May opens with the area's annual Armed Forces Day Parade and Viking Fest, and summer won't be far behind. That means festival season is coming to the Kitsap Peninsula. Here's a guide to a selection of the celebrations, music festivals, fireworks and more to start planning what you'll stay busy with this May through Labor Day weekend.
May
Bremerton Night Market: This monthly summer event brings artisans, food trucks, live music and more to the Bremerton Boardwalk for a series of evenings outdoors to get to know your community, beginning at 5 and running until 9 p.m. Fridays; May 2, June 6, July 11
Korean Heritage Festival on Bainbridge Island: Kitsap's first annual Korean Heritage Night will take place at Woodward Middle School from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Part of Bainbridge Island's Asian Arts and Heritage Festival, the event will feature Korean dance, martial arts, poetry, a Hanbok fashion show, and more to celebrate Korean culture and raise awareness about mental health. Thursday, May 8
Viking Fest: The annual celebration of Nordic heritage will take place in downtown Poulsbo over an entire weekend. The parade on Front Street, always a highlight, is at 2 p.m. on Saturday, beginning on 6th Avenue and Fjord Drive and ending at Martha & Mary. Visitors can hear live music along the waterfront, participate in a street dance Saturday night, enjoy the street fair and other events tied to the community's traditions and culture in the town known as Little Norway. Friday, May 16 through Sunday, May 18
Armed Forces Day Parade: The Great Kitsap Chamber willhost Bremerton's 78th annual Armed Forces Day Parade in downtown Bremerton. Every year, people visit Bremerton and line the streets to celebrate the Armed Forces in this Navy town with a parade featuring hundreds of entries at 10 a.m., preceded by with the annual pancake breakfast and followed by a Heroes BBQ. Saturday, May 17
Kitsap Demolition Derby: The summer series at the Kitsap County Fairground's Thunderbird Stadium opens in May and runs through September. Racers run the figure eight around the dirt and see which car emerges from the crashes, so hold on to your seat. Each event runs from 5 p.m. until around 9 p.m. Saturdays, on May 17, May 31, June 14, July 12, July 26 and September 13.
Mosquito Fleet Fest: The second annual festival celebrating ferry history and future is on the Port Orchard waterfront for Memorial Day weekend. Named for the former fleet of small ferries that plied the waters around the Kitsap Peninsula, activities included a ticketed ride aboard the historic Carlisle II vessel, for $10, with a narration by former Kitsap Sun reporter Josh Farley. There are also book sales, a famer's market, a maritime-themed market, family fun zone and an "artist's alley" off Bay Street. A panel discussion of ferries is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, and the city's longtime seagull calling contest is at 1 p.m. Sunday. Saturday, May 24 and Sunday, May 25
Japanese Heritage Night: As part of Bainbridge Island's Asian Arts and Heritage Festival, the Japanese Heritage Night will do a screening of "One Fighting Irishman" followed by a panel discussion with the director, Sharon Yamato, flying from Los Angeles. The event will be hosted at Lynwood Theater on Bainbridge Island from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, May 28.
Asian Arts and Heritage Festival Finale: The Asian Arts and Heritage Festival Finale will celebrate the completion of the month-long festival on Bainbridge Island, honoring the richness of Asian cultures through a series of events in May. Attendees can visit interactive booths, a kids' zone with crafts and games, and enjoy various performance, such as Mongolian throat singers, a Chinese orchestra, kung fu demos, Filipino folk dancing, Japanese harp players, and taiko drummers. Food vendors will include AK Island Lumpia, Smoked Asian BBQ, Sauce Nouvelle, Teriyaki Town, Green Pot Deli and Sushi-Ko. The finale will be hosted at the Filipino American Community Hall on 7566 High School Road, Bainbridge Island, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 31.
June
Wayzgoose Kitsap: The eighth edition of this community arts festival has moved across the Warren Avenue Bridge and will be held at the Sheridan Park Community Center in Bremerton. Once again there will be all kinds of art, live music, food and activities, and a large linoleum carving to be printed live when the steamroller is warmed up. Starts at 9 a.m. and lasts all day. Saturday, June 7
Kingston Pirate Festival: The third edition of this community event on the waterfront features music, entertainment and fun with a swashbuckling theme. The Pirates of Puget Sound, a local historical reenactment group, will perform live-action role-playing throughout the day and involve kids in stories and activities. There is also a beer garden and plenty of booths at Mike Wallace Park from 10 a.m. until dark. Saturday, June 7
Kitsap Juneteenth Freedom Festival: The event in Bremerton, now more than 20 years old, against marks Black history and unity in the community at Evergreen Rotary Park. Take part in the People's March or join for fellowship and food all afternoon. Saturday, June 14
Juneteenth Block Party: A block party will be held on the federal Juneteenth holiday, a Thursday this year, all afternoon outdoor at the Perry Ave Mall, 2901 Perry Avenue in Bremerton. The event includes a DJ, soul line dancing, face painting for kids and a bounce house, food trucks and a beer garden, from 1 to 5 p.m. Thursday, June 19
Kitsap Medieval Faire: Recreate scenes from the Middle Ages or just be entertained by demonstrations of martial arts and artisans, along with period food and more, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds. Saturday, June 21
Kitsap Fest: A free, family friendly day at Silverdale's Waterfront Park will have a range of activities and entertainment, hosted by the Live Well Kitsap organization. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. there will be kids activities, a live DJ, food trucks, and a series of vendors and resources focused on wellness. Saturday, June 21
Bainbridge Pride Fest: The island's event to mark Pride month takes place at Waterfront Park in Winslow, with a drag hour to kick things off and music and dancing beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 21
Bremerton Bridge Blast: The annual fireworks display precedes the Fourth of July by lighting up the night sky above the Manette Bridge at 10:15 p.m. Official viewing areas are on either side of Port Washington Narrows, along the Bremerton Boardwalk and Evergreen Rotary Park or at Whitey Domstad Park and along 11th Street in Manette. Visitors can enjoy live music starting at 11 a.m. on the boardwalk and food vendors and entertainment will be at Evergreen Rotary Park from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 28
Fourth of July fireworks and festivals
Grand Old 4th of July on Bainbridge Island: The Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce and City of Bainbridge Island again host annual full-day celebration on the Fourth of July, a Friday this summer. There are activities on Winslow Way all day, including the always fun Hometown Parade at 1 p.m., a street fair, a family fun zone at Waterfront Park, and the car show.
