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World Cup brought out Seattle's best

Sold-out crowds, packed fan festivals and glowing reviews gave Seattle a global moment beyond soccer.

News

Seattle&#x27;s biggest World Cup win wasn&#x27;t on the pitch. It was showing visitors — and maybe even Seattleites — what this city looks like at its best.Why it matters: For three weeks, Seattle has been a global gathering place, full of unity and joy, even as much of the world feels <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="increasingly divided" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/11/america-social-media-polarization" data-vars-content-id="e0bf5410-ed99-4850-9e55-0bffd7db2464" data-vars-headline="World Cup brought out Seattle&#x27;s best" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/11/america-social-media-polarization" target="_self">increasingly divided</a>.

Microsoft cuts 4,800 jobs, including 605 in Washington

The latest layoffs affect hundreds of workers in Redmond and elsewhere. More changes may be ahead.

Business

Microsoft is cutting 4,800 jobs — roughly 2% of its global workforce — including hundreds of jobs in Washington state.Why it matters: Layoffs at the Redmond-based company, one of the Seattle area&#x27;s largest employers, will add to the steady stream of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="tech job losses" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/02/02/amazon-layoffs-washington-seattle-tech-jobs-2026-expedia-tmobile-zillow" data-vars-content-id="30d14f0a-eb2f-4368-a2e1-22d985174c53" data-vars-headline="Microsoft cuts 4,800 jobs, including 605 in Washington" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/02/02/amazon-layoffs-washington-seattle-tech-jobs-2026-expedia-tmobile-zillow" target="_self">tech job losses</a> that have rolled across the Puget Sound region since last year.

Hidden vacation costs can wreck a travel budget

Baggage fees, parking and meals can quietly inflate trip costs. Here's how to plan ahead.

Airfare and hotel rates may grab the headlines, but it&#x27;s often the smaller expenses — baggage fees, parking, meals and rideshares — that push a vacation over budget.The big picture: Travel costs are 11% higher than a year ago, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="NerdWallet&#x27;s Travel Price Index" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nerdwallet.com/travel/learn/travel-price-tracker" data-vars-content-id="c72f8690-45fc-4e7e-9185-c1f466689145" data-vars-headline="Hidden vacation costs can wreck a travel budget" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nerdwallet.com/travel/learn/travel-price-tracker" target="_blank">NerdWallet&#x27;s Travel Price Index</a>.

Pocket guide to Seattle's big Pride weekend

Seattle marks more than 50 years of Pride with parades, festivals, naked yoga and more.

Seattle&#x27;s big Pride weekend is here, with free festivals, a blockbuster parade and plenty of ways to celebrate across the city.Why it matters: Seattle is marking <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="more than 50 years" data-vars-click-url="https://seattlepride.org/timeline" data-vars-content-id="c49465f0-98b2-4ad5-adbb-1541eea60fa7" data-vars-headline="Pocket guide to Seattle&#x27;s big Pride weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://seattlepride.org/timeline" target="_blank">more than 50 years</a> of Pride with one of the country&#x27;s longest-running celebrations — and a weekend expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people.

Seattle's famous naked bike parade rides again

The Fremont Solstice Parade brings nude cyclists, giant puppets and quirky Seattle art.

Culture

Seattle is about to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="bare" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2025/06/18/seattle-naked-cyclists-fremont-history" data-vars-content-id="1282eb56-bdf9-44ef-88ed-13be983ce13c" data-vars-headline="Seattle&#x27;s famous naked bike parade rides again" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2025/06/18/seattle-naked-cyclists-fremont-history" target="_self">bare</a> itself to the world.The big picture: World Cup visitors (and us locals) looking for a hilariously authentic experience this weekend can count a slew of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="naked cyclists" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2024/06/21/naked-bike-parade-turns-33" data-vars-content-id="1282eb56-bdf9-44ef-88ed-13be983ce13c" data-vars-headline="Seattle&#x27;s famous naked bike parade rides again" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2024/06/21/naked-bike-parade-turns-33" target="_self">naked cyclists</a> pedaling through Fremont as one uniquely Seattle option.

Tour Seattle's historic wooden yachts this weekend

Visitors can board vintage yachts, talk to owners and explore a century of Northwest history.

