Revel in Seattle's artsy glory at the 33rd annual Fremont Solstice Parade, the celebration at the "Center of the Universe."

Why it matters: In a rapidly changing city, the Solstice Parade and adjacent events are a reminder of Fremont's — and Seattle's — proudly weird past, with naked cyclists, flamboyant homemade parade floats and the kind of summer cheer you can only have in a city so accustomed to soggy weather.

Driving the news: The parade steps off at 1pm Saturday, but get there early to get a good spot to watch.

• The parade route follows North 36th Street, hangs a right on Evanston and then another right onto 35th, where it hits the Fremont Fair's craft market (and a giant slide).

Participation in the parade is open to every artist and everyone can be an artist, per the Fremont Arts Council.

• Feel free to strip naked, get your paint on and join the Solstice Cyclists, interact with performers or join in a dance along the way.
• The parade does not allow corporate sponsors, printed words and logos or motorized vehicles (other than electric wheelchairs).
• Non-service-animal pets are also not allowed (but there is a dog parade on Sunday).

Pro tip: "Apply sunscreen and give it time to soak in before applying paints," Tom Fucoloro of Seattle Bike Blog writes to nude riders. "If you have skin that tans and burns and don't wear sunscreen, you'll have your painted design imprinted as tan lines for the rest of summer."

Flashback: Low rents and "benign neglect" made Fremont a mecca for artists in the 1960s, which launched a mini-renaissance over the next few decades, per HistoryLink.

Yes, but: There are quiet ways to celebrate the solstice weekend, too:

• Dance — clothed or otherwise — in your own space to music you like.
• Try a sun salutation, plant healing herbs, set out water for the birds or create a mandala from things you find.

Tell a friend

Same-sex marriages climbed across the U.S. leading up to and following the Supreme Court's 2015 decision legalizing them nationwide.

Zoom in: In 2022, there were 42,000 same-sex couple households in Washington state and 57% of them were married, according to a new Census Bureau report.

Zoom out: Nationally, there were about 1.3 million same-sex couple households as of 2022, per the latest American Community Survey (ACS) data, compared to about 565,000 in 2008.

• There were about 741,000 married same-sex couple households as of 2022, up from about 150,000 in 2008.
• About 41% of current same-sex couples got married between 2015 and 2019, the Census Bureau report found.

By the numbers: Delaware (81.4%), New Hampshire (72.3%) and Wyoming (70.7%) have the highest share of same-sex couple households who are married.

• Washington, D.C. (48.2%), Alaska (48.1%) and Tennessee (47.9%) have the lowest.

Caveat: The Census Bureau has struggled to accurately count same-sex marriages.

• The ACS in 2019 began asking about same-sex spouses and unmarried partners in American households and the Census Bureau is now experimenting with new questions about sexual orientation and gender identity.

Reality check: While Obergefell v. Hodges protected the right to marry at the federal level, lawmakers in many states are still seeking to curtail LGBTQ+ Americans' rights.

• The Supreme Court, meanwhile, ruled last year that businesses can refuse service to same-sex couples on religious objection grounds.

Yes, but: Anti-LGBTQ+ legislative efforts appear to be stalling nationwide.

Go deeper

🦠 Summer COVID is here, with infection rates in King County on the rise since early June and infections in the state trending slightly higher than the nation. (KUOW)

⚖️ A jury is expected to begin deliberations today in the trial of Auburn police officer Jeffrey Nelson, who is charged with second-degree murder in the 2019 shooting of Jesse Sarey. (AP)

📵 Two Seattle middle schools, Hamilton International and Robert Eagle Staff, will join a growing list of schools across the country creating cellphone-free zones. (Seattle Times)

⚖️ The Supreme Court yesterday upheld a tax on foreign income in response to a challenge brought by a Washington couple and backed by business and anti-regulatory interests.

• Charles and Kathleen Moore of Redmond challenged a $15,000 tax bill based on an investment in an Indian company. (AP)

⚽️ Nearly 350 soccer teams across six age groups will converge at 60 Acres Park in Redmond Saturday through next week during the ECNL Girls playoffs.

• 40 teams will advance to Richmond to play in the finals. (Soccer Wire)

☕ Short queen Sabrina Carpenter will perform at Climate Pledge Arena this fall. (Billboard)

Location's not a mystery

But do you see that bare-leaved tree?

Why is it here? Where is it from?

What is its history?

If you know, hit reply and tell us. One winner will be chosen randomly from among the correct answers.