The holidays are upon us, and we’re getting into the spirit of the season as we prepare for the annual Pathway of Lights, a FREE holiday event for the whole family! On Saturday, December 14, 2019 from 4:30-7:30 p.m., come stroll the glimmering Green Lake circuit, paths, and docks which will be lit with thousands of twinkling candles. And while you wander through the magic of the sparkling lights, enjoy complimentary refreshments and live holiday music. Also, look out for the return of the popular hot air balloons at Pathway of Lights!

Local musicians will perform at three sites around the lake:

·         The Green Lake Community Center on the east side

·         The Green Lake Small Craft Center on the south side

·         The Bathhouse Theater on the west side

Community members attending the Pathway of Lights are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food donation that benefits FamilyWorks, and attendees are also welcome to bring their own lights to add to the ambiance of the evening’s atmosphere.

This Seattle tradition is presented in partnership with the Green Lake Advisory Council and with help from community partners, Green Lake Masons, funding provided by the Neighborhood Matching Fund from the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, Lake & Company Real Estate, PCC Community Markets, The Hearthstone, Green Lake Chamber of Commerce, and Associated Recreation Council.

Volunteers to assist with the event and volunteer music groups are needed, so if you are interested in helping, we would love to hear from you!To volunteer or learn more, please contact Green Lake Community Center at 206-684-0780 or pathwayoflights@seattle.gov!

You can also visit and like the Green Lake Pathway of Lights Facebook Event for updates on the event. Please share your pictures from past events and from this year’s event to the Facebook Event page!

Getting there: Pathway of Lights attracts thousands of community members each year and parking is extremely limited. Please see transportation options and suggestions below.

• Parking is limited; plan ahead! Parking around Green Lake Park and the surrounding neighborhood is extremely limited. We expect parking to fill up early and for there to be heavy traffic in the area. Don’t waste the evening circling around to find a parking spot! Instead, we encourage everyone to consider arriving by bike, bus or foot.
• Bus: Use King County Metro Transit’s Trip Planning feature to plan your trip.
• Walk: Take transit or carpool to a surrounding neighborhood and enjoy walking to Green Lake.
• Bike or Carpool: We also encourage you to consider biking or carpooling to the event via a rideshare service so that no one in your party has to worry about parking! 

Routine winter preparation has begun with most Seattle Parks and Recreation comfort stations and drinking fountains closing for the winter season to prevent pipes from freezing. We expect to complete winterizing and closing impacted facilities by early December. We will begin reopening comfort stations and water fountains in March 2020.

The following comfort stations are scheduled to remain open during the winter (hours vary depending on location):

SW	ALKI BEACH PARK
SC	ASA MERCER
SE	ATLANTIC CITY BOAT RAMP
NW	BALLARD COMMONS
SC	BRADNER GARDENS PARK
CE	CAL ANDERSON PARK
NW	CARKEEK PARK
CW	CASCADE PLAYGROUND
SC	COLMAN PLAYGROUND
NE	DAHL PLAYFIELD
CW	DISCOVERY PARK BEACH
CW	DISCOVERY PARK MAIN
SW	DON ARMENI PARK
SC	DR. JOSE RIZAL PARK
CE	GARFIELD COMMUNITY CENTER
NE	GAS WORKS PARK
SE	GENESEE PLAYFIELD
SC	GEORGETOWN PLAYFIELD
NW	GOLDEN GARDENS OFF LEASH AREA
NW	GOLDEN GARDENS PARK
NC	GREEN LAKE BATHHOUSE
NC	GREEN LAKE 65TH
NC	GREEN LAKE COMMUNITY CENTER
NC	GREEN LAKE SHELLHOUSE
NC	GREEN LAKE WADING POOL
CW	INTERBAY ATHLETIC FIELD
SC	JEFFERSON PARK
SC	JUDKINS PARK AND PLAYFIELD
NE	LAURELHURST
SW	LINCOLN PARK BEACH
NW	LOYAL HEIGHTS COMMUNITY CENTER
CE	MADISON PARK
CE	MADRONA PARK
CE	MADRONA PLAYGROUND
NE	MAPLE LEAF PLAYGROUND
NE	MATTHEWS BEACH PARK
CE	MONTLAKE PLAYFIELD
NW	NORTHACRES PARK
SE	RAINIER BEACH PLAYFIELD
SC	RAINIER PLAYFIELD
NE	RAVENNA PARK LOWER
SW	SEACREST PARK
SE	SEWARD PARK – Bath House Exterior
SE	SEWARD PARK – SOUTH
SC	STANLEY SAYRES MEMORIAL PARK
NE	VIEW RIDGE PLAYFIELD
CE	VOLUNTEER PARK
NC	WALLINGFORD PLAYFIELD
NE	WARREN G. MAGNUSON PARK BEACH
CE	WASHINGTON PARK AND ARBORETUM
CW	WEST MAGNOLIA PLAYFIELD – South
NC	WOODLAND PARK 50TH
NC	WOODLAND PARK PINK PALACE
NC	WOODLAND PARK RIO

