Are you a newcomer to Seattle, or planning to visit the city soon?
If you love the nightlife, you won’t be disappointed. From food tours to wine festivals, live music shows, and film festivals, Seattle has it all. Along with some pretty awesome pubs.
We’ve compiled a list of some of the best Seattle has to offer when the sun goes down.
Savor Seattle
Savor Seattle offers several after-dark tours that kick off around Pike Place, the oldest continuously-running market in the U.S.
Who doesn’t love a good celebration of food and wine? Indulge in the Seattle Dinner Soiree, which takes you through a progressive meal at four downtown restaurants complete with wine pairings.
The Booze ’n Bites Tour features five cocktails and some of the neighborhood’s best small plate meals.
And while near Pike Place, look out for Radiator Whiskey. This Prohibition-era style whiskey and cocktail bar has a menu that any carnivore will adore, including a whole smoked pig’s head. Try its spin on the Manhattan, the “Showgirl,” (also the name of the gentleman’s club across the street).
Radiator Whiskey is located on the top floor of the Corner Market building at 94 Pike Street.
Three Dollar Bill Cinema
The Three Dollar Bill Cinema is a 501(c)3 nonprofit arts organization, located at 1122 E Pike Street. This cinema showcases queer film programming, educational experiences, and social dialogue.
They deliver themed screenings throughout the year. Their three main annual programs are the Seattle Queer Film Festival, Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival, and Reel Queer Youth.
The Transgender Film Festival is planned for 5th through 8th May. This festival offers incredible feature films and shorts, as well as special events celebrating all things trans. The Reel Queer Youth Summer Film Camp takes place from 1st-5th August this year.
Kirklandia Festival
If you’re in Seattle in June, be sure to check out the Kirklandia Waterfront Festival. The Kirklandia festival is a combination of the Washington Wine Festival and the Northwest Cider Festival. It’s situated at the shores of Lake Washington, at the Kirkland Marina Park, it’s from the 10th – 12th of June this year.
Wine tastings and cider tastings featuring over a hundred Washington craft wines, ciders, and beers will put you in a merry mood. And of course, there will be loads of entertainment as well as an arts & crafts market and delicious street food.
For outdoor enthusiasts, we recommend a boat rental in Seattle. It’s affordable and available with or without a captain. There are many exciting boating opportunities in the area, and one that is perfect for a day of fun and watersports is Lake Washington.
The Merchant’s Café
Few pubs have the shady backstory of the Merchant’s Café, Washington’s oldest bar. It is located in a terra cotta brick building at 109 Yesler Way in Pioneer Square where it started out its life as a two-story wooden building built by businessman and land developer, John Hall Sanderson.
Sadly, it burned to the ground in the Great Seattle Fire of 1889. Sanderson commissioned the building to be rebuilt, and it was redesigned to hold a liquor store and a hotel. When the building was sold in 1892 the name was changed to Merchant’s Exchange Saloon.
The new owner decided to address the needs of the town’s lonely lumberjacks and kept women that he pretended were “seamstresses” in the upstairs rooms. Framed paintings featuring the “seamstresses” are still on display, one of which is supposedly haunted.
Prohibition almost put an end to the good times in 1916, but the owner bribed the police and moved his alcohol and illegal gambling to the basement.
All these shenanigans are a thing of the past, but you’ll still see the wooden floors, pressed ceilings, and intricately-carved bar of the 1800s. And the best thing to discover here is the great bar menu, complete with traditional drink offerings, and a selection of tasty pub grub.
Neptune Theater
The Neptune Theatre is a performing arts venue, which opened in 1921. The 800-seat venue hosts a variety of dance and music performances and film screenings. In 2014, the theater and building were proclaimed a Seattle landmark.
The Neptune Theatre is operated by the non-profit Seattle Theatre Group and is one of several venues that will be hosting the annual Seattle International Film Festival (14th to the 24th of April) this year. You will find the Neptune Theater at 1303 NE 45th Street.
After catching a show, head on over to Otter On The Rocks for a cozy cocktail bar specializing in epic infusions and syrups, along with tasty flatbreads to nibble on. You’ll find them at 4210 SW Admiral Way. This family-owned and operated bar is LGBTQ friendly.
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