University District Street Fair

I’ve lived in Seattle most of my life, attended school here, worked here, played here and prayed here! How have I not been to the University District Street Fair until now?
Actually, I think I may have been once before a long time ago, but the experience was uneventful — not like this year!
My first street fair of the Summer season! The one that starts it all off and sets the tone for the time! The University District Street Fair did not disappoint! The Ave was almost completely blocked off for 10 blocks: 40^th up to 50^th. Mostly arts, crafts, foods and services vendor booths along the Ave and a few street performers. I really enjoyed the variety of the booths — lots to see and so many new vendors that I’ve not seen at other fairs in the past!
The cross streets are blocked off for either local access or mini food courts filled with food booths and food trucks!
My favorite foodie delight at this fair by far was the Brazilian Chicken sandwich by Samborosa! Very tender white chicken breast filet covered in mango salsa wrapped in a thick doughy soft rectangular bun (like an extra soft ciabatta roll,) with garlic aioli! Wow! Now if this doesn’t make your taste buds sit up and take notice– I don’t know what will at this street fair! The sandwich was absolutely incredible!
Parking isn’t super great since many of the side streets are also blocked off. So get there early if you can and be prepared to walk a ways. I lucked out and found great parking on my last looky loo lap in the University Bookstore parking lot. The UW Bookstore on the Ave hourly rates are slightly higher for the street fair weekend but worth it as I didn’t have a whole lot of time to spend at the festival like I’d hoped.

Being an active Seattle community constituent as well as a UW Alum… I am a HUGE supporter of this event and look forward to this fair EVERY year. There are a ton of people, info booths, music, food and fun activities for adults and kids. They even have a little Kid Zone provided by the YMCA. The Street Fair is located on University Avenue between 50^th and 45^th. Food-​wise, I specifically have to give love to the Kaleenka Piroshky stand. This is one of the main reasons I attend this fair on an annual basis. This is not the typical piroshky. It is a deep fried round ball of hot ground beef and cheese gooey yumminess. It is absolutely the BEST! That and who can say no to a huge elephant ear, funnel cake or a block of Ziegler’s french fries! Keep it in mind that it is on the Ave so the street isn’t the cleanest and you so see poverish individuals, but hey! It’s in the college district so that’s to be expected. Overall, fun experience!

Mehhhhhh. This kinda just reminded me of a larger version of the Portland Saturday market. Good for people watching and not much else. They have food vendors there, but like everything else at the fair, they seem a little overpriced. The entertainment was nice though. They have stages with live entertainment. I had to walk through this street fair several times since some bus stops are out of service (since the roads were closed off for the fair). That was a bit of a hassle. The streets were overcrowded and hard to walk through, especially on the first day.

