The Alki Beach promenade becomes an open-air market starting today with more than 100 painters, potters, glassblowers, jewelers, and textile artists selling work steps from the Puget Sound. Admission is free all three days.
The 29th annual Alki Art Fair runs through Sunday, July 19, at Alki Beach Park (1702 Alki Ave SW) in West Seattle. Hours are Friday 2–8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
The juried festival includes a dedicated section for emerging artists alongside established professionals. Artist booths line the promenade west of the historic Alki Bathhouse, where a silent auction of donated works from local artists and businesses runs throughout the weekend.
Live music on the Bathhouse Stage
Performances span Latin, soul, funk, pop, and rock on the Bathhouse Stage, sponsored by Canna West Culture Shop and Live Oak Audio Visual.
West Seattle's all-girl hard grunge band Chewing Gum opens the weekend at 4 p.m. Friday. The band, signed to West Seattle-based independent label The Big Dark Records, draws on the grunge legacy of Alice in Chains.
A Westside Seattle profile published Tuesday, July 15, described their sound as "female-fronted ferocity."
Magen Holgate, co-founder of The Big Dark Records, told Westside Seattle on July 15 that the label refuses to use artificial intelligence in any creative process. "We will not touch AI for any kind of creation," Holgate said.
The full music schedule is posted at alkiartfair.org.
Food, kids, and getting there
The food vendor lineup includes Theory Cambodian Foods, Caribbean Cuisine, Little Jamie's Mini Donuts, Alpenglow Cocktail Company, The Snack Shop, Oh Dang in a Cup, and Road Dawg. More than a dozen year-round restaurants and bars sit across the street from the promenade.
A Kid Zone offers activities for children.
For residents coming from Queen Anne, Magnolia, Ballard, or downtown, the West Seattle Water Taxi is running its summer schedule with extra weekend runs and a later-night schedule on Fridays and Saturdays. The ride from Colman Dock to Alki takes about 15 minutes.
Also this weekend
The West Seattle Grand Parade rolls down California Avenue SW on Saturday, July 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. California Avenue SW will be closed to traffic between Admiral and The Junction starting at 8 a.m. Saturday.
The Seafair Indian Days Powwow runs Friday, July 17, through Sunday, July 19, at the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center in Magnolia's Discovery Park. The free event features dance, music, Native arts and crafts, and traditional foods.
The Chinatown Seafair Parade steps off at 7 p.m. Sunday, July 19, in the Chinatown International District. Free.
