PEMCO in the Northwest > Blog > Greenwood Seafair Parade: A Community Affair

JOIN US ON A ROADTRIP THAT'S SURE TO BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

This year, PEMCO Insurance is sending teams of genuine Northwest-loving people to community events and activities across the state. Some are in support of a good cause, some just sound like a good time - but either way, we hope you'll stop by and say hi. Look for us wherever you see the big green PEMCO van. And if we miss each other, drop us a note here and tell us what's on your mind.

Remember, there's no place quite like home, especially this time of year. So get out there and enjoy!

Greenwood Seafair Parade: A Community Affair

July 23, 2009 3:20pm

posted by Suz Chen in Washington

Pirates, princesses, clowns – oh my!

Where in Seattle can you find these colorful characters mixing and mingling alongside cowboys, Mariachi players and Arabian belly dancers?

At the annual Greenwood Seafair Parade, of course!

Wednesday afternoon amid the ear-piercing bangs of cannon fire and the throngs of cross-dressing clowns, the PEMCO Brand Ambassadors, accompanied by PEMCO friends and family, joined in the vibrant festivities of this year's parade with the WALLY1 van in tow.

Crowds lined the blocked-off streets of Greenwood Avenue and 85th Street for hours braving the hot sun to ensure a good spot along the parade route. We were lucky enough to be in the parade, and found ourselves mingling with all sorts of festive characters – everyone from marching bands to drill teams to food vendors – what a wonderful way to meet the lively residents of Greenwood!

In addition to the elaborately decorated cars and unique Seafair characters, it is the added community spirit that makes the parade truly special.

Karen Schneider, a long-time Greenwood resident told us, "When I come out here to watch the parade, I end up running into all my neighbors! And many of the participants and sponsors are local companies and residents."

The parade is one of her family's biggest social events of the summer, and it has been for almost 20 years. "When my daughters, now in their 20s, were young, they used to wake up early and put out blankets in the morning in order to save us a good spot to watch the parade," Karen said. "Now it's fun to walk along the street hours before the parade starts and see a new generation of young children eagerly dragging chairs – and their parents! – behind them as they scout out the best viewing locations."

If you missed the Greenwood Seafair Parade, have no fear! You can find us and WALLY1 in the Tri-Cities from July 24-26 at the Water Follies and then we're back in Seattle for the Seafair Chevrolet Cup and Key Bank Air Show from July 31-August 2.

And for all you tweeters, here's a PEMCO Brand Ambassador Twitter tip: Follow the conversation of this year's Seafair events on Twitter by using the hashtag: #Seafair