Report
For over a decade, our community has advocated for a central square that could host special events and performances. This past summer, that vision came to life with the opening of a new public square at U District Station, celebrated through a season-long series called Outdoors On The Ave.
This report presents the results of that summer experiment—when we transformed the square into an urban living room, a place where people gathered in person to enjoy music, movies, and dance. Most attendees were local residents who arrived on foot and discovered the events simply by walking by. More and more, we discover that life is local.
Background
2021
Remember in the depths of the pandemic, when neighbors were longing to gather together safely?
At the time the best option was to meet outdoors, so our community made it happen with outdoor dining, six live concerts, and fun games. This was the spark that inspired the annual event, now celebrating its fifth year!
In 2021, we closed one lane of The Ave to make space for people to gather and for activities to happen.
Since this initial pilot, we have kept this tradition going with free and fun entertainment outdoors in our U District neighborhood during the warm, dry summer months when our population dips for the academic break.
This year's public space activation was generously-funded with a grant from the Neighborhood Matching Fund of the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, and from private donations.
2022
Because the outdoor concerts were such a hit the first year, we brought them back to the U District in 2022, in order to attract folks to spend more time in our vibrant neighborhood.
While The Ave was closed to traffic during the annual U District Streetfair, we hosted two concerts over the weekend, giving an opportunity to dance in the street to great music.
This year's public space activation was generously-funded by Amazon, and from private donations.
2023
In 2023, we expanded the concerts to take place both during the U District Streetfair in mid-May, and for the Food Walk in October.
These four concerts encouraged the crowds to dance in the middle of The Ave, while closed for those neighborhood events.
This year's public space activation was generously-funded by the U District Partnership, the City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Amazon, and from private donations.
2024
In 2024, we introduced outdoor movies to the mix, as screened by our very own Scarecrow Video, home of the world's largest video library and located in the U District.
The series this summer was part of our Summer Green Street project to transform one block of NE 42nd Street as a 'tactical urbanism' pilot.
Throughout the summer activation, we hosted twelve concerts, four outdoor movies, a dance class, art walk competition, and opportunities to dine outdoors at the many tables under newly-planted trees in planters.
For more information on that parallel activation, check out the project report online.
This year's public space activation was generously-funded with a grant from the Neighborhood Matching Fund of the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods. Additional funding provided by Amazon.
2025
With the new square at U District Station just opened, we inaugurated the public space for our fifth year of the summer activations. The theme for the 2025 music + movie series was diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility - celebrating all that Keeps the U District Unique.
We had fantastic weather for all four outdoor movies, seven concerts, and one dance class. The smell of free popcorn was a big draw, as were the nightly raffle prizes and movie bingo. The majority of folks were local residents who discovered the events by walking by and decided to linger.
2025 Lineup
This past August and September, our fifth annual outdoor music + movie series returned—in the new Square at U District Station. These free Friday-night events supported local businesses, brought people into the neighborhood during the quiet summer months, and showcased the U District’s vibrant cultural scene. The events were made possible through your support and generous funding from 4Culture of King County and Amazon.
August 5, 2025
Garfield Jazz Quartet
Garfield Jazz is part of the nationally recognized Fine Arts Department at Garfield High School, a diverse public school in Seattle.
Neighborhood Night Out
The quartet performed at the U District's Neighborhood Night Out event.
August 22, 2025
Robert Leslie
Robert Leslie is an indie-folk artist known for performing on streets across Europe, North Africa, and New York city. His alluring voice, soaring melodies, dense poetic imagery, and freewheeling approach to life have garnered him a large and loyal following.
Smoke Signals
Smoke Signals is a 1998 coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Chris Eyre from a screenplay by Sherman Alexie, based on Alexie's short story collection The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven (1993).
August 29, 2025
Garfield Jazz Quartet
Garfield Jazz is part of the nationally recognized Fine Arts Department at Garfield High School, a diverse public school in Seattle.
Hockey Teeth
Hockey Teeth is a Seattle-based power pop band blending the high energy of modern rock with the catchy melodies of mid-60s pop. Their music offers a fresh and infectious take on the classic power pop sound, drawing comparisons to Phoenix, Elvis Costello, and Wilco.
September 12, 2025
Carrie Jennings
Carrie Jennings' music is powerful and sultry, combining soulful horn lines, potent lyrics, and indie singer-songwriter aesthetics. Her performances are both tender and bold, with spellbinding vocals, lush instrumentals, and endearing stage banter.
Minari
Minari is a 2020 American drama film written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung. A semi-autobiographical take on Chung's upbringing, its plot follows a family of South Korean immigrants who move to rural Arkansas during the 1980s.
September 19, 2025
Casey Freedom
Seattle Area-based Americana Singer/Songwriter Casey Freedom brings an eclectic catalog of honest originals and lively covers, ranging from 60’s & 70’s Folk Rock to 90’s Alternative. Toting husky guitar chops and a warm, burly voice, he puts a fresh spin on a familiar sound that’s both intimate and fun.
The Seed of the Sacred Fig
The Seed of the Sacred Fig is a 2024 political drama film that centers on Iman, an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, who grapples with paranoia as nationwide political protests due to the death of a young woman intensify and his gun mysteriously disappears, making him distrust his wife and daughters.
