Putting together a list of the best things to do in Seattle in November was easier than you might think. Granted the days are colder, around the mid-40s-50s, and the sun sets around 4:30 PM, but the city more than makes up for it with Christmas lights and holiday spirit to boot.
As fall merges into winter, the city suddenly comes alive with local craft fairs encouraging shopping small over the holidays, and local businesses are all too eager to put on events to attract locals and holiday travelers. There’s even a fair number of hikes to do if you don’t mind layering up.
To make sense of all there is to do in November in Seattle, I’ve compiled a list of the must-do activities regardless if you’re a local or a visitor!
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Best Things to Do in Seattle in November
Save this list to Pinterest for later, as I’ll update it when I discover more of the best Seattle November events! For a snapshot of more fun activities, check out my Seattle events calendar.
Celebrate the Day of the Dead
The day after Halloween is Día de los Muertos, a Mexican holiday dedicated to celebrating passed loved ones through festivities. Here are some can’t miss Día de los Muertos festivals happening around Seattle:
- Phinney Ridge (Nov 1, free)
- Shoreline (Nov 1, free)
- Downtown Seattle (Nov 1-2, $45pp)
- Tacoma Art Museum (Nov 2, free)
- Seattle Art Museum (Nov 6, free)
Experience Seattle Restaurant Week
website | neighborhood: various | dates: Oct 26- Nov 8 | price: ~$20-65pp | best for: experiencing new restaurants
One of the best things to do in Seattle in November is partake in Seattle Restaurant Week. SRW is a chance for locals and visitors to sample from a range of food trucks, pop-ups, and restaurants across Seattle at a discounted price. Over two weeks, participating restaurants curate menus from $25-$65 per person. It’s the perfect excuse to try Seattle hidden gems you haven’t gotten around to prioritizing.
Check out my roundup of favorite spots to try on Instagram.
Grab a bite at a food & drink festival
Seattle is a big-time foodie city, so there’s always a food and drink festival around the corner. November is no exception. Here are some not to miss:
- Brewallup (Nov 1, ~$45pp) – Puyallup brewery festival
- Uncorked (Nov 1, ~$50pp) – Taproot Theatre’s wine fundraiser
- Fall Harvest Chef Dinner & Demo (Nov 1, ~$150pp) – Wine dinner at Chateau Ste. Michelle
- Salut Mes Amis! (Nov 2) – Oysters and wine at Le Caviste
- Pour (Nov 7, ~$40pp) – Wine tasting event put on by Seattle’s urban wineries
- Wine Festival (Nov 7, ~$100pp) – French-American Business Awards and wine celebration
- Queen Anne Wine Walk (Nov 8, ~$35pp) – Sip while you shop at participating boutiques
- Winter Beer Taste (Nov 8, ~$15+ pp) – 30+ local breweries sampling their winter ales
- Oyster New Year (Nov 8, ~$175+ pp) – Elliott Oyster House’s annual oyster event
- Oysters & Bubbly (Nov 8, ~$35pp) – Bottlehouse’s sparkling wine and bivalve event
- Snohomish Brewfest (Nov 8, ~$35+) – Beer festival featuring local craft brews
- Mt. Baker Wine Tasting (Nov 8, ~$25+) – Sip around this south Seattle neighborhood
- Seattle Eats Live (Nov 10, ~$20 pp) – Learn what being a food critic is like
- Podere Ruggeri Corsini Wine Dinner (Nov 14, ~$159 pp) – Italian feast at Spinasse
- Stock the Cellar (Nov 15, ~$20pp) – Wine tasting event and discounted bottle sale
- Gilman Village Winterfest (Nov 15, ~$35+ pp) – Wintry wine festival
