The piers are open, boats are sailing!  Start your day on the waterfront with a walk or run.  Starbucks opens at 6AM on Pier 55.

Spend time exploring, walking, whale watching, shopping, taking pictures, and eating.  Catch the last ride of the day on the Seattle Great Wheel at 10PM (11PM Friday-Saturday).

Seattle Aquarium hours are 9:30AM to 6:00PM daily (last entry at 5:00PM).  Advance ticket purchase online is convenient – secure your time window and skip the line.  For the best deal and unlimited visits year-round ($89), become a Seattle Aquarium member.

Seattle day length in August provides tons of sunlight with 15 hours per day at the start of the month and 13.5 hours per day at the end of the month!  

Celestially speaking, August will bring two supermoon full moons, the first at the beginning of the month and the second at the end of the month.  On August 10, look for a bright Mercury in the low, western sky right after sunset.  The Perseid Meteor Showers are expected to peak around the same time.

August will bring several days of very low tides during daylight hours.  On those days, you will be able to watch the water level along the waterfront change by as much as 14 feet.

• The FREE Waterfront Shuttle will run all this month from 10 AM to 8 PM daily to provide an unserved connection between the waterfront, King Street Station, downtown, and the Space Needle.
  
  
• Cruise ship operations are running strong at Pier 66.  A record-breaking number of Alaska-bound passengers are expected this year, over 1.4 million!
  
  
• Alaskan Way (Dzidzilalich) along the waterfront has shifted to new pavement.  The newest road (Elliott Way) from the Seattle Aquarium northwards is open and creates a direct connection to Belltown.  This means no more waiting for long cargo trains to pass for commuters.  It also means adjusting to change, so your patience is appreciated.
  
  
• Alaskan Way in front of the Seattle Aquarium is closed to vehicle traffic in both directions, except on cruise ship days when there will be one alternating lane.
  
  
• The new Lenora Street bridge, stairs, and elevator across from Bell Harbor Marina are open again for pedestrians between the waterfront and downtown (Elliott Avenue, Western Avenue, First Avenue, Belltown, Pike Place Market).
  
  
• Construction on Colman ferry dock (pier 52) is expected to reach completion this month.  The new terminal lobby is open and operational.  Expect continued alterations for access and regress to the Bainbridge and Bremerton ferries.  August is the peak season for WA State ferries.  Plan, give yourself time, and be prepared for delayed or canceled sailings.
  
  
• The new Marion Street pedestrian bridge to the ferry terminal is expected to open soon.  It will become one of the busiest pedestrian bridges on the west coast.
  
  
• The new stairway between Western Avenue and Alaskan Way at Union Street is open and a stunner!  There is also a new elevator at this location.
  
  
• Use the SR99 tunnel instead of Alaskan Way to get from one end of the city to the other.  Expect surface road congestion on Alaskan Way during peak hours.
  
  
• Please drive slowly in construction zones!

• Boating operations between Piers 50-70 are OPEN, running at peak season capacity.
  
  
• Argosy on Pier 55 has 1-hour Harbor Cruises and Ballard Locks Cruises daily.
  
  
• Salish Sea Tours runs harbor tours daily from Pier 57 on that cool, black boat with stadium seating in front.
  
  
• For a wind-powered experience, Sailing Seattle and Seattle’s Tall Ship are running multiple trips daily.  Hop aboard!
• FRS Clipper Ferry to Victoria is operating – reach downtown Victoria in 2 hours 45 minutes.  Whale-watching trips are also available from Clipper.
  
  
• Passenger fast ferries and car ferries run daily from Piers 50 to 52.  The Des Moines fast passenger taxi is expected to return this month.
  
  
• Arriving by boat for lunch on the waterfront or to visit the Pike Place Market?  Short-term moorage is available on the waterfront at Bell Street Marina in the heart of the city next to Anthony’s Pier 66.
  
  
• Alaska-bound cruise ships are sailing from Pier 66 this month!

Seattle professional sports teams playing in town this month:

• Sounders (soccer) – YES
• Mariners (baseball) – YES
• Reign (soccer) – YES
• Storm (basketball) – YES
• Emerald Downs (horse racing) – YES
• Seahawks (football) – NO
• Kraken (hockey) – NO
• Supersonics (basketball) – NO

• August is a good month for anglers in Seattle!  If you see someone fishing, then feel free to ask them for a peek in their bucket.
  