The University District Street Fair only occurs 2 days a year.
The roads close on University District from 40^th to 50^th street. The whole street is line up with street vendors, stages, and food stands.
I was really excited to go to the street fair. Personally, I think it’s a great opportunity to go out and get some sunshine, try some foods that normally aren’t around, and spend time with friends and loved ones.
However, the downside, especially for college students, is that street fair food is quite expensive. I came here last year and the prices definitely have increased a bit. However, it wasn’t going to stop me from getting street fair food.
Let’s talk about food first. I tried a variety of things while I was here. The first was Tokyo Dog. This is a food truck that can be found in downtown Seattle. My partner thought it would be good to try. We got the Tokyo Dog ($ 8) and marveled at it’s appearance before digging in. YUM. I took a bite and the outside skin was a bit tough but once you bite through, it becomes incredibly juicy. It was incredible how delicious this bratwurst cheese sausage was. The Japanese mayo was a perfect addition and the bun was not your original hot dog bun. It was definitely a luxurious hot dog.
The second thing we tried was some Afghan food. It almost looked like Indian food to us because it was on naan and had a curry look to it. We paid 12 $ for the «everything on naan» combo. However, I was quite disappointed that there was barely any rice and chicken compared to the naan. The naan was actually white and tasted a bit different than traditional Indian naan. I was disappointed that it was less flavorful. We finished the chicken, rice and eggplant mixtures before finishing the naan. We had a ton of naan left after eating the bulk of the meal.
We then decided to get some Chinese food. We got some Mongolian chicken (spicy) with noodles. It was pretty decent, and definitely was more filling than the Afghan food. However, the noodles were nothing special and almost seemed pretty plain. The chicken was quite juicy and very flavorful.
The fourth thing we got was some Cajun shrimp. This was by far my favorite food from the street fair. It was perfectly breaded and spiced shrimp along with some crisp fries. For the price, $ 8, they definitely gave the most food for your buck. And it was quite delicious I must say! I hope they come back next year.
For sweets, we got a cinnamon elephant ear ($ 6.50) and ice cream ($ 5). Both were delicious. The elephant ear is always my go-​to and I always get one because it’s not something I have access to easily. It’s a perfect mix of cinnamon and butter. I know it’s definitely not the healthiest, but it’s definitely worth it. We got mint chip ice cream and it was a perfect touch to a nice and sunny day. Very refreshing, creamy, and cold.
Most of the shops sell things that I didn’t find any interest in or found no use for. However, there are a lot of vendors. From soap to honey, hair ties to paintings, and scrabble pieces to clothing. There was a lot that people were bringing to the fair. There are tons of kettle pop sellers, along with face painting, caricature drawings and a balloon man.
My favorite purchase of the day is the Studio Ghibli stand. This stand sells photos of drawings of Studio Ghibli characters. I bought one last year for my partner, and another one this year. Definitely worth the money.
Overall, the street fair is full of music, performances, food, and shops. It’s a great time to just walk around and see what’s new. I can’t wait to see what next year’s street fair will look like!

For years, I have kicked off festival season with the U-​District Street Fair. For me, it signals the start of summer and the beginning of weekends of fun, sun, and food.
Parking? Dude, it’s the U-​District. Parking is not great. Lucky for us, people are more than willing to sell parking (this is a street fair, right?).
I walk the length of the street, checking out vendors, and picking up gifts for people. I also like buying things for myself but unfortunately, I personally don’t find that the vendors generally have what I want. If you have a kid, there are the typical vendors such as Bubble Wand and that crazy slushie place for the kids to pour ridiculous amounts of colored sugar directly on to a snow cone. Let the tummy ache commence. For grown ups, there is everything from flasks to hats to garden art. Tons of stuff, surely a little something for everyone.
This year, my kiddo spent a lot of time on a trampoline. After signing a waiver (or not), jumpers get to go on the trampoline one at a time.
In terms of food, this fair offers my first opportunity of the season to see Espi’s and their signature combos — chicken skewers, lumpia, and pancit with some sticky rice balls if I’m lucky (none this year *sad face*). It’s also my first opportunity to see Lopez Island Ice Cream. They really put out a consistent, fantastic product and I’m honestly, not a huge ice cream fan. If you’re not into fair food, don’t worry, what makes this fair great, is you have access to all the great eateries on the street without having to troll for parking.
Music is always available on a number of different stages. I’ve always enjoyed the music, which isn’t always the case at other fairs. Whoever does the selecting is doing a great job! If that’s not your thing, not to worry, tons of buskers are available for your musical pleasure.
Great way to start the summer! Maybe I’ll see you there sometime.

The University District Street Fair is a good time. I suggest taking the bus, as parking will be horrendous to find!
Once I die and go to heaven, this is what it will look like. Food EVERYWHERE!
We: ate Filipino food (love the different noodle textures), African sambusas (which were HUGE and so flavorful!), sno cones, elephant ears, Vietnamese chicken skewers, salmon piroshkys, bubble tea, popcorn samples, had some honest tea and naked juice samples, smelled potpourri, cooed at kittens, and looked at tons of shimmering jewelry.
Prices were very reasonable for portion sizes, however (this is the ONLY time you will everrrr hear me say this) I wish the portions were smaller; almost tasting size. We found that it was just too much per plate and there was so much food per square inch on each block that I wanted to eat everything and didn’t have enough space in my tummy.
The entertainment was great! Everything from a hula hoop man, to live bands, to song and dance. It’s nice that performers were staggered throughout the street fair instead of being in a central area. Much to see while feasting.
Even though we shared the majority of our food with each other, I still didn’t cover as much ground (food-​wise) as I wanted to. I am still thinking of all the food I missed, especially those curly pull apart garlic fry cubes :(

Wow it took me months to write this review update.
I don’t know how many times I have been to the U-​district street fair.
I like the U-​district street fair better because it also features some local vendors right on the Ave. So businesses on the Ave could also make special offers during the street fair and attract customers.
Although this past year, the prices for different food trucks also went up. I still remember buying the strawberry shortcake for $ 4. And now this year is $ 6.
Local buses are re-​routed to operate on 15^th Ave instead of University Way during the street fair weekend.

