Should I avoid Seattle Tourist areas on Hempfest weekend? (Starbuck: garden, food)

[bonafidePaterfamilias]

I'm in the process of relocating and my family (kids 13 & 11) are visiting this weekend to have some fun in and around Seattle. We had planned on doing most of the touristy stuff around Pikes Place Market, Ferris Wheel, Glass Museum, etc. However, we have no interest in being around the hempfest scene.

So I need to decide if I should avoid Seattle Center (and downtown in general) on Saturday and Sunday due to spill-over, traffic, etc or if the festival is fairly well contained. My other option is to hold-off and visit downtown Seattle on Monday, but I don't know if the tourist stuff is better on the weekends.

Any suggestions or alternatives?

Thanks for any help.

[hamellr]

I'd go ahead and wait until Monday. You'll be just as well off tourist wise as it's still Summer. If it was a bit later in the year, Monday would be a hit or miss. But plenty of tourists are still around during the week days.

Including myself all too often

[Hemlock140]

I work right next to where it starts at the Sculpture garden and just walked from the parking garage. There are people out on the sidewalks selling bongs already though the actual event has yet to start, and plenty of people wandering around with the aroma of their weed around, but so far it's limited to the area from about Pier 66 north. There may be some in the Pike Place area, but these people are not interested in fish being thrown and the original Starbucks so I would not worry about that area. As for Seattle Center, there will be some people going from the EMP to the skybridge to the park so it will likely have more of them around but still not the kind of numbers that should bother you. All of the events are in the area between Piers 70 and 90, along the water. You would definitely be better offf waiting until Monday if only because the crowds are far less at all of the attractions and the Hempfest will be over.

[sean98125]

It's Pike Place Market, not Pikes Place.

Hempfest is at the parks along the Waterfront, not at the Market or Seattle Center. I doubt that you'd run in to much overlap if you were at the Center or Pike Place this weekend. It'll be crowded, but the stoners will be on the water.

[Hemlock140]

When I went by the Market Friday at 3:00 there were big groups of them walking along Western and Elliot from the Market area to the Skybridge
down to Alaskan Way.

[bonafidePaterfamilias]

Even though it is close to Myrtle Edwards and Olympic Sculpture Parks, we ended up hanging around Seattle Center on Saturday and only ran into crowds of other tourists. We arrived early, had no problems with parking, and had a great time. We waited until Monday to visit Pike Place Market which was in full Summer-time swing by Monday afternoon.
Thanks for all the feedback. Amazing city.

[Hemlock140]

Glad you enjoyed it and were not bothered by the potheads. Come back anytime.

[CarawayDJ]

Too bad you didn't take your kids there. No, seriously. One walk through Hempfest and they wouldn't want to get within a mile of anyone who does drugs... I will absolutely take my son there when he is old enough. If that doesn't scare a kid I don't know what will.

[Chilkoot]

Originally Posted by CarawayDJ

No, seriously. One walk through Hempfest and they wouldn't want to get within a mile of anyone who does drugs...

Yeah, you have to hope that's what happens. Bummer if it goes the other direction.

[remoddahouse]

However, we have no interest in being around the hempfest scene.

I'll roll my eyes at that. Hempfest is actually pretty benign. I didn't see anyone smoking there this year. No fights, nothing at all that would be family unfriendly. The food is typical fair stuff. I'll just roll my eyes at the ignorance. Lots of people go there, such as myself, who have no interest in doing drugs other than caffeine or alcohol.