10 Things to Do in Seattle in March

If you think of a modern, coastal city with a cool, cloudy atmosphere that has been admired countless times in popular culture, then Seattle fits that description. So it's no surprise to learn that there are thousands of things to see and do in Seattle if you visit during the month of March.

To ensure you get the most out of your visit, I invite you to read this compilation of festivals and activities I've put together for you.

The temperate climate of the northwestern United States makes it an ideal place for the North Pole's marine species to roam freely in what would be much warmer water for them. For this reason, March is the perfect month to take part in a whale-watching excursion, as the water temperatures between late winter and early spring are ideal conditions for this marine animal. As well as other whales and sea creatures.

Some of these Seattle boat tours offer a guarantee that if you don't see a killer whale along the way, you'll get a free tour on a different day. This is strong evidence that there's a good chance you'll encounter several pods of these cetaceans in the waters of Puget Sound.

Some of the tours often take you as far offshore as Port Townsend to skirt the expanse of Whidbey Island. Other longer tours may also offer a trip to the San Juan Islands where you can even get off for an hour-long tour of the harbours.

Traveller Tip

I advise you to wear sunscreen, as the water is a UV reflective surface.

Details of interest

• Prices: prices vary depending on the length of the trip and the company chosen, but none of them will offer packages under 80 euros per person.
• Conditions: this is an activity where children must be accompanied by a representative.

The Seattle Opera House and Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras are internationally respected institutions when it comes to classical music. Mainly due to the fact that they are the most influential orchestras on the Pacific Northwest classical music circuit in the Americas.

In turn, March is a prime time of the year to enjoy them, as this month marks the transition from the winter concert season to the beginning of the spring cycle. It is therefore a good idea to attend some of the concerts that are sure to be held during the weekends of March.

Another relevant detail of Seattle's musical culture is the fact that Grunge is a musical genre that was born in the streets of Seattle in the 90s. As a result, there are plenty of clues in cafés and cultural establishments about how this musical revolution was experienced in this very progressive community.

The Museum of Pop Culture, also known as MoPOP, is another must-see if you're interested in understanding the musical nature of the area. This is because you'll find plenty of exhibits dedicated to the preservation of POP culture, which is a once in a lifetime experience if you enjoy this aesthetic and these rhythms on a regular basis.

It wouldn't hurt to make sure you check if the Seattle City Pass offers you any discounts on Philharmonic performances or museum tickets, as this tourist pass is one of the best investments you can make if you're looking to cut costs on your tourist budget.

The world's largest coffee chain, Starbucks, was born in Seattle in the early 1970s. This happened on March 31, 1971 and for this reason every year special activities are held in the city's branches, including the first of all which is located right in Pike Place Market. Discounts are among them, but there are also often live music performances or the occasional educational workshop. They change every year and it all depends on the Starbucks branch of your choice.

The Starbucks Reserve Roastery is another must-visit establishment on your tour of the city when it comes to coffee, as it consists of an authentic whole bean processing centre where whole coffee beans are roasted at different temperatures to come up with very different varieties in terms of taste and texture.

Actually, one thing to keep in mind is that the whole city is known for the breadth of its coffee culture. So taking part in one of the best food tours in Seattle is a highly recommended activity to understand the extent to which coffee as a beverage has played a role in the identity of this city and in the creation of its food businesses.

The Moisture Festival is an event that runs from early March to early April. According to experts, it is one of the biggest festivals in the world when it comes to comedy and performing arts entertainment.

As for the programming of the events, you should know that they are weekend performances and sometimes there is an occasional event that happens on a Thursday. These are comedy acts where each performer has a 5 to 15 minute set and there is almost always a band accompanying the act with live music.

Burlesque, juggling, ventriloquist acts and a host of other circus related talents. These are just some of the sessions you might encounter on a festival night. Keep in mind that this is an evening event and you might want to complement your morning and afternoon with a tour on one of Seattle's tour buses.

Details of interest

• Location: usually held at Hale's Ales Palladium, but there's always a chance that the venue will change from year to year, as such adjustments are a common occurrence at this event. Checking on the official event website is an excellent idea.
• Price: Tickets are usually priced between 10 and 30 euros, depending on the day of the week and the number of acts scheduled for that date.
• Duration: it is a night-time festival that almost always lasts 2 or 3 hours, from the moment the spectators enter the hall until the final applause.

Speaking of festivals, another recommendation I have to make, if you visit Seattle in March, is to check out the Taste Washington Festival. This event consists of a gastronomic festival that takes place during the 4 weeks of March in which wine and the gourmet foods that accompany it are the true protagonists.

It is organised by the Washington State Wine Commission, an organisation dedicated to preserving and promoting the development of the wine industry in this region. This region has conditions as favourable for the production of luxury wines as the Napa Valley in California.

The offer of first class artisanal products such as cured cheeses and cured meats are other important elements of the gastronomic offer of this festival. All this while there are workshops and talks with real experts in the American wine scene.

You should consider that although there are no age limitations for entry to the venue, it really is an adult entertainment alternative that can be classified within the plans to see or do in Seattle during the night in the month of March.

Details of interest

• Pricing: The festival is subdivided into several events with very different purposes, ranging from private dinners with chefs to large-scale seminars with experts. So prices for each activity can range from around 85 euros per person to 180 or even 200.
• Duration: it all depends on the chosen activity, but attending the main exhibition which functions as a kind of luxury market with simultaneous activities can take up 3-4 hours of your day.

Another distinctive aspect of Seattle's identity is the unchanging tradition of participating in all kinds of community markets to support the consumption and production of local food products. These are called Farmers Markets in the United States, and in Seattle you'll find them in most of the city's neighbourhoods.

