Seattle, WA
Seattle weekend activities to soak up the sunshine
The weekend is here, and the forecast says get out and enjoy it!
Plenty of folks will be taking advantage of the natural beauty of our state during a free weekend at Washington State Parks. On Saturday, not only can you get into the Washington State Parks with no Discovery Pass needed, but it is also the Free Fishing Weekend. That means you can fish for SPECIFIC species of fish, including rainbow trout and bass, rockfish, flounder, and more. However, a license is still required for fishing and harvesting of shellfish, salmon, steelhead, and more. Get more details on what you can and can’t catch right here.
It’s one of my favorite weekends of the year in Tacoma. The Northwest Pinball and Arcade show has returned, and all weekend long, the Greater Tacoma Convention Center turns into the biggest arcade in the Pacific Northwest. Over 400 games will be on the floor and playable with your ticket, in addition to guest speakers, workshops, vendors, and even movie screenings. You’ll find me hanging around the Galaga machine. It also acts like an interactive pinball history museum, with machines from the early days of pinball up to the latest and greatest modern machines. Get details and tickets right here.
That’s not the only nerd theme fun this weekend, in Kent on Saturday, it is the Kent Nerd Party. The event’s website says nerds of all fandoms will find something fun to do, whether it’s larping, the LEGO museum, or miniature painting, and that just scratches the surface. This event is free and runs from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. in downtown Kent.
Seattle weekend activities to celebrate Pride Month
Pride Month is here, and there are plenty of events to celebrate at. Pride in the Park is Saturday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill. It’s free and open to all ages and offers live music, food, drag shows, and lots more. In White Center, over 100 LGBTQ+ friendly vendors will be in downtown White Center for the White Center Pride Street Festival. There will be performances from local musicians, a beer garden, a family play area, and live wrestling. The fun starts at noon and goes until 11 p.m.
The Festál program continues at the Seattle Center, and this weekend’s celebration is the Indigenous Peoples Festival on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be traditional music and dance, weaving demos, poetry, and lots of vendors for art and food. Get the full event schedule right here.
If you are looking for more free fun, Sunday at the Phinney Center is the PhinneyWood Summer Arts Festival, complete with vendors, workshops to help you with your next project, a beer garden, and of course live music and fun for the kids.
If you love to thrift, then you’ll want to head to the Washington State Fair Events Center in Puyallup, Saturday and Sunday for Thriftapalooza. Here you will find a huge selection of second-hand goods, everything from clothes and home goods to toys and collectibles. If you are looking for a gift for yourself or someone in your life, you are sure to find something fun and unique.
If you are a fan of hitting the links, why not try something a little bit different by golfing…at night. Glow Golf is returning to the Meadows Park Golf Course on Fridays and Saturdays throughout the summer. Your ticket will get you a round of golf, complete with a light-up ball to track your shots, a drink ticket, and even glow swag. Get details right here.
How are you soaking up the sun this weekend? Let me know at paulh@kiroradio.com.
Seattle, WA
COUNTDOWN: Two days until West Seattle Fourth of July Kids’ Parade! Here’s the newest info
Just two days until hundreds of West Seattle’s youngest residents will parade through the streets of North Admiral with their families, as the Admiral Neighborhood Association again presents the West Seattle Fourth of July Kids’ Parade. We’ve checked in with parade coordinators for the newest info:
>Gina Topp (SPS School Board President, Admiral resident, and owner of Mission Cantina) will kick off the parade.
–Kavya Bhatkar (age 10), a School of Rock student, will sing the anthem.
-Title sponsors for the parade are: Neighborhood Naturopathic and Primary Care and Holy Rosary.
-Food available for purchase including:
Seattle Pops
West Seattle Grounds
Where Ya at Matt
Empanadas El Pachi
La La Lemonade
Seattle Sorbet
Hawk Dogs
Sugar & Spoon
The parade starts at 10 am Saturday from 45th SW and SW Sunset, heads west on Sunset for a bit, turns south and then east, ending at Hamilton Viewpoint Park for a post-parade celebration with sack races, activity booths, the aforementioned food/treat vendors, and if they’re not called away to an emergency, an SFD truck to see. No RSVP or registration required to be in the parade – just show up (non-motorized bikes, trikes, scooters, strollers, etc., welcome, or just walk).
