Seattle, WA
JP Patches clown statue vandalized in Fremont, fans hope to make repairs
Iconic Seattle clown statue vandalized
Community leaders in Fremont are hoping to repair the statue of Seattle’s most famous clown after it was defaced by a vandal within the past few weeks.
SEATTLE – Community leaders in Fremont are hoping to repair the statue of Seattle’s most famous clown after it was defaced by a vandal within the past few weeks.
J.P. Patches was the star of a long-running show from 1958-1981, with many members of the community appearing on the program over the years.
The statue was unveiled in 2008 with a street later named after the iconic clown. The picture below shows what the statue used to look like before and after the vandalism.
What they’re saying:
“I am a long-time Seattleite and I know who J.P. Patches is and Gertrude,” said superfan Suzie Burke, a J.P. Patches statue supporter.
Burke says during his three decades on TV, J.P. Patches worked to make people happy.
But, things took a sad turn after the statue honoring J.P. Patches and his sidekick, Gertrude, was vandalized with black paint. Someone inked out the facial features that made the characters come to life.
“J.P. Patches was our clown,” she said, pictured below looking at the damage.
“We have to fix it!,” said Burke, pointing to the statue. “His face is supposed to be white, with the red lips and the red nose.”
Fans of the late clown and the statue say the person who was responsible for defacing the statue wasn’t just clowning around, as the vandalism disrespects the memory of both the clown and the man behind him, Chris Wedes.
“J.P. Patches is a Seattle icon. Any kid that grew up from the 60s and 70s grew up watching JP Patches,” said Curt Hanks, webmeister of JPPatches.com.
After Chris passed away in 2012, FOX 13 interviewed his co-star Bob Newman during a 2013 street-naming celebration in his honor.
“We could do crazy dumb stuff, you know, and people loved it,” said Newman. “They just loved to be talked to, you know, and we just had a great time.
As for who is responsible for the damage, that’s unclear. For now, Hanks with JPPatches.com says “Patches Pals,” as fans are called, will likely rally to make repairs.
A restoration fund for the statue is now live on the J.P. Patches website.
“I raised funds for the last restoration of the statue about three years ago, and we raised funds for these pavers at the base of the statue,” said Hanks.
“We take that pretty seriously, even when it’s a clown,” said Ryan Reiter, managing director for the Fremont Sunday Market, in reference to the vandalism.
Reiter is also hoping to host a parade in Fremont to raise money for the cause.
“We’ve just been spit-balling. We want to find a way to help fix J.P. Patches,” said Reiter.
He’s hoping to host that parade at the Fremont Sunday Market location. He said he could host the event as early as May 25. He plans to make an announcement on social media soon.
FOX 13 reached out to Seattle Police to see if officers are investigating the vandalism incident, and we are waiting to hear back.
The Source: Information in this story came from the J.P. Patches website and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.
MORE NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
Social media says Seattle ports are empty — but data shows growth
Irish woman returning from visiting sick father detained at Tacoma ICE facility
‘Violated, degraded, dehumanized’: Ex-Seattle police official Jamie Tompkins demands $3M
Idaho judge slams Bryan Kohberger’s ‘hollow’ attempt to dodge death penalty
First confirmed Pacific Northwest sighting of invasive Chinese mitten crab
WA pilot program offers free walk-on ferry rides to San Juan Islands
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
Ranger Suarez carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 6-2 on Friday night.
Suarez (3-3) struck out five and walked three in 6 2/3 innings. His no-hit bid ended with Josh Naylor’s one-out double in the seventh.
The 30-year-old lefty earned his first win since April 27 against Toronto.
Caleb Durbin put the Red Sox ahead with a second-inning solo homer, his fifth of the year. Durbin had his second three-hit game this season, with his first coming against Tampa Bay on June 10.
Ceddanne Rafaela scored on a wild pitch in the seventh, and Marcelo Mayer drove in two more runs with a bases-loaded single.
Carlos Narváez added a sacrifice fly before Seattle finally escaped the inning on a diving catch by Dominic Canzone in right field.
Suarez issued a two-out walk that loaded the bases in the seventh on his final pitch of the night, but Justin Slaten ended the threat by striking out pinch-hitter J.P. Crawford to preserve a 5-0 lead.
Mayer added one more insurance run with a ninth-inning RBI double. The Mariners got on the board thanks to Julio Rodríguez’s two-run homer in the ninth.
Seattle starter Bryce Miller (3-1) struck out seven in five innings. He allowed three hits and one run.
Luis Castillo, who has started in all but three of his 258 career appearances, gave up five runs in four innings of relief as the Mariners revived their “piggyback” rotation.
Up next
Red Sox LHP Connelly Early (5-5, 3.81 ERA) starts opposite Mariners RHP Emerson Hancock (5-3, 3.28) on Saturday night.
Seattle, WA
Seattle fans pack waterfront hours early as USA defeats Australia, advances in World Cup
SEATTLE — Soccer fans descended on Seattle’s waterfront well before kickoff Friday, staking out their spots early to watch a highly anticipated World Cup matchup at Seattle Stadium between the United States and Australia. That patience paid off as Team USA won the match and now advances to the knockout round.
The atmosphere at Pier 62 was electric from the start, with fans lining up for prime viewing positions, whether down on the water’s edge or taking in the sweeping scene from the waterfront overlook above.
“I mean, look at all these people that are here hours beforehand to celebrate this incredible game,” said Paul Hanson, who was rooting for Team USA. “The hairs are going up on the arm.”
The energy was a draw in itself.
