July 26th and 27th: Ballard SeafoodFest in Seattle, Washington

The northwest Seattle neighborhood of Ballard is changing, but they’re still proud of their Scandinavian heritage; the motto of the Ballard SeafoodFest is “Feed your inner Viking!”  One way you can do that would be to enter the lutefisk eating contest.  A more satisfying, if less Scandinavian, way to feed yourself would be to attend the Alder-Smoked Salmon Barbecue, or to visit some of the many food vendors, all of whom are required to offer at least one seafood item.  There’ll also be a beer and wine garden serving up local wines and brews.  And there’s a watermelon-eating contest for kids.

Live music? There’ll be bands playing everything from bluegrass and lounge swing to funk-grass and Tex-Mex.  The family stage will feature clowns, puppets, and marionettes.  For further information, see the festival website.