Grand Opening Celebration Seattle’s New 20-Acre Waterfront Park
By Friends of Waterfront Park
NAP Contributor
This summer Friends of Waterfront Park (Friends) and the City of Seattle invite the public to a defining civic moment: the official Grand Opening Celebration of Seattle’s 20-acre Waterfront Park on Saturday, September 6; 11 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
The reimagined Seattle waterfront was transformed by the City’s Office of the Waterfront, Civic Projects and Sound Transit from a highway into the boldest public space investment since the 1962 World’s Fair. It culminates in a full day of free programming featuring over 100 artists and cultural organizations. More than 60 performances, ten unique activation zones, and seven main stages will stretch from Overlook Walk to Railroad Way and Stadium Plaza in Pioneer Square.
Seattle’s 20-acre Waterfront Park officially opens on September 6 with a full day of celebrations. Photo credit: Erik Holsather courtesy Friends of Waterfront Park
“This Grand Opening Celebration is both a milestone and a beginning — a reflection of our shared vision for a waterfront that truly belongs to everyone,” says Joy Shigaki, President and CEO of Friends of Waterfront Park. “As stewards of this 20-acre civic space now and into the future, we’re honored to celebrate the Grand Opening with the community and look ahead to many meaningful civic and everyday life moments at Waterfront Park.”
The Grand Opening Celebration lineup is a culmination of years of relationship-building, cultural collaboration, and intentional programming piloted by Friends since 2020. Programming throughout the day highlights Seattle’s creative and cultural communities, with a focus on indigenous artists and organizations. Throughout the park, visitors will experience programming that spans genres, generations, and geographies — from contemporary dance and traditional storytelling to youth showcases and global music.
As the nonprofit steward responsible for managing, programming, and resourcing Waterfront Park, Friends of Waterfront Park brings a rich history of artist and community collaborations. Each performance and activation are rooted in the Cultural Master Plan It ensures that the park reflects the communities that shaped it and centers joy, belonging, and representation at every turn.
“What makes this celebration so powerful is that it’s the result of years of trust-building and collaboration,” says Yoon Kang-O’Higgins, Senior Director of Community Impact and Programs at Friends of Waterfront Park. “Many of the artists and community partners in this lineup have been co-creating with us since we first piloted programs on Pier 62 back in 2020. The Grand Opening reflects those deep relationships and the shared vision we’ve been building together for what public space can look like in Seattle,” says Shigaki.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: A DAY OF CULTURE, JOY, AND BELONGING
Pier 62: The Main Stage on the Water
- Reposado, La Fonda, Banda Vagos and The Black Tones bring high-energy Latin funk, rock, and soul.
- KEXP’s DeeJay Albina will be onsite throughout the day with sets. Live performances will also be recorded for Albina’s podcast broadcast live throughout the day.
- Columbia City Arts Show: live funk, fresh soul, powerhouse vocal, high-energy line dancing, featuring Black and Tan, Steppers Unite, Inc., Tish Productions, Zhanea June & Mach X, Royal Room, Royal Esquire, Columbia City Beatwalk, and Funk E Fusion.
- Jellyfish Lantern Procession (6:00 PM): A glowing parade led by Caribbean SeaFest and Brasil in Motion.
Pier 58: A Family-Friendly Hub
- Urban Artworks jellyfish lantern-building (join the evening procession!)
- Seattle Public Library storytelling, mermaids, and drag queen readings.
- K-Fest: High-energy K-Pop, cultural performances, and rhythms featuring Morning Star Korean Cultural Center.
- Massive Monkees: Legendary Seattle breakdancers.
- Zulu Radio 20th Anniversary Showcase featuring DJ WD4D, Beatbox Panda, DJ Sean Malik w/ith Soulshifters/Circle of Fire, Silver Shadow D, DJ Zeta Barber, Abyssinian Creole, Shakiah, and Rell Be Free with DJ WD4D, Abyssinian Creole, and more, including face painting with Hoopla.
- Cultural dances with Melody Institute, Baliadores de Bronce, Joyas Mestizas, and Danza Monarcas.
Salish Steps & Overlook Walk
- LANGSTON Showcase: Afreesha, Zaina the Phenom, and Da Qween of Everything.
- Seattle Kokon Taiko and King Khazm.
- Double Dutch Divas, M.E.N.A.’s Dabke Dance and Hustle & Soul Dance workshops.
- Shelf-Life Story Project: Add your voice to the park’s collective story.
Park Promenade: Art in Motion
- Brandi Douglas (Puyallup Tribe) and Raven Juarez (Blackfeet) installations.
- Made Space Seattle / Central District Art Walk celebrating Black Artists from the Central District Art Walk.
