Wow, what a show! First, the rain soaked thousands of people to the bone at Gas Works Park in Wallingford. Then just before 10 p.m., the rain stopped, the skies cleared, and the fireworks lit up the night. Photo from Joey Anchondo, Seattle Times. See more photos here.
“That was the best ever!” said KING 5 anchor Dennis Bounds, who has presided over many fireworks shows at Lake Union. Our sister blog in Wallingford has all the coverage, from the spectacular show to the scene in Wallingford.
Update: One Reel says the attendance was much lower than anticipated, thanks to the rain. Also, cleanup crews picked up a mountain of trash after the event.
Expectations for tonight’s Independence Day fireworks range from neutral to downright gloomy.
The National Weather Service is predicting fairly good weather north and south of Seattle, but a Puget Sound Convergence Zone may set up directly over Lake Union, with up to a 60 percent chance of showers.
Cliff Mass, University of Washington professor of atmospheric sciences, says on his blog that he’s taking an umbrella to watch the fireworks.
But, he reminds us that once July 4 is done and gone, “then the miracle occurs. Like a switch being flipped, our weather warms dramatically. The lawns turn brown and watering our vegetables and plants is mandatory. The best weather in the nation takes hold for roughly 2-3 months.”
In fact, beginning Monday afternoon the skies clear. Temperatures in the mid-80s are expected by late week.
If you’re planning to head over to Gas Works Park this Sunday to watch the fireworks show, then we recommend reading My Wallingford’s fireworks guide featuring the schedule, parking, road closures and other events in the area. My Wallingford will be covering the event through the weekend.
Meanwhile, Saturday is a big day in Fremont, where thousands (yes, thousands) of people will dress up as zombies and wander aimlessly through the neighborhood. It’s an effort to recapture the world’s record, which they set last year only to have England snatch it away.
The zombie walk runs 5-8 p.m. on Saturday, followed by a night of activities at Fremont Outdoor Movies. Fremont Universe has the details here, and it will post the necessary gruesome photos later this weekend.
The 4th of July weekend is a time for fun, family and of course, fireworks! However it also tends to be a few days where there’s heightened risk for accidents. In an effort to keep the community safe, the Seattle Police Department and Seattle Fire Department have released this public safety announcement:
The Seattle Police Department and Seattle Fire Department would like to remind the public that there are no legal fireworks in the City of Seattle.
The possession, manufacture, storage, sale, handling and use of fireworks are prohibited. Fireworks offenses are gross misdemeanors punishable by up to one year in jail and/or a $5,000 fine.
Fireworks pose a fire hazard to property and present a safety risk to those who use them. Every year the Seattle Fire Department responds to fireworks-related fires and injuries. Each and every one of these incidents could have been prevented.
On the 4th of July, 911 centers become overloaded with non-emergency fireworks calls. DO NOT call 911 unless you have a life-threatening emergency and need immediate help from police, fire or medics. Unnecessary 911 calls block people with real emergencies from reaching 911 and getting help.
Any fireworks-related fires or injuries should be reported directly to 911. Other fireworks violations may be reported by calling the Seattle Police non-emergency number at (206) 625-5011.
The Seattle Police and Seattle Fire Department wish you a safe and enjoyable 4th of July celebration!
Happy 4th of July Queen Anne! Have a great weekend, and if you feel like sharing some of your favorite pictures of the fireworks, send them in to tips@queenanneview.com.
Donations from private citizens and corporations made this year’s July 4th fireworks show possible, but what about next year?
Our news partners The Seattle Times found out yesterday that event producer One Reel has begun soliciting donations again.
After this year’s ailing Fourth of July fireworks celebration at Gas Works Park was rescued by business leaders and individual donors, sponsors of the annual party have announced a new funding strategy for 2011.
More donations.
One Reel, which puts on the fireworks show, said in a news release Thursday: “While One Reel didn’t initially consider soliciting donations for the 2010 event, the overwhelming public response to saving this cherished Independence Day celebration caused the organization to rethink the sponsorship model that has been in place since the event was first created in 1988.”
Previous funding for the fireworks shows has come from corporate sponsors.
Instead, said One Reel, beginning this week donations and pledges for next year’s show can be placed at family4th.org.
It’s that time of year again: the list of events is out for this year’s Family 4th at Lake Union. The Independence Day celebration at Gas Works Park was almost scrapped this year due to lack of funding, but will go on thanks to nearly 300 businesses and individuals who banded together to save the fireworks show.
If you were like me last year,and missed the memo about the late Puget Sound fireworks (I know there were others because I was just one of a couple hundred disappointed folks who set up camp at Kerry Park only to hear the Lake Union show in the distance), then make sure you pick out a nice spot on the east side of the hill to enjoy the festivities!
If instead you’ll be heading down to Gas Works Park for the show, here are a few events that will be going on:
Field Games, Hosted by Starbucks: Starbucks is hosting activities and fun field games on the Playfield featuring coffee sack and three-legged races, coffee bean bag tosses, and more.