The ones in Ballard, on the main avenue of the same name, are famous among locals and tourists who have had the opportunity to visit them. The National Nordic Museum is located in this neighbourhood , which is another excellent opportunity to learn about the ancestral origins of the community that founded this area of the city.

Freemont is another neighbourhood that has its own Farmers Market on week ends and a visit is a good idea if you are comfortable in places with a bohemian and modern identity. Walking along the waterfront along the canal of the same name is another alternative way to get the most out of the area, and the Aurora Bridge is a quirky spot worthy of a photo shoot with your companions.

All of these plans revolving around the Farmers Markets in the city's residential neighbourhoods are among the best things to see or do in Seattle during spring. The March weather makes for a more favourable experience than on a cold winter's day.

The University of Washington campus is an area of the city that in itself is worth a visit to admire its architectural and scenic beauty. However, March stands out as an even more appropriate time to include it in your sightseeing itinerary as the arrival of spring brings with it the Cherry Blossom Tree's blooming.

So beautiful is the scene of several streets lined with pink flowering trees that this is an activity that attracts thousands of tourists looking for a photo-worthy moment to post on social media. Note that it's not something that will take up a large part of your day, as the campus is accessible from the city centre and touring all the interesting facilities usually takes about 3-4 hours at most.

So it's a recommended plan if you're looking for ideas on what to see or do in Seattle during a 4-day trip, especially if it happens at the end of March. This is the time when these curious trees begin to bloom in their beautiful pink hues.

March marks the beginning of what locals define as the most pleasant time of the year, as winters are quite aggressive and summers tend to have extreme temperatures that are sweltering for a population that is used to a cloudy and cold environment.

Within this context it is logical and predictable that you set aside a day of your trip to enjoy an extensive and demanding walk through the historical and cultural heart of the city. The downtown peninsula, specifically the Uptown, Denny Triangle, Cascade, South Lake and Belltown neighbourhoods, are areas you can walk through in a single day.

There you will encounter the city's main attractions, touristically speaking. The Space Needle, the Center for Wooden Boats dock, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation headquarters and the Paramount Theatre are some of the must-see sites on this sightseeing tour.

One thing that can make all the difference in the convenience of this early spring itinerary is booking some of the Seattle tours that are offered online. This is due to the fact that they cut down on distances by taking you on buses or minibuses that can extend the perimeter of your sightseeing tour.

Details of interest:

• Pricing: depends on the conditions of the tour and the route you have planned. You can find excellent alternatives that pick you up at your hotel and take you to the city's cruise terminal for approximately 97 euros, while there are others with fares around 74 euros that pick you up and drop you off at a central point in the city.
• Duration: On average, all these tours last 3 to 4 hours maximum. If you decide to opt for a walking tour, it could take up to 10 hours of your day.

On the north-eastern tip of the peninsula, the Washington Park Arboretum sprawls over a couple of acres. It is a park that belongs to the botanical garden complex of the University of Washington and is an excellent spot in the city to enjoy an afternoon of nature between the beginning of spring that defines the last days of March.

This space has a Japanese garden that stands out among the rest of the flora due to the great diversity of plants from that Asian archipelago. This is the only point of the park with a paid access, as the rest of the facilities are completely free for both locals and tourists.

Clearly, this is a plan that falls within the activities to do and see in Seattle with children for the fact that it puts at your fingertips hundreds of trails to be walked by children loaded with lots of energy. There are ponds worthy of a fairy tale and this also makes it a great place to live out a fantasy in the imagination of the little ones at home.

Seattle is a very privileged spot in the United States when you consider that it is quite close to areas of gigantic natural beauty. Three national parks are within a perimeter of less than 100 km away and so organising a guided tour to some of them is an excellent way to bid farewell to your visit in this beautiful city.

In fact, March is an ideal time of the year to visit the nearby Seattle national parks because of the fact that it is still cold enough to admire the winter beauty of the season. And at the same time temperatures are moderate enough that it's not uncomfortable to be outdoors on a hiking trail or on a boat.

Tours to Mount Rainier from Seattle are one of these convenient alternatives, as they include a number of benefits such as entrance fees to the national park and transportation in a modern and comfortable minibus. They also usually include a local guide who explains the importance of the park and takes you to the most favourable trails for your hike.

There are boat tours that take you to the shores of the Olympic Peninsula to experience the majesty of Olympic National Park up close. It is well known for the preserved state of its forests and the unique beauty of the myriad beaches that stretch inland from the bay and out into the Pacific Ocean.

Details of interest

• Prices: depend on the package chosen, but in the case of the excursion to Mount Rainer you can find convenient rates of around 150 euros per adult and around 130 euros for children under 12.
• Duration: This is an extensive activity if you take into consideration how long it takes to get to and from the city to the chosen national parks. On average it can take 10 to 12 hours.
• Conditions: Almost all tours have a pick-up point in a central and accessible location in the city. It is therefore advisable not to expect to be picked up at the hotel, as this will severely limit your available options.

Seattle is quite a touristy city, that's a fact. However, March is an ideal time to visit, as it's a time when the winter cold bids farewell to welcome the moderate warmth of spring.

All this without having to deal with hoards of tourists, as most of them will arrive with the peak of summer and March is not a time that is really important for domestic tourism within the United States.

The temperatures you'll find in Seattle in March are much more favourable than the cold days of winter, with highs often climbing to 14 degrees Celsius, but be aware that lows can drop to as low as 4 on the coldest nights of the month.

So it's a real priority to bring coats and don't assume there's a good chance of a rainy afternoon despite an extremely sunny morning.