Ballard SeafoodFest in 2017. Photo credit: Ballard VOX on Flickr Please note – You can click any of the drop-down links to go directly to a specific topic:
- Seafair Indian Days Powwow
- Ballard SeafoodFest
- West Seattle Summer Fest
- Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena
- Bicycle Weekend on Lake Washington Boulevard
- Construction snapshot
- Transit and trip planning resources
Summer is finally in full swing in Seattle! This weekend has a host of fun events happening around the city. From the return of the Ballard SeafoodFest to the Seafair Indian Days Powwow, we’re here to help get you where you want to go.
We’re excited to see everyone out and about, and we encourage travelers to plan ahead so we can all keep moving safely and smoothly. WSDOT’s Revive I-5 work continues, as do other construction projects around the city. Riding transit such as the Link light rail, the bus, or the West Seattle Water Taxi to reach your destinations can help lessen traffic and make travel easier for everyone.
Read on for more tips and resources to plan your travel this weekend!
Community Celebrations and Events
Seafair Indian Days Powwow
Before a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19, thousands attended the United Indians’ Seafair Indian Days Powwow to celebrate Native American culture. This year marks its return, and the event’s 33rd celebration with support from Seafair. The 3-day event is held at the Powwow Grounds, adjacent to the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center in Discovery Park.
This celebration draws Native Americans of all tribes and cultures. The Powwow features traditional Indian cooking, jewelry-making, music, and dancing, as tribes from around the United States and Canada dance in full tribal regalia. All are welcome, whether Native or non-Native, though the United Indians encourage visitors to read up on best practices for engaging with the event.
The dates and times of the Powwow are:
- Friday, July 15, 4 – 10 p.m.
- Saturday, July 16, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
- Sunday, July 17, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
You can reach Discovery Park, in the Magnolia neighborhood, via King County Metro bus routes 19, 24, and 33.
Team SDOT will also be attending this event with information about our projects. We’ll also be giving away free helmets for safely riding bicycles and scooters. We welcome you to come chat with our team members about transportation in Seattle.
Ballard SeafoodFest
After a two-year hiatus, Ballard SeafoodFest is also back! Featuring live music, family activities, arts and crafts vendors, local nonprofits and community organizations, and food and craft beer from neighborhood restaurants, this street fair shows off the best of Ballard. There’s even a lutefisk-eating contest in honor of the neighborhood’s Scandinavian roots.
You can swing by the festival at the following days and times:
- Friday, July 15, 5 – 11 p.m. (Note: vendors will not be present this day of the festival.)
- Saturday, July 16, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
- Sunday, July 17, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Since parking is sure to be tough to find, please consider walking, biking, rolling to festival, or taking one of the many bus routes that serve the Ballard area. Visit Ballard, the nonprofit that organizes SeafoodFest, has helpful information about finding the best bus route for you.
West Seattle Summer Fest
Another beloved neighborhood festival returns this year in full force: the West Seattle Summer Fest! The Fest will bring live music, a beer garden, local food and craft vendors, and kid zones with inflatables and activities to the West Seattle Junction this Friday and Saturday, as well as a farmer’s market on Sunday.
The official dates and times for this festival are:
- Friday, July 15, 1 – 8 p.m., with music until 10 p.m.
- Saturday, July 16, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., with music until 10 p.m.
- Sunday, July 17, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., no music
This year, festival streets are closing earlier than in years past, beginning at 12 p.m. Thursday, July 14 so the event organizing group West Seattle Junction Association can start setting up. It’s a good excuse to check out the West Seattle Art Walk, which runs Thursday from 5 – 8 p.m.!
Throughout the West Seattle Bridge closure, we’ve been supporting travel to West Seattle in ways that don’t require a car. Transit options include bus routes 50, 60, and 120, as well as the RapidRide C line and the King County Water Taxi. If you’re traveling within the neighborhood, walking, biking, and rolling are great options. You can find more trip planning resources through Flip Your Trip, our program supporting travel during the bridge closure, or on our West Seattle travel guide.
Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena
The Seattle Storm face off against the Indiana Fever at Climate Pledge Arena on Sunday, July 17 at 3 p.m. Go Storm! With travel downtown still tricky due to Revive I-5 closures, consider taking transit to the game. Climate Pledge Arena is accessible via Link light rail (Westlake station) and several bus routes.
Bicycle Weekend at Lake Washington Boulevard
Friday, July 15 through Monday, July 18 is another Bicycle Weekend on Lake Washington Boulevard! This means the street will be closed to cars, but open to biking, jogging, walking, or rolling.
Interested in biking? Our friends at Outdoors For All Foundation will be hosting a free Adaptive Bike Demo at Seward Park on Sunday, July 17 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Outdoors For All provides many types of adaptive cycles for people of all ages and abilities. Look for them at the front entrance of the park. Helmets will be provided and bikes will be available first-come first serve.
If jogging is your thing, the second annual Sundae Runday begins at Genesee Park at 10 a.m. Sunday, July 17. You can register for the 5K race or 2-mile walk here. All participants get ice cream, including toppings, after the race!
Construction snapshot
WSDOT construction work
Revive I-5
WSDOT gets an early start on work this week, beginning a closure of several southbound lanes Thursday 7:30 p.m. through 5 a.m. Friday. Then, beginning 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 15, until 5 a.m. Monday, July 18, WSDOT will work on the right side south of where the collector/distributor merges with the southbound mainline. All people traveling on southbound I-5 will shift to the left lanes.
This work is scheduled to continue every weekend this summer through around the end of September. You can read WSDOT’s blog post or visit the Revive I-5 website for the latest information, and you can keep up with WSDOT on Twitter at @wsdot_traffic.
Northbound I-5 work
There will be work related to the Seneca Mobility Project on northbound I-5 as well. Work will take place beginning 10 p.m. Friday, July 15 until 5 a.m. Monday, July 18.
Two right lanes on northbound I-5 between the Cherry Street on-ramp and the off-ramp to Olive Way will close for paving work. The Cherry Street on-ramp to northbound I-5 and the northbound I-5 off-ramp to Olive Way will also be closed during this time.
Advance notice of more I-5 closures
Next weekend, July 22 – 25, travelers can expect big closures, worthy of early notice:
- Revive I-5 – 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 22, to 5 a.m. Monday, July 25: Southbound I-5 will be reduced to two lanes, with all traffic going through the collector/distributor.
- Maintenance – 11 p.m. Friday, July 22, to 6 a.m. Saturday, July 23: Southbound I-5 will be closed between Stewart and Spring streets. A signed detour will be in place.
- Maintenance – 11 p.m. Saturday, July 23 to 7 a.m. Sunday, July 24: Two right lanes of northbound I-5 will be closed from the Lakeview exit east of Lake Union to 45th Street in the University District for bridge maintenance.
Transit and trip planning resources
There are many efficient transit options to get you around the city this weekend. The Link light rail and King County Metro both have helpful resources to help you map your route. Using Metro’s trip planning tool or Sound Transit’s trip planning tool, you can enter your start and end addresses and pick the transit route that works best for you. Google Maps also offers transit planning and biking, walking, and other trip planning options.
As always, if you do need to drive, consider carpooling, and leave extra time to reach your destination. This week’s rollout of our Slow the Flock Down campaign is an important reminder that our city streets are safer when we all slow down and drive the speed limit!
Thank you
Thank you for your time and attention in planning your travel to these and other events. We appreciate your efforts and hope you have a wonderful weekend!
