Fremont Solstice Festival: Where Naked People Ride Bicycles at Seattle's Free Spirit Salute to The Sun

All are welcome!

Who doesn't want to see naked people, incredibly painted, riding bicycles down a public street? I mean really, even the most prudish person has got to be thinking, "But isn't that uncomfortable, where do all their bits go?!" and you want to know how you find out, by going to the Fremont Solstice Festival.

This three day festival running June 17-19 has something for everyone. There is music, tons of local craft vendors for shopping unique items, a parade for the naked bike riders, dogs (separate parade, dogs are always naked so that wouldn't be as entertaining), and food galore (seriously, SO MUCH FOOD).

The Naked Bike Parade is actually called the Solstice Parade since it does include incredibly constructed floats, groups of dancers, talented musicians, many costumes and other fun things, but we decided to rename it Naked Bike Parade, because let's be honest, the naked bike riders is why 99.9% of people are attending the parade. The body paint on some of these people is insane! There are entire galaxies painted on groups of people, Seahawks team uniforms, mermaids, and more. The creativity is endless, and you honestly forget about the bodies and just admire the talent it took to create some of them.

Of course some people half-ass the paint jobs, we are looking at you Dalmatian/Cow/? and then there are some people who just like to be naked and don't put any paint on (#FreeTheNipple, amiright?!?).

The bike riders kick off the parade (at 3pm on Saturday, June 18!) and then the floats come after, which are usually very liberal (did we mention Trump supporters aren't allowed at this festival?) and creative. After the parade go hit the beer garden and see some shows on one of the music stages. We also recommend coming hungry. Serious eaters will plan their time in order to be there over two meal times to maximize the potential for eating. 

20 Things to Do Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day signals the beginning of summer (well not the REAL beginning, that is Kristina's birthday on June 21, don't forget to send donuts), but it is the symbolic beginning, okay? How you spend this weekend will set the stage for how your entire summer will go.

Get inspired. Bryan Adams should want to write a song about the Summer of 16. In order to help out we put together a little list of 20 things you can do over the weekend to make sure you kick off Summer 2016 the right way.

Let's do this. 

Boat views are the best views.

Get out on the water.

• Rent an electric boat, grab some beers and a group of friends and spend the afternoon navigating Lake Union and Lake Washington. 
• Get a workout in and enjoy the water by kayaking or paddleboarding Greenlake or Lake Union
• Insider Tip: Rent a sauna and float around Lake Union! An architectural design company, goCstudio created a floating, motorized sauna that fits six people and you can rent it for 1-2 hours for $150. See photos here and email info@gocstudio.com to book it! 

Experience the great outdoors and hike.

• Lake TwentyTwo is a great, moderate hike to see a beautiful part of the PNW. It is full of interesting vegetation, waterfalls, and the lake at the top is stunning. Something for everyone!
• Poo Poo Point is a great, easy hike that won't take you too long. Plus, the top of the mountain is a big open field, perfect for a picnic and you can watch (or take our recommendation and actually take the jump!!) the Paragliding that takes off from this point. 
• Wallace Falls is for all of you hikers who love the awesome water feature! There are also a few different options for how to complete this hike. We recommend making a loop from Wallace Falls to Lake Wallace.

Insider tip: At the half-mile marker, you will encounter a split in the trail. The path on the right, distinguished by a wooden gate, leads to the Woody Trail, which will take you to Wallace Falls. The left fork diverts to the old Railroad Grade that leads north to Lake Wallace. If you head to Wallace Lake look for the smiley face carved into a fallen down tree.

The tree face at Wallace Falls.

• Mailbox Peak is for people who like a challenge with a reward at the end. You will want to turn around or possibly lay down and just die. But once you reach that summit you will forget all the pain and just stare at all the beauty before you (hey, that's kind of like they describe childbirth)! Then you get to sign the bad-ass guest book in the mailbox! 

Insider tip: The mailbox is filled with small tokens and items. If you want to take something from the mailbox make sure you bring something to leave in exchange!

See a show.

• Teatro Zinzanni is this amazing dinner theater by Seattle Center that for a price (which is worth it!) you can see an amazing show served with a delicious Italian meal. Right now they are showing Be Italian, which we haven't seen, but looks like a winner!
• The Naked Magic Show at the Moore Theater. We don't think we need to explain why you should want to go to this one. 
• Ballard Locks has a summer concert series! Head over for the start at 2PM and enjoy a beautiful area of Seattle while listening to some classic music.

Spend some time at a festival.

• Northwest Folklife Festival at Seattle Center is an amazing, vibrant event held at Seattle Center. Come jam to fantastic indie bands, take in beautiful artwork, and SO MUCH MORE! It's awesome and if you live in Seattle you have to love learning about new things. Go fulfill your destiny! 

Memorial Day and bikes go together like white on rice.

Day Trip.

• Start driving south and make your way to Mount Rainier National Park. It is a 14,000 + foot active volcano covered in wildflowers. This is basically the coolest place in the state. If you haven't been, go for the day and if you have been, well.. still go for the day! 
• Memorial Day is the perfect weekend to take a trip with your friends to Woodinville Wine Country and drink your hearts out! No work Monday. Woo. Also, drink responsibly and make someone be DD. (Prep for the day with our post on How to Wine in Woodinville.)
• Leavenworth is just a little over two hours away and this little German town is always up for a good time! Hot ticket items: wine hikes at Icicle Ridge Winery, yoga retreats at the Sleeping Lady, and river rafting with Osprey Tours

Kid-Friendly Awesomeness.

