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Find the best spot for Fourth of July fireworks near you
By Sarah Anne Lloyd@sarahannelloyd Updated 8 comments / new
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By Sarah Anne Lloyd@sarahannelloyd Updated 8 comments / new
Dmitry Kovba/Shutterstock
Dmitry Kovba/Shutterstock
It's that special time of year again when you try to figure out if you know anyone who knows someone who lives on a Lake Union floating home and find out if they're having a party.
That's right, it's time for Fourth of July fireworks.
The Fourth will be here before you know it, so take some time now to figure out your game plan. There are lots of places in Seattle to get a solid view of some fireworks.
Seafair Summer Fourth, a.k.a. the one everyone views from Gas Works Park, is back for 2019, with fireworks starting at 10:15 p.m.
This year, the official event is a full-on festival, with performances, vendors, and exhibits starting at noon. When the fireworks start, people can enjoy from paid-in-advance reserved seating and a beer garden from both Gas Works and, for another option, Lake Union Park.
If elbowing through the crowd at Gas Works doesn’t appeal to you, we have some alternate viewing points from most ends of the lake. Pro tip for sifting through your friends list in your head, though: If you know anyone with a roof deck on Westlake, Dexter, or Eastlake—or uphill from Northlake in Wallingford—it might be time to call in a favor.
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This map point isn’t super exact, but any point along the trail in this general vicinity will give you a decent view—and around this area, there are even a few benches. If you’re not riding or running, though, make sure to leave a path for those who are.
The public walkways on the Aurora Bridge overlook Gas Works Park and make a great vantage point.
The official venue for the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Seafair Summer 4th, Gas Works Park now has reserved seating available for purchase, if that’s your thing. If you’re not paying, show up early, because it gets crowded. But the show is pretty much designed to look awesome from here, and it has a beer garden.
Alternatively, travel back north to Wallingford up to about 40th. The streets are usually shut down and full of people enjoying the hillside view.
Capitol Hill dwellers gather around the bluff at the northwest corner of the hill to watch the fireworks every year. It’s right by the corner of Bellevue, Bellevue, and Bellevue (seriously).
Lake Union Park, in South Lake Union next to MOHAI, isn’t quite as known for its fireworks views as Gas Works. But it’s also an official Seafair venue for firework-viewing, plus it’s smaller, so it may also get crowded. But again: great view, and there’s a beer garden that opens at 3 p.m.
If you’re in West Seattle, this viewpoint is the place to be for fireworks, whether they’re the New Years Eve Space Needle fireworks or the Lake Union 4th of July fireworks. Located on the northernmost tip of the peninsula, you can see right over Elliott Bay to Lake Union. A steep hillside above provides plenty of seating without blocking too many views.
You won’t be super close, so the fireworks will look pretty tiny, but you’ll have a good enough view to feel festive—and there’s no need to cross a bridge.
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This map point isn’t super exact, but any point along the trail in this general vicinity will give you a decent view—and around this area, there are even a few benches. If you’re not riding or running, though, make sure to leave a path for those who are.
The public walkways on the Aurora Bridge overlook Gas Works Park and make a great vantage point.
The official venue for the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Seafair Summer 4th, Gas Works Park now has reserved seating available for purchase, if that’s your thing. If you’re not paying, show up early, because it gets crowded. But the show is pretty much designed to look awesome from here, and it has a beer garden.
Alternatively, travel back north to Wallingford up to about 40th. The streets are usually shut down and full of people enjoying the hillside view.
Capitol Hill dwellers gather around the bluff at the northwest corner of the hill to watch the fireworks every year. It’s right by the corner of Bellevue, Bellevue, and Bellevue (seriously).
Lake Union Park, in South Lake Union next to MOHAI, isn’t quite as known for its fireworks views as Gas Works. But it’s also an official Seafair venue for firework-viewing, plus it’s smaller, so it may also get crowded. But again: great view, and there’s a beer garden that opens at 3 p.m.
If you’re in West Seattle, this viewpoint is the place to be for fireworks, whether they’re the New Years Eve Space Needle fireworks or the Lake Union 4th of July fireworks. Located on the northernmost tip of the peninsula, you can see right over Elliott Bay to Lake Union. A steep hillside above provides plenty of seating without blocking too many views.
You won’t be super close, so the fireworks will look pretty tiny, but you’ll have a good enough view to feel festive—and there’s no need to cross a bridge.
