Seattle Parks and Recreation will turn on field lighting on ballfields throughout the city on the evening of Wednesday, July 3 and Thursday, July 4 to protect the surfaces. The ballfield lights will be turned on at approximately 8:30 p.m. and most will be turned off at either 10 p.m. or 11 p.m., depending on the field.
The lights will be turned on to discourage the use of fireworks. Fireworks are illegal in the city of Seattle and will destroy the artificial turf on the fields or surrounding facilities. The approximate replacement cost for the synthetic surface based on per average full-size field (110,000 square feet) is $1.2 million. All the fields have been renovated in the past several years and benefit field users including players of soccer, football, baseball, Ultimate Frisbee and lacrosse.
The fields will be monitored by security from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Lights at the following fields will be turned off at 11 p.m.:
- Bobby Morris at Cal Anderson Park, 1635 11th Ave
- Delridge Playfield, 4458 Delridge Way SW
- Garfield #1, E Cherry St & 23rd Ave
- Genesee Upper and Lower Playfield, 4316 S Genesee St.
- Georgetown Playfield, 750 S Homer St.
- Hiawatha Playfield, 2700 California Ave. SW
- Interbay Athletic Complex, 3027 17th Ave W
- Jefferson Playfield, 4165 16th Ave. S
- Lower Woodland Playfield #2 and #7, 5201 Green Lake Way North
- Walt Hundley Playfield, 6920 34th Avenue SW
- Washington Park Playfield, 2500 Lake Washington Blvd. E
- West Seattle Stadium, 4432 35th Ave. SW
Lights at the following fields will turned off at 10 p.m.:
- Loyal Heights Playfield, 2101 NW 77th St
- Mickey Merriam Athletic field complex, Magnuson #5 (Rugby), #6, #7, 7400 Sand Point Way N.E.
- Miller Playfield, 330 19th Ave. E
Lights will turned off at the following grass fields at 11 p.m.
- Ballard Playfield, 2644 NW 60th St.
- Rainier Playfield, 3700 S Alaska St.
- W Queen Anne Playfield, 150 W Blaine St.