Brier’s event of the season happened Wednesday night, as the annual SeaScare and Porch Light Parade took over Brier Road. It was truly a community gathering, with families either watching the parade from the sidelines or participating in the parade themselves.

SeaScare has been a community tradition here for over 20 years, pausing only during the pandemic. The general theme is to dress up as a sea creature, pirate, octopus or nautical/sea-related entity.

The .20-mile route started near Brier Library and ended at Elsner Law Firm.
Participants included kids on unicycles, classic cars, funky cars, the Kenmore and District Pipe Band, horses, mermaids and walking bananas. What struck me during the parade: Neighbors were waving at neighbors. Some yelled out their friends’ names as they passed by. This is what makes Brier magic: Their tight-knit bond.

Following the parade, people gathered outside of Brier Grocery and Brier Pizza to see who would win a huge salmon, courtesy of QFC grocery. Others listened to a band playing outside Brier Pizza.

Many surrounded the horses that pranced to the music of the Tamborazo band. Cell phones were held up to record every move. Kids from 5 to 14 lined up for the pie-eating contest. They donned plastic garbage bags over their clothes and then sat at a long table with pies made of chocolate pudding and a healthy serving of whipped cream.

Once the contest started, the kids devoured the pies. Some ate gingerly, while others gobbled as fast as they could. Faces were covered with messy goo.

As the party wound down and people started walking home, there was a general atmosphere of laughter and excitement. Next year’s parade can’t come soon enough.

— Story, photos and video by David Carlos