Blog Summary: Tips from Waterfront Park’s insiders on how to prepare for your visit, travel to and from the Park and enjoy a full day by the Salish Sea. Summer at Waterfront Park is almost here and we want to make sure you’re ready to make the most of it. From what to pack to where to take a rest, here’s everything you need to know before heading down …
May is Small Business Month and at Waterfront Park, our programming season is a chance to celebrate the small business owners and entrepreneurs who bring their craft to this public space. The 2026 season is packed with flavors, artistry and community brought to this public space through our vending program. The vending program is about more than great food and beautiful …
After a transformative period of leadership for Friends and Waterfront Park, President and CEO Joy Shigaki announced today that she will be stepping down from her role later this summer. Her last day will be on July 17, marked by our signature Pier Party at Pier 62. Shigaki has led the organization since 2022, guiding …
May 4, 2026
Last year, Waterfront Park introduced itself to Seattle. This summer, we at Friends are inviting everyone to settle in and make it a season to remember. After welcoming more than 3.4 million people during its landmark 2025 Grand Opening Season, Friends of Waterfront Park announces its 2026 Programming Season—a bold, community-centered calendar of free events, …
April 20, 2026
When the Nisqually earthquake rattled Seattle and the broader region in 2001, it set in motion a comprehensive effort to reimagine our waterfront and remove a massive 1950’s highway that divided our downtown. After decades of advocacy by the community, Friends, and civic leaders, boring machine breakdowns that delayed the new HW 99 tunnel, and a massive fundraising effort, Waterfront Park has been fully come to life. All 20 acres of new public …
Blog Summary: Former Friends board chair Maggie Walker was named a 2026 Hero of the Deep by the Seattle Kraken and One Roof Foundation, recognized for her decades of civic leadership, philanthropic investment and steadfast commitment to inclusion and equity in public spaces. Friends public programs manager and Indigenous programs curator Jordan Remington received the same honor …
Our signature summer fundraiser, Pier Party is back! We’re doing what we do best— bringing together the artists, neighbors, performers, and partners who make Waterfront Park feel like home. Save the date for Friday, July 17 for a night of live music, immersive art, local food and drinks, and the kind of togetherness that reminds you why this place matters. And this year’s theme: Disco! Put on your best shimmer …
Blog summary: Tuli Lodge turned Pier 62 into a neighborhood gathering place this winter—proof that a sauna, a cold plunge, and a stunning waterfront view are all you need to bring strangers together and keep the park buzzing even on the greyest Seattle days. For founder Hannah Goldstein, the Pier 62 activation was where Tuli …
Waterfront Park was always meant to be a place to lounge, linger and belong. In Seattle, that same feeling often happens with coffee. Cafés are natural connectors—built on rich aromas, shared tables and easy conversation. In East Africa, coffee carries that same spirit. It’s not just a drink; it’s a daily ritual that brings people together. That’s why …
January 19, 2026
Editor’s Note: This is a blog post from the Waterfront Seattle Program. The Waterfront Seattle Program is a collaboration between the Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects and City of Seattle departments including the Mayor’s Office, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), Planning and Community Development, Parks and Recreation, Office of Arts & Culture, Seattle Center and …