But, plan your travels before you head out
SEATTLE – Even Mother Nature is joining in on the Seafair spirit – Seattle will have perfect weather for the coming weekend which is packed with Seafair events. Over the next three days, July 26 – 28, there really is something for everyone. Of note, Saturday night, no less than 300,000 people are expected to line Fourth Avenue through downtown Seattle for one of the city’s most spectacular annual parades – the Torchlight Parade at Seafair. Just before the parade, some 4,300 participants will sprint through downtown Seattle, onto and off the Alaskan Way Viaduct in the Seafair Torchlight 8K Run and 5K Run and Walk; the northbound lanes of the Viaduct will be closed for the action between the West Seattle Bridge and the Western Avenue off-ramp from 5:30 p.m. to approximately 8 p.m.
Some of the other weekend events expecting to attract huge crowds include Mariners games and a Sounders game, the Seattle Dragon Boat Festival on Lake Union; Pista sa Nayon – theFilipino American community festival at Seward Park; and the Hispanic Seafair Festival plus the One Direction concert at the Seattle Center.
Motorists should allow extra time for possible traffic delays associated with the events, particularly on Saturday. The Seattle Department of Transportation encourages drivers to try one of the many alternate modes of transportation available – Metro Transit, the West Seattle Water Taxi, the Streetcar, the Sounder commuter train, Link light rail, car pool, bicycle or walk, if feasible.
For more information about the weekend activities, please see the schedule below:
Friday, July 26
Ethiopian Muslims Community March: 2 – 4 p.m.
Assembles at Pratt Park (20th and Yesler Way)
300 – 500 participants
March route: Starts at Pratt Park and heads west on Yesler Way to Dilling Way, east on Dilling Way to Fourth Avenue; north on Fourth to Madison Street; west on Madison to Second Avenue and onto the plaza at the Federal Building. Seattle Police will escort.
Motorists should anticipate heavy congestion as the march moves through the downtown area. Event should finish up by 4 p.m.
Capitol Hill Block Party: 3 p.m. – 12 Midnight
Capitol Hill
9,000 attending
Streets closed from 2 a.m., Friday – 5 a.m. Monday, July 29: E Pike Street between Broadway and 12th Avenue; 10th and 11th avenues between E Pine Street and E Union Street. http://www.capitolhillblockparty.com
Festival of the Fountains: 6 – 10 p.m.
Pacific Science Center
650 attending
Streets closed from 4 p.m. – 2 a.m.: Second Avenue N between Denny Way and Thomas Street.
Expect congestion on adjacent streets. http://www.pacsci.org/festival/
Seattle Mariners vs. the Minnesota Twins: 7:10 p.m.
Safeco Field
21,000 attending
Expect congestion surrounding the stadium.
Clips of Faith Beer and Film Tour: 8 – 11 p.m.
Gas Works Park
1,500 attending
Expect some congestion on streets adjacent to the park.
http://www.newbelgium.com/events/clips-beer-and-film/city-detail.aspx?id=5225b594-12e1-40d0-93ca-b85c7eb5775a
Saturday, July 27
Seattle Dragon Boat Festival: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Lake Union and at South Lake Union Park
840 participating
Anticipate heavier traffic than usual around the south end of South Lake Union.
Boogie up the Block Urban Arts Festival: 12 Noon – 8 p.m.
14th Avenue from Spruce Street to Yesler Way
Streets closed from 6 a.m. Saturday to 11:45 p.m. Sunday: 14th Avenue between E Jefferson Street and E Yesler Way and E Fir Street between 14th and 15th avenues.
Expect congestion on adjacent streets. http://1st.206zulu.org/Boogie-Up-The-Block.html
Capitol Hill Block Party: 1 p.m. – 12 Midnight
Capitol Hill
9,000 attending
Streets closed from 2 a.m., Friday – 5 a.m. Monday, July 29: E Pike Street between Broadway and 12th Avenue; 10th and 11th avenues between E Pine Street and E Union Street. http://www.capitolhillblockparty.com
Ultimate Fighting Championship – Johnson vs. Moraga: 5 – 8 p.m.
Key Arena, Seattle Center
10,000 attending
Expect congestion in the area when the event lets out at approximately 8 p.m.. http://www.ufc.com/event/FOX8#/fight
Seafair Torchlight Run: 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Seattle Center – race starting and ending point
4,300 participants
5K route: Starts at Seattle Center; goes south on Second Avenue N to Denny Way; west on Denny to Fourth Avenue; south on Fourth to Seneca Street; west on Seneca onto the northbound lanes of the SR-99 viaduct; exits at Western Avenue; then moves north on Western to Broad Street; east on Broad to Second Avenue; north on Second back into the Seattle Center.
