Close to 100,000 people are expected to flood the streets of Fremont this Saturday and Sunday for the Fremont Fair and Solstice Parade.  The parade itself kicks off at noon on Saturday from N. 36th and Leary, travels through the heart of Fremont, and ends at Gas Works Park. 

Photo above from 2009 Solstice Parade

In addition to the parade, which kicks off with the famous naked bicyclists, you’ll find plenty of other things to do.  Here’s a sampling:

Live bands:  Musical entertainment from 39 different bands on three different stages over the entire weekend.  Here’s the band lineup.

Fremont Abbey Arts for All:  Painting, interactive sculptures, sidewalk chalking, live music at the Rocket Block next to the Big Purple Slide

Seattle Art Car Blowout:  75 decorated cars in the Burke Building parking lot. Here’s the “ChewBaru” from last year’s show.

Cabiri Performance Troupe on Daedalus:  Daedalus is a fully freestanding aluminum aerial dance stage.  Five performances will feature dancers from The Cabiri performance troupe.

Shakespeare on The Troll:  Selected scenes from the Bard’s most famous and beloved plays in front of the Troll.

And keep an eye out for a booth collecting donations for the families involved in the deadly fire last weekend. You’ll find a map of the vendors and entertainment here.  You can also visit the fair’s official website.

The fair runs from 10am to 8pm on Saturday, and 11am to 6pm on Sunday.  We’ll have full coverage throughout the weekend here on FremontUniverse.com as well as on our Twitter and Facebook accounts.

With about a week to go until the neighborhood’s biggest event of the year, the Fremont Solstice Parade on June 19 at noon, the countdown is on for finishing up the floats, ensembles, cleaning up, registration and much more.

Tonight, as usual, there is Parade Planning from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Powerhouse (3940 Fremont Ave. N.).

There are 38 registered ensembles but many more are expected. All ensembles should register at the FAC website. You MUST register by this Friday, June 11 to appear in the parade.

There are also mandatory meetings for certain types of participants this Saturday, June 12:

• Photographers: 9 a.m. See website

All photographers/videographers wishing to shoot the parade from the street must attend a safety meeting.

• Monitors: 10:30 a.m. Essential organization and info!

Monitors are still very much needed, please apply for these front row views!

• Ensembles: 2 p.m. (Ensemble lead or designated alternate)

“All parade ensemble leaders and ensemble monitors must attend this meeting to get the parade logistics low-down for this year. Important information regarding the end of the parade route change will be discussed.”

Volunteers are still needed for cleaning up, registration, SOL distribution, etc. If you do FAC volunteer shifts you get raffle tickets (1 ticket per 5 hrs; keep track of your hours on the posted sheets in the Powerhouse) and a chance to win prizes such as Teatro Zinzani tickets. Volunteers are still needed for the following:

• Workshop moms/pops for the remaining days running up to the parade. Signup sheets in the Powerhouse.
• Parade Monitors – best view of the parade!
• PA sound operator for Lenin stage – contact Peter Toms
• Check-in Diva’s, at the sign-in desk Parade Day 8:30 to 11:30 (yes, you can do this and be in the parade too)
• Stage moving Friday night June 18
• Parade-end float parking assistants – floats finish in the main Gasworks Park Parking Lot.
• Gasworks cleanup crew – start 5:30 p.m. Saturday

Tonight at the Fremont Arts Council’s Power House, 3940 Fremont Ave N. (where all the Solstice Parade floats are parked): a BBQ / Potluck at 5:30 p.m., just prior to another Parade Planning Meeting at 7 p.m.

The parade is just a few weeks away - June 19 - so if you want to be involved in the parade, now is the time to engage!

Bring food to share, something for the grill if you like, & your own plates, bowls, cups, utensils. There are some at the Power House, but its better to bring what you’ll need.

No alcohol is allowed on school grounds, where the Power House resides.

If you are interested in participating in the 2010 Fremont Solstice Parade, the registration is online this year.

Parade organizers are asking ensembles to register this way. Ensembles are considered groups of 5 or more parade participants, or those wanting to include a float, large puppet (larger than 10 feet), or have music/sound. Only one form is needed per group.

At the Fremont Arts Council site, you’ll find links for: Solstice FAQ’s, Ensemble Logistics and Parade Registration.

You can also print out the registration here and mail to:

Fremont Solstice Parade — Registration
3940 Fremont Ave. N.
Seattle WA 98103

Right around this time of year, the Fremont Arts Council awards McKay grants to Solstice Parade artists.

