Cal Anderson Park notes: ‘e-bonfire’ damage, what happened to the missing swings, Capitol Hill Garage Sale Day 2026

r/Seattle has been asking what’s up with the Cal Anderson swings

The city says it is sorting out some needed repairs in Capitol Hill’s well-loved Cal Anderson Park including work that might bump up the timeline for a $2.8 million synthetic turf replacement project scheduled for next year.

A Seattle Parks representative tells CHS officials were still assessing the extent of damage caused by an “e-bonfire” on the 4th of July set by a crowd on the park’s Bobby Morris sports field as some tossed e-bikes and scooters into the flames.

Parks officials were meeting with a vendor to get a quote for patching the impacted area of the field but are preparing to weigh the cost against a much larger repair job already slated for next year.

CHS reported here on the plans for the full replacement of the field’s synthetic turf currently slated for next summer.

Meanwhile, another repair job is also on hold. Visitors to the park’s playground may have noticed the swings are missing. A parks spokesperson said the swings were temporarily removed because the safety surfacing underneath was damaged and worn through.

The city is planning to replace the surfacing through its play area safety program. However, a specific timeline won’t be available until they receive more details from the manufacturer.

Another feature of the park will remain shut down. Parks officials say Cal Anderson’s wading pool will not be opened again this year. The pool has been offline for years due to budget issues and costs of needed repairs and construction. In 2024, CHS reported on efforts by the city and the Cal Anderson Park Alliance to explore alternatives including conversion of the pool into a spray park, a format the city has found preferable for maintenance and staffing. At this point, there is no plan for a conversion project in Cal Anderson.

The wading pool in Capitol Hill’s Volunteer Park is one of several city pools and spray parks now open for the season.

While the park has a growing list of maintenance issues, Cal Anderson has been the focus of increased efforts from the city and community groups to activate the park and keep it busy with gatherings and events as part of public safety efforts in the wider area.

The schedule includes some long-time favorites including movie nights. Friday, the city’s Center City Cinema events made their 2026 debut in Cal Anderson. Three more weeks of screenings will follow including Sinners this coming Friday the 17th.

You can also mark your calendar for Sunday, August 16th as Capitol Hill Garage Sale Day returns with a community garage sale in the park.

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$5 A MONTH TO HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE

Subscribe to CHS to help hire writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. To stay that way, we need you. Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for $5 a month — or choose your level of support