On Saturday, Feb. 2, the city will open the top deck of the now-closed Alaskan Way Viaduct for an arts festival, and festival-goers can stroll along, take in the view and reflect a little on the occasion, before motorists start zipping between Belltown and the stadiums through a tunnel, to be opened this month.
Maija McKnight, the city’s project manager for the Viaduct Arts Festival, says the idea is to give people a chance to think about what these changes to the city landscape mean.
“People really want to reflect at this time on what does this mean to our city to undergo this massive change,” she said.
Along the cracked concrete structure, from Seneca to Western, there will be art installations, and performances of music, dance and storytelling. There will also be kids’ activities, nifty stickers, a screen-printing activity and a variety of things to do. Some features will talk about the past, such as three 1950s Shasta trailers, cheerful oval artifacts of the car culture that the viaduct was part of. Others point look to the future, such as the large 3D murals on the ground, depicting what the waterfront will be like without the constant roar of traffic above it.
It’ll begin at 12:30 p.m. with a procession at Seneca Street, and continue until 6 p.m. (Sunset is at 5:12 p.m., in case you are hankering for that particular version of the view.)
To avoid waits, it’s best to register in advance here.
Wear comfortable shoes and dress for whatever the February weather has in store. There will be a coffee concession at the arts festival, but there’s not a lot in the way of refreshment otherwise, so bring what you might need. To get to the festival, you can either enter at the Battery Street Tunnel or at Seneca Street. McKnight recommends Seneca Street if you want less of a walk.
Other highway-related festivities:
The new tunnel is also open to the public from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, with science activities, live music, and food trucks galore at each entrance. Check this page for more details.
The Tunnel to Viaduct 8K run/walk starts at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2. Strollers are allowed. Cost is $45.
Cascade Bicycle Club is running a bike ride through the new tunnel on Sunday, Feb. 3. It’s sold out.
