01.22.2024

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Today’s Forecast

🍊 Orange you a bit curious?

What’s up with the oranges on the shores of Gas Works Park?

A smattering of oranges cut in half on the frozen shores of Gas Works Park in Seattle

It looks like the oranges were cut it half at Gas Works, not peeled or eaten. | Photo via Levi (u/Kronic50)

Hey, weird Seattle sleuths — have we got a juicy mystery for you. Recently, a Reddit user posted photos from Gas Works Parks that showed a whole bunch of oranges scattered around the frozen Lake Union shore.

Not one or two scraps. Not a stray rind. We’re talking dozens of oranges that looked like they were sliced in half and abandoned like castaways.

So, uh, what the heck? Are the local salmon on an all-citrus diet? Is this an extension of the viral “orange peel” test? Like in the “Godfather,” does it mean someone’s about to get whacked?

Let’s dig our nails into the enigma and see what bears fruit.

An aerial view of Gas Works Park showing the famed towers among the green space — Gas Works is already a weird spot, arising from a former gas plant.
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Photo via @pnw.mei

Fact vs. pulp fiction

When asked for an official explanation, a spokesperson for Seattle Parks & Recreation suggested that the oranges were likely just discarded trash. Way to spoil our fun.

But Levi from Wallingford, who originally took the pics, saw the oranges on Tuesday, Jan. 14 when temps were in the 20s — way too cold for any picnic. “They appeared to me that they washed up on shore,” he said.

And here’s where it gets super strange. A couple of Reddit commenters mentioned that they also saw oranges on the shores in Vashon and Eastlake recently, with one wondering if a cargo container fell off a ship. Hmmmm…

A map of Seattle with three orange icons — one in Vashon and the other two at Gas Works Park and nearby Eastlake — We mapped out approximate locations for the three reported orange sightings.
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Screenshot via Proxi

Floating it out there

There’s another Redditor theory to ponder — the NOAA and the Coast Guard have used oranges in the past to simulate oil spills. Apparently, the bobbing fruit helps measure currents for clean-up strategy. Since our region occasionally sees oil tankers, this explanation might hold water. However, an NOAA spokesperson said the organization hasn’t done a test like that in years.

Of course, we preferred some of the funnier comments in the Reddit thread, including that this may mean “six more weeks of winter,” that “banana boats will be deployed to intercept” — or simply that they’re “naval oranges.” We “Vitamin Sea” you.

Asked

Where do you think the oranges came from?

A. Sloppy park visitors
B. Shipping vessel accident
C. Oil spell tests
D. Mafia-like vendettas

Squeeze in our poll

Events

Monday, Jan. 22

Silent Movie Mondays: “Safety Last!” (1923) | Monday, Jan. 22 | 7 p.m. | Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., Seattle | $12 | See the Harold Lloyd classic that features the iconic shot of the actor hanging from a giant clock.
National Geographic Live: “Life on Thin Ice” | Monday, Jan. 22-Wednesday, Jan. 24 | 7:30 p.m. | Benaroya Hall, 200 University St., Seattle | $29-$50 | Take a journey with explorer Kiliii Yuyan to understand Indigenous tribes of the Arctic north and their relationship with the environment.

Tuesday, Jan. 23

She’s the Boss: Advice from Four Female Founders | Tuesday, Jan. 23 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Armoire, 83 S. King St., Seattle | $45 | Get business advice + leadership lessons from well-known local entrepreneurs, including the founder of fashion rental service Armoire and the co-owner of Hello Robin.
“Cascadia Field Guide” Reading | Tuesday, Jan. 23 | 7-8:30 p.m. | Third Place Books, 6504 20th Ave. NE, Seattle | Free | Local writers + artists celebrate the PNW through histories, poetry, and illustrations.

Wednesday, Jan. 24

Cowork and Connect | Wednesday, Jan. 24 | 2-4 p.m. | Seattle Public Library Ballard Branch, 5614 22nd Ave. NW, Seattle | Free | Share your goals with others, then get down to business with two 40-min blocks of focused work time — an optional happy hour follows.
“Tracing My African American Story Through Food” | Wednesday, Jan. 24 | 6:30 p.m. | Town Hall, 1119 Eighth Ave., Seattle | Free | Culinary historian Michael W. Twitty uses genetic research, heirloom gardening, and interviews to explore the connections between identity and what we eat.
Seattle Kraken vs. Chicago Blackhawks | Wednesday, Jan. 24 | 7 p.m. | Climate Pledge Arena, 334 First Ave. N., Seattle | $90-$560 | Chicago’s star rookie Conor Bedard is injured, but the drama is still real as the Kraken hope to stay in playoff contention.

