As I mentioned in the official SunBreak guide to surviving the Blue Angels, one way to deal with the noise of the practice runs is to treat it as a free show. If you can’t beat ’em, plop a lawn chair at the edge of Lake Washington and join ’em. Friday, which brings more practicing, will allow me to bring Plan B into play: get out of town for the day. Victoria makes a terrific spur of the moment daycation.
This is just the start of a big weekend in Seattle. The good people at SDOT would like us to alert you to the following events, both to enjoy and to watch out for, as traffic congestion will accompany them:
Friday, August 3
Umoja Fest African Heritage Festival: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., Judkins Park, 500 attending
Magnolia Summer Festival: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Magnolia Playfield, 2,500 attending
Streets closed from 4 p.m. Thursday, August 2 to 11:59 p.m. on Saturday, August 4: W Smith from 32nd to 34thAvenue W and 33rd from Wheeler to Smith streets.Seafair Hydroplane Races and Air Show Qualifying and Practice
On/above Lake Washington – hydroplane qualifying and air show practice
Streets closed from 6 a.m. Friday, August 3 to 9 a.m. Monday, August 6: Lake Washington Boulevard S between Mount Baker Beach and 49th Avenue S. Blue Angels Air Show Practice will close I-90 to traffic from 12:45 p.m. to 2:40 p.m.Saturday, August 4
Lake City Pioneer Days Festival: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., NE 125th Street between 26th Avenue NE and Lake City Way N, 5,000 attending
Streets closed from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.: NE 125th between 26th and Lake City Way NEUmoja Fest African Heritage Festival: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., Judkins Park, 3,000 attending
Magnolia Kids and Seafair Parade: Kids Parade – 10:30 a.m.; Seafair Parade –11 p.m., Magnolia Village, 4,500 attending, 9 a.m.: staging on 34th Avenue W between W Raye Street and W Barrett Street
Parade route: starts at 34th and Raye; moves south on 34th to W McGraw Street; east on McGraw to 32nd Avenue W; north on 32nd to W Raye Street.Magnolia Summer Festival: 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m., Magnolia Playfield, on W. Smith St. between 32nd and 34th Avenue W, and on 33rd Avenue W between W Wheeler and W Smith Street, 4,000 attending
Streets closed from 4 p.m. Thursday, August 2 to 11:59 p.m. Saturday, August 4: W Smith from 32nd to 34thAvenue W and 33rd from Wheeler to Smith.Umoja Fest African Heritage Festival Parade: 1 p.m., 900 attending
Parade staging at 11 a.m. on 23rd Avenue between E Union Street and E Madison Street
Parade route: start at 23rd and Union; heads south on 23rd to S Norman Street; then west on Norman into Judkins Park.Lake City Pioneer Days Grand Performance Parade: 6 p.m. – kids and 7 p.m. Grand Parade, Lake City Way NE, 3,000 attending
Staging starting at 4 p.m. on Lake City Way NE between NE 137th and NE 135th Street, and side streets to the west.
Parade route: starts at Lake City Way NE and NE 135th Street; moves south on Lake City Way to NE 123rd Street; turns east on 123rd to 32nd Avenue NE.Seafair Hydroplane Races and Air Show ( Qualifying and Practice): Genessee Park, and on and above Lake Washington, Lake Washington Boulevard closed between Mount Baker Beach and 49th Avenue S from 6 a.m. on Friday, August 3 to 9 a.m. on Monday, August 6. Closed: I-90 will close to traffic from 12:45 p.m.to 2:40 p.m.
Sunday, August 5
Umoja Fest African Heritage Festival: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., Judkins Park, 500 attending
Seafair Hydroplane Races and Air Show: Genessee Park and on/above Lake Washington, 35,000 attending
Closed: Lake Washington Boulevard S between Mount Baker Beach and 49th Avenue S from 6 a.m. Friday, Aug. 3 to 9 a.m. Monday, August 6. Closed: I-90 to traffic 12:45 p.m. to 2:40 p.m.Seattle Sounders vs. L.A. Galaxy: 6 – 8 p.m., CenturyLink Field, 35,000 attending