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Fremont Solstice Parade

4.5 (49 reviews)

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Dueling banjo's anyone?
Frank B.

Get Naked! It's the place you want to be on the second weekend of June in Seattle. Freaks everywhere, but that's Fremont normally. Every summer the annual The Fremont Fair & The Summer Solstice parade lets us celebrate the arrival of summer. Or what THE GODS grant us for summer. Every form of life shows up ( Vendors, freaks , geek's and locals) to gather in celebration & decadence! This gathering has something for everyone from voyeurism, drinking, shopping, protesting or watching the parade it's very entertaining for all! Should you be coming for the parade, I'd arrive early to secure a location. The benefit is a front row view of freak show central the naked cyclists who kick off the parade. See ya in 2015!

Nude bicyclists parading down at annual Fremont Solstice Parade. Lots of body paint and clever costumes.
Sherill Y.

WHAT A GREAT EVENT! I had this bookmarked the moment when I saw it. Plan to take the day off if you work on weekends because you'll want to stay and enjoy yourself. Motor free parade, lots of really great man-made floats, fun bands and dancers. The parade is kicked off by bicyclists, mostly nude and artfully decorated in body paint. The parade last an hour. Donate to the Green Hat parade ensemble as it passes by. The parade starts at 1 p.m. at NW 39th Street and Leary Way NW.  and the celebration continues through the evening at Gas Works Park. Parking is very limited in the Fremont area during this event. I encourage you to plan ahead: make time to park & walk, ride your bike, take the bus, or carpool. Wear sunscreen, & bring water with you. Expect the unexpected! If you haven't been to one make it a plan for next year, you won't be dissapointed. Will obviously be attending next year.

Melody P.

I love this parade! But, I've never been a part it so far! You can see how popular this is with how many people actually attend. The parade itself is always very creative and green (environment friendly) And, of course, my favorite part is the nude cyclists. I've been to several of the parades the last few years. I can definitely see the improvement in many ways especially the cyclists. They are getting hotter and hotter every year! (shout out to my friend Jamie Y, "You are HOT") One of those days, I would love to be in the parade myself :-)

2012 Fremont Solstice Parade
Monica B.

2012 marked the first year I went to the Fremont Solstice Parade. It's another one of those mysteries that I can't quite figure out - why didn't I go sooner? I never answer those questions sufficiently. I am reminded of what a true celebration summer is in Seattle. The sun, the warmth, the lack of pants and what not. I was expecting a parade and got an experience. The most stressful part of the day was finding parking, which I thought would never happen. I was awestruck as I neared the parade route and saw a HUGE crowd and I pondered how me and my shortness would be able to see a thing. I decided to head towards the end of the parade route near Gas Works Park. I think there are pros and cons to being on that end. I waited patiently and I began to hear drums, music, and clapping. That was followed by screaming, cheering, and all around happy noises. I loved the festive feel of the parade as well as the casual acquaintances I made for the day. I was struck by the creativity as I knew not how much could be accomplished with body paint and tissue paper. After the parade, I headed for Gas Works to enjoy some of the festivities there - of which there were many. I had a great time and I can't say that I've experienced anything like that before. I loved the bees on stilts this year and the wickedly tall flowers. The hula hoopers were also one of my favorites, particularly a guy I see around town a lot during the summer. He was amazing! I'm posting some pictures after this but I'm not sure about posting some of them so here's a link to my flickr photos. http://www.flickr.com/photos/monyb/sets/72157630507211834/

Ninja S.

The annual hippie and exhibitionist show. It's pretty cool for mischievous adults, but I'm not sure a bunch of naked people tripping balls and/or drunk off their ass is for everyone else. I was drinking to excess much the whole time and just about everyone else I saw was as well. You'll need it to handle much of the poor quality nudity, though they are looking better in recent years. If you missed it, don't worry. Being naked on bikes is now a form of civil protest, besides being one of the more injury prone activities, and happens all the time all over town. If you're not in the parade, as they have spent anywhere from an hour to months preparing for it, you can still make a full day of tooling around crazy-packed Fremont being poorly served and tripping over freaks. This might be good or bad depending on your present level of unreality and intoxication. If you don't have anything better to do on the solstice, you'll likely find some fun here.

Lincolns boarding
Amara D.

I almost can't believe I am going to give 5 stars to a celebration that involves people in the Center of the Universe naked and riding bikes.... but there is something honest, ridiculous, and joyous about this one of a kind parade. Show up early, park somewhere free, and make sure you have the goods: a good pair of shoes, a good camera, a good spot for viewing the parade. In addition, to the always discussed nudity there are artistic floats, crazy costumes, lots of dancing, and one of a kind Seattle flavored political commentary. Not to mention a giant flying spaghetti monster.

Photo by Bill Simpson, censored by me.
Jordan C.

I do appreciate you want to be seen as free-spirited and eccentric and all, good for you! But man, I gotta be blunt here, keep your clothes on if you're flappy and saggy! I think some of the nakeds may have done more damage than walking in on Mom n Dad having a go at it will ever do. The Fremont Solistice Parade, is sadly, the last bastion of what was once Fremont's counterculture. Parade aside, the street fair is always one of the best in Seattle. Finding parking is a pain in the ass for parade goers and residents. Don't let me catch you in my spot or your car is going bye bye!

Great environment and atmosphere. Free to be yourself (whether you want to partake or not) and met mew people.

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Year after wonderful year! Wild, fun, people painted different colors, bands, dancers. free family fun.

