I have no count of how many people showed up to watch Brier’s annual SeaScare Parade Wednesday night. It seems like the entire city was there. As one observer noted: “What I like about this parade is half the people are in it, and the other half is watching it. So everyone’s involved.”

This was not your fancy-schmancy, glitzy Seafair Torchlight parade. In fact, you can decide at the last minute to be in the parade, round up the family and walk down the middle of Brier Road, parade-waving to your neighbors. Preferably, the general theme was to dress up as a sea creature, pirate, octopus or nautical/sea-related entity.

The approximately quarter-mile route began near Brier Library and ended at Brier Grocery. Participants included families on boats, kids on unicycles, classic cars, funky cars, the Kenmore and District Pipe Band, and even a unicorn.

A special highlight was seeing the grand marshal, Jason Drexel Weber. He is the owner and main percolator of Jason’s Java coffee stand going on 25 years now, and is much beloved by the community.

Following the parade, people gathered outside of Brier Grocery and Brier Pizza to see who would win a hunka hunka big salmon, courtesy of QFC grocery. The winner was Melody Swenson. I asked her if she liked salmon. She said with eyes beaming, “I LOVE salmon!” She couldn’t wait to locate her husband somewhere in the crowd to share the good news.

Nineteen kids then signed up for the pie-eating contest. They donned plastic garbage bags over their clothes, and surrounded two long tables lined on both sides with pies made of chocolate pudding and a healthy serving of whipped cream.

People tightly surrounded the contestants, pushing close to get a good shot of the sweet mess that was about to commence.

At the word “go,” the kids started eating the pies, which covered their mouths, then faces, then hair.  Some stopped to pause, some kept their heads down in the tin plates.

I’m sorry to say I didn’t catch the winner, as I was getting sympathy pains in my stomach and had to get through the crowd for air.

Luckily, the Urban Renewal Project band started playing music, entertaining the crowd with their cool fusion of soul, hip-hop, and jazz. The hum of the music emanated, and people answered by dancing and swaying in the street.

SeaScare has been a community tradition here for over 20 years, with a break during the pandemic.  From the smiles, laughter, dancing and many statements such as “Life is normal again,” it was clear Wednesday that people were ready to enjoy this celebration that is Brier.

— Story and photos by David Carlos