- ParisAlexa, Northwest Tap Connection, ADEFUA, D’Vonne Lewis band, Rhapsody Project, Union Cultural Center, Mak Fai Lion Dance and Rohena Alam Khan.
- Sam Sneke (Vivid Matter Collective) live graffiti.
- Portraits in Motion dance showcase featuring Nia-Amina Minor and Marco Farron curated by David Rue.
Railroad Way South: Movement & Wellness
- Glow Stick Zumba with Meli Bliss, puppy yoga with Resilient Hearts, and Mariners and the Kraken activations.
- “We Are Water” art installation by Raven Juarez.
- Festival Sundiata presents Waterfront Strut Procession Move through the Waterfront with Analog Brass Band, Buffalo Soldiers, Daughters of Royalty, and The Electronettes.
- Pioneer Square Habitat Beach.
- Unkitawa Showcase: Songs and stories led by Indigenous artists.
- David B. Williams pop-up talks on shoreline history and ecology.
Access & Amenities
The event is free and open to all. Accessibility resources will be offered at the event. Wayfinding signage and ADA-compliant routes.
- Accessibility Welcome Tour hosted by Friends’ Accessibility Advisory Committee.
- Restrooms, seating, water stations, and shaded areas throughout the park.
- Food trucks and beer gardens near Pier 62, Union Street, and Railroad Way S.
“Friends of Waterfront Park was established with a clear purpose: to be welcoming stewards of the 20-acre park and bring this new civic space to life,” says Angela Brady, Director for the Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects. “From Pier 62 to the Park Promenade to the recently opened Pier 58, their exciting work to activate these newly built spaces will transform years of design and construction into real experiences, turning the vision of thousands into community connections, new memories and inspiring our community to visit a transformed waterfront. I am confident that Friends will continue to make Waterfront Park a place that’s truly accessible, inclusive, and vibrant year-round. We couldn’t be more thrilled to celebrate what promises to be an unforgettable Waterfront Park Grand Opening Celebration on September 6!”
Waterfront Park is a transformative civic space in Seattle, representing nearly two decades of community vision and innovation. Situated along the city’s iconic waterfront, the park reimagines the area once occupied by the old viaduct, offering 20 acres of green space that reconnects people with the water, mountains, and each other. Completed in 2025, Waterfront Park extends from Belltown to Pioneer Square, serving as a dynamic cultural anchor for downtown Seattle. Managed by Friends of Waterfront Park, in partnership with the City of Seattle and the Seattle Center, the park will provide free public programming co-curated with the community. Friends of Waterfront Park is committed to creating an equitable and inclusive space, with a focus on disrupting patterns of exclusion and fostering a welcoming environment for everyone.
Started in 2012, Friends of Waterfront Park is a 501c3 non-profit responsible for managing, programming, resourcing, stewarding, and creating a dynamic park experience at Waterfront Park alongside our community — today and into the future. Friends is leading a $170 million fundraising campaign for park construction and to support public safety, advocacy, operations, and free public programming for the last decade of its work through the Grand Opening year. The campaign is 97% to the goal and we welcome the entire community to be part of this historic effort that will wrap on September 30, 2025. Visit waterfrontparkseattle.org for more information on Friends of Waterfront Park and upcoming public events and programs at Waterfront Park. For press inquiries contact Shiva Shafii: shiva@waterfrontparkseattle.org.
CITY OF SEATTLE’S OFFICE OF THE WATERFRONT AND CIVIC PROJECTS
The City of Seattle’s Office of the Waterfront and Civic Projects has rebuilt Seattle’s central waterfront, a once-in-a-generation transformation that has reshaped our public space and strengthened our city’s identity. Twenty acres of new parks and public spaces reconnect downtown to the waterfront and create a more accessible, green and active waterfront with a variety of spaces for people to recreate, relax, and learn about the important history of the area. This multi-year investment and effort fully opened to the public in Summer 2025. For more information visit https://www.seattle.gov/waterfront.
SEATTLE CENTER
Seattle Center is an active civic, arts, and family gathering place in the heart of Seattle. Its 74-acre campus, home to Climate Pledge Arena and over 30 cultural, educational, and entertainment organizations, offers a broad range of public and community programs. Seattle Center’s mission is to create exceptional events, experiences, and environments that delight and inspire the human spirit to build stronger communities. Seattle Center has expanded its role to provide maintenance and public safety services for Seattle’s new Waterfront Park, a series of new public spaces on Seattle’s downtown waterfront between Pioneer Square and the Seattle Aquarium. Seattle Center supports managing these new waterfront public spaces in partnership with the non-profit Friends of Waterfront Park, which offers the community a range of recreational and cultural programming.