8K route: Starts at Seattle Center; goes south on Second Avenue N to Denny Way; west on Denny to Fourth Avenue; south on Fourth to Seneca Street; west on Seneca onto the northbound lanes of the SR-99 viaduct; south on the viaduct to S Royal Brougham Way; makes a u-turn and then heads north on SR-99 viaduct; exits at Western Avenue; goes north on Western to Broad Street; then east on Broad to Second Avenue; north on Second back into the Seattle Center.
Special Note: Northbound SR-99/Alaskan Way Viaduct will be closed between the West Seattle Bridge and the Western Avenue off-ramp from 5:30 p.m. to approximately 8 p.m. (Southbound lanes of SR 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct will remain open.) Streets on the race route will be closed from 6 – 8 p.m.
Anticipate heavy traffic on the streets in the vicinity of the race route. http://www.seafair.com/AnEvent.aspx?ID=7&SecID=893
Seattle Mariners vs. the Minnesota Twins: 7:10 p.m.
Safeco Field
22,000 attending
Fans attending the game should plan on the northbound SR 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct being closed for the Seafair Torchlight Run from 5:30 – 8 p.m. and should also expect congestion on streets surrounding the stadium.
Torchlight Parade at Seafair: 7:30 p.m.
Seattle Center to Downtown Seattle
300,000 attending
Parade staging on streets around Seattle Center;
Parade route: Starts at Fourth Avenue N and Broad Street; heads south on Fourth to S Washington Street; then disperses on streets south of S Washington;
Streets closed from 5:45 – 10 p.m.: around the Seattle Center.
Streets closed from 6 – 10 p.m. along the parade route (Fourth Avenue from Broad Street to Airport Way), and near CenturyLink Field.
Motorists should expect heavy congestion around the Seattle Center and throughout the downtown area into the SODO area.
http://www.seafair.com/AnEvent.aspx?ID=8&SecID=964
Sunday, July 28
Pista sa Nayon: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Filipino American community festival at Seward Park;
10,000 attending
Expect heavy congestion in the area. http://www.pista.org/
Georgetown Criterium: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Georgetown area
400 Participants
Streets closed 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.: Area bounded by S Dawson Street, Denver Avenue S, Maynard Avenue S, S Brandon Street, and Fifth Avenue S. http://krcycling.wordpress.com/race-info/
St. James Cathedral Parish Picnic: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Terry Avenue between Marion and Columbia
500 attending
Streets closed 6 a.m. 5 p.m.: Terry Avenue between Marion and Columbia streets.
Plan on heavy traffic on First Hill in the vicinity of the closed streets.
Hispanic SeaFair Festival: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Mural Amphitheatre, Seattle Center
1,000 attending
Expect heavier traffic on Broad Street side of Center. http://www.hispanicseafair.org/
Boogie up the Block Urban Arts Festival: 12 Noon – 8 p.m.
14th Avenue from Spruce Street to Yesler Way
Streets closed from 6 a.m. Saturday to 11:45 p.m. Sunday: 14th Avenue between E Jefferson Street and E Yesler Way and E Fir Street from 24th to 15th avenues.
http://1st.206zulu.org/Boogie-Up-The-Block.html
Capitol Hill Block Party: 1 – 10 p.m.
Capitol Hill
9,000 attending
Streets closed from 2 a.m., Friday – 5 a.m. Monday, July 29: E Pike Street between Broadway and 12th Avenue; 10th and 11th avenues between E Pine Street and E Union Street. http://www.capitolhillblockparty.com
Seattle Mariners vs. Minnesota Twins: 1:10 – 4 p.m.
Safeco Field
24,000 attending
Expect congestion around the stadium
Seattle Sounders vs. Chivas USA: 8 – 9:30 p.m.
CenturyLink Field
34,000 attending
Expect congestion around the stadium before and after the match.
One Direction Concert: 8 – 11 p.m.
Key Arena, Seattle Center
13,000 attending
Expect congestion in the area when concert ends – approximately 11PM.
Traffic Note:
Southbound I-5 will be closed under the Convention Center Friday 11:59 p.m. to 5 a.m. Saturday while the Washington State Department of Transportation tests the fire suppression system. Traffic will be rerouted off at Stewart, then left onto Fifth Avenue, then right onto Spring Street and back onto I-5.
Contact: Peg Nielsen, 206.684.8114
