Seattle PrideFest and Parade

The Quick and Easy:

What: PrideFest 2008
When: June 29th 2008
Where: Downtown Seattle
Why: Come on out and have some fun

25,000 revelers are expected to fill Seattle Center’s Fisher Green on Sunday, June 29, from 11a.m. to 7 p.m., to celebrate Seattle PrideFest 2008. Building on last year’s success as a recalibrated event, this year’s festival is the Official Seattle Pride® Festival and features music, political speakers from the LGBT community, comedians, and a large mix of local businesses and non-profits and national advocacy organizations and corporations.

Entertainment is an important part of PrideFest, and this year’s event features a wide array of performers and artists that offer something for everyone. “This year’s entertainment lineup is one we’re very proud of, with representation from every corner of the LGBT Community,” says Egan Orion, Festival Director for PrideFest. “A special focus has been made this year on women’s entertainment and a solid trans representation at the Festival. The trans community in particular has had difficulty transitioning from the Capitol Hill events to the downtown events and we want to make sure all members of the community feel at home at PrideFest.”

Entertainment for Seattle PrideFest 2008 ranges from international dance superstars and local singer-songwriters: Kristine W, Seeing Blind, Sue Quigley, Lisa Marshall, comedians Matt Bragg and Barbara Sehr, and drag shows by the Festival hosts Lily Armani and GLAMAZONIA among others. Main programming at the main stage will occur between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., with DJs spinning at the DJ stage by the Fountain throughout the entire festival. Featured DJs include DJ Kyler, LA Kendall, DJ Rob Hall, and Mathematix.

A main stage will feature all non-DJ talent on the Fisher Lawn, and the DJ stage next to the International Fountain will blast dance music into dancing revelers in the fountain, like so many remember from the first year of the Pride Festival at Seattle Center. There are also various food booths, two beer gardens and over 100 tables and booths for businesses and non-profit companies that serve the LGBT community.

The Parade
This year the Parade is Sunday, June 29th, starting at 11:00 am from the corner of Union St. and 4th Ave. it will be limited to approximately 2 ½ hours in length this year and should take about an hour to go from the start to the end.

The Parade (shown in purple) will proceed down 4th avenue to Denny Way. Foot traffic will be allowed to go east or west on Denny Way (shown in Yellow) but all vehicle traffic will be turned west have until Western Ave to pull over, quickly disembark passengers, secure their vehicles, and leave the area. We will have personnel stationed at this intersection and along Denny Way to help assure the safe and orderly flow of the Parade participants out of the area.

The Parade announcer's booth, ADA viewing area and media viewing area will be located at Westlake Park between Pike and Pine on 4th. The Curb line along Westlake park area. We ask that all those attending the Parade watch from the sidewalk we need to keep the street open.

The staging area will be accessed from the check in booth on 4th & Columbia. Groups will be staged four across starting with the first groups between Union and University. The Dykes on Bikes will check in and stage on 4th & Union. A Fire lane will be kept open down the Center of the street.
There will be no parking permitted in any of these areas and all vehicles must be registered, display an event Pass and have a driver in the vehicle at all times. Unattended vehicles will be towed at the owner’s expense. At five points along the route Metro Busses will periodically need to cross the Parade. SPD and Seattle Out and Proud personnel will be on hand at these points to assist.

For More festivital information visit SeattlePride.org