DZ
DefZone.Net

Kien thuc cong nghe & giai tri

Wiki Article

Seafair

Nguồn dữ liệu từ Wikipedia, hiển thị bởi DefZone.Net

Xem trên WikipediaBài ngẫu nhiên khác

Seafair
LocationsSeattle, Washington, U.S.
Years active1950–2019, 2021–present
Websitewww.seafair.org
The Blue Angels performing over Lake Washington in 2007, with the Bellevue skyline in the background.

Seafair is an annual summer boating event, air show, and festival in Seattle, Washington, that encompasses a wide variety of small neighborhood events leading up to several major citywide celebrations. Its main events include the Torchlight Parade (and accompanying Torchlight Run), Seafair Cup hydroplane races, and an air show that often features the Blue Angels. Seafair also encompasses smaller block parties and local parades around the city and Seattle metropolitan area.

History

[edit]

Seafair has been an annual event in Seattle since 1950 but its roots can be traced to the 1911 Seattle Golden Potlatch Celebrations.

The 2020 schedule for Seafair was cancelled on May 20, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on public gatherings.[1] The next edition of Seafair was also cancelled in April 2021, stating that "while encouraged by Governor Inslee's Phase 3 guidelines that support small and medium size events to return with limitations, Seafair leadership recognizes the guidelines will not support events the scale of a city-wide festival."[2]

Events

[edit]

Seafair begins in mid-June; since 1949, its arrival has been heralded by the Seafair Pirates Landing on Alki Beach, and the Milk Carton Derby on Green Lake, a whimsical boat race in which all the boats have been constructed out of empty milk cartons.[3] Entries always range from those carefully shaped for speed and stability to those designed for maximum amusement. The Derby is usually associated with a variety of activities for children and families on the shores of Green Lake.

A crowd watches rows of men dressed in white uniforms standing on a dock with water between it and the audience. Two towers stand on the dock on each side of the performers.
Naval Air Cadet Choir performs at the Green Lake Aqua Theater for 1954 Seafair

The Green Lake Aqua Theater was built in 1950, to host the Aqua Follies "swimusicals" – a water ballet, diving, dancing, and comedy show produced by Al Sheehan.[4]

A half marathon was added in 2002, followed three years later by the full Seafair Marathon. Participants can run or walk the 21.0975-kilometre (13.1094 mi) and 42.195-kilometre (26.219 mi) courses. If a shorter distance is more appealing, participants can run or walk a 5 km course. The 2008 Seafair Half Marathon and Seafair Marathon began at Husky Stadium, crossed the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, and ended at Bellevue, Washington's Bellevue Downtown Park. After the race, live music was performed. In 2009, the Seafair Marathon and Half Marathon were replaced with the Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon and Half Marathon.[5]

In 2013, an Independence Day fireworks show at Lake Union known as the Seafair Summer Fourth was added. The event serves as a de facto successor to the Family Fourth fireworks event formerly held at the same site, which had been discontinued by its organizers due to a lack of funding. The event was revived under the auspices of Seafair with the financial support of local sponsors.[6][7]

Row of girls in red and gold uniforms with white shoes stand on the street behind a girl wearing a pastel multicolored uniform with yellow trim.
Drill team waits during the 2008 Chinatown Seafair Parade

The Seafair Triathlon is held on the shores of Lake Washington from Seward Park. It features both Sprint – half-mile swim, 12-mile (19 km) bike ride, and 5 km run – and Olympic distances. Participants can compete individually or as a team. Typically, the Seafair Triathlon is held the third weekend of July. In 2007, the Seafair Triathlon saw a record turnout of 2,200.[8]

The Chinatown Seafair Parade occurs annually. It is organized by the Greater Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce and takes place in Seattle's Chinatown-International District. The Huayin Performing Arts Group, Chinatown Dragon Team, Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team, Seattle All City Marching Band, and Dolls & Gents Drill Team and Drumline are among the local performance groups that participate. The Seafair Clowns and Pirates have also joined.[9] The parade began in 1950: that year Seattle's Chinese American community expanded lion dances as part of Seafair's International Carnival events, started the Chinatown parade, and began sending performance groups to the Torchlight Parade.[10]

The Torchlight festivities

[edit]
People in white shirts march down the street holding strings attached to a giant fully-dimensional black and white balloon of an orca
Orca balloon in the 2008 Seafair Torchlight Parade

The last weekend in July belongs to the Torchlight Parade and Torchlight Run. Many local organizations participate in these events, held on the streets of Downtown Seattle. The local woman who has been selected as "Miss Seafair" (prior to 1972, "Seafair Queen") plays a prominent role in the parade. It is traditionally preceded by the Torchlight Run, a short (8 km) race through the city's streets in which many participants run in costume.

Seafair Weekend

[edit]

One of the most popular events of the festival is the Seafair Weekend, held traditionally the first weekend of August on Genesee Park. Seafair Weekend main events include hydroplane racing on the water and aerobatics show in the sky.[11]

Three hydroplanes move alongside each other spewing tall sprays of water behind them
Racers at Seafair 2017

The Seafair Cup is an American Boat Racing Association unlimited hydroplane racing circuit stop at Stan Sayres Memorial Park on Lake Washington, in the Seward Park neighborhood. The races attract tens of thousands of spectators, both those standing on the public shores of the lake, and those in boats anchored to logs (known as the "Log Boom") just outside the course in the lake itself.[12] Mercer Island High School's student-run FM radio station, KMIH 88.9 The Bridge, is the designated radio broadcast for hydroplane racing and the airshows throughout the weekend.[13]

