Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 7, Issue 5, May 2003
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Street fair to offer welcome respite from jackhammers
By MATTHEW PREUSCH
May brings the 34th anniversary of the University District Street Fair, which organizers hope will bring some much needed levity to a neighborhood grown weary of jackhammers and streets of mud.
On Saturday, May 17, and Sunday, May 18, the hardhats will be replaced with party hats, as hundreds of vendors, performers and revelers cram University Way NE or at least the paved portion.
The Ave, as the district's main thoroughfare is also known, has been undergoing massive reconstruction, a project begun by the City last year to add much-needed improvements, including repaving of the street, wider sidewalks, landscaping and new street lights. The project started on the southern portion of University Way, at NE Campus Parkway, and has been working its way north. It is now in the final stretch, the three blocks from NE 47th to NE 50th streets, but will not be completed in time for the fair.
The University District Street Fair was one of the cåity's first when it debuted in 1969. Its original purpose was to be a venue for exchanging goods and ideas outside of the norm, said Teresa Lord Hugel, executive director of the Greater University Chamber of Commerce, which produces the annual event today.
Over the years, the fair has evolved from a counterculture festival to a community-wide celebration, she said.
"'Come back to The Ave' that's our motto, that's our message," said Hugel.
This year's fair will have some format changes.
Due to the ongoing construction, the fair will stretch from University Parkway to NE 47th Street, three blocks short of its usual span.
Food and vendor booths will now be on either side of University Way, allowing crowds to move up the middle of The Ave as well as on the sidewalks.
The 300 or so booths will include the usual craft offerings from local artisans, and 37 food vendors will be hawking everything from piroshky to cheese steaks. Face painting, rock climbing and inflatable rides are among the planned attractions.
A beer garden is not.
"We have a lot of problems already on The Ave. We don't want to bring in a beer garden," said Hugel.
The fair will have two entertainment stages featuring a total of 25 bands that represent a "large variety of music," according to chamber coordinator Marney Ayers.
Admission to the event, as always, is free.
The fair usually attracts more than 30,000 people, and dozens of volunteers contribute to its success. The chamber is doing more publicity than usual this year and is hoping for record crowds, Ayers said.
"It's going to be a great year. We have a new street, and there's far more expectation in the area," she said.
For more information, call 547-4417, or visit www.udistrictstreetfair.org.