Love it or hate it, it’s here … the frenzied finale to Seattle’s biggest summer festival, Seafair. We had been debating whether to take up space here with our Blue Angels and hydro obsessions interest, given that it’s not WS-specific, but bless the reader who wrote us to suggest we do exactly that … so here goes.
SECRET #1 — Watch the Blue Angels take off from and land at the Museum of Flight, which is at Boeing Field, just a few miles east of West Seattle. You don’t have to pay MOF admission to go stand along their fence and do this, although we highly recommend the very affordable MOF membership — it’s a unique Seattle institution worth supporting. This is always stirring, particularly on the Friday-Saturday-Sunday occasions, when you can see the full pageantry of the “walkdown,” the synchronized crew checks, the jet engine smoke, the feel-it-in-your-bones takeoffs … anyway, you can read our tales from last year: day 1 here, day 3 here, day 4 here. The Angels will have two takeoffs and landings during practices tomorrow (Thursday), then one each for the “rehearsal” show on Friday and the real deal on Saturday/Sunday.
SECRET #2 — “Free Friday.”
On Seafair Friday, you can go to the main hydro/airshow-watching zone on Lake Washington without paying the $25ish admission fee it’ll cost you on Saturday and Sunday. The hydros aren’t racing — they’re doing time trials — but you’ll see the same roostertails and hear the same roar. And the same air show. Our post from last year explains our favorite place to park (free) up the hill from the lake. Or, for a few bucks, you can take a shuttle.
SECRET #3 — Ticket deals, if you want to go to the official hydro races/airshow on Saturday and/or Sunday. Check this page on the Seafair website to find out about that.
Remember that if the weather isn’t close to crystal-clear, the Blue Angels do what they call the “low show.” Right now the forecast is iffy, but we have seen many Seafair days in the past start with cloudy mornings burning off to sunny afternoons, so we’re holding out a good thought.
Also remember, even if you’re trying your best to ignore all this craziness, you should know about the I-90 closures during the Blue Angels’ practices and shows.
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