Once the summer food trucks leave and dark comes by late afternoon, what is there to do on a 20-acre park along Elliott Bay? This is the first fall that question applies to the finished park. Friends of Waterfront Park held the full-park grand opening on September 6, 2025. The nonprofit is marking the anniversary with its second annual Dinner with Friends on November 13 at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront, which it describes as a celebration of "the first full year of the completed Waterfront Park." The calendar for the next five months shows how the park plans to handle the off-season. Activity moves to two places. The weekend firepit runs on Pier 62, and the Port of Seattle's Pier 66 hosts the biggest seasonal events.
The Summer Roster Was Spread Across the Whole Park
In summer, food and activity were spread along the whole promenade. The Friends' 2026 vendor roster included Ma & Pops, Animated Cafe, Junbi Seattle, La Mezcala Catering & Food Truck, Seattle Pops, Fairy Dust Paint and Cookies with Tiffany. Junbi, for example, was scheduled for Saturdays at Pier 58 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The fall plan is smaller. In its October 9 season announcement, Friends says rotating Pop-Up Bites vendors will set up at Pier 62 and the Pier 58 Plaza through the fall. It has not published a vendor-by-vendor schedule. The same announcement describes the season as "foggy mornings, cozy gatherings and beautiful sunsets over the Salish Sea." The events it lists cluster at two addresses.
Pier 62 Hosts a Standing Weekend Event
The rebuilt Pier 62 was the first piece of Waterfront Park to open, in 2020. This winter it hosts the park's most regular event. Waterfront Park Firepit Socials return on October 31 and run every Saturday and Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. through March 14. The events calendar describes a large fire pit on the pier, lists the sessions as free, and marks every one "weather permitting."
The series isn't new. The Friends' event photos are from a February 2025 session, so it already ran last winter, before the full park was finished. Since then, the City finished Pier 58, the promenade and the protected bike lane in 2025, and Pier 62 shares weekend afternoons with one of the two Pop-Up Bites locations. The series runs about four and a half months, from Halloween to mid-March. The Friends say to grab "a toasty drink or snack" while you're there.
Pier 66 Hosts the Bigger Seasonal Events
The larger one-off events take place a few blocks north of the firepit. Three of the season's biggest programs are presented with the Port of Seattle and held there.
On Halloween, Spooky Salsa & Boo-Chata turns Pier 66 into a dance floor from 6 to 11 p.m. It is free, it is back for a second year, and it includes professional lessons from Sazón Dance Events plus a costume competition. The firepit's first session on Pier 62 ends at 6 p.m., the same time the dancing starts at Pier 66, so October 31 is the one day both piers' off-season programs run back to back.
In late November, the Bay Auditorium at Pier 66 hosts The Stories Water Keeps, a two-day film series about Indigenous knowledge, maritime history and the changing Seattle waterfront. Each screening is followed by a discussion with guest speakers, including Tribal leaders and maritime professionals. It runs from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 21, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, November 22, and it is free.
The season ends at Pier 66 with the Waterfront Winter Solstice Market on December 19 and 20, featuring local small businesses, food, drink and music. Saturday hours are noon to 6 p.m., and Sunday hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Walking between the two piers is easier this year. In April 2026, the Elliott Bay Connections project opened a new multi-use greenway on Alaskan Way from Virginia Street to Clay Street. It covers the north end of the waterfront, past Bell Street and Pier 66.
