United States Washington Seattle Seattle Guide Things To Do Essentials Where to Stay Getaways All Seattle Seattle Seafair 2016 By Angela Brown Angela Brown Facebook Twitter Angela has been writing about life, travel, and recreation in the Northwest, where she grew up, since 2000. TripSavvy's editorial guidelines Updated on 06/10/19 Share Pin Email Inti St. Clair/Getty Images "Connecting and celebrating the community spirit of Puget Sound" is the mission of Seafair, Seattle's summer series of special events that begins in June and runs well into August. Held annually since 1949, Seafair festivities include a torchlight run and parade, hydroplane races, and an air show. Other scheduled Seafair events during the summer include a milk carton derby, an air show, a triathlon, a scholarship pageant, and a rock-n-roll marathon. The Seafair fun continues throughout much of Seattle's summer, providing a selection of different things to do each week. The revelry includes festivals, parades, and community events, held in locales throughout the Seattle metropolitan area. These special events celebrate everything from African, Hispanic, or Filipino culture to whaling and seafood. Seattle Seafair event details and dates: Seafair Torchlight Parade & FanFestSeattle Seafair Hydroplane RacesSeattle Seafair Air ShowSchedule of Seafair-Sanctioned Community Festivals (June thru mid July)Schedule of Seafair-Sanctioned Community Festivals (late July thru August)Schedule of Signature Seattle Seafair Events 01 of 06 Seafair Torchlight Parade & Run Courtesy of the Seafair Archive Seafair Torchlight Parade & FanFestSaturday, July 30, 2016Stake out a spot along Seattle's downtown parade route to get your fill of Seafair royalty, marching bands, dance teams, and military units. The route for this Saturday evening parade starts at Seattle Center and moves south down 4th Avenue to CenturyLink Field. You can reserve a comfortable parade view in the form of bleacher seats or grandstand seats, available for a fee through the official Seafair website. The 2016 Seafair Torchlight Parade and FanFest will take place on July 30. Continue to 2 of 6 below. 02 of 06 Seattle Seafair Weekend 2016 Hydroplane Races Seafair Weekend EventsAugust 5-7, 2016The unlimited hydroplane races on Lake Washington are among the most thrilling of Seattle's summer events. Held at Genessee Park, the racing and associated events cover three days. Seafair Weekend guests can take advantage of food and beverages booths, general admission seating, a pit tour, a hospitality area, family-friendly activities, and the log boom for boaters. The 2016 Seattle Seafair hydroplane races and related events will take place August 5-7. Continue to 3 of 6 below. 03 of 06 Seattle Seafair 2016 Air Show Getty Images/Stephen Ehlers Seafair Air ShowAugust 5-7, 2016At this time, the annual Air Show schedule includes the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. The Seafair Air Show also showcases other military, vintage, and specialty aircraft, which can all be seen flying over South Lake Washington and the hydroplane race spectators at Genessee Park. The 2016 Seattle Seafair Air Show, sponsored by Boeing, will take place August 5-7. Continue to 4 of 6 below. 04 of 06 Seattle Seafair 2016 Schedule of Community Events Getty Images Seattle's Seafair includes over a month of special events and community fairs and festivals, celebrating everything from seafood to classic cars. Here is the schedule of Seafair community events that will take place during June and the first half of July in 2016: Jun 21 - Make Music Seattle Jun 25- 26 - Strawberry Festival in Bellevue (Eastside Heritage Center) Jun 25 - Greenwood Car Show Jul 2 - Jul 4 - Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival Jul 8 - 10 - Kent Cornucopia Days and Parade (Downtown Kent) Jul 9 - Wallingford Seafair Kiddie Parade and Street Fair (N. 45th St. at Wallingford) Jul 9 - 10 - Mercer Island Summer Celebration (Town Center/Mercerdale Park) Jul 9 - 10 - Ballard SeafoodFest (NW Market St. - Ballard) Jul 9 - 17 - White Center Jubilee Days (White Center) Jul 13 - 17 - Kla Ha Ya Days Festival & Parade (Downtown Snohomish) July 16 - 17 - Chinatown/International District Dragon Festival (Hing Hay Park) Jul 16 - 17 - Seattle Bon Odori Festival (Seattle Buddhist Church) Jul 16 - 17 - Covington Days Festival Jul 17 - 19 - Kirkland Uncorked Even More Seattle Seafair Festivals (late July through August)... Continue to 5 of 6 below. 05 of 06 Seattle Seafair 2016 Schedule of Community Events (Late July through August) Getty Images The Seattle Seafair-sanctioned community fairs and festivals continue on throughout the summer... Jul 22 - 24 - Des Moines Waterland Parade & Events Jul 22 - 24 - IKEA Renton River Days (Liberty Park and other Renton parks) Jul 23 - West Seattle Grand Parade (West Seattle) Jul 24 - Chinatown Seafair Parade Jul 26 - Lake City Pioneer Days Jul 27 - Greenwood Seafair Parade (Greenwood) Jul 27 - Hispanic Seafair Festival (Seattle Center) Jul 29 - 31 - Tour de Terrace (Mountlake Terrace) Jul 31 - Pista Sa Nayon (Seward Park Amphitheater) Aug 5 - 7 - UmojaFest African American Heritage Festival Aug 5 - 7 - SalmonFest Seattle (Lake City) Aug 6 - 7 - Magnolia SummerFest, Art Show, and Parade (West Magnolia Play Field) Aug 12 - 13 - Kirkland Summerfest (Marina Park and nearby) Aug 13 - 14 - Rainier Valley Culture Fest Weekend Aug 19 - 20 - Central Area Community Festival Aug 20 - 21 - Viking Days Continue to 6 of 6 below. 06 of 06 Seattle Seafair 2016 Special Events Schedule Courtesy of the Seafair Archive The Seafair schedule of "signature" special events for 2016 includes the following: Jun 18 - Seattle Rock n Roll Marathon and Half Marathon at SEAFAIR Jun 25 - Pirates Landing (Alki Beach) July 16 - Milk Carton Derby (SW part of Green Lake) Jul 16 - Seafair Stand Up Paddleboard Competition (Green Lake) Jul 24 - Triathlon (Seward Park) Jul 30 - Seafair Torchlight Parade (Seattle Center to Qwest Field) Jul 30 - Seafair TorchLight FanFest (Seattle Center) Aug 2 to 7 - Seafair Fleet Week & Boeing Maritime Celebration Aug 5 to 7 - Unlimited Hydroplane Race (Stan Sayres Memorial Park) Aug 5 to 7 - Boeing Air Show - (South Lake Washington) Official Seafair Signature Event Calendar Was this page helpful? 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