The trifecta of Queen Anne activities-the annual Fun Run, Children's Parade and Sidewalk sale-are hitting the streets of Queen Anne again this Saturday, July 10. The Fun Run raises money for the Queen Anne Helpline, which aids members of the community during periods of struggle and need.
Jonas Simonis, a Helpline board member, and his wife, Jillian Barron, have been participating in the Fun Run for about 10 years. Simonis enjoys the social aspect of the event and thinks it brings togetherness to the community.
"It's a way of bonding," he said, adding that the run in conjunction with the Children's Parade afterward is a great family event. Simonis has noticed that the demographics of the hill are changing, and that crowd is increasingly younger with more children. He thinks the ability to have the Fun Run, sidewalk sale, parade and subsequent community picnic all in one day makes for a great time to meet your neighbors and make friends.
The Fun Run, which is a 3.3-mile walk or run through the boulevards of Queen Anne hill, is the first event of the day, and many neighbors along the route will have water, coffee and music to cheer on participants.
Pat Sobeck, director of the Queen Anne Helpline, said that more than 400 people participated in the run last year. People can register online at www.queenannehelpline.org and click on events, then click Fun Run. There will also be signups at the Queen Anne Metropolitan Market Wednesday and Thursday.
Participants are encouraged to wear fun hats, and the best adult hat will win two front-row tickets to a Mariner's game, Sobeck said.
Following the run is the children's parade and then picnic. The parade begins at 11 at McClure Middle School, and is a chance for children and community members to show their spirit.
Scott Cooper, of Blue Highway Games, helped organize the sidewalk sale this year, and says for the most part there won't be any major differences than what Queen Anne residents are used to. Individual merchants will have tables set up outside along the sidewalk with, "some pretty good deals going on," Cooper said. He added that typically, merchants bump up discounts for the sidewalk sale, and prices are usually 30, 40 or 50 percent off.
"I like to think of it as one large garage sale up and down the whole street that all the merchants participate in," Cooper said.
"I think it's just fun, and it dovetails in with the fun run," Cooper said.
Cooper has always liked the community aspect of Queen Anne, and thinks that having a large kind of sidewalk sale with lots of foot traffic on the avenue helps foster that community.
Most merchants will be out between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., but Cooper said the time depends on each merchants store hours.
[[In-content Ad]]