This year, they’re distributing grants of up to $1,000 from a total pool of $4,500 to the following grantees:

• Christie Wolf, “Rube Goldberg Solstice.” Christie and LeeZuhars and Chuck are building an outrageous Rube Goldberg contraption (think the game: Mousetrap) to roll, spin, pour, lurch down the street.
• Kate Freeman, “Venetiza Solstizo.” Kate and Mylinda Sneed have designed a grand Venetian waltzing carnival ensemble, complete with a life-size gondola.
• Brian Koozer, “Volcano!” Brian is back this year with some over-the-top parade art. A huge volcano will roll down the street, spurting stuffed endangered species and cans of pineapple. A monkey will be on hand to help the confused Tiki-headed minions open the pineapple.
• Sarah Lovett, “Dogody.” Sarah is creating a huge, 10+ person, doggy puppet this year to play with the parade watchers in a tail-wagging, tongue flopping good time.
• Allie Kerr, “Stormy Weather.” Allie is leading an ensemble about rainy days, real and metaphorical. Stilt walkers and banners express the idea that if you want sun, you should prepare for rain.
• Ann Sloper, “Ice Queens 2010.” Ice queens are back with a crazy new “big-dress” ensemble. Imagine the street filled with gorgeous, ethereal, sexy, strong maidens in bigger-than-life paper dresses. Some horses (studs?) will be on hand.
• Sonia Telesco, “Flying Dreams.” Sonia will be creating flying silk banners, lifted on high with helium balloons, as a glorious gateway for the parade entrance. Unstoppable, she is also making a gateway for the end of the parade, and at each of the three stages along the route.

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The forecast says there may be clouds coming in to blot out a bit of this amazing and bright sunshine, but that shouldn’t stop you from doing the things this weekend you want to do!

Here are some ideas for Saturday:

Help clean and restore critical urban habitat in a Lake Union, Portage Bay & Union Bay Community Clean Up Event tomorrow morning, May 15 between 8 p.m. and noon. Check in at the Lake Union Park Armory Building. More than 200 volunteers in kayaks and small boats are expected to pick up trash in and along Lake Union, while shoreline cleanup involves  non-boaters.  A Community Celebration - with lunch - will be held afterward at about noon. Contact chris@pugetsoundkeeper.org for more information.

After last Saturday’s massive clean-up and re-organization, the main grounds for building the Solstice Parade is ready! Come to the Fremont Arts Council’s Open House at the Powerhouse (3940 Fremont Ave. N.) from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and be prepared to do a myriad of things:

• Make a mask
• get started on your costume
• dust off that float body
• meet new people
• nosh some snacks.

From Parade Coordinators:

We are holding a training for Workshop Mom and Pops at 2 p.m. We need your help to staff the studio this year- come sign up for a shift. There will be a drop-in mask making station, and snacks galore. Don yer apron and put on a smile, it’s time to make a parade.

• There’s also a “Walk with Us to Cure Lupus” at Alki Beach at 9 a.m. If you want to join the Fremont group, contact Dr. Valerie Hunt: vfhunt@gmail.com.
• If you’re looking for a more low-key way to begin the weekend, you can check out the design for the new Fire Station No.9 at its open house at 10 a.m., 3829 Linden Ave N.

Here’s another way to help out the Fremont Arts Council in their efforts to put on another remarkable Solstice Parade:

Tonight’s Variety for Charity International Scope with Local Talent at Egan’s Balllard Jam House (1707 NW Market St.), beginning at 9 p.m.
Hosts –Susan Harper & Larry Crist will emcee an evening with performances by… Steffan Soule - Magic that Moves , Julia Massey (album cover pictured), Adrian Libertini, Seastar and Mr. Innocent.

While this is an all-ages venue, “There could be some inappropriate moments, so parents use discretion,” Harper said. Reserve your seat at reservations@ballardjamhouse.com or call (206) 789-1621.

Suggested donation is $20 - 25.

Some more details about Egan’s if you’re planning on attending tonight:

• Reservations are taken for specific shows. Our main room seats 46 people, plus another 12 on the side deck, weather permitting. Customers in these seats are charged the band’s cover charge on entry. We usually reserve approximately 40 seats in the room prior to the show, with the remaining seats available on a “first come, first served” basis at show time. We attempt to seat walk-in parties together whenever possible.
• Reserved seats are held until the show starts, unless we are notified of a delay.
• In addition to seating in the room and on the deck, during nice weather we also have sidewalk seating available for full service without a cover charge.

Now that the floats have been moved to the Fremont Arts Council’s Power House and after Saturday’s clean-up and re-organization, the countdown to the Solstice Parade is on.