- Omiyage Japanese Celebration (Nov 15) – A day of art, sound, and stories at Sairen Seattle in the C-ID
- Elk’s Holiday Brewfest (Nov 15, ~$33+ pp) – Head to McMenamin’s in Tacoma for this beer festival
- Seattle Salmon Week (Nov 17-23) – Try Bristol Bay Sockeye Salmon at participating restaurants
- Club Cork & Culture (Nov 18, ~$20pp) – Sip wine and snack at Surrell
- Bid for Bottles Auction (online Nov 18-22) – Wine auction benefiting Seattle Children’s, WSU’s wine program, and VITAL Wines
- Northwest Noveau (Nov 20, ~$30pp) – Wine tasting inspired by France’s Beaujolais Nouveau Day
- Georgetown Farmers Market (Nov 20) – One-day only version of this popular summer market
- Whiskies of the World (Nov 22, ~$99+ pp) – Sip whiskies from around the world
- Dim Sum & the Disco (Nov 26, ~$50pp) – Dim sum dinner and dance party at Harry’s Fine Foods in Cap Hill
- Mimosa Walk (Nov 29, ~$35pp) – Sip mimosas while you shop in Burien
- Holiday Sip & Savor Tour (Nov 29, ~$85pp) – Sample tasty treats and libations at Pike Place Market
Go on a food crawl
There are only so many meals in a day, so knowing where to prioritize your time is crucial. Save yourself the stress and do one of my self-guided food tours. Updated regularly, they include tips on when to go and what to order, along with some fun facts and honorable mentions so you can customize your experience.
Rather have an in-person tour? Check out one of these curated food & beverage tours:
- The Original Food and Culture Tour of Pike Place Market
- The Seattle Coffee Tour
- Secret Food Tours
- Seattle Chocolate Tour
Enjoy a Thanksgiving meal
Obviously one of the best things to do in Seattle in November…hell, anywhere…is stuff your face with turkey. If you’re visiting over Thanksgiving or don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen making my famous sourdough stuffing, let a local restaurant do the labor for you.
Of course you can always head to Chinatown-International District or one of the many Chinese food spots in Seattle for a meal, as most are open on Thanksgiving. Or enjoy a traditional T-Day meal at one of these spots.
Take-home meals
All of these require pre-orders in advance to secure your meal.
- Bang Bang Cafe (Downtown) – A la carte T-Day pies
- Bluewater Bistro (Leschi) – ~$195+ turkey or prime rib meal for 6
- Copine (Ballard) – ~$140 feast for 2, plus optional add-ons
- Dahlia Bakery (Downtown) – A la carte dessert and sides
- DeLille (U-District or Woodinville) – ~$159-$299 side dish packages for 4-8
- DERU Market (Kirkland) – A la carte Thanksgiving entrees, sides, and desserts
- Duke’s Seafood (SLU) – ~$60 chowders to serve 12
- Ethan Stowell (SODO) – ~$275 feast that feeds 6-8
- Fairmont (Downtown) – ~$235-425 spread for 4-8
- Flora Bakehouse (Beacon Hill) – A la carte baked goods and desserts
- Here Today (Downtown) – ~$70-$200 meals for 2-6 people
- Hood Famous (Chinatown-ID) – A la carte cheesecakes
- Jack’s BBQ (all locations) – Texan-style a la carte smoked turkey and sides
- Kau Kau (Chinatown-ID)- Roast turkey by the pound
- Kricket Club (Ravenna) – ~$100-$299 feast for 2 to 10, plus a la carte add-on
- Lady Grey Cake (Pioneer Sq) – Whole cakes for ~$75
- Layers Green Lake – ~$60 family-sized pop tart for 12-16
- Le Coin (Fremont) – ~$375 Thanksgiving kit for 4-6
- Lockspot Cafe (Ballard) – A la carte entrees, sides, and desserts
- Maddy’s Bakeshop (Queen Anne) – A la carte baked goods
