Seasonal Staycation Ideas, Fall Harvest Happenings & How to Jump-Start Holiday Shopping

Fall, Winter and Holiday Happenings in Seattle Southside.

What's New

  • New hotel, “Hyatt Place” approved for 198-room, 7-storey development adjacent to SEA (Seattle Tacoma Airport) in SeaTac. Read more.
  • Now open: Dimension XR a brand-new entertainment center offering the area’s premier virtual-reality gaming experiences. Perfect for individuals, families, parties, and corporate events.
  • Des Moines Fast Ferry: connecting the Des Moines waterfront and shopping directly to downtown Seattle. $10 each way with multiple departures Wednesday – Sunday, now through October 9.
  • Nighttime glow party at Burien Arts-A-Glow, September 10, 7-10pm. Light installations and performers, a fabulous night market and museums, plus art in businesses, participating local restaurants, glowing face & body painting, and more. Costumes and homemade lanterns encouraged!
  • Newly renovated national level BMX track at North SeaTac Park. Now transformed into a world-class facility, the previous iteration has already produced multiple national and world champions and Olympic bronze medalist, Jill Kintner.
  • Grand re-opening of Sleep Inn SeaTac Airport, August 31st. Just 3 minutes from the airport, this updated hotel offers comfortable accommodations, meeting spaces, and a free shuttle to and from the airport terminal as well as to Angle Lake Light Rail Station.

Events

Seattle Southside Gets Spooky this October

Des Moines, SeaTac and Des Moines have no shortage of boo-tacular offerings this October. A few favorites to add to your calendar include:

  • Seattle Chocolate Haunted Factory Tour (October 20 – 30): The Haunted Chocolate Factory has returned! The Halloween event the entire family can enjoy, wander the eerie halls and passages of the chocolate factory to find a great reward as you gather clues throughout your journey. To purchase tickets, visit here.
  • Boo in Burien & Creepy Crawlers Pub Crawl (October 29): Head to downtown Burien for the annual family-friendly trick-or-treat event. Activities include a Creepy Crawlers Pub Crawl and costume contest (21+), Weiner dog races, a canine costume contest, haunted houses and lots of sweet treats.
  • Des Moines Halloween Carnival and Trick-or-Treat Path (October 31): Presented by Destination DesMoines, enjoy a family-friendly trick or treat path along Marine View Drive and a new trunk or treat area set up in the parking lot of John L. Scott. There will also be a Halloween Carnival at the Des Moines Field House on 200th Street from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Details can be found here.
  • The Museum of FRIGHT at the Museum of Flight (October 29): Things may look a little different this year, but across the Museum galleries, you’ll find safe, Halloween-themed games and activities to spark imagination, innovation, and get in the Halloween spirit. Keep your 6ft. distance for this will be a frightful extravaganza! Activities include a Ghoul Hunt, spooky stories, mad scientist experiments and STEM treat bags. All activities are included with museum admission prices. Purchase tickets and find more information here.
  • See all our Halloween Happenings.

Activities

Do It For the ‘Gram: Best Places for Fall Foliage Photos in Seattle Southside

Orange, red and yellow colors abound throughout Des Moines, SeaTac and Tukwila during the fall season. Charge up your phone and get a great Instagram shot at Des Moines Beach Park, Angle Lake Park, the Interurban Trail, Des Moines Creek Trail, the Highline SeaTac Botanical Garden and the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden.

See even more ideas in our full guide to the Best Places to See Fall Foliage in Seattle Southside.

Family

Seattle Southside has plenty of family bonding activities over the fall and holiday season.

Get your blood pumping at iFLY Indoor Skydiving or Sykart Indoor Racing Center. After your adventure, refuel the crew with a delightful dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory. The family can wrap-up the day with your favorite blockbuster at the AMC IMAX Theatre.

September 17th is the Tukwila You Got Next Festival, a celebration of basketball for youths over age 5 and their families to play the game, learn about accessible sport, and more! Registration is free but required for all clinics and classes. Plus, kids who register get a free T-shirt and a ball to take home.

