This past weekend’s 12th Ave Festival wasn’t only the first of its kind for the businesses and organizations that call the area home. It was also the first in a wave of new, outdoor parties and, some might say, product showcases, washing over the Hill this summer.
Hill’s end of summer outdoor (free!) fun
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Some might point to the Capitol Hill Block Party as the obvious progenitor of what seems to be a new trend but we think, if anything, people were probably inspired by the success of the Capitol Hill Pride Festival on Broadway. That festival was again partly backed by a City of Seattle grant in 2010. All the parties profiled below — and the 12th Ave Festival, above — did not receive large grants from the city. They are the product of the business community if not the community of the people who live nearby.
There are also larger trends being shaped.
Seattle’s weather, for one, seems to be a better host these days even if such climatic changes don’t bode well for the planet as a whole. Add in increased cultural value placed on “activating” open space and the “social community” of modern business and you have a recipe for these new “block party” things. Whether they return again next year is a different recipe. It might depend on the weather.
Mobile City
The Adventure School has teamed up with Molly Moon’s Ice Cream to celebrate the walkability of Capitol Hill through an event called Mobile City. The event, which will take place in the Broadway Bank of America parking lot that currently hosts the farmers market, will feature street food, “bike powered entertainment” and general revelry from 6 to 10 PM, August 26th. Everything will be on wheels, we’re told. The Adventure School’s Cori Ready recommends maybe you wear roller blades. The event is sponsored by Molly Moon’s, Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce and Sound Transit. The event also kicks off the E Pike and beyond Summer Sale hosted by Babeland.
“We just wanted to do an event that celebrates Broadway as well as mobile food carts and bring it all together with brick and mortar stores,” said Ready.
As for the Summer Sale, the event has expanded since last year, when it only included E Pike. Babeland’s Audrey McManus said the store wanted to expand the benefits to Pine and Broadway this summer. Though the sale’s main draw is the stores themselves, a food drive for Northwest Harvest will be held during the three day event. Look for donation bins at participating businesses. If your business would like to jump on the bandwagon, they should give Babeland a call before August 18th.
Melrose Market Street Festival
Farther down Pike (and the calendar), the much-celebrated Melrose Market will hold a street festival and farmers’ market to celebrate its opening and familiarize the neighborhood with its vendors. The block around the market will be closed all day September 12th and filled with live entertainment and street food — including Sitka and Spruce’s Matt Dillon bbq-ing just for little ol’ you.
“We’re trying to support the artists and local farmers,” said spokesperson Amelya Hepner. “It’s all about local sustainable stuff.”
The festival will highlight the market’s vendors like Calf and Kid Artisan Cheese, Sonic Boom Records and Marigold and Mint. The event will also feature Molly Moon’s ice cream truck (there she is again!), Po Dog hotdogs and hopefully some of the same farmers from the Broadway Farmers Market, but the latter has not yet been finalized.
A portion of the proceeds from the event will support Seattle Tilth‘s Youth Garden Works program, which didn’t meet its fundraising goals earlier in the year, Hepner said. She said the Market wants to see the program up and running.
Bands performing at the festival will be announced next week.
Pearl Block Party
Capitol Hill residents can end the summer with another celebration turning pavement into a party floor courtesy of the Pearl Apartments on Madison and 15th.
“You have these buildings up here that are ambiguously modern,” said apartment manager Shanon Thorson. “We’re looking to form more of an identity.”
Pearl just got the permits to put on the festival so much of the event is still in the planning stages but Thorson said he wanted to give Capitol Hill residents a reason to travel farther east in the neighborhood. There’s no word on food yet but a beer garden is promised, as is a performance from Colby D from Comeback. This party is scheduled for September 18th from 12 to 6 PM.
Linda’s Fest
To get you warmed up for the rest — and transition out of the big Capitol Hill Block Party mode — Linda’s is throwing a free parking lot party this Saturday:
We’re going to celebrate this great summer with a parking lot party! There will be five bands featuring our talented employees, bbq a-plenty, booze and sunshine! Party starts at 5pm as we wind down from Saturday brunch and goes until the noise ordinance sez we have to stop at 10pm.
Five great bands, with NO COVER! 21+, of course.
Boyfriends
Ex-Girlfriends
Solarmaster
The Keeper
Stickers
Sounds like a lot of late summer fun on the Hill. Weather should be perfect.
Thanks for the roundup, and it’s nice to see that businesses want to get out in the community to promote themselves. That said, I rolled by 12th Ave on Sunday to see how that was going and it just looked like a smattering of uncomfortably hot people wandering around under tents. Parties are always a fun idea, but kind of a waste if they’re planned with only the hosts in mind.
What would you do to make it better? Obviously you could not control the temperature but it seemed like a fun time.
The Capitol Hill Navel Gaze?
This feels like commerce phoning in it’s version of “culture”. While it’s a fine business and marketing strategy, it speaks more to the struggle for identity, density and sustainability than it does to celebration.
Tell me where – if in the nude.
Could be a new tradition.
I can’t find any good information on Mobile City, like if it will last throughout the weekend and what street-food vendors will be in attendance. Does anybody know?