Seattle’s beloved salmon season is back, and with it comes one of the city’s most anticipated community traditions: Salmon Celebration Day, returning to Carkeek Park on Saturday, November 22, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Each year, this lively celebration brings together families, educators, students, and naturalists to honor the migration of Chum salmon returning to Piper’s Creek. Saturday’s event anchors a month of environmental learning hosted by Seattle Parks’ Environmental Education Team, the Carkeek Watershed Community Action Project, and Seattle Public Utilities.
Salmon Celebration Day transforms Carkeek Park into an outdoor festival where ecology meets celebration. Visitors can expect a mix of hands-on learning, seasonal treats, and family-friendly fun, all set against the backdrop of salmon fighting their way upstream.
Highlights of this free event include:
- Live music and performances.
- Warm donuts, plus coffee and cider.
- Educational booths with interactive displays and activities.
- Guided salmon dissections (if you’re feeling brave).
And more! The event provides an engaging opportunity to see conservation in action while enjoying a vibrant community gathering.
While Salmon Celebration Day is the season’s centerpiece, visitors can explore the salmon run throughout the month. Salmon Stewards—trained volunteers stationed at the creek every weekend in November—will be available to answer questions about the salmon’s lifecycle, migration challenges, and the role urban streams like Piper’s Creek play in regional ecosystems.
This has been an unusually dry fall but recent rains have encouraged more fish to enter the creek, raising hopes for another strong return after last year’s record numbers. In addition to seeing the salmon, you can observe the thriving wetland habitat and several impressive beaver dams at the creek.
Whether you attend Salmon Celebration Day this Saturday or explore on your own another day, be sure to make some time this month to visit Carkeek Park and see the salmon run! It’s a quintessential Seattle activity.