The 35th annual Ballard Seafoodfest is July 25th & 26th and organizers are looking for volunteers. The neighborhood tradition draws about 60,000 people and closes much of downtown Ballard for food vendors, art vendors and entertainment.
One of the biggest attractions is the alder-smoked salmon barbecue. Warren Aakervik is the master griller and people stand in line (shown above) just to try some of his tasty salmon. Volunteer opportunities for the 2009 event include helping at the salmon bbq, ice wrangling (taking ice to vendors), models/ticket sellers (wear Seafoodfest garb), donation stations, the “green team” and set up/tear down. Joanne Orsucci, the volunteer coordinator says, “Volunteering at Ballard SeafoodFest is a great way to give back to your community and have a TON of FUN while doing it!” Email Joanne at seafoodfestvolunteer@hotmail.com for more information.
Seafoodfest looking for volunteers
![](https://www.myballard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024-My-Ballard-Tile-Ad-Troop-100.png")
The ballard chamber of commerce appealed the SEPA study of missing link of the Burke-Gilman trail. Since the festival is a major fundraising event for the chamber, I will not support the festival this year, sorry.
Yes, but your local vendors are also there and need support. Even the beer garden has a non-Chamber sponsor. Just don't buy the button and your conscience will be clear.
We all know Warren and the like are against the Burke, but I am willing to make nice and have me some salmon. And I'm riding my bike there.
Seafoodfest is a great event – I've been several years in a row and its always a lot of fun. Trix is right – Rotary runs the wine garden and all proceeds go to the Ballard Food Bank, Maritime Pacific sponsors the beer garden and the proceeds go to Las Senioritas. And you can't beat free bands and music (the Chamber has to foot the bill for all of it and you don't have to pay a dime, so you may as well enjoy it since they have to pay for it all!). The event also brings a ton of people to Ballard, which can only help all the local businesses, restaurants and vendors (a huge plus during this recession). And bring your bike!
60K people? Yikes, I had no idea it was that big.
Dear Blogger, can you explain why you think it was wrong for the Chamber to appeal a SEPA study and what exactly a SEPA study would have accomplished here?
I think this event is a big bore. I don't get what thrills everyone so much about Seafood Fest. I don't see too many people having 'so much fun'. Most of them shuffle glassy eyed between booths selling a bunch of stuff no one needs and if you've been at anyother street fair this summer you've already seen those vendors there. Some people sit in the beer garden staring off into space, it's not like they laugh and talk. This event is dead boring. There is nothing unique about the street fairs anymore. Ballard has a salmon dinner to make it Seafood Fest, big whup. Free music, crowds, so what.
The Sunday Ballard Farmers Market is much more dynamic and interesting than Seafood Fest.
Some may be the same but from what I've seen many of the artists that score booths also have Ballard studios. The food court is also wall to wall Ballard eateries.
And the beer garden is second only to the NW Court stage at Folklife. The music is first rate and I do a lot of laughing and talking at Seafood Fest. You can go ahead and stay home, Long Timer, that's your choice. But I'll be there having fun, as always.
Ditto that. One of the things that I like that makes Seafoodfest different from every other “standard” festival is the emphasis on seafood – with very few exceptions, all of the food booths are required to carry at least one seafood item (Greek, Mexican, Asian, BBQ, etc.). The other thing that makes Seafoodfest different and very Ballard specific is the emphasis on Ballard's cultural Scandinavian heritage (which we're losing with the new growth). There's been a Viking theme for the last several years, the Nordic Heritage and many area Scandinavian groups get involved with booths and exhibits each year, there's the traditional lutefisk eating contest, and the Scandinavian music and acts that show up on the community stage in Bergen Place. It sounds like your not a big fan of festivals generally, which is fine, but this festival really is much more community oriented than many of the others I've been to in Seattle. I'll be there with one of those Viking helmets on with blonde braids if I can score one this year (they sold out so fast last year)
I agree it is just a street fair but I am entertained by street fairs. People watching is one of my favorite pastimes. I skip the salmon as it is pretty ho hum and I hate long lines. I usually check out the sidewalk sales the Ballard establishments set up. I don’t drink so the beer and wine gardens I skip of course. Mostly I just get a bite to eat and find a place to sit and watch the crowd. Repeat.
If I want a Sunday market I go to Fremont as theirs is better for what I want than what Ballard offers.