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 14-15

Día de Muertos Festival Seattle, Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 28-29

Seattle Hmong New Year, Saturday, Nov. 4

Diwali: Lights of India, Saturday, Nov. 11

For more information, visit: www.seattlecenter.com/festal.