Things to Do

<figure><img alt="Dozens of wooden yachts at a pier on Seattle&#x27;s waterfront. " height="635" id="e88f2719-d529-4d1c-9778-1272cdf8bfdb" src="https://images.axios.com/N_e-5i1j7WnqFrucR9hFGcc28lA=/2026/06/17/1781717023398.png" width="960"/><figcaption>Floating time capsules. Photo: Courtesy of the Classic Yacht Association </figcaption></figure>Visitors will get a rare chance this weekend to step aboard floating pieces of Pacific Northwest history — including several 100-year-old wooden yachts.Driving the news: The Classic Yacht Association&#x27;s 29th annual <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Bell Harbor Classic Weekend" data-vars-click-url="https://cya.wildapricot.org/" data-vars-content-id="d45c8b37-7d47-4607-8d14-a7a67b6599ad" data-vars-headline="Tour Seattle&#x27;s historic wooden yachts this weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://cya.wildapricot.org/" target="_blank">Bell Harbor Classic Weekend</a> is offering free public tours of about 40 historic wooden yachts moored along Seattle&#x27;s waterfront.

What to do for Juneteenth in Seattle this week

Free museum admission, live music, food vendors and family activities are on tap this week.

Friday is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Juneteenth" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/15/juneteenth-holiday-day-off-where" data-vars-content-id="c430930e-fda4-488e-b5ea-1079b836185e" data-vars-headline="What to do for Juneteenth in Seattle this week" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/06/15/juneteenth-holiday-day-off-where" target="_self">Juneteenth</a>, which commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States. <ul><li>Across Seattle, you&#x27;ll find community festivals, live music, cultural programming and family-friendly events celebrating the holiday.</li></ul>

Low tides expose Puget Sound wonders

Negative tides through Friday are exposing tide pools, eelgrass beds and coastal wildlife.

Puget Sound&#x27;s lowest tides of the year arrived this week, exposing beaches, tide pools and marine life that are normally hidden underwater.Driving the news: Negative tides expose eelgrass beds and tide pools where visitors can spot sea stars, sea anemones, crabs, moon snails and other coastal critters.

More car-free weekends hit Lake Washington Boulevard

The summer boulevard closures now span 15 weekends, with a break for Seafair on Aug. 1-2.

Walkers, runners and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="bicyclists" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2023/10/16/cycling-data-statistics" data-vars-content-id="c1c7a336-d90f-43ca-a19d-c81e64f86431" data-vars-headline="More car-free weekends hit Lake Washington Boulevard" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2023/10/16/cycling-data-statistics" target="_self">bicyclists</a> will have a stretch of Lake Washington Boulevard to themselves every weekend this summer, boosting the number of days when the scenic road is closed to cars.Why it matters: The expansion of the city&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Bicycle Weekends program" data-vars-click-url="https://wilson.seattle.gov/2026/04/13/mayor-wilson-announces-summer-schedule-for-bicycle-weekends-on-lake-washington-boulevard/" data-vars-content-id="c1c7a336-d90f-43ca-a19d-c81e64f86431" data-vars-headline="More car-free weekends hit Lake Washington Boulevard" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://wilson.seattle.gov/2026/04/13/mayor-wilson-announces-summer-schedule-for-bicycle-weekends-on-lake-washington-boulevard/" target="_blank">Bicycle Weekends program</a> is part of Mayor Katie Wilson&#x27;s push to prioritize pedestrians and non-vehicle traffic on the lakefront route.

Broke in Seattle? Try these cheap weekend ideas

From Folklife to ferry rides, here are some Seattle outings that won't wreck your budget.

Guides

I&#x27;m feeling broke. Other people are feeling broke. <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Gas" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/04/02/washington-gas-prices-10-dollars-gallon-strait-of-hormuz-oil-supply-iran-war" data-vars-content-id="07647d9e-146b-42f0-8c8f-76e8446f1b53" data-vars-headline="Broke in Seattle? Try these cheap weekend ideas" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/04/02/washington-gas-prices-10-dollars-gallon-strait-of-hormuz-oil-supply-iran-war" target="_self">Gas</a> is hovering around <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="$6 a gallon" data-vars-click-url="https://www.gasbuddy.com/usa/wa" data-vars-content-id="07647d9e-146b-42f0-8c8f-76e8446f1b53" data-vars-headline="Broke in Seattle? Try these cheap weekend ideas" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.gasbuddy.com/usa/wa" target="_blank">$6 a gallon</a> and a staycation may be about all some of us can pull off right now.Why it matters: Thankfully, many of Seattle&#x27;s most iconic experiences are still available for free — or almost free — if you know where to look.

How whiskey tastings became our Mother's Day tradition

She smoked cigars in Rome, ate raw mussels in Naples and taught me that adventure never ages.

