The Alliance for Pioneer Square works to help preserve what makes Pioneer Square the most authentic, engaging and dynamic neighborhood in Seattle.
Below is a list of special summer events in Pioneer Square’s Occidental Square Park.
Date: Saturday July 13, 2013
Time: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Location: Occidental Square Park (between S. Main St. & S. Washington St. and between 1st & 2nd Ave S)
The Pioneer Square Fire Festival, a Seafair Sanctioned Community Event, will take place on Saturday, July 13 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm in Occidental Square Park. The annual festival commemorates the re-birth of the Pioneer Square area following the Great Seattle Fire of June 6, 1889 that destroyed most of Seattle’s original Commercial District and gave rise to today’s Historic Pioneer Square Neighborhood.
The Pioneer Square Fire Festival gives attendees of all ages a glimpse into Seattle’s past featuring displays by the Last Resort Fire Department, the Seattle Metropolitan Police Museum, and the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park – Seattle. Along with displays of antique and classic fire engines and classic police cars, the Seattle Fire Department will provide different fire apparatus of today on a rotating basis during the festival, and Seattle Fire Department’s Medic II Program will have a display in the Last Resort Fire Department Museum.
In addition there will be many family-friendly activities. Come cheer on the area Fire cadets and Explorers as they compete against each other. Try your hand a putting on firefighting turnout gear on “Are You Faster Than a Fire Cadet?” Kids can learn about fire safety through games such as the “Pump Can Game” and “Smoke Crawl”. Don’t forget a
bout the opportunity to color a picture while sitting in the back of a 1940 fire engine, or pan for gold. Also making appearance will be Pluggie the talking fire hydrant.
This year the festival will also be honoring the 100th anniversary of the oldest known surviving motorized Seattle Fire Department vehicle. This City Service Ladder Truck will be on display in Occidental Square Park during the festival. Come on down and help us celebrate!
Located one to two blocks away from Occidental Square Park are: the Last Resort Fire Department Museum, located in Seattle Fire Department Headquarters; the Seattle Metropolitan Police Museum located in a historic building; and the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park – Seattle, located in the restored Cadillac Hotel. All three museums have activities for kids, and they will be open and FREE to the public on the day of the Fire Festival.
For more up-to-date information visit www.lastresortfd.org and locate the Fire Festival page in the left navigating column.
www.FirstThursdaySeattle.com
Milepost 31 Speaker Series – Preparing for the SR 99 tunneling machine’s summer launch
After a 5,000 mile journey from Japan and 10 days of unloading, Bertha, the world’s largest-diameter tunneling machine, is officially on Seattle soil. Join us at this month’s speaker series for a project update including a behind-the-scenes look at the machine’s arrival. We’ll also talk about what’s next for Bertha as crews assemble her 41 pieces in the launch pit and prepare for the start of tunneling this summer.
6 to 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 2
211 First Ave. S., Seattle
Admission is free.
After the talk, be sure to leave enough time to explore the rest of the First Thursday Art Walk in Pioneer Square. Free parking is available for First Thursday art walk patrons in Pioneer Square. Please visit www.FirstThursdaySeattle.com for more information about participating garages.
What’s next for Bertha, the SR 99 tunneling machine
Now that spring is here, get outside and take a self-guided walking tour along the paved path west of the work site and watch as crews prepare to reassemble Bertha. Many of Bertha’s pieces including the cutterhead and trailing gear are visible in the work zone. Spot them now before the massive red crane begins lowering Bertha’s pieces into the launch pit. Reassembling and testing the machine will take two to three months. Bertha is scheduled to start digging this summer.
Building one road above another: the South Atlantic Street overpass
Crews continue to build the new South Atlantic Street overpass over SR 99 to the west of Seattle’s stadiums. The wooden forms you see are called falsework, which is a temporary structure that creates a mold where crews will pour concrete to build the permanent structure. Scheduled to open in late 2013, this overpass will allow traffic to bypass frequent train blockages on South Atlantic Street.
For more information about the Alaskan Way Viaduct Replacement Program, visit www.alaskanwayviaduct.org. You can also track Bertha’s progress on Twitter by following @BerthaDigsSR99.