by Agueda Pacheco
South Park neighbors were ready early, vying for the best spots ahead of Saturday’s annual Fiestas Patrias parade. Lawn chairs lined South Cloverdale Street while vendors sold chicharrones, barbacoa, and aguas frescas.
Continue reading PHOTO ESSAY | Fiestas Patrias Parade 2023by Vee Hua 華婷婷
by Alex Garland
According to a 2022 NASA report, the global sea level is rising due to human-influenced climate change, and by 2050 is expected to rise by as much as 12 inches. According to many in city, state, and federal leadership positions, that was clearly demonstrated by the flooding in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood on Dec. 27, 2022. Since a consensus is forming that the water is rising, the funding needs for short-term and long-term resilience plans are being prioritized.
Continue reading Roles, Responsibilities, and Resources Related to Flooding in Seattle’s South Park Neighborhoodcurated by Vee Hua 華婷婷
by Lizz Giordano
With the opening of the West Seattle Bridge on Sunday, Sept. 18, the Duwamish Valley is counting down the days to fewer vehicles passing through the neighborhood and regaining its streets for slower uses.
Continue reading Duwamish Valley Hopes for Quieter Streets as the West Seattle Bridge Reopensby Amanda Ong
On Saturday, Aug. 6, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. the Duwamish River Community Collective (DRCC) will host the 16th annual Duwamish River Festival.
The free festival will be held at Duwamish River People’s Park and Shoreline Habitat, featuring food, games, prizes, and live entertainment.
Continue reading Duwamish River Festival: Sparking Joy, Community Gathering, and Environmental Awareness for 16 Yearsby Amanda Ong
Since 2018, the Urban Fresh Food Collective has been making fresh food accessible to South Park, one of Seattle’s food deserts. What started as a passionate group of South Park residents has now become a team of leaders committed to honoring the community through its various programs. They remind us that despite Seattle’s seemingly progressive reputation, there are still neighborhoods without easy access to fresh foods.
Continue reading The Urban Fresh Food Collective Tackles Food Insecurity in South Parkby Amanda Ong
Three years ago, a group of South Park residents and café regulars routinely met at Resistencia Coffee. Now, what started as those open mics and conversations about community building over coffee has become Cultivate South Park, an established nonprofit that is working to build spaces for connection and collaboration throughout the South Park community. The nonprofit’s robust programming provides South Park with innovative solutions in food, environmental, housing, and economic justice, and fortifies existing neighborhood strengths.
Continue reading Cultivate South Park: Serendipity, Coffee, and Radical Community Programsby Amanda Ong
Villa Comunitaria (VC) started in 2005 as the South Park Information and Resource Center. Now sixteen years old, the organization — in 2021 alone — delivered $500,000 in rental assistance funds, 500 vaccines to clients, 6,480 pounds of produce from the Salsa de la Vida program, and helped clients complete thirty-five citizenship pre-applications. They have also hosted workshops for community members to participate and engage in life-skills and other topics.
Executive Director Analia Bertoni remembers coming to VC over a decade and a half ago first as a client. “I came to Seattle as an immigrant in 2001 because of one of the many economic crises in Argentina,” Bertoni told the South Seattle Emerald in an interview. “My family of four came to work and provide a better life for our children who were 14 and 11 … I showed up as a client, eager to connect with other people who spoke Spanish.”
Continue reading Villa Comunitaria Looks Back on 2021 and Forward to Their Family Early Learning Cooperativeby Mark Van Streefkerk
The South Park Multicultural Latino Market, a recurring weekend pop-up hosted by the South Park Merchants Association (SPMA), will host a special celebration of Mexican Independence Day and Hispanic American Heritage Month on Saturday, Sept. 18, at the South Park Plaza. Fiestas Patrias will feature DJs spinning salsa, cumbia, merengue, banda, and quebradita sonidero music, and vendors will sell authentic Mexican and Latino foods like tacos, empanadas, elotes, specialty non-alcoholic drinks, as well as clothing, jewelry, and collectibles. The celebration starts at 1 p.m. and goes until 5 p.m. or later. RSVP and find out more at the Fiesta Patrias Facebook event page.
Mexican Independence Day took place on Sept. 16, but other Central and South American countries celebrate their independence days around the same time, kicking off Hispanic American Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. Fiestas Patrias is an inclusive Independence Day celebration for South Park’s diverse Latino community and everyone is welcome.
Continue reading South Park’s Multicultural Latino Market Celebrates Mexican Independence Day Saturday
