All Fired Up in Pioneer Square for the Annual Fire Festival
This super hot fest celebrates the history of Seattle’s oldest neighborhood
By Lexi Bolton August 13, 2014
The annual Pioneer Square Fire Festival returns to Occidental Square Park August 16-17 to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Great Seattle Fire that happened on June 6, 1889. On that infamous day of the most destructive fire in the city’s history, a combustible pot of glue destroyed some 64 acres of the Central Business District despite the volunteer firefighters’ efforts, who needed more than the privately owned water mains available to save the wooden buildings.
It’s hard to imagine this fiery demolition actually happened when you’re standing in Seattle’s most historic district, but for one weekend the influx of regional firefighters and antique fire trucks will bring the catastrophe that allowed Pioneer Square to rebuild its identity (this time in stone and brick, of course) to top of mind.
What’s in the cards at this year’s hot fest? Settle in to watch the Scott Safety Firefighter Challenge, an X-Games of sort for the firefighting community that has regularly drawn thousands on each day of the event and demands feats of bravado and skill from participating firefighters in the form of climbing a five-story tower in full gear or rescuing a life-size 175-pound victim in a race against the clock. There is even a modified Kid’s Firefighter Challenge for plenty of family-friendly fun. Turns out you don’t have to be a pyro to appreciate this fire-themed occasion. (8/16-8/17, S Main St & Occidental Ave S, 206.623.0340, downtownseattle.org)
Follow Us
Holiday Hunt in Pioneer Square
A daily ornament drop turns December into a neighborhood-wide scavenger hunt.
The holidays tend to bring out the kid in all of us. And if opening presents and eating too many treats weren’t enough, there’s also a scavenger hunt in Seattle’s oldest neighborhood. Pioneer Square’s Holiday Ornament Scavenger Hunt has returned for its third year. Twenty-five handblown glass ornaments—all made at Glasshouse Studio—are hidden across 25…
Chit-Chat Kids
Phone a friend.
Twenty years ago, before everyone walked around with a device in their pocket, kids used to call each other on a landline—often tethered to the kitchen in their home. It was a simpler time, when parents didn’t have to worry (nearly as much) about a potential predator contacting their child. Nowadays, things are different, which…
A Plate for Pickleball
The design celebrates the state’s official sport. Additional plates are on the way.
Washington served up a new license plate last week, honoring the state sport of pickleball. In the works for three years, it’s the second of seven specialty plates to hit the market since getting approved by lawmakers earlier this year. “We’re thrilled to see our efforts become reality,” says Kate Van Gent, vice president of…
Seattle-Based Agency Brings Real Voices to NBC’s New Campaign
DNA&STONE built the project around candid conversations to understand what audiences want from reporting.
“I turned off news altogether. I want to be able to form my own opinions. Just tell the truth.” These lines open NBC News’ new national campaign, a 60-second ad that drifts over forests, farms, neighborhoods, and cityscapes while Americans talk about how worn out they feel by the news. The landscape carries the conversation…