Acrobatics and Circus Arts: The School of Acrobatics & New Circus Arts will provide a static aerial rig, tightwire, and juggling equipment to engage, entertain and delight kids in the exploration of acrobatics and circus performance.
Euro-Bungy and Climbing Walls: This all-ages activity center offers participants the choice of jumping mid-air, twirling, and spinning on a bungee trampoline platform or climbing the face of a 24’ ft. rock wall and overcoming the challenges on the way to the top.
Face Painting: Kids can let their faces be the canvas as talented face-painters use their artistry to airbrush colorful and creative designs to decorate smiling faces and celebrate the holiday.
Kite Making: Kids are invited to dive into a wide variety of art supplies and kite-making tools to create a kite that expresses their unique artistic vision.
Wacky World: A giant, inflatable play center for kids 3-12 is 120’ feet of slides, tunnels, obstacles and fun.
SPD is working on a similar traffic control plan as last year, which will allow residential access to the neighborhood only. A map is being worked on and will soon be posted at family4th.org. Both the Fremont Chamber of Commerce and the Wallingford Chamber of Commerce websites will be posting a list of local businesses staying open late for anyone waiting for post-fireworks traffic to subside.
As the realization started sinking in that Seattle’s only 4th of July fireworks show has been canceled, some local celebrities and businesses are donating money to save the annual tradition. On the Dave Ross show this morning, restaurateur Tom Douglas started the campaign to save the fireworks show by announcing he will donate $5,000. Dave Ross followed suit by donating some of his own money. The list of donations keeps growing, with the ultimate goal of raising $500,000 by Monday, April 5th.
To make a pledge of a minimum of $1,000, corporate or individual, go to MyNorthwest.com/fireworks or e-mail savethe4th@mynorthwest.com. If the funds needed to save the 2010 fireworks show can be raised in the allotted time, then the pledges will be collected upon and sent to One Reel.
One Reel marketing and communications director Mikhael Williams talked with our sister site My Wallingford this morning about Ross’s plan. “We would be so excited and thrilled if we could pull this off this year, but has to happen very quickly,” Williams says, “From our perspective, the window was closed on a title sponsorship because of the traditional expectations and benefits that they receive. If there are people in the community who want to rally around the event, who don’t have the traditional expectations of sponsorship, we would happily put this on.”
(Full disclosure: Next Door Media, which powers QueenAnneView.com has donated to this fund.)
When I moved back to Seattle last year after a four-year stint in L.A., I was ecstatic to be moving to Queen Anne hill–near downtown, the waterfront, and Lake Union! A month after I moved in to my apartment and before I began my work at QueenAnneView, I climbed up to Kerry Park to watch for 4th of July fireworks show over Elliott Bay. I, and evidently some 200 other people, had not received the memo that the show had been canceled.
After waiting around for 30 minutes, I decided to do a little Googling on my phone. A few minutes later we heard a loud cracking noise coming from the north east. We turned and saw the very top of the fireworks show from Lake Union just peaking over the top of Queen Anne hill.
Up until this point we’ve been lucky in Seattle–having our choice of two gorgeous fireworks shows on Independence Day. When the Elliott Bay fireworks show folded last year, Seattleites piled into Gasworks Park, a prime spot to catch the Lake Union show. However yesterday, Wednesday, March 31, One Reel, the company that produces the event, announced that there would be no Family 4th at Lake Union this year, citing the lack of a corporate sponsor to fund the non-profit for the event. Tomoko Moriguchi Matsuno, president of the One Reel Board of Directors wrote this letter on ChaseFamily4th.org.
Dear Community,
Since 1988, One Reel, the Seattle not-for-profit arts organization of which I am Board President, has been proud to produce the cherished Independence Day celebration and fireworks show, the Family 4th at Lake Union. This day of free family entertainment and a dazzling fireworks display has been, for more than two decades, an important time for us to come together as a community and celebrate this great country.
As a non-profit organization, One Reel’s core mission is to produce arts and cultural events that engage and enrich our community, but we cannot do it alone. You may not realize this free civic celebration has been an annual gift to Seattle made possible only through the generosity of a corporate sponsor who underwrites the cost of the event. One Reel wishes to extend a very special thank you to the sponsors we’ve been fortunate to work with over the years, including Fratelli’s, Cellular One, AT&T, WaMu and Chase.
For the past 15 months, One Reel has worked tirelessly to secure a title sponsor for the 2010 Family 4th at Lake Union but, regrettably, we were not able to secure one in time to proceed with this year’s event. For that reason, it is with a heavy heart we announce there will be no fireworks or festivities at Gas Works Park this year.
We understand the disappointment you must feel; we feel it too. However, I can assure you that One Reel is already hard at work searching for a new title sponsor who shares our commitment to presenting this beloved community event in Seattle next year, and long into the future. As always, One Reel remains dedicated to providing you with premier events—from the Family 4th at Lake Union, to Bumbershoot: Seattle’s Music & Arts Festival, to Teatro ZinZanni—that showcase the talent, artistic diversity and integrity of our great city.
