The Chinatown-International District (CID) and the City of Seattle is bracing for the influx of tens of thousands of visitors expected for Major League Baseball’s All-Star Week.
With only the third hosting of the All-Star Game in Seattle’s history, the city was prepared to welcome more than 100,000 people, generating at least $50 million in economic impact, according to Visit Seattle.
Shohei Ohtani, a Japanese professional baseball pitcher, designated hitter and outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels is on the All-Star roster.
On game day—July 11—the crush of visitors is expected to impact businesses and disrupt the usual flow of daily life. Parking spots would be scarce, potentially affecting local residents and making it more challenging for customers to reach their favorite Chinatown establishments. On July 10, Uwajimaya Village is planning to hold a street fair which will close Weller street.
To accommodate the influx of visitors, Sound Transit has announced additional services including running more frequent trains on the Link light rail and providing special Sounder game trains. Sound Transit made all service fare-free on July 10 and 11, ensuring that visitors and locals alike could travel conveniently throughout the city without any additional cost.
For more detailed information, go to soundtransit.org/allstar