Seafair Weekend Festival: 2022 Schedule, Traffic Impacts

SEATTLE — The Seafair Weekend Festival kicked off Friday and will draw tens of thousands to see the region's largest air show and boating events through Sunday, welcoming revelers back for the first time since 2019. The Blue Angels will take to the skies each afternoon through Sunday, joined by a roster of other aerial performers, including demonstrations by the Air Force's F-35A Lightning II team and the Army's Golden Knights parachuting team.

Also returning to Seafair this year are the iconic hydroplane races in Lake Washington, and the first events kicked off at Seattle's Genesee Park Friday morning and will conclude with an awards ceremony Sunday afternoon. Those who can't make it down in person can catch live coverage of the races and air shows on KONG-TV.

Revelers can also watch the Blue Angels take-off and land at Boeing Field from the Museum of Flight's parking lot, where the museum will also be hosting the "Jet Blast Bash" Saturday and Sunday.

Here is the schedule of events for this year's Seafair Weekend Festival:

Saturday 8/6/22

• 9:00 a.m. – H1 Unlimited Testing and Qualifying
• 10:15 a.m. – J Hydro Race 3
• 10:35 a.m. – Vintage Hydroplane Exhibition
• 10:55 a.m. – H1 Unlimited Match Racing
• 11:55 a.m. – Golden Knights Performance
• 12:30 p.m. – Aerobatic Performance
• 1:10 p.m. – F35 Lightning II Performance
• 1:40 p.m. – EA 18G Growler Performance
• 2:05 p.m. – H1 Unlimited Last Chance
• 2:30 p.m. – Aerobatic Performance
• 3:05 p.m. – Blue Angels Performance
• 4:10 p.m. – Vintage Hydroplane Exhibition
• 4:30 p.m. – H1 Unlimited Match Racing
• 4:50 p.m. – Awards Ceremony

Sunday 8/7/22

• 9:00 a.m. – J Hydro Race 4
• 9:20 a.m. – H1 Unlimited Testing
• 10:10 a.m. – J Hydro Race 5
• 10:35 a.m. – Opening Ceremony
• 10:35 a.m. – Aerobatic Performance
• 11:30 a.m. – H1 Unlimited Heat 1
• 12:00 p.m. – Golden Knights Performance
• 12:35 p.m. – Aerobatic Performance
• 1:10 p.m. – F35 Lightning II Performance
• 1:40 p.m. – EA 18G Growler Performance
• 2:10 p.m. – H1 Unlimited Heat 2
• 2:45 p.m. – Aerobatic Performance
• 2:45 p.m. – Boeing Seafair Flyover
• 3:05 p.m. – Blue Angels Performance16:10 – Vintage Hydroplane Exhibition
• 4:30 p.m. – HomeStreet Bank Cup H1 Final
• 4:50 p.m. – Awards Ceremony

Visitors can also catch Fleet Week on Saturday, with ship tours scheduled at Pier 69 and Pier 90 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Thanks to changes to flight paths implemented in 2019, this year's air show will not require Interstate 90 to close during performances. However, drivers should expect congestion due to several popular events, along with construction. The Seattle Seahawks will play a training camp "mock game" at Lumen Field Saturday afternoon, and the Seattle Mariners will host on the Los Angeles Angels Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.

Another weekend of "Revive I-5" work also means weekend-long lane reductions on the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 in the SoDo area.