September is the perfect time of year to visit Seattle. The summer crowds have faded away. The weather is still mild and – at least for this area – somewhat dry. Hotels start offering their off-season prices around this time, too.

So what is there to do in Seattle in September? So, so much.

You’ll find the lines at Pike’s Place Fish Market and the Seattle Harbor are considerably shorter in September and October. So if you want to ride the Seattle Great Wheel, grab a bite to eat or take in one of the city’s many food, wine, beer, walking, biking or boat tours, you’ll be good to go.

There are tons of year-round attractions in Seattle, but September is also full of special events that make the city even more fun.

Bumbershoot, Seattle’s famous music festival, occurs over Labor Day weekend. This year it features Cake, Faith No More, Elephant Revival and Devotchka to name just a few. (I love Devotchka!)

This festival has seen poetry slams, contortionists and even an Ethiopian youth circus join the alternative rock lineup over the years. The One Reel Film Festival happens at the same time so Labor Day is a great time to be in Seattle if you like mixing it up in a crowd.

September weekends offer no shortage of unique entertainment, including the Asian Night Market & Autumn Moon Festival in Chinatown. There’s also the Italian Festival, the Cider Festival and the Lantern Parade, to name a few.

If you’re up for a short drive out of town, you’ll find the Pacific Northwest Concours d’Elegance featuring rare restored cars in nearby Tacoma. This event includes a Tour d’Jour on Friday morning so if you’re in the right spot you just might see a parade of vintage Alfa-Romeos, Aston Martins, Jaguars, Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches drive by.

There’s also the Wooden Boat Festival in nearby Port Townsend…

And the Westport Blues Festival a couple of hours further south, which this year features B.B.King’s daughter Claudette King in a tribute to her legendary father.

Of course, no trip to Seattle would be complete without a visit to the Space Needle…in September or any month!

Plus art lovers MUST check out Chihuly Garden & Glass, where mind-blowing glass art by native son Dale Chihuly is on display. The exhibition is housed right next door to the Space Needle.

The studio glass changes with the light – so it is worth taking your time to explore both the indoor exhibits and the outdoor garden. Time it so you can walk through the garden at dusk, if you can.

A bit further out of town, you’ll find the charming Museum of Flight which is on the way to the Boeing Factory Tour (sorry, no photos allowed inside this one). You can combine these two into a great day of flight, but please note that Boeing tickets should be purchased in advance.

No matter what events or exhibitions you take in, keep Seattle on your calendar for September. You’ll be glad you did.

Here’s the link to Seattle’s official tourism site for more info: www.visitseattle.org

See you in September!

(all photos my own, unless noted)