Next stop on the AVP 2019 Tour: Emerald City. That’s right, this weekend the 2019 AVP Seattle Open brings the best of volleyball to Sammamish State Park, starting on June 21st.
We’re marking the first half of the season with some fierce competition, battling for a slice of the $150,000 at stake this weekend.
The opening rounds of the Main Draw begin on Friday, but you can still catch the Qualifiers throughout the day on Thursday, June 20th. In Thursday’s qualifying rounds, any team is allowed to sign up and compete, but only four squads from each gender will make it into Friday’s Main Draw. These matches can be tense — and, really, one more day of pro-level volleyball is always a good thing, if you ask us. The Qualifiers are open to the public, but no live scoring or livestreaming options are available for Thursday’s matches.
Don’t forget: This is all FREE!
While you can pony up for VIP tickets, a whole weekend’s worth of matches and access to the Sponsor Village are all completely free. Come down to hang out with the AVP fam, watch some awesome AVP-grade volleyball, and meet some of the players along with your fellow fans. The tournament is perfect for people of all ages and interests: beer garden, Kid’s Zone, live music, food trucks, and family activities.
You’ve just gotta keep in mind that seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. On top of that, the venue isn’t exactly a wide-open beach. So, spots can fill up quick.
Our advice: Give yourself a little extra time to cruise the Sponsor Village before the action starts.
Speaking of which, here’s the layout of the venue:
What’s happening at the Sponsor Village?
For those moments you aren’t soaking in the beautiful sights at Sammamish State Park, here are a few of the things going down in Sponsor Village:
- Curious to see how durable JBL gear is? Will it still be able to blast tunes after getting dropped in water? See what happens around their product dunk tank! Who knows? If it’s hot enough this weekend, maybe you can dunk yourself. Be a part of their photo wall or just swing by, rock out, and take advantage of deals during the AVP weekend.
- Wilson has a ton going on in Seattle. First, find their booth to grab free player cards of their sponsored AVP athletes (Casey Patterson, the McKibbins, Kelly Reeves, Tri Bourne, Irene Pollock, and Stafford Slick to name a few) then jump in the photo booth to be the star of your own player card! Then, before leaving, use their volleyball vending machines and customize your own AVP Official Game Ball (add your name or a phrase, whatever you can think of…within reason).
- What time is it? Time to check out Rockwell, maker of big, badass watches this weekend. Their booth will showcase their top-notch gear – including the brand spankin’ new special edition AVP branded watches.
- Five12, a company based around creating goods from recycled items like coffee grounds and plastics, will be showing off some of their clothing and gear. Be sure to check that out!
- Z Girls, back for the third year in a row, is an awesome non-profit org supporting young girls getting into sports. Really, everybody attending needs to swing by and show these people some love while showing support for the next generation of athletes that could be coming from this program.
- The AVP Kids’ Zone is a great way for kids of all ages (and kids at heart) to experience some good family fun. Sure, we’ll have a bouncy house and slide, but there are already some other awesome things in the existing park’s playground that you need to check out – including a small zipline! It’s sick.
- Get your face painted up, or get that henna tattoo you’ve always wanted. And once you regret it, you can wash it off 😜
- You can bring your own food and drinks – minus the booze, thank you – but we will have you covered when you do show up. Because, of course, nothing beats a bit of beer out in the sun. Swing by the Giant Kona Oasis this weekend for some liquid aloha. It’s a great place to buy ice cold beer or play some bar games in between matches. Plus, we’ve built a massive beer deck right on Stadium Court that is open to the public so now you don’t have to choose between beer and volleyball.
- Want some tasty grub without having to jump back in your car? We got you! Come hungry because we have these food trucks on deck!
o Dreamy Drinks (boba)
o Island Blends Acai (açaí bowls, poke bowls, & kombucha)
o Stacks Burgers (get some burgers, Friday & Sunday only)
o C. Davis Texas BBQ (This one’s pretty obvious)
o The Ultimate Melt (grilled Cheese, Saturday only)
o Slide Thru (Asian Fusion – buns and bars)
Before we forget: A special thanks goes out to all our participating vendors and sponsors that make this event possible.
Parking options at Sammamish
The Discover Pass is required to get into Washington state parks. If you’re a Washingtonian, you probably already have yours. So, no sweat there. However, if you’re coming in from out of town (or state), these can run you $10/day. Considering that an annual Discover Pass is only $30, you might as well kick in for the year-long coverage if you plan to hit the AVP matches all weekend long.
BONUS: You’re also buying yourself access to most other state parks for your money. After this weekend is in the rear-view, you can come on back to appreciate the amazing vistas and maybe spot some bald eagles.
Where the AVP goes for food…
Some players and AVP staff will be nearby in Bellevue and Issaquah, so we asked them for some of their top picks of where to grab grub while hanging around town after match-play ends.
Din Tai Fung According to a few staffers, this joint is a must-go! Period. Exclamation Point.
Facing East Taiwanese food that is, apparently, GOAT.
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka If you love noodles, you really don’t have a choice in the matter.
Taqueria El Rinconsito & Señor Taco TACOS & Mexican food! No need for an explanation, just go.
Monsoon Bellevue Vietnamese food – great for a sit-down meal or just grab-and-go.
The Crab Pot Bellevue’s version of Boiling Crab. Eat a variety of fresh seafood, steamed with mouth-watering spices, directly off the table. There is patio seating by the water here – you know what to do.
Black Bottle Looking for a slightly more upscale American Gastropub? Head here.
The Lakehouse Live life on the fancier side. If you’re down for some seriously tasty food, this is a solid choice.
Don’t forget downtown Seattle!
Of course, that’s saying nothing of Downtown Seattle, where we could fill multiple guidebooks of where to go and what to do during your stay in town. Whether you want to catch fish tossed to you in Pike Place, eat atop of the Space Needle, or just grab a burger at Dick’s – there’s plenty of local flavor to keep you busy. Check out VisitSeattle.Org for more!
Out of Town? Watch from anywhere!
Unable to hang with us this weekend? No worries! You can watch all of the AVP action each day on Amazon Prime Video where we will be livestreaming three courts with on-court interviews, commentary & analysis from Kevin Barnett, Camryn Irwin & Dain Blanton, and exclusive athlete segments. You can also stay up-to-date with every match in real-time at AVP.com/Scoring.
Or, if you wanna catch it on TV, tune in to NBCSN on Sunday, June 23rd at 4:30pm PT to witness the top beach volleyball athletes in the world battle it out in the finals!
Got more burning questions about what’s happening at the 2019 AVP Seattle Open? We’ve got you covered right here.
We’d love to hear some of your recommendations for places you like in town. Just let us know on Twitter, FB and Instagram! We’re looking forward to hanging at your favorite joints this week.