From Taylor Avenue to Taylor Swift Avenue and maybe even Taylor Swift Kelce Avenue?
Bellevue isn’t ruling it out.
The idea to decorate and consider renaming Bellevue’s Taylor Swift Avenue sign emerged after Swift announced her engagement to her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, on Aug. 27, sparking national media attention. Swift’s announcement on Instagram has already received 30.8 million likes at the time of publication.
“We’ve already had people asking if we’re going to swap the sign to say ‘Taylor Swift Kelce Avenue’ around here; anything’s possible,” said Bellevue Marketing and Communications Director Melissa Morandi. “But for now, we’re just sending a big congratulations to the happy couple.”
Bellevue first proclaimed Taylor Avenue as Taylor Swift Avenue and installed a decorative sign in June 2023, ahead of Swift’s concerts at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on June 30 and July 1, 2023. The city then unveiled its permanent Taylor Swift Avenue sign on Oct. 30, 2024. The dedication coincided with Swift’s Eras Tour stops in Indianapolis on Nov. 1, 2, and 3 last year.
The city has decorated its Taylor Swift Avenue sign with flowers and a wedding bell to celebrate the announcement.
Morandi said at Bellevue’s annual fall fest on October 3, the city will be leaning into the fun with a “Swiftie Zone.” The timing couldn’t be better since it’s the release day for her new album. Expect themed photo ops, a few surprise activities, and even a ring-making craft brought to you by Bellevue’s own engagement ring destination, Cleves and Lonnemann. It’s going to be a love story, “Bellevue-style.”
During the hype of the idea for Taylor Swift Avenue, the city received attention from eight television stations, including one from Lexington, which broadcast live during the sign dedication event. The city’s actions also received the attention of national media and were featured in Buzzfeed and Billboard articles.
Before Swift’s stop in Cincinnati in the summer of 2023, Bellevue had an average of 30,000 Facebook hits in a month. During the week Swift visited the region, that number grew to 380,000 in just five days.