This year marks the City of Seattle’s 30th Annual “Night Out Against Crime” celebration on Tuesday, August 5th. Recently, Mayor Murray laid out a comprehensive public safety plan for Seattle that underscores the importance of providing opportunities for youth and community members to enjoy their streets and public spaces citywide. The Mayor believes Night Out is a great example of the types of opportunities that exist for reconnecting community to Seattle streets.

Night Out, an annual national event hosted locally by the Seattle Police Department, shows that residents and City government can mobilize resources and energy together to move toward a safer and more connected Seattle. We hope you’ll join in making this Seattle’s best Night Out yet!

Check out the website for more information. View the map to find the block party nearest you or look for flyers on telephone poles (we’ve seen a few on NW 58th, NW 60th and 11th Ave NW in the past few days) or register your own event here!

Fellow East Ballardite, Nicky Bradford, and her band of friends and neighbors have been organizing a community block party for the past 6 years that with every new year gets bigger, more outrageous, more fun,  and is starting to attract attendees from far beyond her block.

Next Saturday will be the 7th year for this event and it’s proving to be one that will “rock your socks-in-sandals off”. With activities to attract all ages, including a bounce house, cream pie jousting, BBQ potluck, live music, the Ballard pop-up food garden project, and a Curiosities section that’s bound to intrigue anyone, this is an event not to miss!

The organizers are seeking more local artists, business owners and practitioners who would like to set up a talk about what the love and do in the Curiosities section. Contact them at phinneyditch@gmail.com if you’d like to participate.

The Friends of Ballard Corners Park invite you to a work party at Ballard Corners Park (17th Ave NW & NW 63rd Street) this  Saturday, June 28th from 9am – 12 noon, rain or shine. This will be a short and sweet work party (am only) with an aim to get the spring weeds under control. If you have your own gloves and weeding tools please bring them. Any questions, please contact Gabriella: gabriella@seanet.com or (206) 782-3238. We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

Now in its 6th year, Sustainable Ballard’s Edible Garden Tour has been an inspiration to hundreds of gardeners every June. This fun walking/biking tour highlights neighborhood gardens, planting strips, containers, raised beds, chickens, bees and all sorts of creative edibles from fruit trees to berries to veggies galore. Each year, the tour visits a different quadrant of Ballard. Northwest Ballard will be featured this year.

Sustainable Ballard’s 6th Annual Edible Garden Tour
June 28, 2014 10am-3pm
Purchase tickets and map $10/person (kids are free) at 
Ballard P-Patch/Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church parking lot
NW 85th and 25th Ave NW, on the day of the tour.

for more information, visit Sustainable Ballard’s Edible Garden Tour Event Page

Members of the EBCA are collaborating with Groundswell NW in creating a Ballard Open Space Plan. This open house on May 29th, 6PM at the Ballard Library, will be a great opportunity for you to provide your input on the importance of green space in Ballard and to help generate ideas on creative ways to create open space and improve existing open space within our community. Bring yourself and your creative mind to this unique event. It’s on the same day as the big Ballard Bike Street Party, so make it a community rich evening by attending both events! To learn more about the Ballard Open Space Plan, check out www.ballardopenspaceplan.org.

Get your team together today for the inaugural Ballard Rotary Scavenger Hunt! Register your team of up to 4 by June 1 for discounted pricing. It’d be fun to have a strong East Ballard showing!