While Seafair was originally intended to celebrate the centennial of Seattle’s 1851 founding, excited planners debuted the first Seafair a year early, in August 1950. Over the years, this summer festival has grown to include parades, boat races, royalty, concerts, community festivals, concerts, and more.

Lake City, in northeast Seattle, celebrates Seafair with its Western Days, featuring a salmon bake and a parade along Bothell Way. In 1962, temperatures were in the high 80s when the parade started at 5:00 pm. With its husky dogs and “frozen” organ pipes, the Alaska Music Festival float gave a contrasting impression to the weather. In this image, the float, with Queen Donna Kay Jones and three princesses, passes the Bayles building.

Caption information source: “Old Sol adds to color at Lake City parade”, by Larry Brown, Seattle Daily Times, July 29, 1962.