Have you heard of Trolloween in Seattle?
Trust us: you don’t want to miss it!
Chances are you know about Seattle’s famous Fremont Troll, but Trolloween is a lesser-known phenomenon. Longterm Seattleites may be familiar with the tradition, especially if they’ve spent any time in the Fremont neighborhood. But if you’re new here or out of town, we’re going to let you in on one of Seattle’s most underrated events.
Trolloween is the annual celebration of the Fremont Troll’s birthday every October 31st. That’s right: the Fremont Troll’s birthday falls on Halloween! How fitting is that? He was installed under the bridge on Halloween in 1990, making this his 33rd birthday.
To celebrate, the residents of Fremont and the greater Seattle area gather on All Hallows Eve under the Fremont Troll’s bridge on Troll Avenue N. (no, we’re not making that street name up). The party starts at 7:00 p.m. with live music, people in Halloween costumes, and all sorts of pageantry. It’s free and welcoming of all ages.
If you stick around to the end of the birthday performance, you’ll bid goodnight and happy birthday to the Troll before marching off with the crowd for the annual Haunt of Fremont. This evening Halloween parade takes one of two different routes, depending on whether it’s raining. That brings us to an important tip: this event is obviously entirely outdoors, so be sure to dress for the weather!
This event is organized every year by the Fremont Arts Council. They’re responsible for several other popular events throughout the year such as the Fremont Solstice Parade in June and Luminata (an illuminated lantern parade around Green Lake) in September. If you’d like to support their efforts, you can donate on their website.
If you’re wondering why you’ve never heard of Trolloween, the event isn’t widely advertised due to limited space at the Troll. So if you plan to attend this exclusive birthday party, be the best-mannered guest you can be so that the event can continue smoothly every year!
Trolloween
When: every October 31 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: North 36th Street, Troll Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103
Cost: Free!