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15 years ago

The best community parade of the people by the people. Unique, liberal, free...this parade is one of my favorite things about seattle

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Review Highlights - Fremont Solstice Parade

Every summer the annual The Fremont Fair & The Summer Solstice parade lets us celebrate the arrival of summer.

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Fremont Troll

Fremont Troll

(836 reviews)

Fremont

A fun experience, a bit off the beaten path in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle…read more We ventured from downtown to check out the troll. Very easy access via a city bus route. After a short stroll down a well-designed dirt path, we found the giant troll. The troll is great for photos and has a sign that describes the history of the troll. My kids enjoyed climbing around the area, too. Facing the opposite direction from the troll is a very cool bridge that creates some awesome cathedral-like architecture. There is lots to do in Fremont, and even though the troll is kind of a one-and-done deal, it's worth checking out simply to explore the rest of the neighborhood and awesome surrounding businesses. Enjoy your troll hunt!

A visit to the Fremont Troll under the Aurora Bridge is a fun and quirky Seattle stop. Sculpted in…read more1990 by four artists after a competition launched by the Fremont Arts Council to help combat the garbage and clutter that had been collecting under bridges, the troll has become one of the city's most iconic public art pieces. It's a great destination to bring out-of-town visitors--like me--to check out another troll! As a fan of the whimsical trolls created by Thomas Dambo, this was a must-see. Street parking is available nearby, making it an easy stop while exploring the neighborhood. I'd personally recommend not climbing on the troll due to safety concerns, although many people were doing so when we visited. Either way, it's a unique photo opportunity and a classic Seattle experience.

The Wall of Death

The Wall of Death

(23 reviews)

University District

I mean, what can be said about this strange abandoned art installation that hasn't been said…read morealready. It's not a great area, there's currently a homeless encampment right behind it. It has a chain link fence surrounding it giving it a 'We haven't torn this down yet' vibe. Being from the Bay Area and having seen pieces created at The Crucible I personally would call it exceptionally lazy art - if you're generous with the word 'art'. It's a sign, with some pointed cylinders around it. In my opinion the painted pieces at Gas Works are more interesting. I personally think it's only a matter of time before they tear it out and make it into another park so all in all, it's an easy skip.

At one point, I'm sure The Wall of Death was a very cool public art installation in Seattle. It's a…read morepermanently sited installation located along the Burke-Gilman Trail under the University Bridge along NE 40th Street. It was designed and built by Mowry Baden and his son Colin in 1993. While the exhibit sounds ominous, it's neither a memorial or some gothic art piece. Instead, it's a tribute to the structure used to perform "the wall of death," a motorcycle and miniature automobile stunt. While it looks like it was initially quite amazing, The Wall of Death has largely fallen victim to time and graffiti and it's really that graffiti that negatively impacts the appeal of the exhibit. The exhibit includes the cylinder itself on the south side of the Burke-Gilman Trail, as well as a concrete ramp to the north of the trail, which includes a "series of stylized metal chairs mounted to the existing concrete bridge columns and serves as the stands from which the stunts were viewed. The exhibit was originally intended as interactive with skateboarders intended to use it. However, after several skateboarding accidents including one involving a head-on collision between a skateboarder and a cyclist the exhibit was adapted, by Baden himself, to include 25 concrete parking stops. At this point, the exhibit is somewhat fenced in and much more difficult to access. However, it remains one of the more intriguing public art exhibits in Seattle and is still free to see. It's listed in Atlas Obscura. The exhibit was also reportedly damaged on 11/15/20 when a homeless camp tent caught fire. The exhibit is made of concrete, steel, and aluminum and measures 16' x 65' x 30'. It's easy to access the exhibit from the Burke Gilman Trail in the University District. It's near University of Washington housing and only a few blocks from Lake Union. The trail itself is wheelchair friendly and accessible quite easily.

Bettie Page House

Bettie Page House

(9 reviews)

University District

I don't want to say that I was staying in a weird neighborhood while I was in Seattle, but being…read morejust over a mile away from the Bettie Page House left me no other option one early morning than to head out by wheelchair to check it out. Smack dab in the middle of Seattle's worst heatwave ever, I can still easily say it was worth the effort for a glimpse of this private residence that features an 18' Bettie Page and even more recently has added the one and only Divine. The house is located in the Ravenna district adjacent to the University District (where I was staying). Commissioned by the owner in 2006, the artwork has been vandalized once (it came back better than ever) and has been threatened by the city at one point with $100 daily fines. because of the "graffiti" on the home. Of course, no fine ever happened and Bettie Page is still alongside the home's exterior wall. Interestingly enough, the home is right across the street from a Mormon Temple. Bettie is adorned with her usual black panties and thigh-highs, a gutter conveniently crosses her chest area. The house is a little tricky to get to, though the mural is easily visible from I-5 near the 65th Street exit. As this is a private home, there is no "admission." Essentially, this is public art visible from a sidewalk or street. If you're in the Seattle area, it's definitely worth checking out and most likely a "must see" for true Bettie Page (or Divine) fans.

Add this to your list Roadside America…read more We've been to the usual Space Needle, Pike's Place Market but, if you're up for something new and unusual --- this is it. Welcome to the Bettie Page and Drag Queen Divine house! After driving around the area that Google Maps told us it was without finding it; we realized it might be across the damn freeway. So, might want to consider that if you haven't found it lol

Fremont Solstice Parade - localflavor - Updated May 2026

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