September 26, 2025
REPOSADO
REPOSADO is a 9-piece Funk, Latin, Afro, Dance band from Seattle that plays what they label as 'tequila funk'. Nobody gets the street moving to latin rhythms better and they have been a recurring highlight of past years' concerts.
In The Heights
In the Heights is a 2021 musical with concept, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story is a romance as well as a celebration of community, culture, and aspirations. The score blends hip-hop, salsa, merengue, and soul.
Salsa Dance Class
Bring a friend and have fun learning the fundamentals of lively and energetic Salsa and romantic and rhythmic Bachata dancing with professional instructors. Salsa & Bachata class presented by BailaDistrict and hosted by U District Partnership.
Cultural Banners
The theme of this past year's series was diversity, equity, and inclusion, and films were selected to support what makes the U District truly unique. To complement the selected films, large educational banners were prepared to introduce attendees to the cultural richness of the American experience. Click on any image to view the full banner and its illuminating content.
Duwamish Tribe
Opening our film series this year was the film Smoke Signals, about the Indigenous experience in America.
Korean Americans
A very popular film this year was Minari, about an immigrant family from South Korea who start a farm in America.
Iranian Americans
The political thriller The Seed of the Sacred Fig depicted a family under pressure during the protests in Iran.
Latino Americans
The final film in the series was In The Heights, a musical romance with a vibrant score celebrating Latino culture in America.
Results
Outdoors On The Ave
From 170 survey responses, verbal anecdotes, and observations, the results from the Outdoors On The Ave Music + Movie series are presented here.
This past summer's series attracted an amazing 1,479 attendees with free access to entertainment, supported 29 artists, and was powered by dozens of volunteers. Attendee counts were managed by free wristbands given to attendees and hand-held counters, with photo documentation as a backup.
With generous funding from 4Culture of King County and Amazon, the series invested $30,000 in our local community during the typically-slower summer months.
Primary relationship to the U District
Like last year's activation of NE 42nd Street, this year's activation of the new square at the U District Station served mostly local residents, with half as many visitors, and about a quarter of them students (though most events happened during the summer academic break).
Frequency of visits to the U District
47% of folks who participated in the events reported that they visit the U District on a daily basis, with about half that visiting weekly, and then others more rarely.
Typical mode of travel to the U District
Almost half of all visitors came by foot or wheelchair, followed by those arriving by transit, which makes sense as the square is adjacent the light rail station and several bus lines. Very few came by vehicle or bike.
How did they learn about the events
Also like last year, the vast majority of people learned about the music + movie series by walking by the activated square, giving proof to the saying that 'people go where people are.'
Duration of visit to evening event
Almost evenly-split was the overall duration of folks time spent in the square during the events, with most staying two hours or more to enjoy the music and movies.
How likely will they return to visit local businesses with the activated square
The results from the activated square left 69% of people saying that such activation would encourage them to return to visit local small businesses.
The aspects enjoyed most at the events
As in years past, the big hit was the free live musical concerts, immediately followed by the outdoor movies. Another draw were the social interactions with other people.
What the U District needs most
Reflecting on what the U District needs most, a public toilet was at the top of the list, a decade-long project that our community has been advocating for. More open spaces like this activated square were also desired.
How welcoming does the U District feel to them
The U District can be a challenging urban environment and 34% of folks reported that they felt welcome to the neighborhood.
How welcoming does the U District feel to them by role
This graph breaks down this rating by role.
How welcoming does the this activated square feel to them
By contrast, the square, activated by the events, made 81% of people feel welcome. This was a top priority of the organizers.
How welcoming does the this activated square feel to them by role
This graph breaks down this rating by role.
Rating of overall experience at the events
Perhaps most impressive was that 79% of survey respondents rated their overall experience of Outdoors On The Ave very favorable, with 98% reporting their experience average or above!
Rating of overall experience at the events by role
This graph breaks down this rating by role.
Survey respondents who support these kinds of free events
An overwhelming majority at 98% of survey respondents supported these kinds of free events (45.6% public supporters and 52.6% anonymous supporters).
Survey respondents who support these kinds of free events by role
This graph breaks down this support by role.
Feedback
With any good experiment, lessons were learned along the way to improve future events from the candid feedback of volunteers and attendees:
Promotion: Because most people learned about the event series by walking by, we increasingly added clever ways to attract more passers-by, like: amplified music heard blocks away, the smell of fresh-popped popcorn, neon signage, projection on the building façade, and signage around the neighborhood.
Public Restroom: The lack of the bathroom was cited by over a third of survey respondents as being something that the U District needs most. This tracks with the outreach our community has completed over the past decade. During this past year's series, we experimented with a portable ADA-accessible toilet and access to the public restroom at an adjacent building. We are committed to providing access to facilities to be as inclusive as possible.
Public Restroom: The lack of the bathroom was cited by over a third of survey respondents as being something that the U District needs most. This tracks with the outreach our community has completed over the past decade. During this past year's series, we experimented with a portable ADA-accessible toilet and access to the public restroom at an adjacent building. We are committed to providing access to facilities to be as inclusive as possible.
