This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is “Give to Gain,” a concept that encourages generosity and collaboration, which in turn will expand opportunities and support for women. In an ever-uncertain world where it can feel like women’s rights are backsliding several decades, solidarity, investment, and support are as important as ever. 

So how can you celebrate Women’s Day and observe Women’s History Month throughout March in the greater Seattle area? You can attend a Women’s Day event on March 8, explore women’s history at exhibits and monuments, support women-owned businesses, or take part in a women’s retreat to connect with others. Here are a few ideas to get you started. 

Women’s Day events

• On March 4, Landesa hosts an International Women’s Day celebration at Benaroya Hall. The evening features a panel on land, gender, and climate, food and drinks, and live music from Seattle-based Kenyan American singer-songwriter Naomi Wachira, a Wo’Pop DJ set from KEXP’s Jyoti B Fly, and live screen printing.
• Explore the talents of female performers at Paper Wings on March 5 at Ballard Homestead.
• Join some of Seattle’s most imaginative women at Seattle Design Center for Women in Design: Beautifully Complex on March 5 for a day of panels, creativity, and collaborative art. 
• Attend “An Evening of Her,” a dinner hosted by Seattle event planner Reneille Velez of GIAN at Hotel Sorrento on March 7. The evening brings together local women leaders and marks the relaunch of GIAN’s scholarship program supporting young women interested in leadership.
• March in solidarity at the Seattle Women’s March on March 8, starting in Cal Anderson Park at 11:30 a.m.
• Women’s Day shouldn’t be all serious. It’s a time to laugh and celebrate, so consider the International Women’s Day Comedy Show at Roam in Ballard on March 8. 
• Embrace a day of well-being with yoga, sound bath, and brunch at Enjoy Wellness Brunch in South Lake Union on March 8. 
• Support women in the vinyl industry at Musicology Co. in Edmonds on March 8. The shop will join 20 record stores across the U.S. in a “1% for WIV” campaign, donating a portion of sales to Women in Vinyl, a national nonprofit supporting women and underrepresented voices in the vinyl industry. Owner Rachel Gardner serves on the organization’s board. Live music and in-store activations are planned throughout the day.

Retreats and workshops for women

• Spend a weekend connecting with yourself and other women at the Women’s Wellness Retreat on Orcas Island from March 19-22. The weekend includes yoga, cold plunge, sauna, mindfulness, and bodywork against the backdrop of the Salish Sea. 
• If you can’t make the March retreat, there is another opportunity in August at the Whidbey Island Women’s Retreat, which combines twice-daily yoga, slow mornings in the forest, whale watching, and locally sourced meals. 
• Join the Mountaineers’ female-specific workshops that tackle questions women face in the outdoors. Upcoming classes later this spring include Navigating Benevolent Sexism in the Outdoors in April and Tips and Tricks for Women Hikers and Backpackers. 
• You can also join women’s run and hiking clubs to move outside with other women, including PNW Ladies Running Group, or take a workout at South Seattle Women’s Fitness, an inclusive space for women and non-binary individuals.

Support women artists

Stop by exhibits and galleries showing the work of women to support female artists, who continue to be underrepresented in the art world.

• Samantha Yun Wall’s What We Leave Behind is on view at SAM through October 4. The exhibit features paintings of silhouetted women that act as portals to unknown spaces.
• Priscilla Dobler Dzul’s Water Carries the Story of our Stars is at the Frye Art Museum through April 19. Inspired by her Mayan and multicultural heritage, the exhibit combines sculpture, textile, and video, centering urgent stories on environmental and cultural justice. 
• TASWIRA was founded by Avery Barnes in 2020, inspired by her experience leading women’s initiatives in Kenya. The Pioneer Square gallery shows the work of emerging Black and African artists and mentors artists and youth around the world. 

Shop, eat, and drink women-owned

An estimated 40% of Seattle’s businesses are women-owned, offering plenty of shops, restaurants, and cafes to support throughout March—and every day after. Some of Seattle’s most well-loved businesses are women-run, including Molly Moon’s and Renee Erickson’s restaurants. Bakeries and restaurants, sports bars and wine bars, plant shops and vintage stores—women are behind some of Seattle’s favorite spots.

For more inspiration, stop by Three Girls Bakery for pastries and breads. The historic Pike Place establishment opened in 1912 and was the first business in the city licensed to women. Head to Rough and Tumble in Ballard or Columbia City, Jen Barnes’ women’s sports bar.  Another female-owned sports bar is Monica Dimas’ Pitch the Baby on East Capitol Hill, where you can sip cocktails and wine, and eat Mexico City-inspired bites while supporting women’s teams. Fill up on crunchy tacos, taquitos, and Mexican-Lebanese-inspired fare at Lupe Flores’ Situ Tacos in Ballard. The menu and space are inspired by her grandmother. Or browse plants and sip natural wines at Fremont’s the botanicale.