Six fighter planes fly in a tight triangle formation above city skyline on a cloudy day
Blue Angels viewed from Madrona, Seattle at Seafair 2011

A tradition started in 1972, the Seafair Air Show is an aerobatics show coincidently with the days of the Seafair Cup. World-class aerobatics teams perform their aerial stunts over Lake Washington, most prominently the US Navy Blue Angels and US Army Golden Knights. Notoriously, the Blue Angels have been attending the Air Show annually since its first edition, excepting in three occasions. The aerobatics show is a slightly controversial part of Seafair, as some local residents fear an accident involving the low-flying aircraft, and some find the noise of the jet engines irritating.[14] There was no show at Seafair in 1994 and 1995 as a result of a dispute with the FAA about whether they could safely fly over Lake Washington. In 1996 the Blue Angels flew over Elliott Bay, west of downtown Seattle, in a separate event from the hydroplane race, but this was a financial flop, and they returned to being part of the race-weekend festivities over Lake Washington in 1997.[15] Due to government budget cuts, the Blue Angels did not perform at Seafair 2013; they were replaced by the Patriots Jet Team.[6] From 2019, the aerobatics show fly-over area was moved south to avoid the closing of the floating bridges carrying Interstate 90 between Mercer Island and Seattle during the three days of Seafair Weekend.[16]

Groups

[edit]

Seafair Pirates

[edit]
Main article: Seafair Pirates
Seafair Pirates Moby Duck at the Torchlight Parade with Seattle's landmark Space Needle in the background (2013)

Another aspect of Seafair is the involvement of the Seafair Pirates, an organization that works year-round entertaining children in hospitals and performing other acts of community service including extensive fundraising. However, the pirates also usually perform loud—occasionally offensive—antics at Seafair (in an attempt to live up to their name) that cause perennial objection to their prominent involvement in the festivities. Despite this reputation, most people who enjoy Seafair see them as an essential part of the event.[17]

Seafair Clowns

[edit]

The Seafair Clowns have been part of Seafair since the 1950s, but became a nonprofit organization in 2015.[18] The Clowns formed out of Seattle University's Graduates Club.[19] Their stated mission is to spread joy by participating in events and performing visits. They visit nursing homes and hospitals during Seafair, while also appearing at festival events.[20]

Critiques

[edit]

Although Seafair celebrations are varied and aimed at different audiences, the Blue Angels airshow draws criticism from some residents for its glorification of war, use of fossil fuel, and impact on the climate.[21][22][23] In 2023, about half of the respondents to a survey sent to readers of the South Seattle Emerald, a local, progressive-leaning news website for South Seattle, where the festival takes place, responded that they, "hated" Seafair.[24] In 2025, a billboard reading "Say no to the Blue Angles," and that the airshow is "too loud," triggers "war trauma," and causes "pollution," was unveiled in the Seattle neighborhood of Rainer Beach by the group Airshow Climate Action.[22]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Wafai, Yasmeen (May 20, 2020). "Seafair cancels major summer 2020 events". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  2. ^ "Pandemic sidelines Seafair unlimited hydroplane racing again as event moves virtual". The Seattle Times. April 21, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  3. ^ History of Seafair - 1970's
  4. ^ Batsell, Jake (May 25, 1999). "For Seafair's 50th, Here Come The Aqua Follies, Classic Summer Shtick That Once Mesmerized Seattle". The Seattle Times. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  5. ^ The Seattle Times: Rock 'n' roll run set to replace Seafair Marathon, by Jayda Evans, August 6, 2008
  6. ^ a b "McGinn got heads-up, has plan to salvage Fourth of July fireworks". Seattle Times. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  7. ^ "SEAFAIR SUMMER FOURTH – KNOW BEFORE YOU GO". Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  8. ^ participants Seafair Triathlon
  9. ^ "PICTORIAL: Chinatown Seafair Parade". Northwest Asian Weekly. July 28, 2022. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  10. ^ Wong, Marie Rose (November 15, 2021). "The Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team: Forging a Tradition One Step at a Time". Front Porch: Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  11. ^ "Seafair Weekend Festival". www.seafair.com. Archived from the original on July 27, 2019.
  12. ^ "Seafair Log Boom - Seafair". www.seafair.org. January 24, 2024. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  13. ^ "KMIH 88.9 The Bridge Returns to Seafair!". mihs.mercerislandschools.org. July 24, 2025. Retrieved October 12, 2025.
  14. ^ Capitol Hill Seattle blog - No More Blue Angels Over Homes Please
  15. ^ History of Seafair - 1990's
  16. ^ "Seafair Weekend 2019: What You Need to Know". August 2019.
  17. ^ The Seattle Times: Seafair hooked on its pirates, By Victor Gonzales, July 9th, 2005
  18. ^ "CityStream: Seafair Clowns". Seattle Channel. July 2, 2015. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  19. ^ "A brief history of Seafair". Seattle P-I. December 12, 2017. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  20. ^ "Prepare for funny business! Here's when you can meet the Seafair Clowns". KIRO 7 News Seattle. July 15, 2025. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  21. ^ Davis, Mike (July 28, 2025). "The Roundup: What If I Don't Want to Say No to the Blue Angels?". South Seattle Emerald. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  22. ^ a b "Opposition to Blue Angels is revving up". The Seattle Times. July 23, 2025. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  23. ^ "Let's honor the past but bid farewell to the Blue Angels | Op-Ed". The Seattle Times. August 2, 2024. Archived from the original on August 3, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  24. ^ "We Asked, You Answered: Sound Off on Seafair Poll Results". South Seattle Emerald. August 3, 2023. Retrieved July 31, 2025.