Seafair CEO Emily Cantrell is leading a revitalization of the historic festival. | Photo courtesy of Emily Cantrell.
What you probably already know: Seafair has been the undisputed anchor of Seattle summers since 1950, synonymous with the deafening roar of the Blue Angels, hydroplanes and the Torchlight Parade. While its community-wide spirit remains as strong as ever, second-year CEO Emily Cantrell is leading a revitalization of the historic festival aimed at keeping it inclusive and financially sustainable for decades to come. What many people don’t realize is that Seafair is a private nonprofit organization and receives no direct city funding. It operates primarily on corporate sponsorships. This year, for example, Amazon is sponsoring the fireworks display; Kaiser Permanente the Torchlight Run; and Boeing the Seafair Air Show.
Why it matters: Major cultural festivals are generally funded via three main buckets:
• Corporate sponsorships, such as Seafair and Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
• Hotel and tourism taxes, which support Fiesta San Antonio.
• Direct city productions like the Taste of Chicago, which the city has historically organized and backed.
Cantrell is always looking for more funding, noting that rising costs are a major challenge. She also wants a more formal partnership with the city in coming years. “I’m open to what that looks like and we’re actually seeing some changes in recognizing what we do for the community,” she says. “We should all be working together (think the mayor’s office, the City Council, other civic organizations), and we’re not.” New Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, she adds, is much more visible than her predecessor.
What it means: All told, Seafair is involved in more than two dozen community events outside of its core programming between its June 1 kickoff to Fleet Week and its Weekend Festival, which features the Air Show and Hydroplane races and is held the last weekend in July. She recalls recently meeting someone who volunteered at the festival 40 years ago and is still involved. “It’s my favorite story. I want community to be the first word that comes to people’s minds when they think about Seafair. It’s the first word that comes to my mind.”
What happens next: One new event earlier this year was Winter by the Water (held in conjunction with Formidable brand ExplorePNW), which activated the waterfront during a day in February. Cantrell says it created outsized economic impact and plans to make it an annual event. The city of Bellevue, a nearby suburb, also recently signed on as Seafair’s first official STEM partner tied to the Junior Hydro races. “We really want to show off Seattle’s waterfront,” she says. “We love water. Whether it’s Genesee Park (the primary shoreside viewing hub for the Air Show and Hydroplane races), Lake Washington or Elliott Bay and Seattle’s new waterfront park, that’s where we want to be.”
