Wow, this past weekend was definitely something to remember! On Saturday, Rob and I visited the Fremont Fair – a giant fun event celebrating the summer solstice that took place in Fremont, the quirkiest neighborhood of Seattle. This annual fair took place for the 43rd time, and while we only found out about it a few days ago, we were definitely glad that we did!
Just how quirky is Fremont, you may ask? After living in the Deep South for almost eight years, I consider seeing anyone wearing clown shoes on an average day the pinnacle of quirkiness, but for the dwellers of Fremont it’s just casual Tuesday morning attire. In fact, this Seattle neighborhood has an official motto of ‘delibertas quirkas’ – the freedom to be peculiar. The Fremont Fair concentrated this free spirit the same way sugar cane juice is concentrated to turn into molasses – it may be light and thin at first, but after some effort is applied, it becomes rich and in-your-face strong (okay, that’s a weird comparison 🙂 ).
Here’s a picture that describes the range of Fremont’s attractions – from solemn Vladimir Lenin statue (WTF?) to some dancing clowns:
As we arrived on Saturday afternoon, we found the place filled to the brim with arts and crafts, music coming from all directions, and lots and lots of people walking around. There were plenty of street performances:
Once the bicycling was over, the more traditional part of the parade began, with marching bands, dancers, singers, decorated floats, etc. But even here we could definitely sense the spirit of ‘delibertas quirkas’ – from the cute and innocent bees radiating summery vibes…
The Food Part of This Post
Of course, my narration would be incomplete without mentioning what we found to eat at the fair. We stumbled upon a rather large lineup of food trucks, and thankfully, some of them had vegan-friendly options. A Mediterranean-themed truck served us these delicious falafel pita sandwiches – and they even had a vegan tzatziki sauce:
The foods of the day were definitely on the indulgent side, which caught up to me later as we headed back to the ferry to go back home – my energy levels dropped so much that I had to take a quick nap in the car (I’m rolling my eyes as I’m writing this!). As soon as we got back, I devoured a large bowl of mango, kiwi and blueberries, and instantly felt reenergized! Go fresh food!
I hope that by now you have a decent idea of what it was like to visit the Summer Solstice Fair in Fremont. If you’re ever in Seattle area in mid-June, come on over to the Fremont Fair – but be prepared that clothing seems to be optional here 🙂
Be sure to check out the Maxwelton Parade on the 4th of july. It’s held at Maxwelton Beach/Dave Mackie Park, in Clinton. It’s also a quirky parade (like a mini Freemont Parade), and right in your neck of the woods. Have fun!!! 🙂
Oh, thank you Heidi! My coworker was just telling me about that parade yesterday, and it’s just down the road from our house!
I, for one, am really impressed by the body paint! That pirate is really something.
Nicollette, the body paint was indeed very impressive! I wish I could share more pictures I took, but most of them are a bit too revealing.