• Seattle Aquarium Family Science Weekend is supposed to be geared for families, but not going to lie, that line-up makes us want to go too. Meet the octopus and diver shows? Yes, please!
• Magnuson Memorial Day Run is set up so the whole family can enjoy! Mom and Dad can run the 5K and the kiddos can participate in the 400 meter kids run! Plus Magnuson is a beautiful park to spend time at after the run as well. Pack and picnic and make a day of it!

Photo of art classes from Brooke Westlund's website.

Learn something new. 

• Hipcooks (don't let the awful website turn you off) offers the best cooking classes! You can't go wrong with any of the options and you get a great experience for the cost. Also, Bonny is the best! 
• Take a painting class at Brooke Westlund's gallery at Pike Place Market! Not going to lie, a lot of those paint and wine night classes seem to produce sub-par art no one would ever actually want to display. Not the case here- her classes help you produce classy, beautiful art! 

Get some R & R.

• Banya 5 will quite literally evaporate the stress off of you. Go alone, leave your phone at home, and leave feeling lighter than a feather! 
• Go for a float! Float Seattle is the best spot for sensory deprivation, a way to relieve stress and pain! Plus, first timers get a discount! 

Pretty in Pink: The Continued Rise of Rosé in the Northwest

Picture by Amy L. Dickson: Beckham Estate Vineyards 2014 Oregon rosé made from pinot noir; $12/glass at Heartwood Provisions.

Earlier this week I wandered into Heartwood Provisions in downtown Seattle and was handed a short happy hour menu at the bar. A quick scan left me defeated: “What? No rosé on the glass pour menu?” The bartender laughed and said, “Actually, we have two!”

My kind of place.

The sun has returned full force to the Pacific Northwest and with it, rosé season. If we were in Europe right now, positively everyone would be sipping cool glasses of blushy wine. And while the Northwest may be well known for peppery syrah, hearty cabs, and inky malbecs, we can use those gorgeous grapes to make rosé.

Once maligned and misunderstood, (a colleague of mine went so far as to say he would never understand why people like to mix red and white wine together?!?!?), rosé is going through a renaissance in North America. No longer confused with the sweet, cloying horror that is white zinfandel, rosé is a sophisticated drink. A pleasurable drink. Here are a few solid reasons why it’s easy to drink pink these days:

1. Rosé wines, whether imported from Europe or home grown in the PNW, are fairly affordable. Sometimes very affordable. The French import I’ve been scooping up weekly at Fred Meyer comes in at $8.99 and is lovely on its own or as a base for an orange and pomegranate sangria.

2.    The balanced acidity means that rosé plays nicely with so many foods, especially ones you want to eat on a warm summer day: salami, salmon, olives, grilled vegetables, prosciutto, and melon…the list goes on and is ideal for a picnic.

3.    When you buy a bottle of rosé, you have a fairly good idea of what it will taste like. They range from fruity to savory, but flavors like melon, strawberry, and sometimes a little bit of pepper can all be in there.

4.    There’s no need to keep these pretty bottles in the cellar — they don’t really get better with age, so enjoy immediately.

5.    Rosé can be made in any wine-growing region of the world, so the supply is definitely there, even though most rosé wines still come from France.

Not sure about rosé? Maybe you’d like to try a few first? You’re not alone and that’s why Seattle Uncorked’s 14th Annual Rosé Revival event sells out nearly every year. Held at Ray’s Boathouse on the evening of May 26, 2016, you can take in the sunset as you sample wines from more than 30 northwest and international wineries debuting their summer favorites. 

Find something you like? There’s a wine store on site for you to buy. General admission tickets are only $35 and VIP access is $50. All proceeds from the event support Save Our Wild Salmon.

I’ve attended in years past and have always come away with new or interesting bottles. I’d say they are down in my cellar, but I’d be lying — it’s time for me to go stock up for summer as well.

See you there and Salud!

Past Rosé Revival photo by Nityia Design

Past Rosé Revival photo by Nityia Design

Past Rosé Revival photo by Nityia Design

Amy L. Dickson is a communications professional, freelance writer, and contributor to Rain or Shine Guides. She’s currently training at the NW Wine Academy for her Level 1 sommelier certification. Follow her at @amyldickson75.

Recap: Arcade Lights

Every attendee gets a souvenir glass to take home.

Any opportunity we have to eat food in excess and drink a variety of alcohol is an opportunity we don't miss. Enter Arcade Lights.

Every year Pike Place Market hosts this amazing event in the main arcade to raise money for the Pike Place Market Foundation. The Pike Place Market Foundation is a non-profit located in the market that supports a number of different initiatives like the Market Food Bank, the senior living located in the market, and the preschool. It is a great organization, so it made the $60 ticket price for the event much easier to stomach. 

After the market closes for the day tons of vendors come out to serve guests sweet and savory food as well as alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages (34 food vendors and 30 drink vendors to be exact).

We fasted all day Friday to make sure our stomachs were fully prepared for the amount of calories we were going to consume (by fasted I mean ate slightly smaller meals, we can't not eat all day, are you crazy?!). When we arrived it was already packed and the lines were long for each stall, but with some serious dedication (for the research!) we visited every stall and tried something from everyone (it was tough, good thing we fasted).

Our favorites: The Malbec wine from Wildridge Winery, the meatballs from Some Like It Hot, and the BBQ Salmon from Etta's.

Our advice for future attendees: Invest in the early entry ticket or the VIP ticket. The only negative from our night was the shoulder to shoulder crowds. If you pay a little extra you can get in early and snag the goodies sans lines.

Etta's BBQ'd salmon with mushrooms.

Mini cupcakes from Cupcake Royale (Salted Caramel FTW!)

Orange white wine spritzer from Storyville.

Serious prepping.

Lots of long lines.

Grilling in the street has never tasted so good.