Seattle Center Festál, 24 cultural festivals presented by Seattle Center in partnership with regional community organizations, returns for its 24th year in 2021. This unique and revealing series turned virtual in 2020 in response to the pandemic, and most Festál events will remain partially or fully online in 2021.
The Festál series highlights the cultures that help shape our region’s character, economy and way of life. The festivals build cohesion and pride in their own communities, while connecting the broader community to their history, arts, rituals, traditions, struggles and achievements. They offer music and dance, crafts, family activities, food demonstrations and other types learning experiences, while celebrating independence, the change of seasons or years, ancient civilizations and contemporary influences.
The 2021 series theme, “Where the World Gathers,” captures the global makeup of the festivals, which represent cultures from Africa, Asia, Central and North America, the South Pacific, Europe and the Middle East. The theme also reflects a serendipitous occurrence in 2020, worldwide viewership of the festivals. Moreover, some Festál producers included segments recorded especially for their events from different parts of the world – and will do so again in 2021.
2021 Seattle Center Festál Line-Up
(dates subject to change)
February
Têt in Seattle – Vietnamese Lunar New Year, Friday-Sunday, Feb. 12-14
March
Irish Festival Seattle, Saturday-Sunday, March 13-14 and 17
Seattle’s French Fest: A Celebration of French-Speaking Cultures, Sunday, March 21
April
Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival, Friday-Sunday, April 9-11
May
Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration, Sunday, May 2
A Glimpse of China – Seattle Chinese Culture & Arts Festival, Saturday, May 8
Spirit of Africa, Saturday, May 15
Northwest Folklife Festival, Friday-Monday, May 28-31
June
Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival, Saturday-Sunday June 5-6
Indigenous People Festival, Saturday, June 12
Festival Sundiata presents Black Arts Fest, Saturday-Sunday, June 19-20
Seattle Iranian Festival, Saturday, June 26
July
Polish Festival Seattle, Saturday, July 10
August
Seattle Arab Festival, Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 14-15
BrasilFest, Sunday, Aug. 2
Tibet Fest, Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 28-29
September
Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival, Sunday, Sept. 12
Sea Mar Fiestas Patrias, Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 18-19
The Italian Festival, Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 25-26
October
CroatiaFest, Sunday, Oct. 3
Turkfest, Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 9-10
Diwali: Lights of India, Saturday, Oct. 23
Dia de Muertos Festival Seattle, Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 30-31
November
Hmong New Year Celebration, Saturday, Nov. 6
Admission/viewing is free of charge. Find more information and viewing links click here or call 206-684-7200.
About Seattle Center Festál:
Seattle Center Festál highlights the culturally rich communities who help shape the character and course of our region. This enriching series of 24 ethnic cultural festivals on weekends throughout the year provides a forum for cultural groups to come together, virtually or in-person, where they can share their stories with the greater community and the world. The series began in 1997 to offer a central place, at Seattle Center, for festivals to invite the public to join in their unique cultural expression. Seattle Center Festál is produced with the generous support of KUOW 94.9 Public Radio, Coca-Cola, T-Mobile, Alaska Airlines, 4Culture, the City of Seattle and Seattle Center Foundation.