Medgar Evers Pool will reopen on Monday, November 25, 2019 for drop in programming!  The Pool will post an update on Wednesday, November 20^t with the planned schedule for the remainder of the Fall Quarter. For updates, please visit the Medgar Evers Pool page: https://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/pools/evers-pool 

We apologize for the inconvenience that the Medgar Evers Pool closure has caused to the community and we look forward to fully reopening soon.

The Medgar Evers Pool Facebook Page and Medgar Evers Pool webpage will be updated with details as they become available. 

Questions? Contact the Pool at 206-684-4766.

Start off the New Year with a splash!

Seattle Parks and Recreation is hosting the 18th annual Polar Bear Plunge at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020 at Matthews Beach, 9300 51^st Ave. NE. Registration begins at 10 a.m., and the plunge starts at noon sharp. Lifeguards will be on duty.

A 2020 Commemorative Polar Bear Badge of Courage will be given to all heroic Polar Bear participants who immerse themselves neck-deep in the water. The patch will show the world that participants braved the frigid waters.

Warming refreshments will be served, including coffee, cocoa and hot tang. While people wait for the plunge to kick off, there will be a variety of activities available, including games, a photo booth, music and a t-shirt/sweatshirt vendor. Bathrooms, changing rooms and hot showers will be available.

As in previous years, younger polar bears and anyone else who needs a little more room can take part in the Polar Cub Club part of the event immediately preceding the main plunge. For the truly hearty, double-dipping is allowed.

Seattle Parks and Recreation offers a few tips for enjoying a fun, safe swim:

• Make the plunge even more special by dressing up in a costume!
• Come early, and carpool or take the bus (you can plan your trip at http://tripplanner.kingcounty.gov/)
  
• If you have heart problems or other serious medical concerns, we recommend that you consult your healthcare professional before taking the Polar Bear Plunge. If you can’t go in the water, come and watch!
• Don’t drink alcohol–it doesn’t warm you up, and it accelerates hypothermia.
• Stay in the water for no longer than 15 minutes—you lose body heat 25 times faster in water than in air.
• Keep your outer clothing on until you’re ready to get in the water. After the plunge, remove wet clothing before getting into dry clothes.
  

The Polar Bear Plunge was the first official event of its kind in the Seattle area and has inspired other, similar events throughout the region. Janet Wilson, Aquatic Center Coordinator at Meadowbrook Pool, started the event on Jan. 1, 2003. About 300 people participated in that first Polar Bear Plunge, and since then the attendance has soared to more than 1,900 brave bears. Follow the Facebook event for updates.

Many Seattle Parks and Recreation facilities will be closed for one or more days in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

• Community centers and teen life centers are closed Nov. 28-29
• Environmental learning centers are closed Nov. 28-29
• Indoor swimming pools are closed Nov. 28-29
• Green Lake Small Craft Center is closed Nov. 28-29
• Mount Baker Rowing and Sailing Center is closed Nov. 28-29

These facilities are OPEN :

• Parks
• Boat ramps
• Golf courses
• Amy Yee Tennis Center (7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 28; 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 29)

Free community event recognizes youth program which serves over 30,000 participants annually!

