Seafood… And Eat It!
SeattleMeg July 25th, 2008
Ahh, the last full weekend in July. It must be time for the Ballard SeafoodFest!
This Saturday (11am-8pm) and Sunday (11am-7pm), be sure and join us at 22nd and Market Street. Several blocks will be closed to traffic (so watch those bus re-routes over to 24th!) to let you enjoy music, entertainment, and all the seafood you can imagine.
This year promises to be perfect weather, with a forecast of mostly sunny but not too hot. Just like the rest of the week, that will let you stay out long enough to hear several bands, eat, and browse the Market Street Sidewalk Sale. Check out all the Arts & Crafts booths as well, it’s a great time of year to start getting some presents for the holidays out of the way!
The food… Oh, the delicious food. The main reason people come to Seafood Fest is to try all kinds of yummy new tastes. From the Alder-smoked salmon barbecue to Hi-Life (snapper wrapped in a mini-tortilla with pineapple salsa), India Bistro (fish tandoori), New Orleans Cookery (jambalaya and crab cakes), Ballard Brothers (Cajun blackened salmon fillet), Smokin’ Pete’s BBQ (seafood gumbo) and Port Chatham Smoked Seafoods (salmon and mahi-mahi burgers, as well as “smoked salmon-sicles.”) I may pass on that last item and hit Cupcake Royale to grab a babycake. They promise not to have a Lutefisk flavor. The salmon is owed in part to Trident Seafoods, who has donated about 2,000 pounds each year. You’ll also have the option of a beer garden or a wine garden to attend. All proceeds from the wine garden will be benfitting the Ballard Food Bank. Please drink responsibly, this is a family event.
The entertainment listing is shaping up to please a variety of tastes as well. The emcee this year is the president of Ballard Oil, Warren Aakervik. He’ll be at the salmon barbecue both days, make sure to say hi!
Main Stage musical acts on Saturday include: HB Radke and the Jet City Swingers, noon; the Weavils, 1:30 p.m.; Chuck Prophet and Mission Express, 3:15 p.m.; Joey Kline Band, 5:15 p.m.; and Big World Breaks, 6:45 p.m.
Sunday groups include: Etouffee, noon; The Buckaroosters, 1:15 p.m.; Juan Barco y Su Conjunto, 2:45 p.m.; Carrie Akre, 4:15 p.m.; and Laura Love with Harper’s Ferry 5:30 p.m.
The Community Stage on Saturday, 11 a.m. and Sunday, noon
welcomes a Ballard institution when Stan Boreson, the “King of Scandinavian Humor” appears. The Community Stage has many acts this year by volunteers from the Nordic Heritage Museum, and all but one act is in Scandinavian. Make sure not to miss the Nordiska Folkdancers, noon; the always fun Lutefisk Eating Contest, 1:20 p.m.; Watermelon Eating Contest, 2 p.m.; Whateverly Brothers, 3 p.m.; The Pickled Herring Band, 4 p.m.; and Peter and Viki, 5 p.m. Sunday at the Community Stage will bring the Svea Trio, 1 p.m.; the eighth Annual Slotky Memorial Couture Coverall Contest sponsored by the Ballard News-Tribune, 2 p.m.; Mad Fiddlu, 3 p.m.; Seattle Spielsmanslag, 4 p.m.; and SUS, 5 p.m.
Ballard Commons Park hosts the Family Stage, where kids and parents alike can enjoy Mario the Funny Man, 11 and 1 p.m.; Clay Martin’s Puppets, noon and 2 p.m.; Alleyoops Musical Games, 3 p.m.; Mary Shavers Marionettes, 4 p.m. Alleyoops Maritime Show 5 p.m.
So join us in eating, shopping, listening to great local music, and enjoy the flavor of Ballard!