- Mission Cantina (West Seattle) – $185 for 4 (vegan available)
- Next Level Burger (Ballard) & Veggie Grill (U-District/Downtown) – ~$150 vegan meal for 4-6
- Oh…macarons (Bothell) – ~$39 Thanksgiving macaron cake
- Outsider BBQ (Fremont) – A la carte BBQ meats and sides
- The Pastry Project (Pioneer Square) – Frozen, unbaked cinnamon rolls
- Pie Bird (Ballard) – ~$42 take-home pies
- Salvadorean Bakery (White Center) – ~$139-169 feast for a crowd
- Simply Soulful (Central District) – ~$100-275 for 2-8, plus a la carte add-ons
- Spice Waala (Ballard, Cap Hill, Columbia City) – ~$28 whole tandoori chicken + a la carte sides
- That Brown Girl Cooks (Central District) – ~$180-360 for 2-4, plus a la carte add-ons
- Triumph Valley (Shoreline) – ~$60-90 Chinese take home feasts for 6
- W Seattle (Downtown) – ~$140 take-home feast for 2
- Zylberschtein’s (Lake City) – A la carte pies
Dine-in Thanksgiving Day
- 13 Coins Restaurant (Pioneer Sq & Sea-Tac) – A la carte
- Ascend Prime Steak & Sushi (Bellevue) – ~$145/adult, $40/kid for cart brunch buffet
- Ben Paris (Downtown) – ~$95/adult, $55/kid Thanksgiving buffet
- Brown’s Stockyard Exchange (Redmond) – ~$35/adult, $18/kid T-Day spread
- Cafe Flora (Madison Valley) – ~$88/adult, $28/kid for 4-course dinner
- Cedar & Elm (Kenmore) – ~$115pp for 3-course family style meal
- Copperleaf (Sea-Tac) – ~$125/adult, ~$40/kid for buffet
- Daniel’s Broiler (Downtown, SLU, Bellevue, Leschi) – ~$75-95/adult, ~$10-40/kid for 4 courses
- Goldfinch Tavern (Downtown) – ~$165/adult, ~$70/kid for 3 courses
- La Loba (SLU) – ~$175/adult, $70/kid under 12 modern Thanksgiving pre fixe
- Lola (Downtown) – ~$75/adult, $45/kid for 4-course meal
- Maximilien (Downtown) – ~$110pp for 5 courses. Live accordion music from 5-7 pm.
- Salish Lodge & Spa (Snoqualmie) – ~$135+/adult, $30/kid for 3 courses
- Stella at Hotel Sorrento (First Hill) – ~$90pp Thanksgiving feast
- Thanksgiving Day Cruise (SLU) – ~$120/adult, $85/kid for a buffet and boat ride
- Tibbitts at Fernhill (Tacoma) – Free community meal
- Tuscany’s (Des Moines) – ~$30-35pp Thanksgiving buffet
- Water’s Table (Renton) – ~$125/adult for 4 courses. Kids a la carte menu.
Order uncooked meats to cook at home
If you prefer to cook at home, here are options for pre-ordering a turkey from a local business:
- Beast & Cleaver (Loyal Heights) – ~$215 locally-sourced large turkey to cook at home
- PCC Markets (various locations) – Turkey, ham, roast beef, and salmon priced per pound
Other options in November
If you have plans on Thanksgiving day, there are some options throughout the month:
- Jarlsgiving community feast at Skål Beer Hall (Nov 13)
- Share Our Table Friendsgiving at Salish Lodge with Sparkman Cellars (Nov 15)
- #EverybodyGottaEat at Metier Brewing will have free Thanksgiving meals (Nov 22)
- Thanksgiving Community Potluck at Phinney Neighborhood Association (Nov 27)
- Leftovers Can Wait Chef Dinner at De La Soil in Kenmore (Nov 28)
Attend a craft fair or shopping event
Seattle is famous for celebrating local makers year round, but the holidays are especially good for discovering them because of all the Seattle Christmas markets. Here are some some of my faves that kick off the season in November:
- Best of the NW Fall Show (Nov 7-9, $15+ pp) – 115+ local artists, food trucks, and raffle prizes
- Fall Foliage Festival & Plant Sale (Nov 8) – The Rhododendron Botanical Garden’s annual sale
- Des Moines Waterfront Holiday Bazaar (Nov 8) – The area farmers market’s holiday event
