We don’t get a lot of parades on Beacon Hill, but this Saturday, May 11, a Mother’s Day parade will start at Stevens Place Park (otherwise known as the triangle park) at 2 p.m. and parade for about six blocks, ending at Roberto Maestes Festival Street next to Beacon Hill Station.
According to the organizers, the parade is all-ages fun, with this message:
Honor moms and highlight the need for:
Comprehensive state-funded childcare for working and poor families
End domestic violence – Free Marissa Alexander
Stop deportations – Keep immigrant families together
Increase funding for jobs, public schools, Social Security and human services
Tax the rich – End U.S. militarism
All who want to participate are welcome, and should gather at Stevens Place Park at Beacon Avenue South and South Stevens at 1:30 p.m. Bring strollers, tricycles, banners, signs and festive attire. The event will also feature an information fair, speakers, face-painting, balloons and music.
The parade is sponsored by Sisters Organize for Survival and the Pacific Northwest Alliance to Free Marissa Alexander. For more information, contact Helen Gilbert at (206)722-6057, or at Sis4Survival@gmail.com.
Judith Edwards of the North Beacon Hill Council and City Council member Sally Bagshaw have a discussion at last Saturday's People-Powered Park Parade. Photo by Dan Bennett in the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool. I was very sad to have to miss last weekend’s People-Powered Park Parade in which neighbors on bicycle and foot toured the proposed bike boulevard on 17th and 18th Avenues S., and celebrated the 100th birthday of Lewis Park. Though the weather wasn’t perfect, the rain stayed away, and those who were able to attend report that it was a lovely celebration.
A neighbor going by “Observer” posted this recap in the comments to last week’s post:
It was a two-fold community celebration. The Friends of Lewis Park and Beacon Bikes joined forces with the City of Seattle, Department of Neighborhoods, North Beacon Hill Council and Green Seattle Partnership in sponsoring the People Powered Park Parade and celebration of four years of restoration of Lewis Park Natural Area.
The colorful bike parade was in celebration of the vision of a kid-friendly bicycle and pedestrian path connecting our Seattle Parks with safe and enjoyable neighborhood greenways. An estimated (I didn’t count) 50 or more bicyclists of all ages departed the Jefferson Park playground and rode the proposed path to Lewis Park to the north.
Upon arrival the riders and walkers (who seemed to double in numbers) were greeted by the Friends of Lewis Park and several dignitaries from the City of Seattle. Two of the more popular neighbors were Jay Hollingsworth and J.J. Lund. People lined up and down the block to meet them as they flipped the burgers and dogs and stirred the chili.
Director Dee Dunbar introduced several dignitaries that included Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn. Each of them shared a similar message of congratulations to the citizen volunteers who are providing the many hours of hands on labor to achieve the goal of restoring the Lewis Park Natural Area to a beautiful, family-friendly environment. They expressed great appreciation to citizens of the neighborhood who are making it happen. They also recognized the grants awarded to the project were really quite small when compared to the investment of time and work of the citizens of north Beacon Hill.
This is certainly not an official report but rather an observation from a long time citizen of north Beacon Hill.
Dan Bennett posted a wonderful bunch of parade photos to the Beacon Hill Blog photo pool on Flickr, and Observer emailed us some great photos as well. (Thank you to both of you!) Here are a few of our favorites:
City Council member Sally Bagshaw and others on the People-Powered Float. Photo by Dan Bennett.Photo by Observer.Mayor McGinn meets Beacon Hill neighbors. Photo by Dan Bennett.Bikes brightly decorated. Photo by Observer.Cyclists wait to cross Spokane Street. Photo by Dan Bennett.
As mentioned previously, the People-Powered Park Parade and Lewis Park Celebration is this Saturday, May 21. The PPPP is a bike and walk parade that will tour the proposed bike boulevard on 17th and 18th Avenues S., and celebrate the 100th birthday of Lewis Park. You can see the parade route here.
Here is the event timeline; come for the entire event, or just part of it, if you prefer.
1:00 p.m. Event begins (BBQ, music, arrival of bike parade)*
1:25 p.m. Mayor arrives, mix and mingle
1:30 p.m. Welcome by Friends of Lewis Park
1:35 p.m. Duwamish blessing
1:45 p.m. CM Sally Bagshaw (3-5 min)
1:50 p.m. Mayor’s remarks (3-5 minutes)
1:55 p.m. Christopher Williams (3-5 minutes)
2:00 p.m. Bernie Matsuno (3-5 minutes)
2:15 p.m. Tours of Lewis Park Natural Area begin, music resumes
5:00 p.m. Event concludes
*Due to limited seating, it is advised that you bring a blanket/something to sit on to Sturgus Park.
This event is organized by Beacon Walks and Bikes and Friends of Lewis Park, and funded in part by a Neighborhood Matching Fund award from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. For more information, contact Dee Dunbar at dd1377@gmail.com or Dylan Ahearn at dsahearn@gmail.com.
Photo by Charles Willgren, via Creative Commons.A “people-powered” celebration is coming to North Beacon Hill on May 21 when cyclists, pedestrians, park fans, and other neighbors take part in the People-Powered Park Parade and Lewis Park Celebration.
The PPPP is a bike and walk parade that will tour the proposed bike boulevard on 17th and 18th Avenues S. The parade will include a bike decoration contest with prizes, and a pedal-powered float! Paraders should meet at Jefferson Park Playground at 11:30 a.m. The parade will leave the park at noon, and arrive at Lewis Park at 1 p.m. You can see the parade route at this PDF link.
When the parade arrives at Lewis Park (904 Sturgus Ave. S.), the event turns into a celebration of the park’s restoration from 1-5 p.m., featuring free food and BBQ, entertainment, park tours, and urban forest restoration information.
This event is organized by Beacon Walks and Bikes and Friends of Lewis Park, and funded in part by a Neighborhood Matching Fund award from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. For more information, contact Dee Dunbar at dd1377@gmail.com or Dylan Ahearn at dsahearn@gmail.com.
This weekend, our neighbors in the Central District are celebrating Juneteenth with a festival at Pratt Park (all weekend) and a parade Saturday afternoon! The Juneteenth Celebration Parade startes at 12:00 noon. The parade route begins at 25th Avenue and East Alder Street, and continues along East Alder, 23rd Avenue, East Yesler, and 20th Avenue South to Pratt Park where the parade ends. The parade will include a Kiddies’ Parade, a Dogs on Parade Fashion Show, and much more! Be aware that there will be street closures in the area around the parade route.
While we on Beacon Hill are still waiting for our own farmers’ market, the new Market on Wheels is opening this weekend for our neighbors in South Park. Annie Farber writes to tell us, “South Park residents will be selling a great variety of products ranging from food products and plant starts grown in the neighborhood (more local than any farmer’s market!) to tamales and enchiladas made fresh on site to art, clothing and jewelry they make. Come buy from local Seattle residents working to make an impact on their community through encouraging a local economy!” It’s from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm tomorrow and every third Saturday each month through September 19. The location is 14th Avenue South and South Cloverdale Street, in the Napoli’s Pizzeria parking lot.
A land use application has been completed for 4878 Beacon Avenue South, the Grown Folks Coffee site, “to allow a four story, 15 unit residential building above 2,970 sq. ft. of retail located at grade. Parking for 15 vehicles to be located within the structure. Existing structure to be demolished.” Comments may be submitted through July 1 at the site linked above. There have also been some land use decisions in the North Beacon area recently, including two parcel subdivisions in the Urban Village Overlay area: here and here.
