5 things to do in South Park/Georgetown

Duwamish River Festival/Festival del Rio Duwamish

The 10th anniversary of the Duwamish River Festival/Festival del Rio Duwamish includes music and dance performances by Banda Vagos, Ballet Folklorico Angeles de Mexico and the UW Khmer Student Association. There will also be boat and kayak tours of the river, educational displays, and food and art activities for all ages focusing on the river. The Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition hosts the event and is celebrating this milestone anniversary with 10 stories from the community, 10 milestones for the river, and 10 achievements and more; noon-6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, Duwamish Waterway Park, 7900 10th Ave. S., Seattle (www.duwamishcleanup.org).

Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center

The Duwamish Tribe, “Seattle’s First People,” invites visitors to the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center by the mouth of the Duwamish River and near the site of an ancient Duwamish village. The longhouse, a traditional cedar post and beam structure, is used for tribal business and cultural and educational events to share the tribe’s cultural and social traditions via art displays, exhibits, workshops, demonstrations and lectures. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 4705 W. Marginal Way S.W., Seattle; free admission, donations appreciated (206-431-1582 or duwamishtribe.org/index.html).

Georgetown Records/ Fantagraphics Bookstore and Gallery

Pop into Georgetown Records and dig through the stacks of used vinyl, and you’ll find a nice selection of rock, punk, world, jazz, country and more. The space also houses Fantagraphics Bookstore and Gallery, with its vast selection of alternative comics and graphic novels; 1201 S. Vale St, Seattle (georgetownrecords.net and fantagraphics.com/about-us).

Though Alki, the landing place of the Denny party settlers, is credited as “the birthplace of Seattle,” Georgetown was actually the first area in Seattle settled by non-natives in a homestead on the shore of the Duwamish River a few months before the Denny party’s arrival. Georgetown’s historic and industrial district centered along Airport Way South offers an array of art galleries, shops, breweries and restaurants, including Flip Flip, Ding Ding with classic, vintage video games and pinball tournaments, 6012 12th Ave S. Seattle (206-508-0296 or flipflipdingding.com). For more information on local events and attractions, check Georgetown Community Council (georgetowncommunitycouncil.wordpress.com).

Oxbow Park Hat ’n’ Boots

Built as part of a gas station in 1953, the giant Hat ‘n’ Boots was a popular Seattle landmark at one of the highest-volume gas stations in the state until the construction of I-5 in the 1950s diverted traffic from the area. In the late ’80s, local residents saved the 44-foot-wide cowboy hat and 22-foot-high cowboy boots from demolition, and they were moved in 2003 to Oxbow Park in the heart of historic Georgetown for everyone to enjoy, 6430 Corson Ave. S., Seattle (seattle.gov/parks/park_detail.asp?id=4416). Nearby Georgetown Playfield, a neighborhood fixture since 1923, has ballfields, a children’s play area, tennis courts and a half-court basketball court on 5.3 acres; 750 S. Homer St., Seattle (seattle.gov/parks/park_detail.asp?ID=410).

Historic Georgetown Steam Plant

The National Historic Landmark Georgetown Steam Plant, an early example of reinforced concrete construction, was built to supply hydroelectric power for Seattle in 1906-1907 on 18 acres of land along the Duwamish River. Built in neo-classical style — common among federal, municipal and industrial structures of the 1890s-1910s — it was acquired by Seattle City Light in 1951 and used on a limited basis until the 1970s. City Light staff and volunteers are working to restore the plant and its historic equipment. The Georgetown Steam Plant is open to the public the second Saturday of every month, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with free guided tours at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Admission is free and no reservations are required (seattle.gov/light/georgetownsteamplant/default.asp).