Seafair is a summer
festival
A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival ...
in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
,
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, that encompasses a wide variety of small
neighborhood events leading up to several major citywide celebrations. While many small
block parties
A block party or street party is a party in which many members of a single community congregate, either to observe an event of some importance or simply for mutual solidarity and enjoyment. The name comes from the form of the party, which of ...
and local
parades occur under the auspices of Seafair, most Seattle residents associate Seafair with the
Torchlight Parade (and accompanying Torchlight Run),
Seafair Cup
The Seafair Cup (branded as the HomeStreet Bank Cup for sponsorship reasons, and formerly the Albert Lee Appliance Cup), is an H1 Unlimited hydroplane boat race held annually in late July and early August on Lake Washington in Seattle, Washingt ...
hydroplane races, and the
Blue Angels
The Blue Angels is a flight demonstration squadron of the United States Navy. . Seafair has been an annual event in Seattle since 1950 but its roots can be traced to the 1911 Seattle
Golden Potlatch Celebrations.
History
The 2020 schedule for Seafair was cancelled on May 20, 2020, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
and restrictions on public gatherings. In April 2021, the 2021 Seafair was also cancelled, stating that "while encouraged by
Governor Inslee's Phase 3 guidelines that support small and medium size events to return with limitations, Seafair leadership recognizes the guidelines will not support events the scale of a city-wide festival."
Events
Seafair begins in mid-June; since 1949, its arrival has been heralded by the
Seafair Pirates Landing on
Alki Beach, and the Milk Carton Derby on
Green Lake, a whimsical boat race in which all the boats have been constructed out of empty
milk
Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modula ...
cartons. Entries always range from those carefully shaped for speed and stability to those designed for maximum amusement. The Derby is usually associated with a variety of activities for children and families on the shores of Green Lake.
The Seafair
Half Marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcut ...
was added in 2002, follow three years later by the full Seafair
Marathon. Participants can run or walk the and courses. If a shorter distance is more appealing, participants can run or walk a 5 km course. The 2008 Seafair Half Marathon and Seafair Marathon began at
Husky Stadium, crossed the
Evergreen Point Floating Bridge
The Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, also known as the 520 Bridge and officially the Governor Albert D. Rosellini Bridge, carries Washington State Route 520 across Lake Washington from Seattle to its eastern suburbs. The floating span is the ...
, and ended at
Bellevue, Washington
Bellevue ( ) is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, located across Lake Washington from Seattle. It is the third-largest city in the Seattle metropolitan area and has variously been characterized as ...
's Bellevue Downtown Park. After the race, live music was performed. In 2009, the Seafair Marathon and Half Marathon were replaced with the Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon and Half Marathon.
In 2013, an
Independence Day fireworks
Fireworks are a class of low explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large number of devices ...
show at
Lake Union known as the Seafair Summer Fourth was added. The event serves as a ''de facto'' successor to the ''Family Fourth'' fireworks event formerly held at the same site, which had been discontinued by its organizers due to a lack of funding. The event was revived under the auspices of Seafair with the financial support of local sponsors.
The Seafair
Triathlon
A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the time transitioning between the ...
is held on the shores of
Lake Washington from
Seward Park. It features both Sprint - half-mile
swim,
bike ride, and 5 km
run - and Olympic distances. Participants can compete individually or as a team. Typically, the Seafair Triathlon is held the third weekend of July. In 2007, the Seafair Triathlon saw a record turnout of 2,200.
The Torchlight festivities
The last weekend in July belongs to the
Torchlight Parade and
Torchlight Run. Many local organizations participate in these events, held on the streets of
downtown Seattle. The local woman who has been selected as "Miss Seafair" (prior to 1972, "Seafair Queen") plays a prominent role in the parade. It is traditionally preceded by the Torchlight Run, a short (8 km) race through the city's streets in which many participants run in
costume
Costume is the distinctive style of dress or cosmetic of an individual or group that reflects class, gender, profession, ethnicity, nationality, activity or epoch. In short costume is a cultural visual of the people.
The term also was tradition ...
.
The Seafair Weekend
One of the most popular events of the festival is the Seafair Weekend, held traditionally the first weekend of August on
Genesee Park. Seafair Weekend main events include
hydroplane racing
Hydroplane racing (also known as hydro racing) is a sport involving racing hydroplanes on lakes and rivers. It is a popular spectator sport in several countries.