If your family loves bowling, billiards and karaoke, the entire family will have fun at Round 1 Entertainment at Westfield Southcenter. Head into the mall where everyone will find something for dinner with 50+ dining options and wrap up your holiday shopping with 100+ retail stores.

Relax

The holiday season can be a whirlwind. Relax and recharge at Cedarbrook Lodge with a 20% off best available rate offer now through October 31 (details here). Check into the hotel, then indulge yourself at The Spa at Cedarbrook Lodge and follow up with a quiet lunch at Copperleaf Restaurant. They're also hosting monthly classes highlighting different varieties of alcoholic spirits on September 17, October 22, and November 19 - learn more here.

Sit under the trees or your umbrella to enjoy the serenity and find inner peace at the Seike Japanese Garden.

Take a stroll along the beach, grab a coffee, admire the public art and then sip some wine and enjoy dinner with a view at Anthony’s HomePort – Des Moines.

Shop

Holiday shopping is easy in Seattle Southside. Take advantage of the largest shopping center (and their parking) in the Pacific Northwest where you will find something for everyone on your “nice list.” Pick up last minute gifts and shop for premium brands at the Westfield Southcenter mall.

Food & Drink

Farm Fresh: Farmers Market season is wrapping up the first week of November. See what our farmers are hauling in for the fall harvests, in Burien, Tukwila, and Des Moines—one of the nation's only waterfront farmers markets.

International culinary delights: more than turkey and dressing

  • Delectable Mexican food along with excellent service and hand-made tortillas make Moctezuma the place to experience authenticity. Charming La Esquina Café offers authentic Mexican dishes prepared by a mother and daughter team.
  • Savor the ingredients that simmered for 16 hours at Arashi Ramen, enjoy Din Tai Fung’s signature dumplings, or try Korean BBQ at your table at Sumi Korean BBQ.
  • Cooking up delicious Ethiopian fare, Star Coffee specializes in lamb, beef and vegetarian dishes to take your taste buds somewhere new.
  • Enjoy a plethora of sashimi, nigiri and special roll options along with cooked dishes in bento boxes at Miyabi Sushi.
  • Excellent Filipino Cuisine is served with heaps of hospitality at Max’s Restaurant—one of only 17 North American locations for this worldwide chain.

Mead Tasting: Uniquely Seattle Southside

Try an incredible variety of meads (honey wine) made right on-site with locally sourced honey at not one but two neighboring meaderies in Seattle Southside at Oppegaard Meadery and Contrivance Wine and Mead Co.

Seattle Southside RTA Staff Changes

New Hires to the Marketing Department: Seattle Southside RTA is pleased to announce new hires to their Marketing division, fully staffing out the team and adding new creative voices to the fold. Sage Dahring, our new Marketing Specialist, coordinates our many marketing endeavors and works with our partners to provide services to help them promote their businesses. Christy Maggio is our Marketing Coordinator; she develops written content and our social media presence. Last, but far from least, our Creative Services Manager Sean Puno brings an eye for graphic design and incredible photography skills to supplyvisual pop to allour marketing collateral.

New Sports Business Development Manager: After bidding bon voyage to our former Sports Business Development Manager, we welcomed new hire Cydney Marks-Nicholes to fill the role. She comes to us with a background in the world of rowing, as well as catering sales.

About Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority

The Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority (RTA) is the official destination marketing organization for SeaTac, Tukwila and Des Moines. The organization is responsible for competitively marketing the area as an ideal travel destination for leisure and business travelers who wish to explore Western Washington and an idyllic place for meeting and event planners to hold their events. The Seattle Southside RTA is funded by a self-assessed hotel fund and supported by a lodging tax from the cities of SeaTac, Tukwila and Des Moines. For more information, please visit www.seattlesouthside.com or call 206.880.7167.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Jeff Powell
Communications Manager, Seattle Southside Regional Tourism Authority
P: 206.677.0160
E: Jeff@SeattleSouthside.com