- Weird Creepmas (Nov 8) – Market full of oddities and creepy gifts
- Fashion in Flight (Nov 8, ~$89pp) – A fashion show takes over the Museum of Flight
- Gobble Up (Nov 15, $2pp) – Food-focused fair with artisanal pantry staples
- Columbia City Night Market (Nov 15) – Monthly market uplifting BIPOC makers
- UW Makers Fair (Nov 18-19) – Featuring artists from the UW community
- Fremont Night Market (Nov 20) – Shop local vendors in the quirky Fremont neighborhood
- Viking Evening Market (Nov 21) – Local meadery’s monthly makers market
- Renegade Craft Fair (Nov 22-23, $5 suggested entry) – 180+ artists selling curated goodies
- Geek Craft Expo (Nov 29-30, $2+ pp) – Nerdy handmade goods for the geek in your life
Embrace the holidays with Christmas activities
True Christmas lovers know not to wait until Thanksgiving is over to celebrate the best time of the year. So one of the best things to do in Seattle in November is to start taking advantage of all the Seattle Christmas activities going on. Here’s what’s happening this month:
- Wild Lanterns (Nov 14-Jan 18, ~$35+ pp) – Explore the zoo illuminated with light sculptures
- Seattle’s Christmas Market (Nov 20-Dec 24, ~$15pp) – European-style market with 60+ artisan huts
- Julefest (Nov 21-23, ~$5+ pp) – Christmas market modeled after the ones in Nordic countries
- Festival of Trees (Nov 22, ~$350pp) – Gala for Seattle Children’s where you bid on designer trees
- Winterfest (Nov 28-Dec 31, free) – Ice skating, holiday performances, and lights
- Christmas Ship Festival Cruise (Nov 28-Dec 24, $63+ pp) – Enjoy a boat ride lit up by twinkling lights
See a performance
With theaters and venues on every corner, there’s always a live performance happening in Seattle. Here are the ones I’m excited about in November:
- Earshot Jazz (Oct 10-Nov 2)
- Chicago (Oct 22-Nov 2)
- Disney on Ice (Oct 30-Nov 2)
- Freakout Festival (Nov 6-9)
- Sleeping Beauty Light & Dance Show (Nov 13)
- The Great Gatsby Ballet (Nov 16)
- Dream Show Cabaret & Wine (Nov 18)
- 9 to 5 (Everett, Nov 18-Dec 28)
- Can Can Wonderland (Nov 20-Jan 4)
- Trans-Siberian Orchestra (Nov 22)
- Nutcracker (Nov 28-Dec 28)
Have fun at a cultural festival
Each month the Seattle Center hosts free cultural festivals as a way for the community to learn and embrace one of its many cultures. In November, there’s the Día de Muertos Festival (Nov 1-2) and the Hmong New Year celebration (Nov 8).
In addition to the Seattle Center events, there’s also:
- Polish Fall Bazaar (Nov 1) – Food, activities, and performances
- Bunka no Hi (Nov 2) – Japanese culture day of fun festivities
- Odunde Festival (Nov 14-16) – Celebration of African music, dance, and food
Attend an orchestra concert by candlelight
Celebrate the holidays in style with a candlelight orchestra featuring your favorite cover band. Catch covers of Queen x ABBA (Nov 13 & 30), Bad Bunny (Nov 22 & 29), and The Beatles (Nov 23).
See a band
Embrace Seattle’s music scene and catch a live performance from your favorite musical talent. Here are some that are on my list to watch for:
- The Faint (Nov 4)
- Portugal the Man (Nov 9)
- DOECHII (Nov 10)
- Jack’s Mannequin (Nov 19)
- Kottonmouth Kings (Nov 20)
- Bryan Adams (Nov 21)
Go leaf peeping
As fall nears to a close, there’s still time to hunt for the best fall foliage in Seattle. While hike for larches is over by this time of year, there are still plenty of fabulous fall colors in November.