Those who want to help build an experience that has become not only a Fremont highlight, but a high point for the city, can attend parade planning meetings, which will occur tonight and every Thursday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. leading up to Solstice on June 19.

On the agenda tonight:

7 p.m. Parade Stages. Each year we have stages set up along the parade route where ensembles are announced to the crowds. Please attend this hour of the meting if you are interested discussing what this looks like, how we can make ‘em better, and how to avoid the pitfalls of gaps.

8 p.m. Gasworks Park. Come and meet Stephanie Bishop, our Gasworks coordinator and share your ideas for our celebration in the park. Interested in hosting the hospitality booth? How about taking a shift at the FAC booth? or better yet, How about installing some crazy outdoor spectacle art?!

Next week, the discussion will focus on photographer passes policy at 7 p.m. and Art Studio functionality (Mom/Pop training; improvements; repairs; workshops) at 8.

If you have any questions, e-mail lesliez@fremontartscouncil.org.

The Fremont Arts Council is getting ready for the 2010 Solstice Parade.

Over the weekend, volunteers packed up the floats from their storage space under the Ballard Bridge and took them to get ready for the annual parade and celebration. This year’s 2010 Solstice Parade will be held on June 19th, the Saturday before the summer solstice (which falls on June 21 at 4:28 a.m.)

Never been to the Solstice Parade? Here’s coverage of last year’s parade.

Here’s another stop you can make if you’re partaking in tonight’s Fremont First Friday Art Walk: Create a “Dream Banner” under the Lenin statue’s shadow, taking free lessons from an artist.

From Solstice Parade Coordinator Mylinda Sneed:

Join others in creating this community art project; an assemblage of hand painted banners decorating the street for Solstice Parade! Artist Sonia Telesco will be there teaching & creating from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

There is no charge for this fantastic lesson in celebration arts (but you can always buy the parched artist an adult beverage). All ages welcome to participate (kid friendly with adult assist).

Sneed said Telesco can use a couple of volunteers to help set up at 4 p.m., to help make banners from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and to help her pack up from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The big float move from Ballard is also happening Saturday, but to get the place ready for building the street-level spectacle, the Power House space needs to be cleaned out to make room for all the activity.

Close-up photographs of some of the colorful people in the parade:

Click through below for many more…

The crowd felt much bigger than last year, and the best photographic evidence is when 36th turns into Fremont Ave. Look at the depth of the crowd:

And that’s just one small section of the parade route.

The best view might have been at the top of Lenin.

Or from the top of the apartments.

A few protesters spoke their minds about the Middle East.

Kids were everywhere, enjoying the colorful action in the street.

And as always, The George & Dragon was a popular spot.

As promised, more photos from the Solstice Parade, starting with the most popular attraction: the hundreds of naked, painted bikers.

For more, click through below. Warning: there will be nakedness…

Fremont’s biggest bash of the year kicked off at noon with the annual audacious display of painted bodies on bikes.

The Solstice Parade began with 300 to 400 mostly naked bicyclists (an unofficial record) riding proudly down 36th. They also took a quick swing through Ballard, to get things rolling.

They’re “officially” not part of the parade, which is conducted by the Fremont Arts Council, but a popular tradition, to say the least.

This year’s theme is “Phoenix Rising,” so to the tune of Richard Strauss’ opening score in the movie 2001 A Space Odyssey, an orange firebird slowly evolved from the center of the float.

Thousands of people packed the neighborhood, clamoring for every square foot of land along the parade route, even climbing up Lenin. There were so many people, our iPhone couldn’t connect to cell service. And as you can see from our Fremont Twitter page, people were sending Tweets like crazy.

The Superhuggers spread the love to the crowd, one hug at a time.

Liquid Belly Dancers flow down the parade route.

In Fremont style, many of the art ensembles in the parade have a message to send. Here, the Ice Queens remind the crowd that ice reserves are melting fast.

And the “Bag Monster Brigade” illustrated how plastic bags and bottles are “an ocean of a problem” for the environment.

We’ll be posting more parade photos here soon (yes, the bikers, too), as well as coverage from the rest of the Fremont Fair.

A few people are at the Fremont Arts Council this afternoon.

Debbie just finished up her bird hat and wanted to show off her lacy, sparkly wings that she’ll be wearing in Saturday’s Solstice Parade. We’re told that things will really start picking up later this evening when more people come in to add the finishing touches to the floats and costumes. Later tonight, around 10 p.m., the floats will be moved to the start of the parade route at NW 36th & 3rd NW.