Reimagined Westlake Park Opens Right in Time for Summer Fun

Hundreds gathered to celebrate the Westlake Park grand reopening on May 28, capping a major renovation that brought the park’s first significant upgrade since it originally opened in 1988. The revitalization was led by the Seattle Parks Foundation and Seattle Parks and Recreation.

Planning for the renovation began in July 2024, with Seattle Parks Foundation leading community engagement with residents, businesses, public agencies and service providers to develop a design that addressed deteriorating structures, outdated amenities and public safety concerns. The project team included Sellen Construction, Pine Street Group, the Seattle Department of Transportation and Berger Partnership, among others.

The result is a reimagined park with new seating throughout, a revamped game area, ping-pong courts on the south end, improved play areas and new artwork. Bonito Café y Mercadito has taken over DSA/MID’s SnackBox, bringing food and drink to the space on a daily basis.

The reopening celebration itself drew a lively crowd that enjoyed music from Bad Weather Brass, a craft station from SilverKite Community Arts, instruction from Seattle Chess School and food from several local vendors.

Located in the heart of downtown — surrounded by light rail, retail and local businesses — the park’s location draws consistently high foot traffic. For DSA, the reopening is more than a milestone; it’s the starting point for a packed summer of programming in the park’s newly refreshed space.

“Westlake Park reopening means reestablishing a central gathering place for people to connect,” DSA Director of Public Realm Operations Owen Harrang said. “This summer represents a major moment for downtown.”

The 47th annual Downtown Summer Sounds concert series, presented by Amazon and funded by MID ratepayers, will kick off at Westlake Park on Thursday, July 9 at 6 p.m. — the first of 16 free performances across downtown. Concerts will then move to every Thursday at 4 p.m. at Westlake throughout July, before shifting to Occidental Square every Thursday through August. Additional venues include Bell Street Park, Harbor Steps and Railroad Way, to name a few. Last year’s series drew more than 16,000 attendees.

“Downtown Summer Sounds is a cornerstone of the summer experience,” Harrang said. “It brings people together across neighborhoods and creates a shared sense of energy that carries throughout downtown.”

Westlake will also serve as the hub for Summer of Sports, presented by Nordstrom, transforming the park into Seattle’s outdoor sports viewing destination.

Free watch parties for World Cup matches and a secondary screen for daily Mariners, Storm, Reign, NBA and NHL games will run throughout the summer, with food and drinks available, a Nordstrom VIP viewing area and a full calendar of matchups.

“This isn’t just about putting games on a screen,” Harrang said. “It’s about creating an experience that is free, open to the public and uniquely downtown Seattle. We want Westlake Park to be the place people think of when they want to be part of the action.”

Westlake Park is one of several parks and public spaces DSA manages throughout downtown, alongside Bell Street Park, First & Pike, McGraw Square, Occidental Square and Pioneer Park. These spaces represent DSA’s ongoing commitment to maintaining vibrant, welcoming public space at the heart of the city, and this summer, with a newly renovated Westlake Park as the centerpiece, there’s never been more reason to spend time in all of them.