A viral raccoon, a 10-mile walk through some of Seattle’s best neighborhoods, and hundreds of people potentially dressed in raccoon gear. Honestly, this might be the most Seattle thing ever invented!
If for some reason you haven't met Jimothy yet, allow us to introduce you to our team's latest obsession. Jimothy is the unusually shaped raccoon who was spotted wandering around Ballard this summer and almost immediately became a Seattle celebrity. A short video of him went viral, racking up millions of views and transforming one little Ballard raccoon into arguably our town's newest icon. And Seattle has fully embraced him!
In just a few months, Jimothy has inspired artwork, murals, merchandise, tattoos, a video game, a Mariners celebration, and even an official City of Seattle proclamation celebrating “Jimothy Summer.” He was also named a Washingtonian of the Day by Governor Bob Ferguson. Somehow, a raccoon wandering through Ballard managed to bring an entire city together, and we absolutely love him for it. Naturally, the next logical step was giving him his own 10-mile walk.
On October 11, the Seattle Super Saunter is hosting the Jimothy Jaunt, a free, nearly 10-mile walking adventure through Phinney Ridge, Fremont, and Ballard. The event was previously known as the Phinney, Fremont and Ballard Fall Frolic, but given Jimothy's newfound fame, organizer Holden Minor Ringer decided a name change was necessary. We couldn't agree more!
The walk begins around 10 a.m. at the Phinney Neighborhood Center before winding through some of our favorite parts of North Seattle. Along the way, participants will stop at the Fremont Market and Ballard Farmers Market, cross the Ballard Locks, continue toward Golden Gardens, and eventually make their way back through Ballard to finish at Urban Family Brewing Co.
And before you decide that 10 miles sounds a little ambitious, you don't have to walk the entire thing. The event is completely free, and you're welcome to join for one mile, all 10, or somewhere in between. Raccoon and Jimothy-themed outfits are also encouraged, which might be reason enough for us to show up.
As much as we love the silliness of the whole thing, there's also something genuinely wonderful about the way Seattle has rallied around Jimothy. In a city filled with famous landmarks, incredible restaurants, beautiful neighborhoods, and plenty of serious things happening every day, sometimes it's nice to have something that simply makes people smile. Jimothy somehow did exactly that.
So yes, our team is officially part of the Jimothy fan club. And if hundreds of Seattleites spend an October Sunday walking 10 miles through the city in honor of a slightly unusual Ballard raccoon, we'd say his status as Seattle's newest icon is pretty much official.
Long live King Jimothy!!!!