  
• Expect days with low tides and dramatic tidal swings – water level heights can differ by more than 14 feet in August.
  
  
• Dungeness crab season is scheduled to be open Sundays and Mondays only in Seattle.  All gear must be out of the water on the other days of each week.
  
  
• Public fishing piers are open in Area 10 (Seattle/Bremerton). Although there are no public fishing piers directly on Seattle’s waterfront, anglers can normally find a quiet place to cast a line.  The Port of Seattle closed the fishing pier at Centennial Park (pier 86). The Port is working with WA Department of Fish and Wildlife to determine the fishing pier’s future. In the meantime, the public is welcome to fish at the facilities at Pier 69 where the Port of Seattle is headquartered.  Try also Pier 62.
  
  
• Species you are most likely to see: Salmon, schools of salmon smolt (babies), sea-run cutthroat, steelhead trout, shiner perch, piling perch, sculpin, greenlings, flounders, rockfish, and occasional ling cod.
  
  
• No fishing license is required for children and youth under 15 in Washington state.
  
  
• Know the rules; check current regulations here.

• FACT OR FICTION?  You can watch for whales from Seattle’s Great Wheel.  Fact!  Pods of harbor porpoises were spotted swimming offshore from Seattle’s waterfront last month.  
  
  
• If an orca swims by while on the Wheel, you will definitely see it! Piers 54 and 62 are also great spots for whales, porpoises, and dolphins in Seattle.
  
  
• The most common cetaceans that you may spot are harbor porpoises, orcas (killer whales), gray whales, humpback whales, fin whales, Dall’s porpoises, pacific white-sided dolphins, and pseudorca (dolphins easily mistaken for orcas).
  
  
• Other animals you may see while on the waterfront include: blue herons, seagulls, seals, sea lions, cormorants, bald eagles, geese, peregrine falcons, ospreys, sea otters, and kraken.  To look closer at the Salish Sea ecosystem, head to the Seattle Aquarium or explore tidepools nearby during summer low tides.
  
  
• Whales are also spotted fairly regularly from ferries and charter vessels; keep your eyes peeled!
  
  
• FRS Clipper is running whale-watching trips from Pier 69 in downtown Seattle this month.
  
  
• Read the most recent whale sighting reports here.

August is summer vacation for most students in Washington’s public schools.  There are no US federal holidays this month.  The next federal holiday will be Labor Day in September.  Here is a list of noteworthy August holidays:

August 1 – National Night Out Day
August 1 – Swiss National Independence Day
August 3 – National IPA Day
August 4 – US Coast Guard Birthday
August 7 – Purple Heart Day
August 7 – British Columbia Day
August 8 – National Pickle Ball Day
August 9 – Singapore National Day
August 15 – Indian Independence Day
August 15 – Feast of the Assumption
August 17 – Hawaii Statehood Day
August 17 – Indonesian Independence Day
August 19 – National Aviation Day
August 20 – National Senior Citizen Day
August 24 – Ukraine Independence Day
August 25 – National Park Service Founders Day
August 26 – National Women’s Equality Day
August 26 – National Dog Day
August 27 – Crab S0up Day
August 30 – Raksha Bandhan 
August 30 – National Beach Day
August 31 – Kyrgyztan Independence Day

Find more August holidays and celebrations here and here and here.

Pier 62 is bringing the people of Seattle together in one of the city’s most Instagrammable settings.   

Check out the activities and events happening in this amazing space on the water this month!   Take in the 360 degree views of Seattle, the ferries, and the Olympics! 

Cultural performances, classes, concerts, and scheduled community activities run at peak frequency during August.  In between these organized activities, Pier 62 is a great place to find peace, quiet, and the smell of the sea.

Great Seattle companies and public entities are hiring along the waterfront.  Job and career opportunities are available with the following:

Anthony’s Restaurants

Argosy Cruises

The Edgewater Hotel

Elliott’s Oyster House

Friends of Waterfront Seattle

Ivar’s

Port of Seattle

Washington State Ferries

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