Seattle's famous naked bike parade rides again
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Rolling into summer. Photo: Genna Martin/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
Seattle is about to bare itself to the world.
The big picture: World Cup visitors (and us locals) looking for a hilariously authentic experience this weekend can count a slew of naked cyclists pedaling through Fremont as one uniquely Seattle option.
Driving the news: The Fremont Solstice Parade returns Saturday, led by the famed Solstice Cyclists — wearing little more than elaborate body paint — and followed by giant puppets, handmade floats, dancers, stilt walkers and more.
- The celebration coincides with the two-day Fremont Fair, which brings live music, food vendors, a sprawling craft market and other festivities to the neighborhood throughout the weekend.
If you go: Go early to get a good spot! The parade steps off at 1pm, and the cyclists are expected to roll through starting around noon.
Zoom in: For many riders, the day begins hours before anyone pedals through Fremont.
- Solstice Cyclists gather across the city at painting parties, where bodies and bicycles are transformed into colorful works of art before heading to the parade route.
- Organizers advise riders to wear sunscreen beneath the paint, bring water and snacks, wear a helmet and prepare to have their photo taken "a million times."
Flashback: The Fremont Solstice Parade debuted in 1989 as an arts-focused celebration of the summer solstice.
- A few years later, a handful of nude cyclists unofficially joined the festivities.
- Not everyone was amused. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, city officials warned riders that they could face arrest for indecent exposure.
- The eventual compromise: body paint — with the idea being that painted cyclists became art.
Between the lines: In a city transformed by decades of growth, the parade remains a throwback to Seattle's proudly quirky artistic roots.
- The event bans corporate sponsorships, logos and advertising, keeping the focus on community art, creativity and participation.
The bottom line: For first-time visitors, hundreds of painted cyclists rolling through Fremont might seem a little unusual.
- For Seattleites, it's one of the surest signs of summer.
Go deeper: How Fremont's naked cyclists became a summer staple