Join Seattle Parks and Recreation (SPR) as we celebrate the 30^th anniversary of the Teen Late Night Program at Rainier Community Center (4600 38^th Ave. S) from 7 p.m. to midnight on Friday, December 13. Community members of all ages are invited to enjoy free food, activities and performances, including music, card tournaments, volleyball, dodgeball, ping pong, dominos, basketball and more, as well as a raffle with prizes.

SPR’s Late Night program provides a safe and supportive environment for teens ages 13-19 and serves over 30,000 youth annually. This recreation-based program is held on Friday and Saturday evenings from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. at nine locations across Seattle with a focus on positive teen interactions and engagement where all teens are welcomed. The Late Night Program is aligned and supportive of the City’s Race and Social Equity framework, including education and employment readiness programs. 

SPR’s Late Night Program started in 1989 in response to a rise in youth gang activity and violent crime. Since its origin, Late Night has included at-risk youth in planning the program’s content. Late Night aims to support young people in developing and exploring the values of trust, self-esteem, consistency, respect and integrity. Late Night has provided recreation opportunities, peer support and positive role models over several generations. Today, many of the staff who currently lead the Late Night program are former participants.

Late Night is available at the following locations:

• Van Asselt Community Center (Friday only)
• High Point Community Center (Friday only)
• Bitter Lake Community Center (Friday and Saturday)
• South Park Community Center (Friday and Saturday)
• Rainier Community Center (Friday and Saturday)
• Rainier Beach Community Center (Friday and Saturday)
• Southwest Teen Life Center (Friday and Saturday)
• Meadowbrook Teen Life Center (Friday and Saturday)
• Garfield Teen Life Center (Friday and Saturday)

More information about SPR’s teen programs is available here: https://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/teen-programs

Queen Anne Pool will be closed on Thursday, November 28 through Monday, December 2 in observance of Thanksgiving and to complete an LED lighting replacement project. We plan to reopen on Tuesday, December 3 for regular programs.

Personal and group swim lessons scheduled during this time will be refunded.

We apologize for any inconvenience. For a list of other Seattle Parks and Recreation pools to use during this time, please visit: https://www.seattle.gov/parks/find/pools/pools-a-z

Winter registration for Seattle Parks and Recreation community center, pool, Lifelong Recreation, and other programs opens December 3, 2019. Plan your program enrollment now!

As the winter chill sets in, our 26 community centers, 8 indoor pools, and wide variety of programs and activities provide endless ways to keep you active and connected this winter. Look for preschool programs and licensed school-age care, citywide athletics, pool programs, community center classes, and more–there’s something for everyone!

Click the links below to browse the brochure for your neighborhood!

Southeast Winter Program Brochure

Southwest Winter Program Brochure

Northeast Winter Program Brochure

Northwest Winter Program Brochure

Lifelong Recreation (arts, fitness and social opportunities for people ages 50+)

The PASS, by KIDS in the GAME, can provide up to $150 per season, per child, to participate in Youth Sports (soccer, football, karate, Taekwondo, volleyball, etc.). Kids, ages 4-18, on a Free & Reduced Lunch Plan qualify.

More details and how to apply here: https://kidsinthegame.org/programs/pnw/pass/.

Many Seattle Parks and Recreation facilities, including community centers and pools, will be closed Monday, Nov. 11, 2019 in observance of Veterans Day. 

Monday, Nov. 11, 2019:

Closed:

• Community centers
• Indoor swimming pools
• Environmental learning centers
• Small craft centers (Green Lake and Mount Baker Rowing and Sailing)(Please note: Green Lake Small Craft Center has an annual special event regatta that will take place on Nov. 11, however the center’s office will be closed).
• Teen Life Centers
  (Please note: Meadowbrook TLC & Southwest TLC are both normally closed on Mondays and so these two locations will also be closed on Tuesday, November 12).

Open:

• Parks
• Boat ramps
• Amy Yee Tennis Center
• Interbay, Jackson Park, Jefferson Park and West Seattle golf courses