“The energy is amazing, everyone’s in a great mood, it’s just a lot of fun to be down here,” Maggie McNeil said.
Not everyone in the crowd was wearing red, white, and blue.
Lizzie Manning hails from Melbourne, Australia, and is now living in the Pacific Northwest.
Manning told KOMO News she hasn’t been back home in nearly a decade, but taking in the U.S.A-Australia match with the waterfront crowd gave her a taste of it.
“Whenever I see another Australian I’m like, ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie, oy oy oy,’” she said. “I feel so close to home. I need a meat pie, life’s good.”
“I’ve met so many people who are visiting from other countries,” Seattle resident Maddie Chaplain said. “I sat next to a couple yesterday who was eating dumplings for the first time from Argentina, that was so awesome.”
With Team USA advancing, fans like Aaron Olson say they’ll be back for more.
“USA’s gonna win it,” Olson said. “I will come down here every game. This is spectacular.”
The World Cup watch parties continue on Pier 62 throughout the tournament. They are free and open to the public with online registration, but capacity is limited.
Seattle News Weekly S1E44: FIFA Frenzy hits the PNW
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is off and running as Seattle prepares to host the United States vs. Australia match on Friday. With more matches to be played in the Emerald City after that, FOX 13’s David Rose, Dan Griffin and Austin Lane are taking a closer look at the biggest stories surrounding the international tournament. Dan is hearing from fans on Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s decision to turn on CCTV cameras during the World Cup, Austin is taking a deeper dive into why ties are a good thing in the group stage, and David revisits the lessons learned from the first match hosted in Seattle between Egypt and Belgium.
SEATTLE – The FIFA World Cup has taken Seattle by storm, bringing global excitement to our city and visitors from across the world.
On this week’s episode of the ‘Seattle News Weekly’ podcast, David Rose, Dan Griffin and Austin Lane discuss the top headlines of the week that have emerged alongside the buzz about the FIFA World Cup 2026.
A Massive Tournament Expansion
The hosts open the podcast with a discussion on how historically large this year’s FIFA World Cup is compared to years past. Expanded to 48 teams (up from 32), the tournament features a record 104 matches over 39 days across 16 host cities. Seattle is hosting six of those matches.
Austin explains the value of “ties” in the group stage—especially with the new format where 32 teams advance to the knockout stage instead of 16—meaning a single point from a tie carries significant weight.
At the time of recording, the US had already defeated Paraguay and is preparing to face Australia at “Seattle Stadium,” where a win would guarantee advancement.
Transit Tactics
Dan Griffin reports on the city’s transit system, noting that while the light rail is moving a massive influx of people smoothly, transit authorities are actively “throttling” passengers.
This practice involves controlling crowd flow onto platforms to ensure safety, which has caused wait times of over an hour for some fans on TikTok. Transit officials recommend that fans walk to stations slightly further away from the stadium district to get moving faster.
The CCTV Security Debate
The hosts talk about how security is a major focal point. The FBI has already had to confiscate drones being flown illegally downtown. More prominently, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson activated controversial closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the Stadium District following “general but credible threats” identified by law enforcement.
While an activist group called Community, Not Cameras expressed fears that the surveillance puts vulnerable populations at risk due to federal agency presence, visitors and fans interviewed largely welcomed the extra layer of security. The cameras are expected to be turned off after the World Cup concludes.
Cultural Celebrations and Fan Experiences
The hosts play a clip from reporter Lauren Donovan who provides a colorful look at the fan festivities happening in the city. She highlights the “March to the Match,” describing Monday morning where Belgian fans swarmed Victory Hall alongside middle school band directors from the Stanwood-Camano district who were recruited to drum for them.
She also joins celebrating Egyptian fans, whose match against Belgium ended in an enthusiastic tie. The hosts note that international fans (like those from Australia) are already flooding local attractions, including Seattle Mariners baseball games, turning the sporting event into a broader West Coast vacation.
Seattle News Weekly is a podcast that goes in depth and gives context to the stories that matter to the western Washington community. Check back every Thursday for a new episode on your favorite podcast platform, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Stitcher, Amazon Music, TuneIn and Audible or YouTube.
MORE WORLD CUP NEWS FROM FOX 13 SEATTLE
USA players want to lay off the ‘Layup’ chatter ahead of Australia matchup
How Seattle is preparing for USMNT vs. Australia World Cup match on Juneteenth
FIFA World Cup billboards in Seattle spark sexual health conversations
Seattle’s Ballard to host Pride celebration, FIFA watch party on June 26
Seattle reviews FIFA World Cup 2026 transit options after post-match congestion
Egypt’s World Cup pride, Mohamed Salah’s legacy and one fan’s love for the Pharaohs
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
-
News7 minutes agoThe Real Love Company made her feel whole. Then ‘Daddy’ said to strip naked.
-
Los Angeles, Ca2 hours agoWoman, man found shot to death in Pomona, suspect leads officers on erratic chase
-
Detroit, MI2 hours agoToday in History: June 20, race-related rioting erupts in Detroit
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoSan Francisco hotels see steady World Cup business, but fall short of Super Bowl surge
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoDallas International Piano Competition brings finalists June 23
-
Miami, FL2 hours agoWhere to watch San Francisco Giants vs Miami Marlins: TV channel, start time, streaming for June 20
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoDuck parades, outdoor drinking, and Gronk in a kilt. Here’s how Friday’s World Cup festivities unfolded. – The Boston Globe
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoRockies ride Kyle Freeland’s gem, Braxton Fulford’s double to 4-3 win over Pirates
