Best bets for the weekend

We'll take it with an 800-pound grain of salt (or an iceberg, perhaps), but there's some suggestion we might see some sunshine and WARMER days this weekend. If so, that's great news for tulip lovers, because the flowers are finally showing some color for the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Get details from Madeline McKenzie. It might also be a good time to hop a ferry to Bainbridge Island , and try out Carol Pucci's day-trip tips. And a few more ideas:

Green is the color of spring: And sometimes it is the color of tulip fields, until weather warms up. But if you like green, you get your own festival this weekend, called, appropriately enough, the Green Festival . It's all about eco-friendly living. Or if it's closer to home, you might like Lake Forest Park's Earth Smart Fair on Saturday. Or, if the topic grows on you, you might head for the Earth Day Celebration (a little early) at Seattle's Olympic Sculpture Park.

And trees, too: At Seattle Center, Pacific Science Center is honoring Arbor Day with its Spring Fling event this weekend. There's everything from pony rides to birdhouse building, along with an opportunity to meet goats, llamas and alpacas.

Recycled cycles: Here's another green topic, reusing old stuff. Choose from up to 400 used bicycles at the Old Bike Swap Meet and Show this weekend in Kent.

Playing in the dirt: Some people call it gardening, and this is the season to learn all sorts of new techniques, restock your beds, network with other gardening fiends and so on. You'll find loads of workshops, sales and special events, from Seattle to Mount Vernon to Bainbridge Island, in today's Datebook under the "Gardening" heading.

See how they run: Or join the runners Sunday for the Whidbey Island Marathon (or Half Marathon). Lots of scenery on a very long island.

Starry, starry night (we hope): If skies do clear, head for another in Seattle Astronomical Society's occasional Star Parties. Look through some high-power telescopes and get feedback on what you're seeing up there.