Broke in Seattle? Try these cheap weekend ideas
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Ballads on a budget. Photo: Genna Martin/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
I'm feeling broke. Other people are feeling broke. Gas is hovering around $6 a gallon and a staycation may be about all some of us can pull off right now.
Why it matters: Thankfully, many of Seattle's most iconic experiences are still available for free — or almost free — if you know where to look.
- Think buskers and bands, hidden stairways and parks where you can sit for hours without buying a thing
The latest: We've brainstormed a few new ideas and added some old favorites to get us all out of our homes this weekend, wallets intact.
👟Climb Seattle's hills
Seattle was famously built on seven hills (though there's no firm consensus on what they are.) Pick a few, hike to the top and admire the views. Plant a flag. Declare victory.
🧺 Pack a picnic
Gas Works Park, Kerry Park, Golden Gardens and Alki Beach, among others, reward anyone who simply brings a sandwich and stays a while.
🖼️ Visit the Frye Art Museum
The First Hill museum is always free and home to thousands of works, from classical paintings to contemporary Northwest art.
- Current exhibits include a massive salon-style installation with more than 100 floor-to-ceiling paintings and a newly opened Tom Lloyd exhibit featuring glowing, futuristic light sculptures from the 1960s. Open Wednesday through Sunday.
🎶 Go to the Northwest Folklife Festival
Seattle Center's annual festival is free and packed with hundreds of music and dance performances, drumming circles, art and some of the best people-watching in the city. A $20 donation is recommended but not required.
🗿 Visit Olympic Sculpture Park
The Olympic Sculpture Park is always worth wandering for the waterfront views alone, but now visitors can check out Ai Weiwei's massive new bronze sculptures, featuring towering animal heads inspired by the Chinese zodiac.
🚍 Take the bus or light rail
Ride it to the end of the line or an unexplored stop. Check out Sound Transit's new connections to the Eastside, Federal Way or Lynnwood. Get off, wander around and pretend you're a pro photographer, obsessed with taking the perfect pic. (About $3 for bus and rail each way)
🥕 Browse the University District Farmers Market
One of the region's best markets is worth visiting even if you buy only a pastry or a piece of fruit. Wander slowly and sample aggressively.
🇺🇸Attend Evergreen Washelli's Memorial Day ceremony
Memorial Day is, at its core, a day to remember U.S. servicemembers who died in war. If you want something quieter and more reflective this weekend, Evergreen Washelli's annual Memorial Day ceremony is free, moving and open to the public with advance registration.
⛴️ Ride the Bremerton ferry
People always recommend Bainbridge, but Bremerton gives you a much longer boat ride — and that's the whole point. Walk-on fares are $11.35 heading west, but the ride back to Seattle is free.
Pro tips: Wear your most comfortable shoes — being on a tight budget in Seattle often means becoming an expert walker.
- Bring a thermos of coffee, a water bottle, lunch and snacks. It's hard to skip purchases when you're hungry.
- Learn to enjoy being an observer instead of a consumer.