— Locale Destination —
It’s on University Way, NE Seattle (University District).
You won’t miss it because it’s pretty long… They got antiques, arts, foods, junks, religious groups, some businesses etc. It’s like an any other street fair.
— Gluttony Expedition —
I think all the foods are way over priced for the quality.
$ 5 for artificially colored lemonade?!? It’s unheard of — I visit from OC, CA.
$ 8 for crappy looking Chinese foods? Since I found lots of good food places in Seattle, this is totally not the representations of «LOCAL» to me.
— Conqueror’s Deduction —
This sucks… ;p
You might like it if you were into antiques or arts.
You might like it if you were into expensive JUNK foods.
I expect a local street fair to offer more «Only locally available» stuffs like fresh produces by local farmers, local honey and popular restaurants there. I didn’t see any of those — especially foods.

This was my first time to the u-​district street fair and I had a very good time. They have so many booths that sell all kinds of food from your usual fair food to different ethnic specialties. I was impressed by what was offered and the prices were not very expensive. My gf and I tried pad thai and beef skewers from the Thai-​ger Room and it was tasty with a good size portion for the price we paid. A big positive was that they had tables set up by the food vendors so people can have a seat to eat instead of standing or walking around to eat if you choose. They also have a ton of vendors that sell artwork to very ornate and unusual decorative house items.
The crowds were massive as you are walking down The Ave. and observing all the booths lining the street. They had street performers in the middle of the intersections doing juggling and other sorts of crowd amusing things. On some of the other side streets they had a few bands performing at different locations.
The fair occupied at least 5 to 6 blocks and was worth all the walking being done to burn off the food calories. Lol.

This is the U-​District at its most charming. Normally its full of sketch people and the college students dodging them while trying to study and look for cheap eats, but I do enjoy the U-​District street fair.
It has the advantage of being one of the first of the summer so I’m not sick of them yet. I go and get my tarot card read. There’s nothing particularly unique about the food or whatever, but… I’m just happy to see the Ave un-​ghetto itself once a year.

This year marked the second time I’ve been to the University District Street Fair and I thought it was alright. Nothing fancy, just a normal street fair with a ton of arts/​crafts vendors and a few food vendors. As a foodie, I definitely thought there should have been way more food vendors and of more variety. For the size of the fair, I was hoping I’d be able to sample more food from end to end. Nevertheless, I thought it was a pretty cool place to be on a Saturday. I got to see a ton of really cool art from some talented artists. The weather cooperated a bit, which made the experience much more enjoyable. Plus, the live music was a great addition. On the way back to the car, I was able to receive some free pita chips and hummus from one vendor. Score! Now I have a craving.
Anyway, be sure to check it out next year, if you haven’t already. Parking can be an issue. I’m usually lucky with parking, so I was able to get one within half a block from the northern-​most end. Carpool or take public transport if you can. It’s only once a year, so why not?

This year was my first time going, and I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised.
Set up along ‘The Ave’ the street fair is lined with vendors, performers and of course FOOD on every cross street. Although not significantly prominent in food as ‘THE BITE’ and not as prominent in performers as ‘FOLKLIFE,’ it has a good balance between the two. You’re not struggling to find a good show, but not starving yourself to find good food. Not to mention, all the other business still remain open on the Ave and most restaurants provide a ‘STREETFAIR DEAL’ on their menu’s, which is AWESOME!
It’s a great start to kicking off the PNW’s late spring/​early summer season. Just watch out for parking. It can be a bit tricky. :P

