Since Salmon swim upstream, it is no surprise that Salmon Days has returned to Issaquah, WA even though COVID-19 is still ravaging the world. These strong, inspirational creatures have inspired the local community to persevere and find a way to bring strength and connection even when it is difficult. So Salmon are the perfect reason to have a festival, even if it were simply for the first time, rather than the annual upcoming event celebrating its 52nd year.

Girl Power is Good for All of UsPhoto by Timur Romanov on Unsplash. As a young woman, I grew up idolizing two things: women’s gymnastics and Disney princesses. My hero was Mary Lou Retton. I had to see Grease on Broadway when Dominique Dawes got to play cheerleader Patty Simcox- complete with a balance beam routine on the set of the school bleachers. I couldn’t rest until I got the Wheaties box with Shannon Miller & the U.S. Olympic Team featured on it. Meanwhile, I daily wore a plastic crown with my fluffiest pink dress and sang songs from The Little Mermaid.

Pens: The Most Useful Power Tool In The GalaxyPhoto by Andrew Seaman on Unsplash. Like life and boxes of chocolates, you don’t always know what you’re going to get with a pen.

What an exciting time of year! Whether you are gearing up for more remote learning or getting excited about going back to in-person, the start of any new school year is a treasure trove of wonder and potential.

Third Stage performing at Issaquah's "Concerts on the Green 2021"Kristen Kittel. No pandemic was going to stop this 25th Anniversary!. Thanks to the beautiful weather of the PNW, the City of Issaquah has been able to host free, family-friendly musical offerings to its residents every summer since 1996, and this summer is no exception.

Connecting Through Creativity on Issaquah's Rainier TrailKristen Kittel. Issaquah’s downtown Rainier Trail has donned a new back-to-school outfit, courtesy of emerging public artist Tina Velazquez Hays and the yarn artists of Issaquah (and beyond).

The War of Art at Salt Lake's 9th and 9thKristen Kittel. It's a silent but steady war. On July 24th, 2021, The Salt Lake Tribune published an article about “Gnome Hill.” Gnome Hill is a collection of adorable garden gnomes situated in the middle of a roundabout on 900 S. Unfortunately, they are currently squatters on the site reserved by the Salt Lake City Arts Council for a piece designed by renowned local artist Stephen Kesler (scheduled for installation this autumn). So the uproar began when the council removed the gnomes for the forthcoming humpback whale sculpture. You read that right. A whale sculpture. In the middle of urban Utah, a landlocked desert. Did no one ever teach these politicians that while their campaign coordinators are always encouraging them to “land a whale,” they probably didn’t mean for them to kiss up to that whale quite so publicly?

It may be half as big as it used to be, but it’s also twice as good. Like markets everywhere, this little “market-that-could” has weathered the pandemic with creativity and good spirits. Now as they endeavor to ease-up on the once stringent safety precautions, the Issaquah Farmers Market organizers have created a smaller but mightier weekend experience for the whole family.

Crochet Creations made by my Hook and IKristen Kittel. Let’s take a breath from the political, sociological, philosophical debates and focus on a less controversial subject: why you should pick up crocheting.

The long-awaited return of LIVE THEATREKristen Kittel. Looking for free and fantastical family fun? You’ve found it with Seattle Shakespeare’s “Wooden O” production of The Comedy of Errors.