Downtown Winthrop — Riverside Avenue in particular — will be given over to ’49er Days activities for a good part of Saturday (May 13) — which means vehicle traffic will be affected. But if you’re patient, or don’t mind taking a break from your travels to enjoy the event, it’s not really that much of a hassle.
At noon on Friday (May 12), the Ride to Rendezvous wagon train will pass through downtown Winthrop. Drivers are advised to use caution during the 20 minutes the Ride rolls through town.
During the big parade on Saturday, drivers who must pass through Winthrop should be aware that Highway 20 — Riverside Avenue — will be closed to traffic between the two bridges from 10:45 a.m. until around noon or shortly thereafter. The 14-mile bypass around the parade route (via West Chewuch and East Chewuch roads) will add about 25 minutes to any east- or west-bound highway travel.
No parking is allowed on Riverside Avenue from 9:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Parking is available at the Winthrop Barn and former Winthrop library parking lots on the west end of town; uptown in the lot above Jupiter or along Castle Avenue; or at the Town Trailhead parking lot, from which a short walk across the Spring Creek Bridge leads to the festivities. Drivers must not block driveway access when parking in residential neighborhoods.
Public restrooms will be open at the Visitor Information Center and at the Barn.
Parade staging will begin uptown along Corral Street between Bluff and Castle at 9 a.m. Entrant judging will be at 10 a.m. The parade route proceeds down Bluff Street, south along Riverside Avenue, and then returns to the staging area after the event. For the safety of parade spectators, no candy or other items may be thrown from mounts, floats or vehicles.
For information, visit https://winthropwashington.com/events/western-heritage.
