Welcome to Summer!

Bastille Bash returns

Bastille Day is just around the corner, so get prepared to enjoy a brief dip into French culture with Bastille Bash, Madison Valley's tribute all things francaise. The fun begins at 3 pm on Saturday, July 12, and continues until 8 pm.  Events will occur up and down Madison Street between 27th and 30th Avenues in this, the third year for the French-themed walkabout. There will be plenty of opportunities to eat, drink, listen to live entertainment, and shop the sidewalk sales. You can get the full rundown of participating establishments, slated entertainment, and how to purchase food and wine tickets here.

Who dosn't love a parade?

It always ends almost before it begins (the waiting time for participants is generally several multiples of the parade's duration), but it's an annual neighborhood event that is much enjoyed by participating and onlooking kids, parents, grandparents and (presumably) the assorted pets and occasional farm animals that (sometimes literally) get roped in to walk the five- or six-block route.  We are of course speaking of the Kids Parade, a part of Madison Park Days, sponsored each year by the Madison Park Business Association. This year the parade happens on Saturday, July 12.

Madison Park Days also includes sidewalk sales, beginning on Thursday July 10, and it ends with a picnic in the park following the big parade.  Those wishing to walk the parade route behind the fire engine may begin lining up in front of the Madison Park Wells Fargo branch at 11:45 am.  The parade begins at noon.  Straight down Madison Street to the park.

Park in the Dark! 

The Washington Park Arboretum, an easily accessible amenity for those of us lucky enough to live in Madison Park, has many programs and events each year that are designed to enhance our understanding of the the plants and animals with which we share the planet.  A great example is the UW Botanic Gardens' Park in the Dark series which takes place this year at each full moon during July and August.  Where else are we going to learn first hand about the crepuscular  creatures that inhabit the Arboretum if we don't search them out at night?  Park in the Dark is a bring-your-own-flashlight opportunity, especially for families with kids aged 5-12, to see the animals in their nocturnal environment and learn about their adaptation to the dark.  Information on the program is available here.  Registration is required.  The first full moon this month is on Saturday, July 12.

A perfect day for a little fun

For those not content to just sit on the beach and enjoy the fabulous day, there were multiple opportunities yesterday (and each within walking distance) to share the spirit of the summer with other like-minded revelers.

Madison Valley staged a very successful second incarnation of its Bastille Bash, celebrating the French holiday with food, drink, song, and (at least for some) a certain esprit.

Organizers would certainly have preferred to have blocked off E. Madison Street for the afternoon, given the size of the crowds.

But no one seemed to be particularly constrained by this impossibility, and the drivers who may have been mildly inconvenienced by the event seemed to take things in stride.

In addition to the food and wine, there were cooking and gardening demonstrations, street performers, and, of course entertainment on the main stage.

Vin Voleur performs

Vive la France!

Further down the street, earlier in the afternoon, dad, mom and the kids (not to mention a few grandparents and dogs) enjoyed a sunny, slow stroll down Madison behind a fire truck. The occasion was, of course, the traditional and popular Children's Parade.

The destination is always the same for these parades, but no one ever complains about it.  The fire truck safely delivered everyone to the park...

where, after completing their not-too-challenging trek, parade-goers enjoyed a complementary chow-down.

All in all, it was a pretty great day.

Madison Valley does Bastille Day

The crowd turned out and the weather generally cooperated for the first-ever Bastille Bash on Saturday, a project of the Madison Valley merchants, assisted with a grant from the City.  The idea of the organizers was to help establish the separate identity of Madison Valley and use the French theme as the vehicle. The plan is for this to be an annual neighborhood event.

The Bash featured food, wine, entertainment, and activities for kids, with a generally festive French spirit on display along the entire stretch of E. Madison Street that constitutes the Valley's business district.

Proceeds from the event benefited the Children’s Response Center, a local nonprofit that provides legal and counseling services to children who have experienced severe abuse, trauma and child crimes.

Upcoming events

Fat Salmon returns to the Park next month

It's an annual ritual: the summer arrival of the salmon to Madison Park. They come in ice chests, of course, and are the reward for swimming well done by the hundreds of participants in the Fat Salmon Open Water Swim, which this year occurs on Saturday, July 21. Registration is already full (all places were filled within four days of registration opening, a record). Those not actually swimming (or escorting swimmers in kayaks) can still enjoy the event by cheering on the teams as they arrive at Madison Park Beach. This is always a lively event for everyone--except the salmon.

Bastille Bash planned for Madison Valley

Madison Valley is leveraging its reputation as a French-themed business district by celebrating Bastille Day this year with a Bash on July 14.  There will be live music, food, wine tastings, giveaways and other festivities in honor of France's most important national holiday. The Bash this year will provide support for the Children's Response Center, a program of Harborview Hospital.

Bastille Bash wil begin at 3 and end at 8 p.m.


NW Sports Rehab holds open house Saturday

It's taken a bit longer than planned for the renovation of the space vacated by Spa del Lago (1929 43rd Avenue E.) to be completed, but NW Sports Rehab will be opening next week and hosting an open house this Saturday, June 23, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. The new sign is up, the space is virtually complete, and everyone in Madison Park is invited to come down and check things out.

Swim for Life looking for swimmers

Another worthy annual event that calls Madison Park Beach the finish line each year is Swim for Life, which benefits the Puget Sound Blood Center.  Registration is still open for teams interested in swimming to support PSBC's Be the Match registry program. We will have more on this event as we get closer to the swim date, August 15.