Seattle Parks and Recreation will turn on field lighting on synthetic ballfields throughout the city on the evenings of Thursday, July 3, and Friday, July 4, to protect the synthetic surfaces. This is to discourage the use of fireworks.
The ballfield lights will be turned on at 8:45 p.m. and will be turned off at either 10 p.m. or 11 p.m., depending on the field.
Lights at the following fields will be turned off at 11 p.m.:
•Bobby Morris at Cal Anderson Park (1635 11th Ave.);
•Garfield No. 1 (East Cherry Street and 23rd Avenue);
•Genesee Upper and Lower Playfield (4316 S. Genesee St.);
•Georgetown Playfield (750 S. Homer St.);
•Jefferson Playfield (4165 16th Ave. S.);
•Lower Woodland Playfield Nos. 2 and 7 (5201 Green Lake Way N.); and
•Washington Park Playfield (2500 Lake Washington Blvd. E.).
Lights at the following fields will turned off at 10 p.m.:
•Loyal Heights Playfield (2101 N.W. 77th St.);
•Magnuson Nos. 5 (rugby), 6 and 7 (7400 Sand Point Way N.E.); and
•Miller Playfield (330 19th Ave. E.).
The fields will be monitored by security from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Fireworks are illegal in the city of Seattle and will destroy the artificial turf on the fields. The approximate replacement cost for the synthetic surface based on per average full-size field (110,000 square feet) is $1.2 million.
All the fields have been renovated in the last several years and benefit field users, including players of soccer, football, baseball, Ultimate Frisbee and lacrosse.