New Name – Same Great Festival
Despite the new name and look, Ballard Music & Seafoodfest remains a free community festival, offering an abundance of food and beverage options, all-ages entertainment, and stellar musical talent. The event continues to honor its legacy as a fundraiser for neighborhood improvement projects and programs, ensuring Ballard remains a dynamic and welcoming place to live, work, and visit year-round. Additionally, the festival has a new website that better showcases the event’s robust offerings.
“The new Ballard Music & Seafoodfest brand truly reflects the natural growth and evolution of Ballard’s iconic event,” said festival producer and Ballard Alliance Executive Director Mike Stewart. “It was time for a name that captures the full energy and fun of what we’ve become, while keeping the heart and identity of our community spirit front and center.”
The festival’s refreshed branding draws inspiration from the sea, with a palette of blues, coral, salmon, and cream, and a playful logo nodding to the original salmon BBQ and Ballard’s maritime legacy. As Stewart notes, “At its core, the festival is just fun, and we try not to take ourselves too seriously—the new brand speaks to that. There’s never a shortage of seafood puns among us.”
The 2026 music lineup will be announced in early spring. All performances will take place on the Blundstone Main Stage with the historic Ballard Avenue as a backdrop for three days of free entertainment. The festivities will kick off with an evening concert and lively beer & cocktail garden on Friday, July 10. On Saturday and Sunday, July 11 & 12, the festival will be in full swing with more than 50 food vendors, concerts, activities and events all day, and conclude with headliner band performances each evening.
The Ballard Music & Seafoodfest has been a production of the Ballard Alliance (formerly the Ballard Chamber of Commerce) since 1974 and is made possible each year by our generous sponsors, dedicated volunteers and fun-loving attendees. All proceeds from the Ballard Music & Seafoodfest are reinvested into the community through Ballard Alliance programs that help ensure Ballard is a vital and thriving neighborhood for its residents, business owners and visitors.
