They pitch it as a “water slide” – but we all know that the giant 1,000-foot water slide headed to Mercer street next month is just an oversize slip-n-slide. Slide the City refers to its multi-block-long creation as a slide… and it’s headed to Lower Queen Anne/Uptown next month.
For one day, August 16th, people can pay to slide down Mercer Street from Warren Ave N to 4th Ave N. The event organizers require inflatable tubes, which can also be purchased for a fee, and mouth guards. Yep, sliding just got a little scary (or safer, depending on when you were a kid…).
The giant slide is part of Seafair festivities, and it’s been in other cities before. However, with activities at the Seattle Center and lots of water slide happy folks, be prepared for crowds and parking/traffic impacts.
The slide will operate from 11am until 7pm, and Mercer Street will be closed even longer for prep and disassemble – from 4am to 11:30pm. There are 3 tiers of slide ride pricing (one-time, three-times, unlimited), and right now, you can get on a mailing list for registration (no word on when official registration begins). The event has sold out in other cities, so if you’re looking to slip and slide down Mercer Street, plan ahead.
The Slide the City organizers pitch the slide as a family friendly, with live music, food, drinks, water, and a huge padded-for-comfort (and safety) slide. They encourage sliders to bring “water buckets, floaties, and water guns (non-realistic of course), to squirt, spray, splash, and get all attending soaked.”
Check out the site for more info, and if you’re not into giant water slides, plan ahead for navigating around the neighborhood.