All coming together in the same place and the same time. Going to be a hot time in Occidental Park on July 9th! (Figuratively anyway, temps should be in the high sixties, low seventies at best).
I was browsing Joan's post on New report details threats to America's national parks and it brought to mind my recent discovery of what may be the smallest official unit of the National Park System: the Seattle Unit of the Klondike National Historical Park which is a corner building at 2nd & Jackson in the Pioneer Square District of Seattle (the very oldest and still pretty authentic piece of the city). In idly checking out their website I found they were sponsoring the Fire Festival, an celebration of antique fire trucks and firefighters in Occidental Square Park on July 9th from 11 AM to 5 PM. Why would that time and place be of interest to NW Kossacks? Check out the confluence in Extended.
Well it reminded me of this post by Sarge in Seattle NWroots Conference in Seattle, July 9 whose main sessions will be held at Swannie's Comedy Underground in the Pioneer Square district and with other sessions in adjacent galleries and clubs. Well it just happens that Swannie's and probably most of the galleries involved actually have their front doors open into Occidental Park.
So a big chance for a three-fer for Kossack's of a certain bent: if you love progressive politics, antique fire trucks and an opportunity to visit a pocket National Park all within two blocks. Can you spell Cosmic Confluence? I know I can.
Just don't count on any quiet side conversations on the benches under the trees in the park (which is cobblestone and not grass), not unless you don't mind periodic interruptions by fire bells and sirens. All in all it is not going to be like some seminar session in a suburban Marriott.
(And apropos of nothing all of this is in the heart of what always was and mostly still is Seattle's bar district, in fact Pioneer Square's is the site of the original Skid Road (which originally had nothing direct to do with drinking, but instead with loggers moving logs down from the hills to the Sound. Albeit hard-drinking loggers. Accept no substitutes.)
I am thinking it is going to be a party. Expect to see me around the periphery, I live eight blocks away and would be around anyway.