Music: We have greatly benefitted from the relationships we have made with our amazing musical performers over the past five years, with many returning again this past year to entertain our attendees.
Movies: The theme of this past year's series was diversity, equity, and inclusion, and films were selected to support what makes the U District truly unique. Soon, we will select the theme for next year's festival and suggest movie titles for popular voting.
Small Businesses: Efforts were made to support the cross-promotion of the series with local small businesses through the purchase of raffle prizes and special deals. This will be expanded in the future.
Small Businesses: Efforts were made to support the cross-promotion of the series with local small businesses through the purchase of raffle prizes and special deals. This will be expanded in the future.
Site Selection: We were thrilled to inaugurate the new square that opened next to the U District light rail station with this year's music + movie series. It was logistically easier to host the event in this privately-operated public space (POPS) without the need to close a public street and temporarily dislocate access for small businesses. It is important to note that the U District has a five-acre deficit of public open space for the size of its regional center .1
Rain Date: Fortunately, the weather for each of our events this past summer was amazing so a rain date or alternative venue was unnecessary. This was an acceptable risk, given various constraints.
Future
Because of the overwhelming popular support for these free events over the past five years, we hope to return again next summer with another series of outdoors concerts and movies. This all depends on available funding we receive from public and private donations.
Our amazing volunteers meticulously maintained anonymous counts of all attendees at our events to verify and document the popularity for local entertainment, and this will help us to advocate for continued funding.
Be sure to subscribe to be the first to learn of future events, and to suggest great movies to screen next year.
If you want to lend a hand to make these events possible, sign up to volunteer. Each volunteer gets a free t-shirt, refreshments, and the opportunity to work with other cool neighbors.
We also welcome tax-deductible donations to our 501c3 nonprofit of any amount. Even $10 will help promote the events or feed a hardworking volunteer.
Kudos
We’re thrilled that 61% of attendees discovered our summer events simply by walking by! Reducing barriers to great, local entertainment is a top priority as a neighborhood nonprofit. This free community access was made possible through the generous support of 4Culture of King County and Amazon.
Behind the scenes, a tremendous amount of coordination and effort goes into making these events happen—and none of it would have been possible without the dedication of the following people and partners.
Volunteers
All of our events are powered by people, like you, who want to make special things happen in the U District. Sign up to volunteer in the future at udistrict.org/volunteer. Come join us IRL!
Volunteers: Makayla, Jay, Olli, Husna, Fauzi, Connor, Annika, Marshall, Christine, Charlie, Zhiming, Vincent, Duy, Thea, Shriniketh, Polly, Marcus, Kyle, Joy, Nadhiya, Daniel, Bob, Cory, Janet, Nikki, Lauren, Carla, Hannah, and Dylan. Thank you!!
Sponsors & Partners
The 2025 series was hosted by U District Advocates. Free access was supported by 4Culture of King County. Additional funding provided by Amazon. Movies screened by our local Scarecrow Video. Coordinated with U District Partnership.
Supporting Businesses
Our summer music + movie series directly benefitted from our amazing local small businesses who provided gift certificates for raffle prizes for attendees, and refreshments for our hardworking volunteers. We thank you!
Stay Involved
Donate
Donations to our 501c3 nonprofit organization are tax-deductible and make such a difference!
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Footnotes
This report was prepared by Cory Crocker of the U District Advocates, a 501c3 nonprofit, volunteer organization focused entirely on making the U District neighborhood a great place to be.
©2025 - U District Advocates, P O Box 85472, Seattle WA 98145 USA
1. Five acre deficit: The City of Seattle calculated a five-acre deficit of public open space in the University District in their 2015 U District Urban Design Environmental Impact Statement: On page 3.7-8, in Table 3.7-3, it states that the 2013 Deficit is 2.9 acres, while the 2035 deficit is 5.1 acres. Note that this determination was prior to the 2017 rezone of the University District to high-rise development up to 33 stories.
Public comment received on the U District EIS: "While the adjacent University of Washington campus has open space, it serves the student and employee population of the University, and not the general public, and the DEIS correctly excludes the University of Washington from the analysis on open space.”
Furthermore, in the 2015 University District Parks Plan Update, on page 12, it states: “While the District features a few excellent parks, along with access to active recreation in Cowen Park and attractive passive open spaces throughout UW’s campus, there is an existing shortfall of open space in terms of the City’s goals (as of 2013). The approximately 1,500 housing units under construction and the additional 4,000 more expected of the 20 years will exacerbate this issue. By 2035, the deficit is expected to grow unless the additional parks and open spaces can be provided.”
The 2013 U District Urban Design Framework, page 13, states: “The University District Park Plan (2005), which addresses the existing and future open space deficit in the U District. It includes priorities for the Parks Department in terms of new open space investments.”
The 2012 University District Urban Design Framework - Existing Conditions Report, page 56, states: “The Seattle Parks Department published the University District Park Plan in 2005. The plan identified an existing deficit in publicly-owned open space, as identified by Comprehensive Plan open space goals for the University District Northwest Urban Village.”