| Date | Event | Location | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 25 | Railroad Way Game Day Activations, 21+ | Railroad Way | 10 a.m. start |
| Oct 31 | Spooky Salsa & Boo-Chata | Pier 66 | 6–11 p.m. |
| Oct 31 to Mar 14, weekends | Firepit Socials | Pier 62 | 3–6 p.m. |
| Nov 21–22 | The Stories Water Keeps | Pier 66, Bay Auditorium | Sat noon–8 p.m.; Sun 10 a.m.–6 p.m. |
| Dec 6 | Waterfront Writing Workshop | Pier 56 | noon–3 p.m. |
| Dec 19–20 | Waterfront Winter Solstice Market | Pier 66 | Sat noon–6 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m.–4 p.m. |
The Rest of the Calendar Is About Waterfront History
Many of the remaining fall events are about the waterfront itself. On Thursday, October 22, historian Jennifer Ott leads Uncovering the History of Seattle's Central Waterfront. It is a one-mile tour covering piers, ships, railroads and the people tied to them, starting at 80 S. Main St. from 5:30 to 7 p.m. It is free, but tickets are limited. On Tuesday, November 3, naturalist David B. Williams leads the Secrets of Seattle's Historic Shoreline Walking Tour from Alaskan Way and Lenora Street, 10 a.m. to noon, also free with limited tickets.
On December 6, Owen Oliver, the Friends' first Writer in Residence, leads a Waterfront Writing Workshop at Pier 56. It starts with a talk on site-specific writing and moves into guided writing practice. The film series at Pier 66 covers similar ground, which means a good share of the off-season calendar looks back at how the shoreline was built and used.
The fall also includes community events. Today, October 12, Pier 58 hosts Indigenous Peoples' Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is presented with Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services and features Indigenous vendors and chefs, a kids' story hour and music by local Indigenous artists. On October 25, the Railroad Way Game Day Activations bring food and drinks to fans walking to Lumen Field, starting at 10 a.m. for ages 21 and over.
What Stays Open Between Events
The two-pier schedule covers weekends and a handful of special dates. On weekdays, the park relies on its permanent tenants. According to Friends of Waterfront Park, the park is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Boon Boona Coffee opened its fifth café, at Overlook Walk, on February 7, 2026. Its location page lists the address as 1515 Western Ave. and hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. Dossier Wine Collective was originally slated to share that space. In June 2025, its co-owner told What Now Seattle that it was going in a different direction and looking for another location. Boon Boona is now the café on Overlook Walk, and the elevated walkway, which opened October 4, 2024, connects it to Pike Place Market.
The Seattle Aquarium's Ocean Pavilion welcomed its first visitors on August 29, 2024. The aquarium campus, which includes Pier 59, Pier 60 and the Ocean Pavilion, posts regular hours of 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., with last entry at 5 p.m. The Aquarium Café is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The visit page also lists After Hours evening events at the Ocean Pavilion in November and December, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. It is one of the few evening options on the waterfront this winter outside the firepit.
Molly Moon's Waterfront, in the Washington Street Boat Landing pergola at the park's south end, opened on May 23, 2025, according to the Seattle Times. Its location page currently lists noon to 10 p.m. daily. An ice cream shop may cut back hours in the colder months, so check the page before you go.
For long-running pier restaurants, the Seattle Times waterfront dining guide from summer 2025 lists Ivar's Acres of Clams and Great State Burger at Pier 54, Elliott's Oyster House at Pier 56, The Crab Pot and The Salmon Cooker at Pier 57, Anthony's Pier 66 at the Pier 66 end, and AQUA by El Gaucho at Pier 70. That guide is a 2025 snapshot, so check each restaurant's current winter hours before heading down.
Pier 58 is a different case. It opened July 25, 2025, with a lawn and grove and a marine-themed playground. Its southeast corner holds the restored bronze fountain by James FitzGerald and Margaret Tomkins. Its amenities page says food and drinks are available during most events rather than from a permanent restaurant. Between events and Pop-Up Bites days, it is mainly a park and playground.
The One Piece Still Coming
The City's program overview lists Waterfront Seattle construction as complete in 2025. One item is still pending. The City's current construction updates list the installation of the MTK Matriarchs artwork at Overlook Walk as expected in Winter 2027. That means the artwork won't arrive this season. Before then, the firepit on Pier 62 lights up again on October 31 at 3 p.m.
A completed waterfront affects more than weekend plans. It also changes what the surrounding downtown blocks offer people who live there all year. If you're weighing a Seattle condo near the waterfront against a home on the Eastside, Brian Hopper and his team can show you how a park that stays active through the winter fits into that decision. Request a private market strategy.
