(Images: SDOT)
Seattle Summer Parkways will transform 10 miles of city streets in the Central District and Ballard into car-free zones for pedestrians and cyclists.
The aim of the event, which is new to Seattle and modeled after Portland’s Sunday Parkways, is to promote healthy living and community cohesion according to organizers. “We want neighbors to be outdoors, greeting each other, enjoying each other’s company,” a Seattle Department of Transportation rep tells CHS.
The Central District will host Seattle Summer Parkways on Saturday, September 12 from 11 AM to 3 PM. Three miles of roads will be shut off to cars and opened to recreational use in a showcase of the nearly-complete Central Area Neighborhood Greenway on 25th Ave/Ave S. Live music and activities will be taking place at Judkins Park, Pratt Park, Garfield Playfields and Powell Barnett Park.
Saturday September 12, 2015, Central District 11 am-3 pm
We have tons of amazing activities and entertainment planned in parks all along the route! Save the date and bring out the whole family! Check out what we have in store below.
PRATT PARK:
- People in Parks Performance from Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute
- 2nd Line Jazz Performance from Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute
- Games with Prizes from ZipCar
- Live music from Local Buskers
JUDKINS PARK:
- Live Music All Day!
- Tasty Vibes Food Truck
- Pinks Ice Cream Truck
- Skateboard Demos and Lessons from Skate Like A Girl
- Kids Teddy Bear Clinic with Swedish Medical Center
- Bike Polo with the Seattle Bike Polo Club
GARFIELD PLAYFIELDS:
- Central Area Block Party
- Mobility Bike Fleet available for children and adults with disability fromOutdoors For All
- Bike Activities with the Cascade Bicycle Club
- Disaster Relief Trials and Zombie Apocalypse Preparedness withFamilyBike Seattle
- Family Bike Expo with FamilyBike Seattle
- Orca lift and Orca To-Go from King County Metro Transit
- Spin the Wheel with Pronto Cycle Share
POWELL BARNETT PARK:
- Clowning around with http://www.duofinelli.com/
- Belly Dancing and Zumba with My World Dance and Fitness
- My Sweet Lil’ Cakes Food Truck
- Practice Reiki with Mikol
- Rap in a Cypher with Anthony Pardi Ethos
DOUGLASS-TRUTH BRANCH LIBRARY
Books and Bubbles at Douglass-Truth Branch Library – Stop by the lawn of the Douglass-Truth Branch Library for stories, activities, music and fun!
Also don’t forget to stop by Giddens School for Chalk Art, Bubbles, Music and Lemonade!
THIS IS SEATTLE SUMMER PARKWAYS!
Here are some tips on how to prepare for the fun!
*Remember to bring a backpack or tote so you can continue exploring all day!
*Pack a reusable water bottle, hand sanitizer and sunscreen. There are water filing stations along the way and it’s important to stay hydrated!
And the most important part – Have Fun!
Questions? Contact us at [email protected]
Ballard will host on Saturday September 19, 11 AM to 3 PM. Seven miles of roads will be shut off to cars, and activities will take place at Loyal Heights Playfields, Salmon Bay Park, Ballard Corners Park, 14th Avenue Northwest Park Boulevard, and Ballard Commons Park.
More than 300 volunteers are needed to help run the events, from staffing info booths to helping with set-up and cleanup. If you’re interested in volunteering, go to www.cascade.org/summerparkways.
How the heck am I supposed to come and go home during this experiment? The proposed closures prevent ingress and egress from my home.
Since you are a resident, you will be able to drive to and from your house.
Also, there’s nothing about this event that makes it an “experiment”.
It’s a carbon copy of a program that’s been phenomenally successful in numerous US cities – ranging from NYC to Portland – going back nearly a decade.
There’s about 100,000 people a year alone attending in Portland Oregon (where city staff and electeds went down for a community-led trip to learn all the details of how to run the program successfully).
The only thing that seems to be missing so far is the publicity and awareness. So thanks to Mohamed for this article!
Are you kidding? It’s one day for four hours! Park around the corner if you have to come and go. Or, hopefully you can participate, should be fun. This amazing summer is ending soon. My driveway is affected but I won’t be using it anyway. No complaints from me, great idea.
I signed up to volunteer several weeks back. I live in the neighborhood and wanted to help make the event a success. Hope to see lots of folks out having fun!
This sounds like a nice idea, but closing *more* streets when 23rd is already closed/restricted in the same area is going to be problematic. Better timing would be nice.