If you're visiting, check out these spots:

• Life on the Ship Canal is best observed from the nearly hidden Overhang shelter at the west end of Canal Park. The viewpoint puts you out over the water, and best of all, it's free.

• Fremont Art About is a monthly walking tour of some known and unknown galleries. Grab an Art About Guide at Marvin Oliver Gallery at North 35th Street and Fremont Avenue North and venture forth between 4 and 7 p.m. the first Saturday of every month. 206-633-2468.

• Paseo Caribbean Food is one of Fremont's tiny but memorable restaurants, serving lunches and dinners that will ignite your taste buds and leave you with cash in your pocket. Cuban-born Lorenzo Lorenzo serves up grilled chicken, pork, fish and prawns. 4225 Fremont Ave. N. 206-545-7440.

• Fremont Gardens is a tiny urban nursery featuring hard-to-find perennials, trees and shrubs. The nursery also assists with landscape design and special events, and hosts seasonal classes and workshops. Watch for Sam, the beloved garden cat. 4001 Leary Way N.W. 206-781-8283.

• Shorey's Book Store and Chapters Coffee House make a delightful new hangout. Located behind Daly's Home Decorating Center on Stone Way North, the espresso bar and venerable used and new bookstore are worth a visit. The coffeehouse has a growing lunch menu and great antiques. 1109 N. 36th St.

• Still Life in Fremont Coffeehouse is the place to go if you are: a student, an artist, unemployed, hungry, or all of the above. This quintessential Fremont experience offers great ethnic soups, salads, sandwiches, daily specials, and of course, coffee, beer, wine and desserts. Thursday Night Live offers live music. 709 N. 35th St. 206-547-9850.

• Fremont Sunday Market is the best district market this side of Eugene. Go early for the freshest produce and bargains at the adjacent flea market. Two hundred vendors fill a parking lot along North 34th Street. Try parking free on North 36th Street and hit the galleries first. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays through November. 206-282-5706.

• Fremont Fair & Solstice Parade offers a wild weekend of sublime merrymaking June 21-22. The parade is human-powered -- no animals or motors -- and plenty zany. Adobe Systems has agreed to sponsor one of three stages for music at Canal Park. The events are packed, and for good reason.