SalmonFest shindig brings parades, food, fun to Lake City

Lake City SalmonFest and the Lake City Pioneer Days Parade Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 7 to 9, fill the neighborhood with summer fun for all ages with food, parades and a street festival.

Founded as Pioneer Days in 1941 by people who were only a generation or two from actual pioneers, it was renamed SalmonFest last year in honor of one of its most popular features, the three-day salmon bake, with the parade carrying on the Pioneer Days name.

Huge grills are set up outside Lake City Community Center to cook the salmon served with side dishes Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A hot dog meal is also available. Entertainment at the salmon bake features The Rowdy Referees Family Fun Game show with contests and games for all ages and prizes for kids. Saturday and Sunday, the SalmonFest festival takes over the streets around the community center with arts, crafts and food vendors, the Very Vintage Market and Kids Zone activities. There’s a Vintage Car Show Saturday and entertainment on two stages and a beer garden both days.

The Pioneer Days Parade goes down Lake City Way on Saturday, starting with the Kiddies Parade, followed by the Grand Parade with drill teams, marching bands, floats, pirates, clowns, fire trucks and the Lake City Western Vigilantes, whose cowboy antics, bouncing Paddy Wagon and work to raise money for local children’s charities have been a parade favorite since 1946, almost as long as Pioneer Days.

North Seattle Chamber of Commerce hosts SalmonFest and plans to have staff answering the phone all weekend. They’re providing golf-cart transportation from your parking spot to the festival on a space-available basis to help festivalgoers who may need to park a distance away, since some local streets will be closed and parking is limited.