Edmonds Rotary Waterfront Festival

We arrived late (9 PM) which was probably okay. We parked in Anthony’s which we probably weren’t supposed to do. We walked in and I was surprised to see that admission was $ 3 but we did not get charged since it was late and the vendors were all closing. We got closer to the stage area and found food vendors open. Mostly really unhealthy stuff with a few good foods choices thrown in. We went mainly for the band. It was fun but it ended so early because apparently Edmonds has a strict noise curfew of 10 PM. Weird, they should be a little more flexible for such things.

This year was the first year I went to this festival. I really enjoy all of the local festivals in the area during the summer. I enjoyed this festival too! It is smaller than some of the festivals, but there is still plenty to see and do. It’s always a great time to go down to the Edmonds waterfront anytime! There is a $ 3 admission charge, which is donated to the Rotary. Unusual to have admission, but it was not a problem at all. They also had a great shuttle system so that parking is not a problem at all.

I usually like local festivals, but overall I found this festival disappointing. The set up creates for a very poor flow and the booths are set up so randomly, especially in the vendor area. It’s also fenced off all over the place and feels like you are in a cage the whole time. The stage is completely fenced off and only offers an area for families during the day and then becomes just one big beer area after 6pm. The food was not great and they needed more options. The organizers need to reconsider a different set up and get rid of all the fences! They would be better off opening it up and collecting donations from everyone and find other ways to raise funds, like raffles or having their own food and beverage booths. I would not recommend this festival and will not return next year if it just like this year.

I’ve been going to this festival for years and think it’s family friendly event.
Parking is crowded at times. Basically, there is street parking on both sides all the way up to the festival and a few places that sell parking. The fam and I have always been lucky and found parking fairly easily.
Admission is $ 3 and the first time I went, I was surprised. I’ve sort of gotten used to it.
Upon entering, you are faced with a maze of vendors. They are often the same folks every year. My kiddo loves the Smith Farms people with their cartons of milk (sometimes they charge for them and sometimes they’re free). The usual suspects like Bubble Wands are there. My goal is always to get through the maze of vendors to the entertainment stages and food area. I’m often disappointed by the food and focus on eating terrible desserts (by «terrible,» I mean taste good but so bad for my ass). More fat assery on display. Corn on the cob, shave ice, and various forms of ice cream.
The kids section has overpriced, contracted slides and bouncy houses staffed by what would appear to be teens. There is a good amount of kids stuff and my kiddo seems to like it.
It’s not the greatest festival out there but I attend because Seattle festivals are often crowded. I find this one less crowded. I also like going to this one because I end up at the park at the end. It’s a beautiful place for kids to run around, to watch ferries going by, and just center before heading back to Seattle.

I love local festivals, mainly because you can find interesting and unusual foods, music, and things to buy. Not so much at this fair.
Most of the booths consisted of people either selling their services or informational booths… boring. The other booths sold mass produced cheap jewelry, clothing, etc. I didn’t find too much to look at. Worse yet, there were the booths where people were trying to sell you products, like roofing materials, retirement planning, water purification systems, etc. This is not why I come to a local outdoor festival.
Also, the food offerings were mostly unhealthy, deep-​fried, «carny» food… giant «bricks» of curly fries dripping in oil, hotdogs, and corndogs. The one shining moment was the Metropolitan Grill booth… what a find. I had the most delicious bbqued brisket sandwich. I could have hugged them.
The live music was such a nice touch to an otherwise lackluster festival.
Suggestion: attract more local artisans and food vendors.
They charge $ 3.00 per person at the gate (which I don’t mind because it is a donation to the Rotary) and $ 10.00 for parking, but there is also free street parking.