(2024 reader photo of fireworks damage on Nino Cantu SW Athletic Complex turf)
Here’s the annual announcement from Seattle Parks – we’ve excised the non-local parks:
Seattle Parks and Recreation will turn on field lighting on ballfields throughout the city on the evening of Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4 to protect the surfaces. The ballfield lights will be turned on at approximately 9 PM.
The lights will be turned on to discourage the use of fireworks. Fireworks are illegal in the city of Seattle and will destroy the artificial turf on the fields or surrounding facilities. The approximate replacement cost for the synthetic surface based on per average full-size field (110,000 square feet) is $1.2 million. All the fields have been renovated in the past several years and benefit field users including soccer, football, baseball, ultimate frisbee and lacrosse.
The fields will be monitored from 9 PM to 3 AM
Lights at the following synthetic fields will be turned off at 3 AM on July 3 and 4:
Delridge Playfield, 4458 Delridge Way SW
Hiawatha Playfield, 2700 California Ave. SW
South Park Playfield, 8319 8th Ave S
Walt Hundley Playfield, 6920 34th Avenue SWLights will be turned off at the following grass fields at 11 PM on July 3 and 4:
West Seattle Stadium, 4432 35th Ave. SW
Comparing this to last year’s announcement, the lights will be on longer the night before the 4th, and the “monitoring” will be an hour later.
SEATTLE — Sharp divisions emerged Wednesday as Seattle residents, housing advocates and environmental activists sparred over a proposal that would dramatically reshape the city’s land-use appeals process.
At issue is legislation proposed by Seattle City Councilmember Eddie Lin. The bill would eliminate State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) appeals to the city’s Hearing Examiner for major legislative actions, including Comprehensive Plan amendments and development regulations.
It prompted impassioned testimony at a public hearing before the Seattle City Council’s Land Use Committee, which Lin chairs.
Lin said his bill would prevent costly delays that have slowed housing production and climate-focused planning. Opponents countered that it would strip residents of one of their few affordable avenues for holding city government accountable on environmental issues before projects move forward.
Lin said that concentrating new housing in dense, walkable neighborhoods near transit reduces suburban sprawl, preserves forests and farmland, lowers greenhouse gas emissions and limits pollution harmful to salmon and orcas.
Lin said Seattle can achieve both affordable housing and a healthy urban tree canopy through thoughtful planning. However, having projects repeatedly delayed by appeals that ultimately have little legal standing is something the city cannot afford, Lin said.
Over the past several years, Washington lawmakers have expanded exemptions within SEPA specifically to reduce red tape for housing production. But Seattle’s municipal code still allows administrative appeals on many actions that state law has already exempted.
Although those appeals are frequently dismissed because of state law, city officials said the process itself can significantly delay legislation.
Under Lin’s proposal, residents could no longer file administrative SEPA appeals before the Hearing Examiner for major legislative actions. Instead, challenges would have to be brought before the Washington Growth Management Hearings Board or King County Superior Court.
During the public hearing, opponents said such a change would effectively place environmental appeals beyond the reach of many residents because pursuing litigation requires attorneys and substantially higher costs.
Several speakers warned that raising the financial barrier to appeals would disproportionately silence neighborhoods and community groups with limited resources.
Environmental advocates also argued the legislation removes an important layer of independent oversight before major decisions become law. They said appeals have historically uncovered flaws in Environmental Impact Statements, revealed previously undisclosed information and prompted improvements before projects advance.
The debate is expected to intensify as Seattle prepares for the next phase of updating its Comprehensive Plan under Mayor Katie Wilson’s administration. The forthcoming environmental review of the plan, which includes proposals for taller and denser development across the city, is likely to make the question of who can challenge environmental reviews a central issue in the coming year.
No vote was taken following Wednesday’s public hearing. The legislation will return to the City Council for further consideration.
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