3/12-3/13 Summit West, Snoqualmie Pass
Top pro and amateur snowboarders showcase their abilities in the first ever Ride Shakedown, one of Canada’s most popular snowboarding events, to take place in the United States. (425) 434-7669, www.summitatsnoqualmie.com
Gem and Mineral Show
3/12–3/14 Spokane County Fair and Expo Center
Earth Treasures is the theme of this year’s annual show, presented by the Rock Rollers of Spokane. (509) 276-3992, www.amfed.org/nfms/shows.htm
Crossroads Doll and Teddy Bear Show
3/13–14 Puyallup Fair and Events Center
In addition to a wide selection of dolls and accessories, this show features vintage clothing, jewelry and other collectibles.
3/13–3/14 Seattle Center
The sights and sounds of Irish dance and music fill the air, while artists, vendors and historians share their insight on Celtic culture. (206) 684-7200, www.irishclub.org
Spring Craft and Antique Show
3/18–3/20 Northwest Washington
Fairgrounds, Lynden
Handcrafted treasures inspire design ideas for home and garden in a show that is celebrating its 24th year. (360) 966-5573, www.lyndencraftantiqueshow.com
Big Horn Outdoor Adventure Show
3/18–3/21 Spokane County Fair and Expo Center
A wide array of outdoor-oriented vendors, guides and nonprofit exhibitors capture the spirit of the great outdoors—in an indoor setting. (509) 487-8552, www.wildlifecouncil.org
Peninsula Quilt Guild Show
3/19–3/21 Ilwaco
View a selection of quilts submitted by members of the Peninsula Quilt Guild. (503) 738-6775, www.funbeach.com
Driftwood Show & Glass Float Roundup
3/20–3/21 Grayland Community Hall
Beachcombers display oceanic treasures in an event that is part art fair, part food festival, part beachcombing expedition and all fun. (800) 473-6018, www.cranberrycoastcoc.com
Tri-City Quilters Guild Show
3/26–3/27 Three Rivers Convention Center, Kennewick
This year’s highlights include quilts by featured artist McKenna Ryan plus a whimsical display of artfully designed bras called Cups for Cancer. (509) 582-3246, www.tcquilters.com
Bluegrass Festival
3/26–3/28 Chautauqua Lodge, Long Beach
Performances, workshops and the Sunday morning gospel show are among the highlights of this acoustically pleasing gathering. (360) 431-0660, www.funbeach.com
Othello Sandhill Crane Festival
3/26–3/28 Othello High School
Sit in on talks about area wildlife and board buses for tours to sandhill crane viewing areas. (866) 726-3445, www.othellosandhillcranefestival.org
Spokane Auto Boat Speed Show
3/26–3/28 Spokane County Fair and Expo Center
High-performance cars, boats and motorcycles compete for such awards as Outstanding Custom Rod, Best Restored and others. (509) 465-1126, www.spokaneautoboatspeedshow.com
Spring Arts and Crafts Show
3/26–3/28 TRAC Center, Pasco
More than 150 professional artists and artisans fill the TRAC center with unique handcrafted items. (509) 924-0588, www.custershows.com
Best of the Northwest
3/27–3/28 Magnuson Park, Seattle
The Northwest Art Alliance brings together works by about 100 artists in this juried fine arts and crafts show. (206) 525-5926, www.nwartalliance.com
Taste Washington!
3/27–3/28 Seattle
The activities include seminars on Saturday at Bell Harbor International Conference Center and a grand tasting of food and wine Qwest Field Event Center. www.tastewashington.org
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
4/1–4/30 Mount Vernon
Salmon barbecues, street fairs and other activities take place as tulip growers welcome visitors to tour their fields. (360) 428-5959, www.tulipfestival.org
Olympic BirdFest 2010
4/9–4/11 Sequim
Field trips to wildlife viewing areas and a boat cruise on the Strait of Juan de Fuca offer chances to see interesting birds in spectacular natural surroundings. (360) 681-4076, www.olympicbirdfest.org
Spring Art Show and Sale
4/9–4/11 World Kite Museum, Long Beach
More than 50 artists compete in this judged art show put on annually by the Peninsula Arts Association. (360) 665-6041, www.beachartist.org
Daffodil Festival Grand Floral Street Parade
4/10 Tacoma, Puyallup, Sumner, Orting
Marching bands, horse-mounted groups and floats covered with daffodils take to the streets of four cities. (253) 627-6176, www.daffodilfestival.net
CharterFest
4/10–4/11 Squalicum Harbor, Bellingham
Get a head start on planning your next trip or special event by touring a variety of vessels available for charter and meeting their operators. (360) 676-2542, www.portofbellingham.com
50+ Connections Expo
4/11 Hilton Hotel and Convention Center, Vancouver
Learn about resources that are available to help those in their older years enjoy active, healthy and independent lives. (360) 735-3683, www.volunteerclarkcounty.org
Get Lit Festival
4/14–4/21 Spokane
Renowned writers participate in readings, lectures, workshops and signings in this literary festival. (509) 368-6590, www.ewu.edu
Spring Fair
4/15–4/18 Puyallup Fair and Events Center
This annual rite of spring features concerts, a garden show, a science fair, rides and great food. (253) 841-5045, www.thefair.com
Cherry Blossom and Japanese Cultural Festival
4/16–4/18 Seattle Center
Taiko drums, flower displays, tea ceremonies and other activities showcase traditional and modern Japanese cultural practices. (206) 684-7200, www.seattlecenter.com
National Fine Arts Show
