The Seattle Streetcar’s South Lake Union Line. Photo: SDOT Please note – You can click any of the drop-down links to go directly to a specific topic:
- Seafair Float Concert
- Emerald City Comic Con
- Big Day of Play
- Celebrate Little Saigon
- Bicycle Weekend on Lake Washington Boulevard
- Construction snapshot
- Transit and trip planning resources
Seattle, we’ve got another nice weekend ahead of us! If you’re looking for something to do, consider one of the fun events we’re highlighting below. From live music to family-friendly games in the park, there’s something fun for everyone.
When planning your travel, check out our update on WSDOT’s Revive I-5 work, which will begin closing lanes again Friday night. We also have project work taking place over the weekend. Riding transit such as the Link light rail, the bus, or the West Seattle Water Taxi can be an easy way to reach your destinations. Taking a bike or scooter share is also a great option. When you choose transportation other than a car, it lessens traffic and makes travel easier for everyone.
Keep reading for more on smooth travel this weekend!
Community Celebrations and Events
Seafair Float Concert
A summer of Seafair events isn’t over yet! On Saturday, August 20 from 3 to 6 p.m., bring your boat, paddleboard, or inflatable to watch live music on the water of South Lake Union. The show is free, and sure to be fun for the whole family. Please be safe and consider wearing a life vest while you’re out on the water.
Many King County Metro bus routes drop you near South Lake Union, including 8, 40, 62, 70, 320, and the RapidRide C and E lines. Travelers can also consider the Seattle Streetcar (South Lake Union Line). Taking a bike or scooter share to the lake shore is also a great option.
Emerald City Comic Con
Emerald City Comic Con invites fans, artists, and performers from around the world to come together in a colorful, annual celebration of pop culture. Taking place at the Washington State Convention Center in downtown Seattle, the event features panel discussions, gaming zones, celebrity guests, and more, and festivities regularly spill over the celebration’s official hours.
The dates and times of the convention’s general shows are:
- Thursday, August 18, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Friday, August 19, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Saturday, August 20, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- Sunday, August 21, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
But visitors should check the event’s FAQ page for the timing of other events. General and VIP admission tickets are available online.
The Convention Center has two parking garages. There are many convenient transit options available as well. Walking to the Center from the Link light rail’s Westlake Station takes just a few minutes, and many Metro bus routes serve the downtown area.
Big Day of Play
On Saturday, August 20, Seattle Parks and Recreation will host its yearly Big Day of Play from 12 – 6 p.m. in two locations: the Rainier Playfields and the Mt. Baker Rowing and Sailing Center. The Day of Play celebrates the diversity of Seattle’s communities and encourages people to get together and have fun being active in whatever ways they enjoy.
Continuing our summer outreach, our SDOT team will host a booth alongside other City departments, at the Rainier Playfield location. Please stop by to talk to us about transportation and other related topics—we’d love to chat with you!
If you’re interested in taking transit, both the Rainier Playfields and the Mt. Baker Rowing and Sailing Center are just a few blocks from the Columbia City light rail station. Metro bus routes 7, 9, and 50 also travel near the area.
Celebrate Little Saigon
Here’s another Saturday event! On August 20 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., head over to 1025 S King Street for Celebrate Little Saigon, a block party highlighting Vietnamese food, culture, and community in Seattle. The event helps to support local businesses while also providing a space for Vietnamese artists and performers to show off their creativity.
The block party is about a ten-minute walk from the Link light rail’s Chinatown International District station. You can also see if any of the Metro bus routes serving the area work for you, including routes 7, 14, 36, 60, and 106.
Bicycle Weekend on Lake Washington Boulevard
From 7 p.m. Friday, August 19 to 7 a.m. Monday, August 22, a portion of Lake Washington Boulevard will be closed to motorized vehicles as part of Seattle Parks and Recreation’s Bicycle Weekends. Seattle Parks and Recreation invites everyone in the community to bike, jog or stroll along the boulevard between the Seward Park entrance and Mount Baker Park’s beach during these times. Local access will be maintained.
Construction snapshot
SDOT construction work
Route 44 Corridor Project
Beginning Friday, August 19 through Monday, August 22 between 7 p.m. and 3 a.m., night work will take place between NW Market St and 24th Ave NW and Fremont Ave N and N 46th St. We will be removing existing striping and painting new striping on sections of the street. A noise variance has been granted to do this work. Travels can expect noise and travel delays for the duration.
West Seattle and South Park
On Saturday, August 20, from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., we will work in several areas around West Seattle and South Park:
- We’re paving 8th Ave S from S Kenyon St to S Portland St in South Park. We will restrict parking and maintain one driving lane of traffic in each direction.
- We’ll be working in south Delridge at 16th Ave SW and SW Cambridge St to update curb bulbs and curb ramps. We’ll maintain one driving lane of traffic in each direction.
- We’ll be replacing concrete panels on 16th Ave SW and SW Myrtle St. We’ll maintain one lane of traffic in each direction.
- We will clean the median islands at SW Roxbury St and Olson Place SW. We will close a driving lane in both directions on either side of the median, so people driving can expect delays.
On Sunday, August 21, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., we will be paving a median island on West Marginal Way SW, just north of the Highland Park Way SW intersection. Please anticipate delays while driving through the area.
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 19, contractor crews working for WSDOT will begin working on the right lanes of southbound I-5 to replace expansion joints. Travelers should be aware that:
- The collector/distributor ramp to southbound I-5 will be closed. People will be able to enter the collector/distributor, but must use one of the exits, which include I-90, Dearborn Street, Fourth Avenue South, and Airport Way.
- People will be able to use the on-ramps from Spring and James streets into the collector/distributor but will have to use one of the exits.
- The eastbound and westbound ramps from I-90 to southbound I-5 will be closed, except for two hours after stadium events with attendance of 15,000 or more.
- The off-ramps to Forest Street, Spokane Street and Columbian Way will be closed.
Travelers should also note that for approximately the next three weekends, contractors will complete paving work in addition to expansion joint work on I-5. Southbound I-5 will occasionally be reduced to one lane to finish some of this paving. All work will wrap up by 5 a.m. Monday, August 22.
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.
Transit and trip planning resources
As always, we encourage you to consider transit to get around this weekend. The Link light rail and King County Metro both have useful 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 to find the transit route that works best for you. Google Maps also offers transit planning and biking, walking, and other trip planning options.
A heads up that between August 19 and September 1, Sound Transit will be completing repair work at the Link light rail Columbia City station, which may result in service delays. You can read more about the planned work here.
Thank you
Thanks again for reading our travel tips. Planning ahead helps to make getting around easier for everyone. We hope you have a nice weekend!
