City ballfields to be lighted July 3-4

Seattle Parks and Recreation will turn on field lighting on ballfields throughout the city on the evenings of Friday, July 3, and Saturday, July 4, to protect the surfaces. The ballfield lights will turn on at 8:45 p.m. and turn off at either 10 p.m. or 11 p.m., depending on the field. The fields will be monitored by security from 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.

The lights will turn on to discourage the use of fireworks. Fireworks are illegal in Seattle and will destroy the artificial turf on the fields or surrounding facilities. 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.     

Lights at the Bobby Morris field at Cal Anderson Park (1635 11th Ave.) will be left on all night.

Lights at the following fields will turn off at 11 p.m.:

Garfield No. 1 (East Cherry Street and 23rd Avenue);

Genesee Upper and Lower Playfield (4316 S. Genesee St.);

Georgetown Playfield (750 S. Homer St.);

Interbay Athletic Complex (3027 17th Ave. W.);

Jefferson Playfield (4165 16th Ave. S.);

Lower Woodland Playfield Nos. 2 and 7 (5201 Green Lake Way N.);

Washington Park Playfield (2500 Lake Washington Blvd. E.); and

West Queen Anne Playfield (150 W. Blaine St.).

Lights at the following fields will turn off at 10 p.m.:

Mickey Merriam Athletic field complex, Magnuson Nos. 5 (rugby), 6 and 7 (7400 Sand Point Way N.E.); and

Miller Playfield (330 19th Ave. E.).