If you are looking for something to do next weekend that is not a Halloween party or a restaurant opening, the Seattle Sauna Festival is a good alternative. It runs on Saturday, November 7, and Sunday, November 8, from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM at the National Nordic Museum in Ballard, and it is the largest gathering in the Pacific Northwest dedicated to sauna, wellness, and community connection.
Every week we pick 🏆 the 5 best 🏆 things to do in Seattle and send them to your inbox. Just one weekly email, no spam.
By submitting your email, you accept our Privacy Policy
The festival was created by Seattle event planner Ryan M. Davis, who lists himself as R. Michael Davis, after he visited a sauna village at the Great Northern winter festival in Minneapolis. He directs it alongside Ana Hernandez, owner of PNW Mobile Spa. This is the second edition, following the first on November 1 and 2, 2025. The setting is fitting: Finnish sauna culture was recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage in 2020, and the museum preserves the Wierlo sauna, built more than a century ago in Finn Hill, which is now Kirkland.
What you actually do there is the main draw. The festival builds a "Sauna City" from a collection of unique regional saunas, and pairs them with cold plunges, live music — acoustic sets, DJs, and cultural performances — and Nordic-inspired food and drink. The Freya Cafe serves espresso, pastries, a light lunch, and cocktails; the Nordic Flavor Lounge does Finnish salmon soup, Medisterpølse, venison skewers, and local oysters; and the Terrace Lounge pours Finnish Long Drink, Glögg, and spiced cider.
There are two ticket tiers. General Admission is $79 and gives you a 90-minute session with a fixed time slot, plus access to the sauna sessions, cold plunges, music, and festival programming, as well as admission to the museum's exhibits and galleries on the day of your visit. The VIP Experience is $189 and grants all-day access on either Saturday or Sunday, along with a festival robe, a sauna hat, a box of Nordic snacks, and a drink of your choice. All prices include fees, surcharges, and taxes; tickets are non-refundable but can be transferred through Eventbrite.
Before you go, there are a few rules to know. Attendees must be at least 18 years old and medically fit, and parents must confirm the medical fitness of any minors aged 13 to 17. Nudity is not permitted: everyone must wear swimwear and sit on a towel inside the saunas, and wear a robe and footwear inside the museum. Dressing rooms and small lockers are available, but you need to bring your own lock. The organizers suggest arriving freshly showered and bringing a bathing suit, a towel, a robe, and a water bottle.
It is a specific kind of day — hot saunas, cold plunges, and a bit of Finnish culture — and it fits the season better than most things on the calendar. If you have never done a Nordic-style sauna circuit, this is a low-stakes way to try it, and the museum setting gives it a bit more context than a random pop-up. Just be sure to book your time slot ahead of time, since the general admission is tied to a fixed window.
Published Date
30 October 2026
