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This Saturday, July 26 the Torchlight Run and the Torchlight Parade take over downtown Seattle. The Torchlight Run, a 5 or 8K run through downtown Seattle that encourages pirate attire begins at 6:30 pm. The Torchlight Parade, a huge parade with floats and cars and all kinds of different groups representing all sorts of aspects of Seattle community begins at 7:30. This year’s parade theme is “Amazing Adventures”.

Even if you’re not much of a race or parade fan, if you’re going to be anywhere near downtown, you’re going to be affected by the events due to the street closures. From 8 am to 8 pm, the two southern lanes of Mercer from 2nd to 4th Aves are closed. At 3 pm, the southbound lanes of 5th Ave from Mercer to Denny are closed. A whole slew of streets shut down at 6 pm: 4th Ave. from the Memorial Stadium to Seattle Center; all cross streets intersecting 4th Ave. from 3rd Ave. to 5th Ave.; Broad Street from Harrison St. to Denny Way; Denny Way from Warren Ave. to 5th Ave.; John St. from Broad to 6th Ave.; Thomas St. from Broad to 6th Ave.; Taylor Ave. from Broad to Denny Way; Eastbound Harrison St. from Broad to Aurora Ave. N.; 2nd Ave. N. from Denny to Thomas St.; Thomas St. from Warren Ave. to 2nd Ave. N.; and, John St. from Warren Ave. to 2nd Ave. N. Between 6:30 pm and 7:45 pm Dexter Ave from Mercer to Denny is closed as is Northbound Aurora from “SODO” to Mercer St

(photo by Gina C via Flickr.)