It’s festival weekend for Vashon and West Seattle and the King County Water Taxi is here to help you enjoy it.

This weekend, Vashon is going to be the center of the strawberry universe, with its annual Strawberry Festival. In West Seattle the music, food and booths wait for you in the Junction during the West Seattle Summer Fest!  

Vashon Strawberry Festival

The festival starts Friday, July 14. There will be regular service to Vashon on Friday, and on Saturday, July 15, if you want to be part of the fun, leave your car at home because there will be special Saturday sailings of the Vashon Water Taxi to help bring you to the festivities.

Starting at 9 a.m. the Water Taxi will make hourly trips from our Pier 50 terminal in downtown Seattle over to Vashon, with the last Water Taxi trip leaving for Vashon at 6 p.m. The return trips to Pier 50 will run every hour on the half hour beginning at 9:30 a.m. and concluding with the 6:30 p.m. sailing to Seattle.

When you get off the Vashon Water Taxi, hop on the King County Metro  Route 118 to get to the festival. Additional trips will be added on Saturday to supplement the existing Saturday schedule. Route 118 will be rerouted in the Vashon Town Center due to street closures – refer to Metro’s Service Advisories webpage for details.

When you arrive at the festival, be ready for a day of music, activities, a parade through downtown Vashon, and a vote for the “unofficial Mayor” of Vashon.  

The Vashon Strawberry Festival runs through Sunday, July 16. The Water Taxi will not sail on  July 16, but if you want to go to Vashon on Sunday, you can travel on the Washington State Ferry from their Fauntleroy dock.  

West Seattle Summer Fest

The fun in the West Seattle Junction starts Friday, July 14 and runs through Sunday, July 16. Three days of live music, arts and crafts booths, food and all the shops and restaurants along the West Seattle Junction.

The West Seattle Water Taxi sails late on Friday and Saturday, so you can ride over, spend the day, and ride the free Water Taxi Shuttle (Route 773) from the Junction back to Seacrest Dock. You also have the option of returning downtown from the Junction on the RapidRide C Line.

How much does it cost to ride the water taxi?

Adult fares to Vashon start at $5.75 with an ORCA card—that includes a no cost transfer to Metro Route 118 for those going to the Vashon Strawberry Festival. Festival fans 18 and younger ride for free!

Adult fares to West Seattle start at $5.00 with an ORCA card and include the free shuttle to the Junction. (Again, youth 18 and under ride transit free.)

This is a great weekend for local travel to two of our region’s most entertaining festivals.  Consider a day trip to Vashon Island for the Strawberry Festival. West Seattle Summer Fest has long been a great place to see live music and sample all the choices at this large fair.

Get out to these festivals on a beautiful trip on the King County Water Taxi.