Are you planning on attending Winter by the Water for the first time? What a coincidence, so are we! Of course, this is the inaugural year for Seattle’s new waterfront festival, so that tracks.
If you’ve still got some questions about what to expect on this maiden voyage, then you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to give you a rundown of events happening throughout the day, Saturday, Feb. 21, and also point you in the right direction so you don’t stray off course. Passport holders will definitely want a plan of attack to collect all your stamps and enter the prize drawing.
First, let’s get our bearings as to where the festivities will take place. At the northern edge, you’ll find FRS Clipper, which offers whale watching and themed cruises on the Salish Sea. Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream marks the southernmost point (just beyond the Seattle Ferry Terminal).
You’ll begin your day right smack in the middle at Pier 62; starting at 11 a.m., you can pick up your Winter by the Water passport (or purchase one at the Seafair kiosk) and a sea otter plushie for the kids. Friends of Waterfront Park and other volunteers can answer any questions you have about the area and there’ll even be even be s’mores to roast at the fire pits.
From 12 p.m.-4 p.m., the BECU Vendor Marketplace will open in Bell Harbor International Conference Center (BHICC), offering a place to shop and eat local, and take a break from any inclement weather.
More excitement kicks off at 1 p.m. at Overlook Walk (a pedestrian connection between Pike Place Market and the waterfront), where local dance group Dope Girl Movement will bring the heat with an electrifying hip-hop performance. Stick around until 1:15 p.m. when, rain or shine, attendees will pose for the first-ever “Umbrella Uprising,” a coordinated community photo op taken from on high by a drone.
As Winter by the Water winds down, excitement will build for the concert finale and afterparty at Pier 66. The venue, Elliott Hall at the BHICC, opens at 4 p.m., with Smokey Brights opening the show at 5 p.m.
After the set ends around 5:45 p.m., there will be a sweepstakes drawing for the winners of the passport challenge, with Alaska Airlines tickets, a behind-the-scenes tour and tasting at Copperworks Distilling Co., a Great Wheel dinner-for-two, a Matty Beniers autographed Kraken jersey and more up for grabs for those intrepid explorers who completed their passports.
The Talbott Brothers will close out the night, taking the stage at 6:30 p.m.
While that certainly makes for a full itinerary, the beauty of Winter by the Water is that you can approach it at your own pace and preference. Want to spend hours embracing your inner child at Miners Landing? Go for it. Haven’t checked out the Seattle Aquarium since it opened the Ocean Pavilion? Maybe it’s time for a revisit (check out the sharks!) There are plenty of free activities as well as standard paid and VIP experiences. The waterfront, as they say, is your oyster.