Why aren’t those bikers wearing clothes and other fun stuff…

Well, it’s official. After 3 years of living in Seattle and hearing of this “must see” festival, I FINALLY was able to attend the Fremont Solstice Fair and Parade. After all, Gus and I only live an easy, 10-minute walk away! For those of you who are unaware of Fremont’s reputation, you should know it is the self-proclaimed “Center of the Universe.” It is also know as Seattle’s hippie neighborhood containing many fun shops, bars, cafes, and free-thinking peoples.

The overarching purpose of the Solstice festival is to celebrate the first day of summer (Seattle people definitely covet sunshine). However, it does have it’s many wonderful quirks… most notably is the Naked Bike Race which kicks off the parade each year. Before you think this tradition is perverse or degrading, just give me a second to explain! You see, most everyone that participates is completely painted from head to toe. You wouldn’t even know that some of them were not wearing any clothing if you weren’t already privy to the info! Some of my favorites are below. Of course, there are the occasional rebels who decide to forego paint and clothing, but they are rare.

The rest of the parade is full of the normal floats, bands, and entertainment. Although it does have 3 rules: 1)No animals in the parade; 2)No motorized vehicles; and 3)No printed words. It was so fun and unique! All of the floats were pushed via man power, and there were no advertisements to be seen. The focus was solely on the artists and enjoying the parade.

The other great part of this celebration is the good food and craft vendors lined up along the streets. Gus, Srini (our friend), and I wandered aimlessly looking at fun art, crafts, eating fair food, and listening to music. We even stumbled upon a booth for a local nudist colony (yes they were also sans clothing), but we quickly passed by, diverting our gazes. Other than the fantastic sunburn I took home, the day was very enjoyable and well-spent.

This week is a short week for us. We are heading up to Lake Tapps to spend a long weekend at Gus' company's employee campground cabins with many of our friends. We did this last year, and it was a blast. BBQing, swimming, playing volleyball, sunbathing, enjoying everyone's company. I'll post an update next week with the pics.

Here are some pics of the Solstice Parade (before my battery died, sad):