Thank you, Seattle, for your ongoing support. We’d like to thank everyone—from our generous past title sponsors, to the City of Seattle, to event suppliers and on-site vendors, to more than 5 million patriotic revelers over the last 20 years—all of whom have made this event such an iconic holiday tradition.
We look forward to seeing you next year at Gas Works Park for the Family 4th at Lake Union.
Sincerely,
Tomoko Moriguchi Matsuno
President and CEO Uwajimaya Inc.
President, One Reel Board of Directors
Us in Queen Anne have been able to see both firework shows from our high perch on the hill. But with the canceling of the Lake Union and Elliott Bay shows, this year will be the first time in 46 years that Seattle will not have a fireworks on the 4th. What do you think of a 4th without fireworks in Seattle? Do you think the lack of corporate shows will result in an increase in illegal fireworks?
From 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. last night, Saturday, March 27, lights were doused all around the city for Earth Hour. Even the Seattle Center and Pacific Science Center arches turned off all non-essential lighting for the event.
Reader Dana sent in these photos, taken from Kerry Park on the south side of Queen Anne hill during Earth Hour.
She even caught a few pictures of the fireworks show over Elliott Bay, which were supposed to start at 7:30 p.m., but incidentally ended up coinciding with Earth Hour.
We saw the fireworks tonight at 8:30 pm from Kerry Park. Great view and the Space Needle and other downtown buildings went dark just before they started!!!
Apparently there were some pretty stunning fireworks over Elliott Bay at around 8 p.m. this evening. Reader Peggy Fitzgerald wrote,
Really nice fireworks show tonight over Elliott Bay! There’s some news on it from the West Seattle blog (since I had no idea why there was an amazing show tonight – they were really excellent)
According to the West Seattle Blog, Farmers Insurance celebrated its 100th anniversary with a party at the Space Needle and fireworks show off the waterfront tonight. Details here.
I missed the show myself. Did anyone else see it, or happen to catch a picture?
We’re just hours away from 2010, and if you still don’t have plans for ushering in the New Year, here are a few ideas for celebrating the teens on the hill.
The Space Needle fireworks show is always a hit, and if you’re willing to drop some cash to welcome in the next decade, you can be front and center at midnight. For $250 guests can enjoy a six-course meal at SkyCity, followed by dancing to Seattle party band Grüvbox on the Observation Deck. For $125 you can skip dinner and go straight to the countdown party. Details here.
The Spectator Sports Bar in Uptown is having their 2nd Annual 80’s New Year’s party, equipped with a DJ and prizes for the best 80’s mustache and wig! The festivities start at 7 p.m. (They’ll also be playing New Year’s day games on Friday, and will have a hearty New Year’s breakfast from 9 a.m. to noon).
For those of us you who’d rather celebrate the New Year on a shoestring budget, Farmers Life Insurance New Year’s at the Needle fireworks show can be seen from Kerry Park on W Highland Dr. The viewpoint is the perfect place to watch the fireworks, but get there early to get a good spot because the park isn’t big enough for thousands of New Year’s onlookers. If you’d rather get a close to the action as possible, you can join the 20,000 others expected to gather at the base of the Needle for the eight-minute display.
I won’t be on the hill for New Year’s this year, so if any of you happen to snap some great pictures of the fireworks show and would like to share, email them to tips@queenanneview.com. Happy New Year!
According to our friends over at Magnolia Voice, this weekend some Queen Anne-ers may be in for some festive fireworks. A wedding party on Saturday, August 22, is having a big grand finale over Elliott Bay according to the wedding planner.
The fireworks show is scheduled for around 10:10 p.m. on Saturday, and will last around 15 minutes. According to the party planner, the shindig is happening at the SW corner of Discovery Park, and should be visible over Elliott Bay.
We’ll keep an eye out for the show tomorrow night and put up some pictures.
…unless those fireworks hurt someone or start something on fire. That’s the message from the Seattle Police and Fire Departments:
The possession, manufacture, storage, sale, handling and use of fireworks are prohibited. Fireworks offenses are gross misdemeanors punishable by up to one year in jail and/or a $5,000 fine.
Fireworks pose a fire hazard to property and present a safety risk to those who use them. Every year the Seattle Fire Department responds to fireworks-related fires and injuries. Each and every one of these incidents could have been prevented.
On the 4th of July, 911 centers become overloaded with non-emergency fireworks calls. DO NOT call 911 unless you have a life-threatening emergency and need immediate help from police, fire or medics. Unnecessary 911 calls block people with real emergencies from reaching 911 and getting help.
Any fireworks-related fires or injuries should be reported directly to 911. Other fireworks violations may be reported by calling the Seattle Police non-emergency number at (206) 625-5011.
The Seattle Police and Seattle Fire Department wish you a safe and enjoyable 4th of July celebration!
We know this won’t dissuade anyone from using incendiaries to display their patriotism, but do be safe out there.
For those planning on watching the fireworks on Lake Union, know any good places to watch that don’t involve fighting the crowds at Gas Works Park?
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As the realization started sinking in that Seattle’s only 4th of July fireworks show 
