The Edmonds Kind of Fourth parade was doubly exciting for us this year since it was the first time both of our kids participated. Between having kids in the parade and not really loving all of the chair management, we adopted a new parade plan in 2019. We watch them go by near the start of the parade on 6th Avenue and then head down to 5th Avenue to see them pass near the fountain before meeting them at the end of the parade. Even though we saw them in two different places, we still managed to miss one part of the performance and My Edmonds News saved the day! In MEN’s recording of the parade, which you can find HERE, I was able to see the part I didn’t get to see in person. If there was any part of the parade you missed or wanted to send for someone else to see, you can watch it back, the Children’s Parade too!

The MLB All-Star game is in Seattle this year and while I’m sure the tickets were hard to get and expensive, there are options to enjoy the All-Star hoopla without the ticket prices.

From July 9th to the 11th, which is the day of the actual game, there are family-friendly and free events held at Seattle Center. There are movie nights on the July 10 and 11 at 9:30 p.m., Sandlot and A League of Their Own respectively. There will be watch parties at the Seattle Armory for the Home Run Derby on Monday, the 10th at 5 p.m. and the actual game on Tuesday, July 11 at 5 p.m. Sunday, July 9, at 10 p.m. there will be a MLB All-Star Drone Show next to the Space Needle. For more information on the featured events at the Seattle Center, you can visit SeattleCenter.com.

If you are looking for something a little closer to the action, Play Ball Park will be held at Lumen Field and the events center from July 8-11. “There’s the MLB Gaming Zone, the World’s Largest Baseball, meet and greets with the Legends of the game and so much more!” I checked and a Family Four Pack was $110 in my cart, I’m assuming some additional fees will be added. The event is open each day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and you can find more information and buy tickets at MLB.com.

For those thinking about the logistics, WSDOT said that this will be “one of the busiest weeks of travel in and out of downtown Seattle this summer, for five straight days, especially during the morning and evening rush hours.” On Monday, July 10 and Tuesday, July 11 King County Metro, Sound Transit and Kitsap Transit will be free to all riders. If you’re trying to get around this weekend with kids, you can also sign them up for an ORCA card, which makes transportation free for those 18 and under. If you don’t have a card, they suggest showing a Student ID if you’re over 13 but also say that for most services you can hop on for free without a card or ID. For more information and your ORCA card, you can visit MYORCA.com.

Let’s head back a little closer to home and talk about some local performing art camps, story time, outdoor movies, and a virtual cosplay design workshop.

Edmonds Heights K-12 is offering options for two musicals this summer. Their Teen Summer Musical, which runs from July 10 through Aug. 6 will be a high school edition of Mean Girls. This will be a “full-length, fully-produced musical, ending with three public performances.” While rehearsals are daily from 3 to 9 p.m., the actors will only be called when the crew is working on a portion they’re covering. There is also a Costuming Camp option to accompany the productions. The camp runs daily from 3 to 5 p.m. and campers will be “creating costumes, learning dressing skills, sewing techniques and more to support the summer shows Mean Girls and Seussical!”

The Multi-Grade Musical will be Seussical Jr. and is for kids from 3rd through 12th grades. This will be from Aug. 21 through Sept. 10 and will also culminate with three public performances. Students in middle or high school can receive a tuition reduction by assisting with other camps. For more information and registration you can visit EHShows.com.

The Edmonds Bookshop is having its first story time for children on Friday, July 28 at 9:30 a.m. Author and illustrator Ellie Peterson will share her book How to Hug a Pufferfish. This 30-minute event will not only be the story, but also some “fun hands-on activities!” For more information on this event and others at The Edmonds Bookshop you can visit EdmondsBookshop.indielite.org.

The Edmonds Parks, Recreation and Human Services Department is offering FREE Movies in the Park at parks throughout Edmonds on four consecutive Friday nights this summer. Live music will be played, concessions will be available, and movies start approximately 15 minutes after the sun sets. On Friday, July 14 you can catch Minions: The Rise of Gru at the Frances Anderson Center. The musical guest will be Steel Magic NW. You can head to Seaview Park on Friday, July 21 for Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile with a performance by Jamtown. On Friday, July 28 at Civic Center Playfield Park, you can catch Puss in Boots: The Last Wish with no musical guest listed. The final summer offering will be on Friday, Aug. 4 with a showing of The Bad Guys with music by STRUM Ukulele. The movies will be closed-captioned. For more information on these Movies in the Park, you can visit EdmondsWA.gov.

The City of Mountlake Terrace is sponsoring the first of two Movies in the Park Thursday, July 13 at Terrace Creek Park, 23200 48th Ave. W. Movies will start as close to sunset as possible on scheduled nights so arrive early to get your spot. These are free movies and all are welcome to attend. Feel free to bring blankets, chairs and snacks. Umbrellas and canopies are not permitted. The parking lot will be closed for these events but there is plenty of street parking.

The movies are:

July 13 –  Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This showing is sponsored by multiple community partners. For the full list, see the event Facebook page.

Aug. 24 – The Sandlot. This showing is sponsored by Brighton School.

Sno-Isle Libraries is featuring a unique virtual option next weekend. On Saturday, July 15 at 3 p.m., the library is hosting a Cosplay Design Workshop. In this virtual event, participants can learn simple tricks and gain inspiration from SmallRiniLady, a Seattle cosplay designer and artist, who will also be available to answer questions. I love that this is an option for local aspiring cosplayers as it seems we have a thriving convention schedule in Seattle and I can imagine it can be hard to know where to even start! For the required registration and more information, you can visit Sno-Isle.org.

— By Jennifer Marx

Jen Marx, an Edmonds mom of two boys, is always looking for a fun place to take the kids that makes them tired enough to go to bed on time.