Seattle - question.

[Irina]

What's the street performing situation in Seattle? Do they allow taro-readers, face-painters, caricature artists - folks with 'tables"? What are good pitches? I'm in San Fran now, thinking about going to HempFest - by the way, is it crashable or you need to be a vendor to work there? Thanks for any info. Peace-Luv. Irina, face-painter

[Matt Baker]

The best spots in Seattle to busk are:

Westlake center: You don't need a permit there is a lot of foot traffic around lunch and later evening. The only potential problem they don't like structures. I think a table is fine but anything other than that I have seen get shut down.

Pike Place Market: You need a permit which is $25 and is good for the whole year. The Market is one of the most visited spots on the West Coast. There are certain spots you can perform but usually have to wait inline after 10 drunken guitar players. There is no room to get a crowd which almost makes it impossible to do a show which will give you the results your used to.

The Waterfront: I have not checked it out this summer but last summer they hired security to shut us down. It was a big attempt to get out all the panhandelers hanging out down there and we fall under the same category. It is a city park and it is illegal to solicite donations within 100 ft of a park. Unless you have a permit which costs $300 and then you can do it twice a month.

Seattle Center: Probably your best bet for face painting and that sort of thing. There are a few big draws down there. Space Needle, Science Center and a carnival that runs year round. There are lots of family's throughout the whole area and is great for what you probably are doing.

[Irina]

I did contact Seattle city hall dept of licencing, but they don't know anything about street performers permit. They offered me a business licence instead...

Does anybody have any info on how to get the street performers permit? I don't want to go just to be closed on the second day, as it happened to me in San Francisco...

Yours, Irina

[scot]

If I were you, I'd go to the space needle area in Seattle. There's a carnival type thing there (info from 2001)

The market is private property and they have their own permits. It's not government run.

I don't see how you can not be a vendor. For that you would probably need a street vending permit.

San Francisco doesn't have a permit system, but they allow performing in most areas of town. (not Union Square).