Ballard SeafoodFest is one of our favorite Seattle summer events.
Ballard SeafoodFest is finally back this July 11-13 for its 51st celebration! This free event is a highly-anticipated three-day extravaganza of fresh seafood, craft beer, live music, and more. Located in the Seattle neighborhood of Ballard, this festival is one of those iconic PNW events that you don’t want to miss out on this summer.
Read on for all the yummy details about Ballard SeafoodFest!
Let’s start with the star of the show: the food! The headliner is the festival’s famous Trident Seafoods Applewood-Smoked Salmon BBQ Plate. This is a classic Seattle dinner of smoked salmon with garlic bread and coleslaw. The smoked salmon BBQ (or the alternative mussels and clams plate) is available for limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Proceeds go to towards non-profit the Ballard Alliance!
Note that the popular salmon BBQ plate requires a token purchase. You can get tokens at the Information Booth adjacent to the Salmon BBQ area on Market Street. And if you’re not a fan of seafood, don’t worry: there will be a wide variety of food vendors at the festival.
Here is the Ballard SeafoodFest schedule for 2025:
Friday, July 11
- 5:00 to 10:00 p.m.: Music, beer garden, and food trucks.
Saturday, July 12
- 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Kids deck (slide and bouncy houses open until 8:00 p.m.)
- 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.: Arts and crafts market.
- 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.: Food vendors.
- Noon to 10:00 p.m.: Music and beer garden.
Sunday, July 13
- 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Kids deck (slide and bouncy houses open until 7:00 p.m.)
- 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.: Arts and crafts market.
- 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.: Food vendors.
- Noon to 8:00 p.m.: Music and beer garden.
In addition to the food, there will also be a beer garden for ages 21+. You can enjoy your pick of fantastic local craft beers, as well as wine, Ballard-inspired cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages.
A huge part of Ballard SeafoodFest is the live music. There will be bands performing every day of the festival, and they’re all free for the whole family to enjoy! You may discover a new local favorite.
If you’re bringing the kids, take them to the Kids Deck! There they can enjoy free activities such as games, crafts, and story time. There will also be free face painting for children and a bouncy house. The Kids Deck is open on Saturday and Sunday only.
There will also be the annual Festi-Bowl, which is a skateboard event for all ages and experience levels. It will be on Saturday, July 12 from noon to 8:00 p.m. at Ballard Commons Park.
If you’re hoping to bring your fur baby, the festival is dog-friendly. Dogs will not be allowed in the beer garden, however.
Also, if your favorite activity is shopping, there will be plenty of opportunity for that as well. The festival will have local makers selling unique goods at an arts and crafts market on Saturday and Sunday, so you can find something special for yourself or a loved one.
Ready to treat yourself to some delicious local seafood? We’ll see you there!
Get more info on the event’s website, where you can also purchase a VIP Lounge Ticket if you’d like.
Ballard SeafoodFest 2025
📅When: July 11 to July 13
📍Where: Ballard (on NW Market Street, from 20th Ave NW to 24th Ave NW, and on Ballard Ave NW from NW Market St. to 22nd Ave NW)
💲Cost: Free! (Vendor prices vary)