View of downtown Seattle from the Jose Rizal Bridge. Photo Credit: SDOT Blog stats: 1,160 words | 6-minute read
We’ve got a couple of busy weeks coming up! From Fourth of July celebrations and MLB All-Star Week to planned construction, here is what you can expect and how you can keep moving safely around the city.
At-a-glance
- July 4: Fireworks
- July 7-11: MLB All Star Week
- July 14-16: Community festivals from West Seattle to Ballard
- July 1-16: Other Seattle sports home games
- July 1-16: Known construction
Fourth of July: Amazon Seafair Summer Fourth
The annual Amazon Seafair Summer Fourth celebration will be a day-long event held at Gas Works Park on July 4th. With games, live music, and fireworks show over Lake Union, it’s a great way to celebrate the holiday at one of Seattle’s most scenic parks.
Gas Works Park is accessible by King County Metro. You can also bike or scoot there by taking the Burke-Gilman Trail. The Link light rail University of Washington Station is located near the trail and is a 10-minute bike or scooter ride from the park.
If you’re planning on driving in the area, expect crowds, road closures, added traffic, and limited parking.
July 7-11: MLB All Star Week
The City of Seattle is proud to be hosting this year’s Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Week at T-Mobile Park. The line-up of events begins July 7 and includes the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, T-Mobile Home Run Derby, and additional festivities throughout Seattle. The 5-day event culminates with the 93rd MLB All-Star Game on July 11.
Event organizers anticipate over 100,000 fans will be visiting Seattle throughout the week, including sold-out crowds of roughly 48,000 fans for both the Home Run Derby on July 10 and the All-Star Game on July 11.
With large crowds expected in the Stadium District and Pioneer Square, we encourage you to think ahead, shift your travel times, and avoid drive-alone trips through the area. You should also try taking different modes of transportation, such as biking or scooting, taking the bus, riding the streetcar, or using light rail.
T-Mobile Park is accessible by multiple King County Metro routes as well as Sound Transit’s Link light rail via Stadium Station.
July 14-16: Major Community Events
Ballard Seafood Fest
The Ballard Seafood Fest is back July 14-16! It will close part of Market St from Leary to 24th Ave NW, and part of Ballard Ave from Market St to 22nd Ave NW. Stop by and experience live music, local vendors, and fish!
Please plan ahead if you are going to the event, or will be traveling along NW Market St or Ballard Ave NW. Since parking will be tough to find, please consider walking, biking, or rolling to festival, or take King County Metro. Bus routes 44 and 40 have stops within a block of where the festival begins.
Visit Ballard also has helpful information about finding the best bus route for you.
West Seattle Summer Fest
Come enjoy local food, shopping, music, and a kid’s zone in the heart of West Seattle! The West Seattle Summer Fest is a fun-filled street festival held in the West Seattle Junction, July 14-16. The event will close part of California Ave SW from SW Edmunds St to SW Genesee, and part of SW Alaska St from 42nd Ave SW to 44th Ave SW.
If you’re driving to or around the neighborhood during the event, expect detours and potential travel delays. If you’d like to bus to the festival, there are multiple King County Metro routes available. You can also take the water taxi to Alki and use the free event shuttle to the festival from the dock.
Festival Sundiata Black Arts Fest
Located at the Seattle Center July 14-16, the Festival Sundiata Black Arts Fest celebrates and educates about people of African descent through music, art, food, and much more.
This event is an opportunity for different families in the community to come together and appreciate different cultures and ethnicities. SDOT will also be attending! Feel free to stop by our table and chat with some of our amazing team members about transportation in Seattle.
Seattle Center can be reached by King County Metro bus or by taking the monorail from Westlake Center.
July 1-16: Other Seattle Sports Home Games
- July 1: Ol Reign, 12:30 PM (Lumen Field) Mariners, 4:15 PM (T-Mobile Park); Sounders FC, 7:30 PM (Lumen Field)
- July 2: Mariners, 1:10 PM (T-Mobile Park); Seattle Storm, 3:00 PM (Climate Pledge Arena)
- July 14: Mariners, 7:10 PM (T-Mobile Park)
- July 15: Mariners, 6:40 PM (T-Mobile Park); Sounders FC, 7:30 PM (Lumen Field)
- July 16: Mariners, 1:10 PM (T-Mobile Park)
Travelers around the stadium district and Climate Pledge should plan for delays before and after games. If you plan to go to a game, please consider taking transit, as the stadiums are served by light rail (Stadium Station) and by a variety of bus routes.
July 1-16: Known Construction
There will be many construction projects going on in and around Seattle. There will be multiple closures throughout July that could impact travel times:
June 30 – July 1: SB I-5 off-ramp to West Seattle Bridge/ Spokane St/ Columbian Way will be closed starting at 11:59 PM Friday, June 30 and ending at 6 AM Saturday, July 1.
June 30 – July 2: EB SR 520 will be closed between I-5 in Seattle and 92nd Ave NE in Bellevue. Closure will be from 9 PM – 9 AM Friday, June 30 and Saturday, July 3, and from 9 PM – 5 AM Sunday July 2.
July 5 – 6 & 12 – 13: I-5 will be fully closed between NB Seneca and SR 520 from 9 PM – 5 AM.
Ongoing:
- Weeknight closures of NB I-5 mainline between the I-5 collector-distributor and Olive Way. 9PM to 5AM nightly.
- Weeknight (Mon – Thurs) closures of Montlake Blvd on-ramp to EB SR520. 10PM to 6AM nightly.
To view other upcoming construction and planned activities that may impact travel in Seattle, visit our Upcoming Construction & Events page which is updated weekly.
Getting around during construction
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 route that works best for you.
Know before you go!
Want to choose the best mode of transportation for you? Get real-time traffic information with these resources: