Pioneer Square Fest 2025 Returns This Fourth of July Weekend

Founder and organizer of the festival Lloyd Gregory (second from left) poses with his two sons and a friend at Pioneer Square Fest 2024. (Photo courtesy of Gregory)

By Mead Gill

The annual Pioneer Square Fest is returning Saturday, July 5 and Sunday, July 6 in the heart of the historic downtown neighborhood. This year, the free market and premium music festival is bigger than ever, taking up portions of Occidental, Washington and Main Streets to make space for over 100 pop-up vendors, 40 Seattle-based bands, and five event stages. 

In 2022, founder and organizer Lloyd Gregory kickstarted Pioneer Square Fest to bring awareness to the neighborhoods’s “untapped and underrated” creative history and opportunity. “Pioneer Square is everyone’s downtown. I want it to be seen as a third place for the city,” he said. “I want it to be seen as a place where people can dip down, hang out, get out of the hood for a little bit.”

Vendors and festival attendees gather in Occidental Square during Pioneer Square Fest 2024. (Photo courtesy of Gregory)

With the intention of growing the festival’s impact and celebration of the artistic and cultural hub that is Pioneer Square, Gregory prioritized increasing the festival’s financial accessibility. “We believe this is the most affordable street market slash festival in the city,” he said. The market is free with additional $30 wristbands for full access to the music performances on Saturday. Vendor registration is under $300 for the full weekend, compared to comparable Seattle festivals that charge the same amount of more per day.  

This year’s musical lineup primarily features Pacific Northwest-based musicians and DJs, including Alex Vile, Black Ends, Daughters of Venus, and other genre-bending local gems. Musicians will take stage on Saturday at local businesses including Golden Roosters, Baba Yaga, and various stages around the neighborhood. In-store events and deals will be found at many local restaurants and storefronts, highlighting Pioneer Square’s diverse array of food and merchandise. 

Musical acts take centerstage in underground venues during Pioneer Square Fest 2024. (Photo courtesy of Gregory)

After living in Seattle for over a decade, Gregory has witnessed the Pioneer Square community struggle to make ends meet, without the housing capacity for the district to flourish into a voluntary neighborhood like Capitol Hill. He explained that at a time where less resources are being invested in the arts and business community, Pioneer Square Fest is his way of conglomerating resources into the area’s vibrant artists and businesses with a passion to serve the communities he has grown to love. 

“I stand with the artists…I want [Seattle] to be known for the creators that it fosters,” Gregory said, calling for the community to treat music and the arts as the export commodity that it is. 

Pioneer Square Fest 2025 is bigger than ever, expanding from Occidental to portions of Washington and Main Streets. (Graphic courtesy of Gregory)

Wristbands can be purchased at the Pioneer Square Festival official site. Vendors can register for the zone they'd like to be in here. Organizations and brands that would like to pop up in Occidental Square can register here.

Instagram: @pioneersquarefest

Don’t miss this opportunity to be a part of a celebration of creativity, community, and music that defines Seattle and Pioneer Square!