Racing circuits
International professional outboard hydroplane racing
The Union In ...
on the water and
aerobatics show in the sky.
The
Seafair Cup
The Seafair Cup (branded as the HomeStreet Bank Cup for sponsorship reasons, and formerly the Albert Lee Appliance Cup), is an H1 Unlimited hydroplane boat race held annually in late July and early August on Lake Washington in Seattle, Washingt ...
is an
American Boat Racing Association
H1 Unlimited is an American Unlimited Hydroplane racing league that is sanctioned by the American Power Boat Association (APBA). Until 2009, the series was known as ABRA Unlimited Hydroplane, in turn renamed from APBA Unlimited Hydroplane in 2004. ...
unlimited
hydroplane racing
Hydroplane racing (also known as hydro racing) is a sport involving racing hydroplanes on lakes and rivers. It is a popular spectator sport in several countries.
Racing circuits
International professional outboard hydroplane racing
The Union In ...
circuit stop at
Stan Sayres Memorial Park on Lake Washington, in the
Mount Baker
Mount Baker (Lummi: '; nok, Kw’eq Smaenit or '), also known as Koma Kulshan or simply Kulshan, is a active glacier-covered andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington in the United States. Mount ...
neighborhood. The races attract tens of thousands of spectators, both those standing on the public shores of the lake, and those in
boat
A boat is a watercraft of a large range of types and sizes, but generally smaller than a ship, which is distinguished by its larger size, shape, cargo or passenger capacity, or its ability to carry boats.
Small boats are typically found on inl ...
s anchored just outside the course in the lake itself.
A tradition started in 1972, the
Seafair Air Show is an
aerobatics show coincidently with the days of the Seafair Cup. World-class aerobatics teams perform their aerial stunts over Lake Washington, most prominently the
US Navy Blue Angels and
US Army Golden Knights. Notoriously, the
Blue Angels
The Blue Angels is a flight demonstration squadron of the United States Navy. have been attending the Air Show annually since its first edition, excepting in three occasions. The aerobatics show is a slightly controversial part of Seafair, as some local residents fear an accident involving the low-flying aircraft, and some find the noise of the
jet engines irritating. There was no show at Seafair in 1994 and 1995 as a result of a dispute with the FAA about whether they could safely fly over Lake Washington. In 1996 the Blue Angels flew over
Elliott Bay
Elliott Bay is a part of the Central Basin region of Puget Sound. It is in the U.S. state of Washington, extending southeastward between West Point in the north and Alki Point in the south. Seattle was founded on this body of water in the 1850s ...
, west of downtown Seattle, in a separate event from the hydroplane race, but this was a financial flop, and they returned to being part of the race-weekend festivities over Lake Washington in 1997.
Due to government budget cuts, the Blue Angels did not perform at Seafair 2013; they were replaced by the
Patriots Jet Team
The Patriots Jet Team is a civilian aerobatic formation team that performs in air shows across the western United States of America. The team operates as a six-ship team, flying the Czech-built Aero L-39 Albatros. The Patriots are based in Byro ...
.
From 2019, the aerobatics show fly-over area was moved south to avoid the closing of the floating bridges carrying Interstate 90 between Mercer Island
Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located on an island of the same name in the southern portion of Lake Washington. Mercer Island is in the Seattle metropolitan area, with Seattle to its west and Bellevue to it ...
and Seattle during the three days of Seafair Weekend.
Groups
The Seafair Pirates
Another aspect of Seafair is the involvement of the Seafair Pirates, an organization that works year-round entertaining children in hospitals and performing other acts of community service
Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performe ...
including extensive fundraising. However, the pirate
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
s also usually perform loud—occasionally offensive—antics at Seafair (in an attempt to live up to their name) that cause perennial objection to their prominent involvement in the festivities. Despite this reputation, most people who enjoy Seafair see them as an essential part of the event.The Seattle Times: Seafair hooked on its pirates, By Victor Gonzales, July 9th, 2005
/ref>
References
{{reflist, 2
Air shows in the United States
Washington (state) culture
Festivals in Seattle
Seattle Center
H1 Unlimited
*
Boat festivals
1950 establishments in Washington (state)
Recurring events established in 1950
Aviation in Washington (state)