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It’s time for Seafair, sports, and more summer festivals! Check out our tips for smooth travel this weekend. 

Spectators at a past Seafair Festival. Photo credit: Seafair Weekend Festival

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It’s looking to be a beautiful weekend, Seattle! And it couldn’t be better timed for one of our region’s most iconic summer festivals: Seafair. Between that beloved celebration, sports events, and other parties and parades, there’s a lot to do and see in the city over the next few days. 

If you’re traveling around Seattle, be aware that WSDOT’s Revive I-5 work resumes Friday night, and we have project work taking place over the weekend as well. To help lessen traffic, we encourage you to consider riding transit such as the Link light rail, the bus, or the West Seattle Water Taxi to reach your destinations. Riding a bike or scooter share is also a great option. Choosing transportation other than a car is a great way to make travel easier for everyone. 

See more weekend travel tips below! 

Community Celebrations and Events 

Seafair Weekend Festival 

The Seafair Weekend Festival began this morning and will run through the evening of Sunday, August 7 at Genesee Park, on the shore of Lake Washington. If you’re new to the city or have never attended the festival, you can expect boat racing, delicious food and drinks, and spectacular air shows all weekend long. 

Racing boats at a past Seafair Festival.
Racing boats at a past Seafair Festival. Photo credit: Seafair Weekend Festival 
The Blue Angels perform at a past Seafair Festival.
The Blue Angels perform at a past Seafair Festival. Photo credit: Seafair Weekend Festival 

General admission tickets are available here

Travelers should plan for street closures and large crowds at this event. With that in mind, we encourage you to consider riding transit to attend Seafair festivities. The Link light rail station nearest to Genesee Park is Columbia City station. Travelers arriving by light rail can then take Seafair’s free round-trip shuttle service from the station to Genesee Park Friday through Sunday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. King County Metro bus routes 7, 9, and 50 also serve the area. 

General areas of restricted vehicle access include:

  • Streets east of Martin Luther King Junior Way S between S Irving St and S Massachusetts St (includes Lake Washington Boulevard through Colman Park)
  • S Oregon St between 38th Ave S and 42nd Ave S
  • Streets east of 50th Ave S between S Oregon St and S Ferdinand St
  • Streets east of Wilson Ave S between S Hudson St and S Brandon Street
  • Streets east of Lake Park Drive S and Mt Rainier Drive S and east of Hunter Blvd S down to S Court St
  • Streets north of S Genesee St from Rainier Ave S to 50th Ave S

Local access will be maintained throughout the weekend.

Umoja Fest 

A poster advertising Umoja Fest.
A poster advertising Umoja Fest. Graphic credit: Umoja Fest 

Carrying on a long tradition (more than 50 years!) of summer celebrations held by and for Seattle’s Black community members, Umoja Fest celebrates Black heritage and culture with live music and dancing, food, fashion shows, art and culture displays, and family-friendly activities. The festival will take place at Judkins Park and runs Friday – Sunday (August 5 – 7) from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. A parade culminating the spirit of the event takes place Saturday, August 6 at 1 p.m. 

A friendly note that Team SDOT will also be tabling the festival, along with representatives from other City departments. We encourage you to come talk to us about our ongoing projects and other transportation topics!  

If you’re looking for an alternative to driving, consider taking the King County Metro bus. The Judkins Park area is served by bus routes 4, 14, and 48. 

Magnolia Summerfest 

A parade display at a past Magnolia Summerfest.
A parade display at a past Magnolia Summerfest. Photo credit: Lydia Brewer Photography via Magnolia Summerfest 

The Magnolia neighborhood hosts its yearly summer festival and parade this weekend. Look for food and drink from local vendors (including a beer garden!), art and craft booths, community organizations and nonprofits, outdoor movies, and of course, live music and a parade.  

The festival runs all weekend at the Magnolia Playfield beginning on Friday, August 5 at 2 p.m. and ending Sunday, August 7 at 5 p.m. If you’re looking to take transit, Metro is your best bet, with the neighborhood served by bus routes 24, 31, and 33. Walking, rolling, or taking a bike or scooter share are also great options. 

Lake City Summer Festival and Parade 

This summer festival features not one, not two, but THREE parades—the Kids’ Parade, the Dog Parade, and finally, the Grand Parade. Other highlights of this fun community celebration include car shows, a salmon bake, live music, and local arts, crafts, and refreshments. 

Performing at a past Lake City Summer Festival.
Performing at a past Lake City Summer Festival. Photo credit: Lake City Summer Festival and Parade Facebook. 

The festival begins at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 6, and runs into the evening. Activities will be set up all along NE 125th St, near the public library. While limited parking will be available, consider taking Metro bus routes 20, 64, 65, 75, or 330 to Lake City.  

