On Wednesday afternoon, July 29, Alki Beach is set to trade volleyballs for traditional cedar canoes as a flotilla of tribal boats comes ashore, bringing one of the Salish Sea's most striking summer traditions to West Seattle. Pullers from across the Pacific Northwest are expected to land for a night of camping, songs and protocol near the Alki Bathhouse. The stopover at Alki is part of the larger Paddle to Nisqually journey, which will culminate in a weeklong potlatch in the South Sound.
According to Muckleshoot Canoe Journey, the Muckleshoot Canoe Family will host the Alki landing on July 29, with Autumn MaGee listed as the canoe-family manager. The tribe has set the journey's theme as "Healing Through Our Waters by Honoring Our Ancestors" and provided organizer contact information for pullers and volunteers.
The overall 2026 event is hosted by the Nisqually Tribe, which is presenting the trip as the "Paddle to Nisqually Medicine Creek Potlatch," with final protocol and potlatch gatherings planned for late July into early August, according to the Nisqually Tribe. As host, Nisqually will welcome canoe families for multiple days of ceremony, gifting and shared meals.
Organizers told West Seattle Blog that more than 100 canoes are likely to land at Alki, estimating about 110 to 120 boats based on previous stops, while Nisqually has roughly 53 canoes registered so far. The Muckleshoot team is coordinating with private security, the King County Sheriff's Office and Seattle Police, and plans call for public parking with a coach-bus shuttle from a Port of Seattle lot on Harbor Ave SW to help cut down on beach traffic. Local canoe families, including the Blue Heron and the Duwamish's Kikisoblu, are practicing around Puget Sound and plan to be among those landing at Alki.
What To Expect At Alki
As the canoes arrive, each crew will be greeted in turn and invited ashore to name their canoe and nation, then carry their canoe above the tideline for short-term beaching. Hosts typically set up a large Protocol tent and arrange for vendors, restrooms, showers, medics and volunteers to support both pullers and visitors, a pattern described by the Duwamish Tribe and other host pages. Spectators are asked to leave space for ceremonies and follow directions from Muckleshoot event staff and public-safety personnel.
If you plan to watch from shore, the landing zone will be near the Alki Bathhouse at 2701 Alki Ave SW, which Seattle Parks lists as the central site for beach activities. Expect crowds and tight street parking on the day of the landing, so organizers recommend using the planned shuttles or transit and giving priority to canoe crews and their camping areas if you head down to the sand.