Food and Drink

<figure><img alt="Two women take a selfie in a bright cafe, smiling. Left: curly-haired woman with red glasses; right: blonde with sunglasses on her head. A child and wine glasses are in the foreground." height="2468" id="110eb59b-01eb-4b92-8c66-96f949811072" src="https://images.axios.com/tqjER12dO_B9mAie2vGV5MjoZog=/2026/05/06/1778092581334.jpeg" width="3779"/><figcaption>Cheers to Mom. Photo: Melissa Santos/Axios</figcaption></figure>My mom prefers that I celebrate her not with flowers, but with scotch.Nineteen years ago, she came to visit me while I was studying abroad — and promptly asked if she could smoke a cigar on the bedroom balcony of my Italian apartment. I&#x27;d never seen her smoke a cigar in my life.<ul><li>She&#x27;s been surprising me ever since.</li></ul>

New Sasquatch ride roars to life along Elliott Bay

Don your virtual reality headset and go hunt Bigfoot, just steps away from the Seattle Great Wheel.

<figure><img alt="A GIF of Sasquatch roaring and moving his hands and feet outside a mountain-themed ride." height="450" id="c53ab36d-09c5-4b3f-8440-eb86ada58e72" src="https://images.axios.com/kwCFfJ1_e8Rh0UcggfJdFiafruU=/2026/05/04/1777928336863.gif" width="800"/><figcaption>Sasquatch roars outside the Sasquatch Mountain ride on Seattle&#x27;s waterfront. Video: Melissa Santos/Axios</figcaption></figure>Head to the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Seattle waterfront" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/01/09/waterfront-park-draws-millions-in-debut-season" data-vars-content-id="9d3bb5e7-c9cc-484c-9f58-6314172b9480" data-vars-headline="New Sasquatch ride roars to life along Elliott Bay" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/01/09/waterfront-park-draws-millions-in-debut-season" target="_self">Seattle waterfront</a> and you&#x27;ll find people waiting to take selfies with a roaring Sasquatch that towers over passersby.The big picture: The animatronic Bigfoot welcomes people to a new virtual reality ride, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Sasquatch Mountain" data-vars-click-url="https://sasquatchmountain.com/" data-vars-content-id="9d3bb5e7-c9cc-484c-9f58-6314172b9480" data-vars-headline="New Sasquatch ride roars to life along Elliott Bay" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://sasquatchmountain.com/" target="_blank">Sasquatch Mountain</a> — one of a growing number of attractions on Seattle&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="revamped" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2025/03/06/waterfront-projects-seattle-construction-playground-opening" data-vars-content-id="9d3bb5e7-c9cc-484c-9f58-6314172b9480" data-vars-headline="New Sasquatch ride roars to life along Elliott Bay" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2025/03/06/waterfront-projects-seattle-construction-playground-opening" target="_self">revamped</a> Elliott Bay promenade.

Seattle's Super Bowl parade could draw a million fans

Up to 1 million fans are expected along Fourth Avenue as the Hawks celebrate downtown on Wednesday.

Up to 1 million people are expected to line Fourth Avenue on Wednesday as <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Seahawks fans" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/02/09/seattle-seahawks-super-bowl-street-celebration-pioneer-square" data-vars-content-id="cbc392a4-4783-481e-af7a-0a08d35fa1c8" data-vars-headline="Seattle&#x27;s Super Bowl parade could draw a million fans" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/02/09/seattle-seahawks-super-bowl-street-celebration-pioneer-square" target="_self">Seahawks fans</a> flock to celebrate the team&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Super Bowl championship" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/02/09/super-bowl-lx-results-seahawks-patriots" data-vars-content-id="cbc392a4-4783-481e-af7a-0a08d35fa1c8" data-vars-headline="Seattle&#x27;s Super Bowl parade could draw a million fans" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/seattle/2026/02/09/super-bowl-lx-results-seahawks-patriots" target="_self">Super Bowl championship</a> with a parade running through the core of the city.Driving the news: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="parade" data-vars-click-url="https://www.seahawks.com/super-bowl-lx/parade/" data-vars-content-id="cbc392a4-4783-481e-af7a-0a08d35fa1c8" data-vars-headline="Seattle&#x27;s Super Bowl parade could draw a million fans" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.seahawks.com/super-bowl-lx/parade/" target="_blank">parade</a> begins at 11am, starting near Lumen Field, traveling north up Fourth Avenue and ending near the Seattle Center.

Things to Do 🗓

Pocket guide to Seattle's big Pride weekend

Seattle's famous naked bike parade rides again

Tour Seattle's historic wooden yachts this weekend

What to do for Juneteenth in Seattle this week

Low tides expose Puget Sound wonders