Kids & Family

Kirkland Fireworks and Fourth of July Festivities Ready for Launch

The fireworks should be better this year and residents partaking of the parade and other events are being asked to bring food donations for Hopelink.

 

The oh’s and ah’s will be a little louder and the booms and bright lights in the sky a little bigger during Kirkland’s annual Fourth of July celebration on Wednesday.

Although early on the volunteer group that stages the city’s Fourth festivities, Celebrate Kirkland, couldn’t seem to light a fire for donations, in the end community came through.

Several corporate sponsors delivered -- the Lee Johnson Auto Family and other local dealers, Fairfax Hospital, Waste Management, Overlake Oil -- and the Kirkland City Council .

“The fireworks are going to be a bit better than usual,” says Penny Sweet, Celebrate Kirkland chair and City Council Member -- who recused herself from the vote on the special allocation. “We were able to max out our budget, so we spent a little more on the fireworks show.”

All the activities are centered at on the downtown waterfront, and the city expects up to 10,000 people to take part, from the Children’s Decorating event at 10 a.m. to the parade at noon to the fireworks at 10:15 p.m.

“The Marina Park experience is phenomenal,” says Sweet. “It will be fun.”

The major difference in this year’s festivities is that the Kirkland Rotary Club’s Duck Dash will not take place. It has been scheduled this year for Kirklands’ first SummerFest on Aug. 10.

However, a new twist to the Fourth fest is that participants are being asked to bring and donate non-perishable foodstuffs to help stocks Hopelink’s food banks. Collection bins will be placed at Marina Park and .

This effort stems from some minor debate by the City Council when the special allocation was requested. Two council members, Dave Asher and Toby Nixon, opposed the move, saying that while they fully supported the festivities, all city allocation should go through the normal budget process. Asher mentioned other pressing and unmet local human services needs. Council Member Bob Sternoff then suggested the food drive to address those concerns.

So participants are being asked to bring canned food, dry beans, rice, pasta, peanut butter, etc.

Meantime, the city is r except by special permit. And that certain streets will be closed (see below) and traffic disrupted much of the day Wednesday.

Here is a schedule of events:

7:00 AM
Parade Route and Staging Route cleared.
Cars and vehicles will be towed

9:30 AM
Parade Route Closes and Detours in Place

10:00 AM
Children's Decorating Event at Marina Park Pavilion; tattoos, flags, and fun for the family.

11:30 AM
Children's walking parade begins at Market and Central.

12:00 PM
Old Fashioned Downtown parade starts at Market and Central.

1:00 PM - 10:30 PM
Join all your friends and neighbors at Marina Park, food and sponsor vendors in the park or bring your own picnic basket.

5:00 PM
Music in the Park.

10:15 PM
Fireworks Display off of Marina Park with viewing from most downtown waterfront parks.

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The following roads will be closed and detours in place from 9:30 a.m. until the parade ends at approximately 1:30 p.m.:

Road Closures

  • 6th, 5th, and 4th Avenues from 1st Street to Market Street
  • 5th Avenue W from Waverly Way to Market Street
  • Waverly Way from 4th Street W to Market Street
  • 2nd & 3rd Street W from 5th Ave W to Waverly Way
  • Market Street from 7th Avenue to Central Way
  • Lake Avenue W
  • 1st Street from 3rd Avenue to Central Way
  • 2nd Place from 3rd Avenue to Central Way
  • Central Way from Market Street to Main Street
  • Park Lane from Lake Street to Main Street
  • Kirkland Avenue from Lake Street to Main Street
  • Main Street from Central Way to Kirkland Avenue
  • Lake Street from Central Way to Kirkland Avenue


Alternate Routes/Detours
Heading North

Find out what's happening in Kirklandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  •   From Central Way: Head north on 3rd Street, west on 7th Avenue, north on Market Street

  •   From Lake Street S: Head east on 2nd Avenue S, north on State Street S, continue north on 3rd Street, west on 7th Avenue, north on Market Street

Heading South

Find out what's happening in Kirklandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • From Central Way/NE 85th Street: Head south on 6th Street, west on Kirkland Way, continue west on Kirkland Avenue, south on State Street S, west on 2nd Avenue S, south on Lake Street S.
  • From Market Street: Head east on 7th Avenue, south on 6th Street, west on Kirkland Way, continue west on Kirkland Avenue, south on State Street S, west on 2nd Avenue S, south on Lake Street S.


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