Kingston Fourth of July: The Kingston celebration include the annual Tiny Town at Mike Wallace Park, a community pancake breakfast, parade, free hot dogs for kids, music festival, beer/wine/spirits tent, and the fireworks display to celebrate Independence Day.
Fireworks over Sinclair Inlet: The annual display from Port Orchard, part of the city's Fathoms O' Fun festival, takes place on Saturday, July 5.
July
Bremerton Air Show: This year's Bremerton Air Show will feature the KC-135 Demonstration Team, based out of Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane County, as well as the West Coast C-17 Demo Teamfrom Joint Base Lewis-McChord and more classic aircraft. The gates at Bremerton National Airport open at 10 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. July 12 and 13
Olalla Lavender Festival: Explore venues around scenic South Kitsap in this weekend festival, back for its second edition in 2025. Visitors can chose different "journeys" -- from foodie to self-care to creativity -- and look around farms, and of course gather at the Olalla Grange, a community central point, for music, food trucks, classes and more. July 12 and 13
Kitsap Pride: Now nearly 30 years old, Kitsap's annual celebration of and for the LGBTQ+ community has the theme of "Unite" for this year's edition. Music, food, vendors and more are part of the afternoon events at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds, starting at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 19
Kitsap Tattoo Convention: The Kitsap Tattoo Convention will take place at the Kitsap Sun Pavilion at the fairgrounds, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Visitors can expect activities including live tattooing, food trucks, music, skateboard competition, and more. July 19 and 20
Whaling Days: Silverdale's annual parade and street fair will be back, including fireworks to kick off the summer weekend of fun on Friday night. The parade takes over Silverdale Way on Saturday morning, and Old Town will be full of vendors, street food and a beer garden near the entertainment stage, with headliners soon to be announced. July 25, 26 and 27
August
Taste of Kitsap: More than 20 food vendors will compete for awards voted on by attendees at the two-day festival at the Bremerton Boardwalk. Live music and a beer garden are part of the fun as well. Friday, August 1 and Saturday, August 2
Manette Edible Garden Tour: Bremerton's every other year tour of neighborhood gardens starts at 10 a.m., offering residents and visitors four hours to wander and pick up ideas in local backyards, from edible landscapes to chicken coops and more creativity. Saturday, August 2
Crosby Days: The 41st annual edition of the logging festival in the small community on Kitsap's west side. The Crosby Community Center, 2135 Christopher Road in Seabeck, becomes home to logging competitions, food, music and vendors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, August 9
Puget Sound Book Festival: This outdoor book fair on the shores of Sinclair Inlet is now in its third year. Come to the Bremerton Boardwalk to see books for sale by local shops, meet authors and hang out in the beer garden or with food vendors, from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, August 10
The Cruz: The annual car show that takes over the Port Orchard waterfront nearly moved, but it will be back on Bay Street the second Sunday in August, sponsored by The Saints. Come to check out the classics, enter raffles to win, and visit food and vendor trucks. Sunday, August 10
Kitsap County Fair and Stampede: This year's Kitsap County Fair and Stampede has a new theme, "Barn in the USA," but all the classics will return. Enjoy the nightly rodeo, highlighted by a visit by the Xtreme Bulls on Sunday, animal displays and other competitions, the history barn, concerts on the fairgrounds lawn, food and drink booths and carnival rides. August 20 through 24
Kitsap Blues Festival: The second edition of this music festival at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds will feature headliners "Kingfish" Ingram and Eric Gales. The three-day event is for ages 21 and up, and music lovers can park RVs and stay to listen, visit the BBQ or beer garden and hang out all weekend. Performances are scheduled to start Friday at 7 p.m., according to organizers the Admiral Theatre and Kitsap Fair and Stampede Association. August 29 through 31
Bremerton Blackberry Festival: Come to celebrate all things "blackberry" around the Bremerton Harborside and on Second Street downtown over three days. Listen to live music and other entertainment acts, visit more than 150 vendors on the boardwalk, sample beer or blackberry wine, to celebrate the end of summer. August 30 through September 1.
Do you have a summer festival we've missed? Email sunnews@kitsapsun.com with the details and we'll add you to the calendar!