This was my third year attending this particular street fair and I’ve always found it to be a very enjoyable. I can’t say there was anything that really stood out during the experience, but it’s just a lot of fun to wander through the crowds and check out all there is to see.
There are so many vendors featuring all kinds of products from arts and crafts to different kinds of foods. You will also find major businesses participating as well as various non profit organizations. The food selection is pretty diverse although again, I’m not sure if there’s anything that jumps out as anything out of the ordinary but again, being in the atmosphere can make the mundane seem good and something good seem even better.
Depending on your musical tastes, your experience here will vary. I didn’t care for the type of music that was playing while I was near the stage getting some roasted corn, but plenty of people were enjoying it so no big deal. Another really cool aspect of this street fair is how involved all the local businesses are with just about every restaurant on the Ave having special items available just for the occasion.

One of the better fairs I have been to although the food wasn’t too impressive… at least not the food I had… entertainment was great though and I was happy to see how long the fair stretched up the entire ave.

Super crowded and not much to see. I wasn’t terribly impressed, but it’s nice to take a stroll and people see with your new pup.

Love LOVE LOOOOVE it! So much food and character, this is a definite must every year. If you are at all into photography, you will go shutter snappy happy for sure. See you next year!

Second time at the University District Street Fair. Thought the first time was kind of meh. My reaction to the second is the same. The street fair stretched for about four large blocks of University Way. The fair is kind of the kickoff of a number of neighborhood fairs throughout the summer.
Plenty of people, but I could still get around fairly easily. There are plenty of craft and food vendors at the fair offering interesting specialty items. But I kind of feel so what about the whole thing. Realistically, the University District is really a restaurant row with a mix of other businesses filling in the spaces. And the street fair is kind of stealing their thunder.
I don’t know why I go to the University District Street Fair. The stands are not that different from the ones at Ballard Seafood Fest or West Seattle Summer Fest. I found it okay, but it seemed like I was just going to see how the U District has changed as I rarely am in the area anymore.

Parking for this fair is terrrrrrrible. After driving around for about 20mins, I caved and paid $ 20(!!!) to park at 45^th/​11^th. Only because I was meeting a friend here.
And, I don’t know even know why I bother. The streetfair is always the same, and yet I go. It’s the first of the ‘fair’ season and it’s in my old college neighborhood and it’s free, so why not.
The fair spans several blocks of the Ave with side streets for beer garden, music stage, food, etc. There is both lots to see and not at the same, especially if you go just about every year like I have.
Expect the bottleneck whenever there are those circus guys at an intersection. Or whenever a band parks themselves in a bus shelter and rocks out. The Tallboys are awesome! We randomly caught them at Woodinville, and I’m glad to see them here too.
While here I will usually always buy some really cheap pad thai, a corndog, a block of curly fries, and some strawberry lemonade. I typically price compare the food booths with the restaurants on the Ave. Once I stood in line at a gyro booth that was in front of a Greek restaurant. I paid $ 6 at the restaurant for a combo meal (that was the price of JUST a gyro at the booth) and got to sit down and eat w/​free water refills.
Eh. Just okay, but I will probably come back next year as per.

I have come here many times many years. Always something good, fun and interesting.
Music to day was surprisingly good and entertaining. I appreciated the street performers. I did not like the Ben and Ken ones. he was going to burn his tongue.
I ate a not great hot dog. I got free samples of an energy drink
Beautiful jewelery.
AAAHH imported tops, dresses, skirts from India. mm Henna. I should have said yes on the henna right away, because next thing there is a long line.
I did have a wierd interaction in Radio Sghack. I write it off that the employees are simply burned out.
The bus made everything. transportation easy.

Well, honestly I probably shouldn’t be Unilocaling this Fair… I made it to the fair on Saturday a few minutes before it was technically supposed to end. Anyway, from what I saw it looked like happenin and that it musta been happenin most of the day.
Let’s see… saw some street hip hop-​ers dancing in the street (w/​an iPod-​connected boom box) — a mom holding her infant ended up tripping over their boom box. The kid and mom were ok, but the music (and dancing) stopped. The dancers were sympathetic to the mom and helped her out. Nice situation to observe.
There were still lots of vendors out when I was walking around. Smelled lots of yummy food… and the crowd was pretty wide-​ranging: hippie students to olé fogies! ;)
I will need to check it out for reals next year!