4/16–4/18 Ocean Shores Convention Center
Select artists from across the country showcase their works in this juried show. (800) 762-3224, www.associatedarts.org
Beach Clean Up Day
4/17 Long Beach
The Grass Roots Garbage Gang invites the public to help clear debris from the peninsula’s 28-mile stretch of beach. Volunteers get free chowder. (360) 665-5388, www.ourbeach.org
International Plowing Match
4/17 Lynden
See huge horses and their plowmen till the soil in a judged competition. (360) 354-4111, www.lynden.org
History and Heritage Antique Show
4/17–4/18 Kitsap Fairgrounds and Events Center, Bremerton
An expanded dealer area brings a wider range of merchandise to this year’s show, while appraisers and guest lecturers will also attend. (360) 874-8813, www.pusogensoc.org/historyandheritage2010antiqueshow
Northwest Wine and Cheese Tour
4/17–4/18 Olympic Peninsual Wineries
Each of the six participating wineries, between Port Townsend and Port Angeles, offers cheeses from a different artisan producer, along with samples of their own wines. (800) 785-5495, www.olympicpeninsulawineries.org
Hulda Klager Lilac Festival
4/17–5/9 Woodland
Tour the historic home and gardens that lilac hybridizer Hulda Klager made famous. (360) 225-8996, www.lilacgardens.com
Washington State Apple Blossom Festival
4/22–5/2 Wenatchee
The community festival welcomes spring with such activities as a carnival, food festival, car show, the grand parade (May 1) and more. (509) 662-3616, www.appleblossom.org
Discovery Walk Festival
4/23–4/25 Hilton Hotel, Vancouver
Soak in the scenery of Vancouver’s parks and neighborhoods on noncompetitive walks along trails ranging in length from 5K to 42K. (360) 818-4280, www.discoverywalk.org
Jazz in the Olympics
4/23–4/25 Port Angeles
Concerts featuring swing, Dixieland and brass bands take place in four different venues, with shuttle transportation available. (360) 457-5380, www.jazzolympics.com
Black Lake Fishing Derby
4/24 Ilwaco
Children up to 14 years old get the first chance to hook the big one as fishing season opens at this stocked lake. (360) 642-3145, www.funbeach.com
History Comes Alive
4/24 Fort Nisqually Living History Museum
Experience what a spring day might have been like in 1855 while exploring the fort’s buildings and watching costumed characters in period garb re-create historic times. (253) 591-5339, www.fortnisqually.com
Northwest Alpaca Showcase
4/24–4/25 TRAC Center, Pasco
More than 150 breeders and 500 alpacas will compete for top honors, while attendees can also meet breeders and shop for items made with alpaca fleece. www.alpacainfo.com
Classy Chassis Car Show and Parade
4/30–5/1 Eastmont Community Park, East Wenatchee
Classic cars roll through town in the Friday night parade and shine on display on Saturday. (509) 886-6108, www.east-wenatchee.com
Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival
4/30–May 2 Hoquiam High School
Lectures, a birding marketplace and field trips out to shorebird viewing areas are among the highlights of a weekend the combines fun and education. (800) 303-8498, www.shorebirdfestival.com
Idaho
Joe Wilson St. Paddy’s Day Sausage and Hotcake Breakfast
3/14 IOOF Hall, White Bird
Breaking your fast at this fun feast is bound to get you in the mood for St. Patrick’s Day. (208) 839-2800, www.visitwhitebird.com
Dogwood Festival
4/1–4/30 Lewis-Clark Valley
Art shows, a golf tournament, a homes tour, a car show, community barbecues, concerts and other events fill the lineup for this month-long festival. (208) 792-2447, www.lcsc.edu
Salmon River Jet Boat Races
4/16–4/18 Riggins
Barbecues, dances and other festivities take place after each day’s high-horsepower races on the river. (208) 628-3095, www.rigginsidaho.com
Oregon
Berry Cook-Off
3/13 Culinary Center, Lincoln City
Watch live cooking demonstrations and sample berry, berry tasty food. (800) 452-2151, www.oregoncoast.org
Spring Whale Watching Week
3/20–3/27 Depoe Bay
Oregon’s Whale Watching Spoken Here program places volunteers at great whale watching sites to teach others about gray whales as they migrate along the coastline. (541) 765-3407, www.whalespoken.org
Indoor Kite Festival
3/27–3/28 Taft High School
Watch and learn as masters of flying kites in enclosed spaces show off their skills. (541) 996-2119, www.oregoncoast.org
Spring Wine and Art Festival
4/3 The Dalles
Sample Columbia Gorge wines while perusing a selection of works by local artists. (541) 296-8600, www.gorgediscovery.org
British Columbia
Pacific Rim Whale Festival
3/6–3/14 Tofino
The seaside community celebrates the migration of gray whales with events ranging from naturalist-led whale watching tours to food and art festivals. (250) 726-4641, www.pacificrimwhalefestival.com
Beer Fest
3/13–3/14 Kimberley Alpine Resort
The community celebrates its Bavarian roots with a weekend’s worth of beer, bratwurst, polka and the strongman competition. www.skikimberley.com
Okanagan Fest-of-Ale
4/9–4/10 Penticton
Soak in the flavor of brews, live music, food and fun as local restaurants compete for the coveted “Best Food” award. (800) 663-1900, www.fest-of-ale.bc.ca
Since event details are subject to change, we recommend calling ahead to confirm listing information. Have an event you'd like to submit? Email calendar events to RobBhatt@aaawin.com.