Torchlight Parade: "Whoa. ... Lots of cool stuff"

Six-year-old Nikolas Biros of Bothell sat with his legs crossed on a sidewalk near Seattle Center and shouted when the first float appeared bearing pink princesses, purple wizards and black witches. "Whoa, Mom. Lots of cool stuff," he exclaimed through two missing front teeth.

So began the 58th annual Seafair Torchlight Parade in downtown Seattle, which organizers said attracted nearly 300,000 people Saturday night.

Ndeye Diarra, 13, of Paris, watched the parade with her mom, Adame Diarra, who declared it a highlight of their monthlong visit to Seattle. "It's a way to see American culture," Adame Diarra said.

Some onlookers, such as Krystal Townsend, 24, of Mountlake Terrace, began claiming their spots along the 2.5-mile route well before noon. Townsend was joined by husband Casey; their two sons, Tristen, 5, and Jaiden, 10 months; and two nephews. "I've been coming here since I was a little girl," she said.

Geoff Stoyle of Detroit, who was preparing the 40-foot-long "Realistic Orca" balloon for the parade, put his mouth against the whale's snout and called, "Hey, Jonah, how ya doing in there?" shortly before the 7:30 p.m. start.

For Jennifer Sloniker, 38, of Bothell, the parade stood between her and a much-anticipated bachelorette party for a friend at Tini Bigs in Belltown. She took a cab down from Capitol Hill but was stopped by the parade at Fourth Avenue and Denny Way. How to get to the party? "I'm probably going to have to do a little hiking," she said.

— Amy Martinez, Seattle Times staff reporter