Thursday, Jan. 25

The Disabled List Comedy Festival 2024 | Thursday, Jan. 25-Friday, Jan. 26 | 7:30-9:30 p.m. | Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave., Seattle | $30-$35 | Enjoy filmed sketch and live stand-up by comics with disabilities — there will be a couple of special guests, too.
Compañía Nacional de Danza | Thursday, Jan. 25-Friday, Jan. 26 | 8-9:30 p.m. | Meany Hall for the Performing Arts, 4140 George Washington Ln. NE, Seattle | $54-$69 | Performances from Spain’s premiere dance group includes contemporary ballet and Mexican mambo.

Friday, Jan. 26

Harlem Globetrotters 2024 World Tour | Friday, Jan. 26 | 7 p.m. | Accesso ShoWare Center, 625 W. James St., Kent | $38-$108 | See the world-famous hoopsters show off drinks and high-flying dunks.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

News Notes

Real Estate

Local home prices took a dive last year, according to recent data. While the impact wasn’t the same everywhere in the Seattle area, single-family homes in King County saw a 3% price drop — a cooling trend that hasn’t been seen for years. (Seattle Times)

Wellness

Breath of fresh air? The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is releasing a free app called QuitBot to help folks quit smoking through artificial intelligence. The app uses an AI-powered chatbot that coaches users through short convos over a six-week quitting plan. (GeekWire)

Festival

For those who feel a little twangy, Washington’s popular country music festival Watershed released its August 2024 lineup. The Gorge Ampitheatre concert features headliners Old Dominion, Luke Bryan, and Hardy. Passes go on sale Friday, Jan. 26 at 10 a.m.

Coming Soon

Barcelona tapas franchise Teleferic is planning to open its first Washington location in downtown Bellevue. The popular chain with locations in Spain and California will take up space at the forthcoming InterContintental Bellevue hotel. The restaurant’s opening date has yet to be revealed. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Sports

Hitting it out of the park, the Ballard Little League baseball team wants to celebrate its 70th birthday this year with memories of the past. If you have photo to share or just want to join the reminiscing, you can email the organizers. (My Ballard)

Ranked

Local e-readers have gone into overdrive. King County Library System users checked out the third-most digital titles among all libraries in the world with 8.8 million works downloaded. The Seattle Public Library wasn’t far behind, coming in at No. 8 with more than 5 million digital downloads. (Seattle Times)

Development

Seattle Parks & Recreation recently released design plans for a new city park in Capitol Hill — but it may be awhile until we see the end result. Funding to revamp the 1.6 acres of land formerly owned by the Bullitt family likely won’t arrive until 2029. (Capitol Hill Seattle)

Listen

KEXP’s new podcast “The Cobain 50" explores a famous list Kurt Cobain kept of the eclectic albums that influenced his music. The two cohosts plan to explore the history of each album and how they impacted the legendary Nirvana frontman. The first episode delves into the Stooges’ Raw Power.” (KUOW)

Plan Ahead

💐 Wedding bells are ringing

The Seattle Wedding Show struts down the aisle again

Models pose in white dresses, gowns, and tuxes for a faux bridal party at the Seattle Wedding Show fashion show

The fashion shows run twice on Saturday and once on Sunday. | Photo via Seattle Wedding Show

Hope you practiced your bouquet catching skills — the Seattle Wedding Show is on its way and we’re already humming “Here Comes the Bride.”

The exhibition at Seattle Convention Center’s Arch building is a family-operated event that’s been going strong for 30+ years. It highlights a selection of local businesses to help you plan the big day — or just put pin stuff to your mood board for down the line.

Look for food samples, prizes, and fashion shows with fancy gowns. And since 95% of the vendors are based here, smaller shops like Puffy Pandy, Glassbaby, and the Bothell Florist get to flaunt their goods.

Tickets are $20 online and $25 at the door. Save the dates:

Saturday, Jan. 27, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 28, 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

And don’t forget to consult our list of Seattle wedding venues before you go.

The Buy

The Buy 1.22.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

The perfect sauce to celebrate National Hot Sauce Day today: Sobremesa’s Citrus Habanero Hot Sauce. This small-batch mole and salsa company combined ripe citrus with spicy habanero to make a bright, fiery sauce that tingles the taste buds.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Gabe

From the editor

I love strange Seattle stories and was wondering where the oranges at Gas Works Park would fall on the list. We’ve covered the Wallingford Goo and Capitol Hill’s Ghost Soda Machine before.

Could this rise up the power rankings? We’ll need a conspiracy theory from the park’s gassification past to give it a boost.

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