What are your plans for the Fourth next week? As most Washingtonians know, summer in the Puget Sound is at its best starting right about now. The weather is mostly sunny but not too hot, summer produce is bursting off the vines, restaurants and bars open their patios, and new outdoor events pop up every week.
If you’re undecided about how to celebrate the Fourth, here’s a list of Seattle area events. For live music and spectacular fireworks over Lake Union, check out the Seafair Summer Fourth at Gasworks Park. To take part in a welcome ceremony for new U.S. citizens, check out the Seattle Center’s Naturalization Ceremony.
I have fond memories of spending the Fourth on the beach in Gig Harbor. My brothers and I used to stuff ourselves with blueberries and chips and soda and flirt with hypothermia as we swam in the freezing water. The Pickett Street team agrees that no matter where you hang out for the holiday, make sure you’re with the people you love.
Get in touch with Pickett Street at (425) 502-5397 or info@pickettstreet.com. Read on for the team’s Fourth of July memories.
Margaret Smith, Director of Operations
“My favorite memory was on Sandy Point. My grandparents, Margaret and Robert Smith, were part of the original “Sandy Six” that built a small community on the waterfront of Whidbey Island.
Their home was right on the water, and I remember sitting with my legs dangling over the edge of the dock. If you are brave enough to jump in, you will be greeted with seaweed, salt, perhaps a few floating jellyfish, and the realization that damn, it truly is cold.
I was watching the reflection off the water and daydreaming about the next year. I was going to be a sophomore in college at Pacific Lutheran University.
That year my grandmother, Margaret Lilly Peabody Smith (my namesake), was asked to throw the first pitch of the annual softball game for the Sandy Point community. We called her Monie, and she was much beloved by everyone. I remember hot dogs, sand between my toes, and sun on my face as Monie tossed the ball to the catcher.
Sandy Point will always be a dear place in my heart, but I hold the people closest. It doesn’t matter where I am—it matters who I choose to spend my time with.
Sarah Troske, Transaction Coordinator
“I love the 4th of July because it always feels like the official start to the summer. My sister usually throws a big party at her house. We barbecue yummy food and my mom makes festive homemade cake pops, which are delicious! We play fun yard games like corn hole and ladder ball. The best part is we get to surround ourselves with friends and family.”
Jessica Townsel, Buyers Agent
“Ever since my children were little, we’ve made it a tradition to go to the Arlington Fourth of July Parade. The whole community comes together, diverse families and people of all ages. There are booths with face painting, games, live music, kettle corn, and beer. Then of course, we come together with family and friends for fireworks to end the evening!
Fourth of July has always held a special place in my heart, as it represents all the greatest things about our country. I come from a long line of veterans, and growing up in a military family really instilled a strong sense of pride and gratitude for our freedom. I want to pass along that same pride to my children.”
Jesse Moore, Owner/Lead Listing Agent
Growing up in eastern Montana, we didn’t celebrate the 4th of July in the standard ways. Everything was usually brown and dry, so we didn’t get to shoot off fireworks, for fear that we’d start a grass fire. In fact, I spent many Fourth of July holidays fighting grass fires—in 1988 (at the age of 10), I fought more than 5 different grass fires that threatened our ranch and home.
Since I’ve moved to Seattle, I associate the holiday with water, being at a lake or on a boat. This year I’ll be on Lake Stevens with my family, jumping off the boat into the water to cool off, or watching the fireworks from the shore on Lake Washington.
Happy Fourth to everyone in the Puget Sound area and beyond. As Margaret says, “Find something fun to do on the Fourth, but enjoy the people you spend it with the most.”