FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Megan Postiglione July 11, 2016 Festivals Inc. (425) 295-3262 [email protected] THIS WEEKEND: Catch a Ride to the Groupon Bite of Seattle® The Groupon Bite of Seattle®, July 15-17 at Seattle Center, is a summer favorite! The Bite celebrates its 35th Anniversary this year and features 60+ restaurants and vendors, local Craft Beer and Cider Tasting, all-new The Wine Bar and Craft Courtyard, 5 music & entertainment stages, a free movie night on Friday, July 15th at 8:30pm featuring Jurassic World, Beer Gardens featuring both local craft beer and local spirits signature cocktails, local chefs performing live cooking demonstrations and mystery ingredient cook-offs on stage, a Family Fun stage, Sponsor tours & samples, and much more! With so much going on guests should plan for crowded streets as high attendance is anticipated for the 2016 festival. These transportation tips can help you save time, gas and some very sore feet! PLAN AHEAD The Groupon Bite of Seattle® is located at Seattle Center in the Uptown neighborhood (Street address is 305 Harrison St. Seattle, WA 98109). Allow time to drive to the Center, park and maneuver through the crowds. Arriving early will ensure that you don’t miss out on any of the Bite events! Information on current road construction may be found here: http://www.seattlecenter.com/news/detail.aspx?id=1609 USE METRO SERVICE It is easy to navigate Seattle’s transit system with Metro’s Trip Planner, and you can plan your trip to Seattle Center from anywhere in the region. For more information about bus service to the Bite, call Metro at 206-553-3000 or visit metro.kingcounty.gov. To find bus routes, visit tripplanner.kingcounty.gov. CARPOOL WITH FRIENDS Seattle Center parking rates during events range from $15 - $20+. Invite your family, friends and neighbors to come along to split the cost of parking, or visit rideshareonline.com to find carpool partners. This free service, managed by the Washington State Department of Transportation, can help you locate fellow festivalgoers traveling to Seattle Center. Parking Rates fluctuate with demand. Higher rates apply when heavy demand is anticipated. Lower rates are in effect when overall parking demand is low. For more information on parking, visit seattlecenter.com/transportation/parking. RIDE THE MONORAIL The Seattle Center Monorail departs every 10 minutes and takes riders between Seattle Center (adjacent to the Space Needle) and Westlake Center (at Fifth Avenue and Pine Street). The Monorail operates weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. and weekends from 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. One-way fares (cash only) are $2.25 for adults, $1 for children ages 5–12 and $1 for seniors 65 or older; children 4 or under ride free. For more information, visit seattlemonorail.com. TAKE THE CENTRAL LINK Central Link, Sound Transit’s light-rail system, has 15 stops along its route from Sea-Tac Airport to the University District. The light rail can connect you to a bus or the monorail, which will take you directly to Seattle Center. For more information, visit soundtransit.org/schedules/central- link-light-rail. CYCLE TO THE CENTER If you’re looking for a free way to get to the center, consider riding your bike. Seattle Center is located between two major regional bike routes; it is accessible from the Myrtle Edwards Bike Trail (which connects Ballard to West Seattle and the Duwamish River Trail) and the Dexter Avenue Bike Trail (which connects downtown Seattle to Fremont, Wallingford, Green Lake and the Burke-Gilman Trail). A new route two-way bicycle path is now open on the north side of Mercer Street between Dexter Avenue N and Fifth Avenue N. Seattle Center has bike racks so you can lock your bike during the festival. For maps of the routes, visit seattle.gov/transportation/bikemaps.htm. BOARD A STREETCAR Running at 15-minute intervals, the Seattle Streetcar runs from South Lake Union to downtown Seattle. Its Westlake hub connects to other public transit systems, including the Monorail, Metro and Sound Transit buses. The streetcar also connects to Metro bus route 8, which goes to Seattle Center. For more information, visit seattlestreetcar.org. LEAVE OVER-SIZED VEHICLES AT HOME Seattle Center cannot provide parking for large vehicles. Event staff advises against the use of RVs or trailers for transportation to the Bite. ACCESS FOR PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED PERSONS All buildings at Seattle Center are fully accessible. Disabled parking is available at all Seattle Center garages. If garages appear to be full, ask a Seattle Center attendant for disabled access. OTHER TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS Festival goers have even more options, such as walking or using the King County Water Taxi or the Washington State Ferry System. For more information, visit kingcounty.gov/transportation.aspx. TRANSPORTATION HOTLINE The Seattle Center offers a parking, traffic and transportation hotline. For current information call (206) 233-3989. For current Puget Sound traffic conditions visit www.seattlecenter.com. ### .