Bellevue Readies for Weekend Arts Festivals; Streets Closed Thursday through Sunday

Downtown Bellevue is readying for the weekend arts festivals, including preparing for closed streets from Thursday through Sunday.

Sammamish artist Suzanne Tidwell was at Bellevue Way and Northeast Sixth Street -- near the Bellevue Arts Museum and Bellevue Square -- with a crew to install a series of 20 "yarn bombs" festooning the street with color.

Tidwell's crew is covering 20 poles near the mall and the museum with acrylic knit "sweaters," sometimes called "yarn bombs," as part of the Bellevue Arts Museum's artsfair.

"I love that shock of color," she said Monday. "When people are here, you'll see them touching it and hugging it. It's accessible the way some other art perhaps isn't."

Tidwell was commissioned by the artsfair for her piece "Experience Web: An Open Book," an arts installation that will allow participants at the fair to wind miles of colorful yarn through human-sized books installed outside the Bellevue Arts Museum.

The City of Bellevue also is preparing motorists for street closures in preparation of the arts fair. Here is the city's summary of the street closures and the fairs:

With Bellevue’s major outdoor arts festivals this weekend, several downtown streets will be closed from Thursday to Sunday. As in past years, three events come together to bring attention to Northwest arts and crafts, food and drink, and culture and entertainment.

artsfair (http://www.bellevuearts.org/fair/index.html): At , 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, and 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday. The 65th annual artsfair will feature work from more than 300 juried artists, family fun art activities, glassblowing demonstrations and local bands and performers. Visitors can participate in a large community art installation.

Bellevue Festival of the Arts (www.Bellevuefest.org): At , 10300 NE Eighth St., Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. An Eastside summer tradition, which has become known for superb featured artists (180 this year) and charitable activities.   

6th Street Fair (www.bellevuedowntown.org/events/sixth_street): Original work of 130 artists in sculpture, jewelry, home décor and fabrics in booths around the intersection of Northeast Sixth Street and 106th Avenue Northeast, Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Produced by the Bellevue Downtown Association, the event also features live jazz, blues and rock along with a variety of food.

To help the event run smoothly, the following streets and/or lanes will be closed between Thursday, July 28, and Sunday, July 31:

• 100th Avenue Northeast: southbound lane(s), between Northeast 10th to Eighth streets, Thursday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.;
• Northeast 10th Street: westbound lane(s), between 108th and 106th avenues, Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m.;
• 106th Avenue Northeast: both directions, between Northeast Fourth and Sixth streets (Thursday, 6 p.m. to Sunday, 11 p.m.;
• Northeast Sixth Street: both directions, between Bellevue Way and 106th Avenue Northeast, Thursday, 6 p.m. to Sunday, 11 p.m.; and
• 102nd Avenue Northeast: both directions between Northeast Eighth and 10th streets, Friday, 7 a.m. to Sunday, 11 p.m.

To avoid the traffic, take the bus to a stop near the fair. There are four park-and-ride lots that serve downtown bus routes: South Bellevue, 2700 Bellevue Way SE, take Sound Transit 550; Eastgate, 14200 SE Eastgate Way, take Metro 27; South Kirkland, 10610 NE 38th Pl., take Metro 230; and Kingsgate, 13001 116th Way Northeast, take Sound Transit 535.  

To plan a trip by bus, visit http://metro.kingcounty.gov and use the Regional Trip Planner. For Sound Transit routes (535, 550 and 560) visit http://soundtransit.org. Paid parking is also available in many of Bellevue’s downtown office buildings.   

For information on other travel alternatives, check out http://www.chooseyourwaybellevue.org/.