Catch a game
While summer sports season is cloed, it’s not too late to catch a Kraken (hockey), Seahawks (pro football), or Huskies (college football) game. Tickets sell out quickly around this time of year, so get them in advance!
Take a hike on a free admission day
In honor of Veterans Day (Nov 11), both state and national parks will be offering free admission. State parks will also have free admission on November 29 for Autumn Day, so grab a puffy and plan your hikes around Seattle!
Go wine tasting or on a brewery crawl
Seattle knows their way around craft beer bars, and even when the weather is less than optimal, many breweries make up for it with heated outdoor seating and winter-inspired ales. Check out my guide to the best Seattle breweries for ideas of where to go, or go on a crawl of my favorite Ballard breweries.
If you’re up for a short drive, you can spend the day wine tasting at any of Woodinville’s 130+ tasting rooms.
Visit a museum on their free days
I’m always on the hunt for free things to do in Seattle. Most museums offer at least one free day a month so visitors can get a dose of culture without spending an arm and a leg. These museums offer free admission on the first Thursday of every month (November 7):
- Seattle Art Museum
- Seattle Asian Art Museum
- National Nordic Museum – Must be reserved in advance
- Museum of History and Industry – 5-8 PM
- Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
- Henry Art Gallery – Suggested donation of $20 on other days
- Museum of Flight – 5-9 PM
- Volunteer Park Conservatory – Also on the first Saturday (Nov 2) for kids under 12
- Washington Park Arboretum Walking Tour – 11:30 AM-1 PM
- Seattle Japanese Garden – Free tour at 1 PM
These free Seattle museums that charge no admission every day:
- Frye Art Museum
- Olympic Sculpture Park
- Center for Wooden Boats
- The Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center
- Klondike Gold Rush Museum
- Center on Contemporary Art
Want to visit a children’s museum sans kids? Camp Yelp lets adults feel nostalgic with camp activities at Imagine Children’s Museum in Everett on November 3. Entry is free!
Forage for mushrooms
When you have nearly nine months of rain, you gotta reap the rewards somehow. In this case, it’s Seattle’s abundance of wild mushrooms.
Forage Seattle offers guided tours around the Seattle area. You’ll learn how to identify edible mushrooms and differentiate them from tricky lookalikes. Plus, you’re guaranteed to walk away with at least a handful of shrooms (even if you don’t find any).
Attend a cat convention
website | neighborhood: Downtown (get directions) | dates: Nov 1-2 | price: ~$28+ pp | best for: cat lovers
This convention is for the crazy cat lady in your life. It’s a weekend dedicated to celebrating all there is to love about cats. There will be food vendors, education booths, retailers, and, yes, actual cats.
Geek out at Geek Girl Con
website | neighborhood: First Hill (get directions) | dates: Nov 8-9 | price: ~$45pp (kid discounts availble) | best for: celebrating girls in gaming & tech
Geek Girl Con is an inclusive environment celebrating the legacies of women in science, technology, comics, art, and gaming. There will be panels, retailers, and a DIY Science Zone for kids to conduct experiments with the help of legit scientists.
Learn at the Children’s Business Fair
website | neighborhood: Renton (get directions) | dates: Nov 22 | price: free | best for: educational kids activity
Citizens Academy is hosting the Children’s Business Fair, a chance for kids to learn the ins and outs of running their own business. They’ll have the chance to develop a brand, create a product or service, build a marketing strategy, and finally open for customers at the one-day marketplace.
Visit the Seattle Auto Show
website | neighborhood: Downtown (get directions) | dates: Nov 14-16 | price: ~$20pp | best for: car lovers
If you’ve been dying to know what’s new in the car world, mark your calendars for the Seattle Car Show. It’s geared toward (sorry, no pun intended) what’s new in the industry, especially advancements in electric vehicles. There will even be a career fair for people looking for a career in automotive technology.
More to do around Seattle
After you check out all the best things to do in Seattle in November, check out my guides for more ideas.