Home games for Seattle sports 

The Mariners play at T-Mobile Park this weekend against the Los Angeles Angels, including a double-header on Saturday, August 6. First pitches are scheduled for Friday, August 5 at 7:10 p.m., Saturday, August 6 at 1:10 p.m. and 7:10 p.m., and Sunday, August 7 at 1:10 p.m. Next door at Lumen Field, the Seahawks have a training camp session on Saturday, August 6 at 2 p.m., and OL Reign plays the Houston Dash on Sunday, August 7 at 3 p.m. 

On Sunday at 12 p.m., the Storm face off against the Las Vegas Aces over at Climate Pledge Arena. This is star player Sue Bird’s last regular season home game with the Storm! We’re going to miss this amazing athlete, and so will many others—the game is expected to draw more than 10,000 fans. To help people who want to visit other businesses, restaurants and destinations in the neighborhood find a parking space, event rates for on-street parking will be in place. 

Luckily, with a little planning ahead, transit can easily get you downtown to cheer on your favorite teams. T-Mobile Park and Lumen Field are served by nearby Link light rail stations and several bus routes. Climate Pledge Arena is accessible via the Westlake light rail station and making a connection on the Monorail to Seattle Center. Alternatively, check out bus routes 8, 32, and the RapidRide D Line. 

Construction snapshot 

SDOT construction work 

West Seattle and Georgetown area 

On Saturday, August 6, beginning as early as 8 a.m., our signal crews will be working to replace overhead signs and complete wiring activities on 14th Ave S and S Cloverdale St. The work is anticipated to conclude by 3 p.m. For people driving, we may need to briefly close lanes directly below the signs while the work takes place. Please navigate the area with caution. 

On Sunday, August 7, from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., our landscaping crews will be cleaning the parking strips and medians on Olson Place SW and SW Roxbury St. Clean-up efforts will begin on Olson Place SW where we will close a single eastbound lane and proceed to SW Roxbury St where we will close a single westbound lane. Please anticipate delays while traveling in the area. 

On Saturday and Sunday, beginning as early as 8 a.m. and concluding at 5 p.m., we will be working at 16th Ave SW and SW Cambridge St to update curb bulbs and curb ramps. We’ll maintain traffic throughout the area, but people driving can expect delays. 

For the latest SDOT travel information, you can follow our SDOT Traffic Twitter account @sdottraffic, or visit our Seattle Travelers web page for real time traffic camera information. 

WSDOT construction work 

Revive I-5 

Beginning at 7:30 p.m. Friday, August 5, contractor crews working for WSDOT will focus on expansion joints on the right side south of the collector/distributor to accommodate expected crowds. This will allow the eastbound and westbound I-90 ramps to southbound I-5 to remain open all weekend.

However, people entering the collector/distributor will have to exit to I-90, Dearborn Street, Fourth Avenue South or Airport Way. The ramp from the collector/distributor to southbound I-5 will be closed. People using the southbound I-5 James Street on-ramp will need to use a collector/distributor exit. The Spring Street on-ramp and the South Forest Street off-ramp also will be closed. All work will wrap up by 5 a.m. Monday, August 8. 

Revive I-5 work is scheduled to continue every weekend this summer through around the end of September. You can visit the Revive I-5 website for the latest information, and you can keep up with WSDOT on Twitter at @wsdot_traffic

Overnight SR 99 closure 

Travelers using the State Route 99 tunnel in Seattle should plan on finding an alternate route this weekend. Both directions in the tunnel will close from 10 p.m. Friday, August 5 to 6 a.m. Saturday, August 6. During the closure, WSDOT tunnel crews will perform regularly scheduled maintenance and inspections. 

Transit and trip planning resources 

The Link light rail and King County Metro both have helpful resources to help you map your route. Simply enter your start and end addresses into Metro’s trip planning tool or Sound Transit’s trip planning tool to find the transit route that works best for you. Google Maps also offers transit planning and biking, walking, and other trip planning options. 

Sustainability: We believe environmental health should be improved for future generations through sustainable transportation. Our goal is to address the climate crisis through a sustainable, resilient transportation system.
Excellence: We believe in exceeding the expectations of the communities we serve. Our goal is to build a team committed to excellence and equipped with the skills to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.
Sustainability and excellence are two of our core values and goals. Graphics: SDOT.

Thank you 

We appreciate your time and attention! Thank you for your help in making sure we can all get around the city safely and smoothly. Have a great weekend! 

Help us imagine the future of transportation in Seattle — visit our Seattle Transportation Plan Online Engagement Hub today!
Help us imagine the future of transportation in Seattle — visit our Seattle Transportation Plan Online Engagement Hub today! Graphic: SDOT