Blue Angels and hydroplanes draw Seafair crowds as Seattle festival reckons with shooting jitters
Seattle's annual Seafair festival drew crowds to Lake Washington for hydroplane races and Blue Angels performances even as a deadly shooting at the Bite of Seattle a week earlier heightened security concerns, according to reports.
The Blue Angels are scheduled to fly at Seattle's Seafair festival in 2026, with practice runs and flyover times published in advance, according to reports. Seafair is an annual summer festival featuring hydroplane races on Lake Washington, an air show, and the Torchlight Parade, first held on August 12, 1950.
Crowds gathered along the shores of Lake Washington for Seafair Weekend, watching hydroplane races and Blue Angels flyovers even as security worries hung over the festival, according to media reports. The unease followed a deadly shooting at the Bite of Seattle roughly a week earlier, reports said, though the number of casualties and the circumstances of that attack have not been confirmed. Seafair is Seattle's signature summer festival, built around the Torchlight Parade, the Seafair Cup hydroplane races and an air show in which the US Navy's Blue Angels are a regular headline act. The celebration stretches across weeks of neighborhood events and block parties before its citywide finale. Its parade tradition dates to August 12, 1950, when the first was held as the Seafair Grande Parade. The juxtaposition matters because it tests whether a civic tradition can absorb a fresh trauma. Organizers and attendees alike faced questions about safety at large public gatherings, and the festival's future is already taking shape: the Blue Angels are scheduled to return for Seafair in 2026, with practice runs and flyover times published in advance.
Seafair Weekend crowds gathered under a shadow of security worries
Crowds lined the shores of Lake Washington during the most recent Seafair Weekend to watch the hydroplane races and the Blue Angels' aerial performances, according to reporting carried by Yahoo and MSN. But the festive turnout unfolded under a cloud of unease. Roughly a week before the weekend's events, a deadly shooting took place at the Bite of Seattle, the food festival held at Seattle Center, and security worries were prominent among Seafair attendees in its aftermath, the reports said.
Much about the episode remains unconfirmed. The year in which this Seafair Weekend and the preceding shooting occurred has not been established in the available reporting. Nor is it clear how many people were killed or injured in the Bite of Seattle attack, or what circumstances surrounded it. Whether Seafair organisers or Seattle authorities introduced any additional security measures in response — extra officers, bag checks, or other precautions — is also not yet known. The accounts so far describe the mood among attendees rather than any official response, and the details may shift as fuller reporting emerges.
What Seafair is and why the Blue Angels matter to it
Seafair is Seattle's annual summer festival, a weeks-long celebration that blends on-the-water racing with aerial spectacle. Its signature events are the Seafair Cup hydroplane races and an air show, both staged around Lake Washington, alongside the Torchlight Parade, the longest in a series of parades across the greater Seattle area. The festival does not arrive all at once: smaller neighborhood events and block parties run in the weeks leading up to the major citywide celebrations, building toward the main weekend.
The Blue Angels, the United States Navy's flight demonstration squadron, are frequent performers at the Seafair air show and have become one of the festival's biggest draws. Their jets, roaring low over the lake as hydroplanes race below, are for many attendees the defining image of a Seattle summer.
From the 1950 Seafair Grande Parade to today's Torchlight Parade
The parade at the heart of Seafair began on August 12, 1950, when it was first held under the name Seafair Grande Parade. In the decades since, it has become the Torchlight Parade, staged under the auspices of Seafair and standing as the longest of a series of parades held across the greater Seattle area. It is one of the festival's signature events, alongside the Seafair Cup hydroplane races and the air show. The parade anchors a broader run-up to Seafair's major citywide celebrations, a stretch of smaller neighborhood events and block parties that build toward the festival's main weekend.
The first Torchlight Parade was held under the name Seafair Grande Parade.
A deadly shooting occurred at the Bite of Seattle roughly a week before Seafair Weekend.
Crowds gathered along Lake Washington during Seafair Weekend to watch hydroplane races and Blue Angels performances.
Security concerns were prominent among Seafair attendees following the Bite of Seattle shooting.
The Blue Angels are scheduled to fly at Seattle Seafair, with practice runs and scheduled flyover times published in advance.
Blue Angels set to return for Seafair 2026
The Blue Angels are scheduled to return to Seafair in 2026, according to reports. Practice runs and scheduled flyover times are being published in advance, giving spectators the chance to plan around the team's appearances over Lake Washington. The exact dates and times of the 2026 performances have not yet been confirmed.
The announcement extends a long association between the Navy flight demonstration squadron and Seattle's summer festival, where the jets have been a signature attraction alongside the hydroplane races. Details of the full 2026 schedule, including when practice flights will take place, are expected to be released ahead of the event.
Frequently asked questions
What is Seafair in Seattle?
Seafair is an annual summer festival in Seattle, Washington. Its main events include the Torchlight Parade, the Seafair Cup hydroplane races on Lake Washington, and an air show. Smaller neighborhood events and block parties lead up to the major citywide celebrations. The festival dates back decades — the first Torchlight Parade, then called the Seafair Grande Parade, was held on August 12, 1950.
Do the Blue Angels perform at Seafair?
Yes. The Blue Angels often perform at the Seafair air show, and according to published reports they are scheduled to fly at Seattle Seafair in 2026, with practice runs and scheduled flyover times released in advance. The exact dates and times of their 2026 appearances have not been confirmed in the information available to us.
When was the first Seafair Torchlight Parade?
The Torchlight Parade is held under the auspices of Seafair and is the longest of a series of parades in the greater Seattle area. The first one took place on August 12, 1950, under the name Seafair Grande Parade. It remains one of the festival's signature events alongside the hydroplane races and air show.
Was there a shooting near Seafair?
According to reports, a deadly shooting occurred at the Bite of Seattle roughly a week before Seafair Weekend. The year, the number of people killed or injured, and the circumstances of the shooting have not been confirmed. Reports also indicate security concerns were prominent among Seafair attendees afterward, though what specific security measures were taken in response is not yet known.
What happened at Seafair Weekend on Lake Washington?
According to reports, crowds gathered along Lake Washington during Seafair Weekend to watch the hydroplane races and Blue Angels performances. The exact dates of that Seafair Weekend have not been confirmed. The reports also describe heightened security concerns among attendees following a deadly shooting at the Bite of Seattle roughly a week earlier.
Compiled from reporting by 3 independent outlets. How we source our reporting.
