SLU Block Party Turns 20

For 20 years, the South Lake Union Block Party has brought the neighborhood together for live music, food, drinks, and a little summertime fun. On Friday, August 14, the neighborhood tradition returns with two stages of Pacific Northwest artists and plenty more happening between sets.

The free, all-ages celebration runs from 11am–10pm at Westlake Ave North and Denny Way, with music taking center stage throughout the day.

Seattle’s The AfterParty headlines the Main Stage from 8:30–9:45pm, bringing a high-energy mix of rock, pop and familiar crowd favorites to the SLU Discovery Center lawn.

Before that, Leather & Lace featuring Haley Johnsen takes the stage from 7–8pm with a tribute to Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac. Seattle group JAMN gets things moving from 5:30–6:30pm with its blend of pop, funk, soul, R&B, and jazz fusion, while Wasabi Samba kicks off the Main Stage lineup from 3–4pm with a dance-ready mix of Latin rock, soul, bossa nova, jazz, and funk.

This year also brings an expanded Community Stage, putting more emerging local artists in the spotlight. School of Rock opens the stage at 11am, followed by Laryssa Birdseye at 12:15pm, Zailee Haze at 1:45pm, Motel Dolores at 3pm, and Forty Feet Tall at 4pm.

More than music

There’s plenty happening away from the stages, too. New this year, free fitness classes from Pvolve, RocketBox Fitness and CorePower Yoga will get the day started with community workouts as the festival gets underway.

Also making its debut is the Bring Your Dog to Work Contest, a celebration of one of SLU’s most visible workplace traditions. Four-legged attendees can compete for prizes and bragging rights—and, presumably, earn plenty of attention along the way.

Hungry? The Block Party food lineup includes Sweet Fortune, Theo’s Gyros, Koto Jelly Coffee, Five Hooks Seafood, Now Make Me A Sandwich, Tacos el Yoyo, Kathmandu MoMoCha, BAM! Social Tonics, Vale Matcha, and Cosmic Ice Cream. A beer and cocktail garden will also be open during the festivities.

And the eating starts before Friday. Another new addition, Block Party Bites, runs August 11–14, with participating SLU restaurants, bars, and food trucks serving special small bites and drinks for under $10.

Round it all out with lawn games, a community fair, fitness activities and the Street Scramble adventure race, and there are plenty of reasons to stick around between sets.

Now in its 20th year, the South Lake Union Block Party has grown into the neighborhood’s largest and longest-running annual festival, bringing together the people who live, work, and play in SLU for one big summer celebration.

Admission is free and all ages are welcome. Find the complete entertainment lineup, schedule and event details at SLUBlockParty.com.