In an attempt to draw more vendors and a bigger crowd, this year’s Ballard SeafoodFest will be earlier than previous years.
The crowd at the 2009 SeafoodFest.
The annual affair is chock full of food, arts & crafts, music and other events. It is historically held the last weekend of July but this year the Ballard Chamber of Commerce is moving it up two weeks to July 10th and 11th. “I have considered changing the date for the 10 years I’ve produced SeafoodFest, but finally bit the bullet, with the blessing of our committee,” Beth Williamson, the executive director of the Chamber tells us. The move, she says, is because the Bellevue Festival of the Arts is held the same weekend. In a letter sent to merchants from the Chamber, “This has seriously hampered our ability to recruit higher numbers of quality vendors. We simply can’t ‘compete’ with one of the largest festivals around.”
The Raggedy Anns perform during the 2009 SeafoodFest.
The KEXP Capitol Hill Block Party is also held the same weekend. “In short, SeafoodFest, always considered a food, arts and music festival, is going up against one of the nation’s largest arts festivals AND one of Seattle’s biggest music events,” the letter states.
The winner of the 2009 lutefisk eating contest is licking his plate clean.
The new weekend, July 10th and 11th does not conflict with any other major Seafair events. It does, however, affect the Merchants’ Sidewalk Sale, which has traditionally been held the same weekend as SeafoodFest. No word on if the sidewalk sale will also change weekends.
MORE people?! Seafoodfest is always slammed!