Not only did today’s wind ground the Blue Angels, it swept away the giant beach ball during the Alki Beach Pride preview flag event today. But there was a happy ending – we’ll get to that in a bit. First: Alki Beach Pride is celebrating its 12th anniversary, organized by Stacy and Jolie Bass-Walden of Alki, and will be an all-day festival two weeks from today. In advance of that, they again gathered dozens of people at the beach to unfurl giant flags lent by Seattle Pride (which you’ll recall honored Stacy with a major award this year) and Seattle Pride Fest. This was only the start of the celebration – on Saturday, August 15th, noon-8 pm, the heart of the beach will be alive with music, vendors, food, and community – find the lineups here as the day gets closer.