Issaquah Salmon Days

The Issaquah Salmon Days is a two-day international award-winning festival held in Issaquah, Washington,United States, from 10a.m. to 6p.m. on the first full weekend of October each year. It is initiated by a parade, celebrating the return of the salmon to their birth-waters, and praises Issaquah's history, culture, and ethnic diversity. This free festival encompasses several arts and crafts conventions, attracting many Northwest artists; these artisans feature wood, glass, jewelry, paintings, pottery and metal artworks for sale. There are three stages of entertainment. Sporting events include 5K/10K meter runs (and a 3K run for kids), a fencing invitational, bike rides, and a golf tournament. A "Field of Fun", providing free entertainment for children of all ages, is available thanks to the many festival sponsors. Visitors are encouraged to visit the newly restored Salmon Hatchery to view the returning salmon in close detail. The 2005 register revealed over 400,000 people attended the event.

History

In 1970 the Greater Issaquah Chamber of Commerce presented the first Issaquah Salmon Days Festival. The event grew out of the desire to replace the once popular Labor Day Festival, as well as a need to celebrate one of Issaquah’s greatest treasures, the annual return of the salmon.

In the beginning, attractions included the Kiwanis BBQ, hatchery tours, an art show, children's parade led by J.P. Patches, little league football games at Memorial Field, fire crew competitions and more. The Festival remained small for much of the seventies, driven by the Salmon Days Parade, and enjoying the many benefits that came with being a local, community-inspired event.

In 1980, the Salmon Days Festival and Parade underwent two major changes that have been credited with altering the course of the Festival: Salmon Days became a Seafair-sanctioned event and the very first Festival float was created. As a result, throughout much of the eighties, the parade and the Festival grew, and subsequently transformed itself from a small-town event to one of the Northwest's premier festivals. To aid in the growth process, merchandise was introduced, the first paid Festival Director was hired and large official sponsors came onboard. In 1990, the Festival introduced the Salmon Days Limited Edition Print, a signed and numbered run of 450 prints featuring original artwork. The Festival retired the collection at the end of 2003 and almost all the past prints have sold out.

Today, Salmon Days is still presented by the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce with the goal of providing a community celebration focused on honoring the return of the salmon. The Kiwanis are still in town baking salmon, just the amount (now more than a ton a year) has increased. There is still the Grande Parade that features more than 100 entries annually. Memorial Field, now the Field of Fun hosts a number of free games and activities for families to enjoy. Official sporting events have replaced the once popular fire crew competitions. And finally, what began as an art show has manifested itself into a marketplace of more than 300 artists all on-site selling their handcrafted pieces to audiences of more than 150,000.

Festival Attractions

The Salmon Days experience includes more than 300 artists that line Front Street and Sunset Way, fifty-plus food vendors in Depot Park featuring delightful entrees from all over the world, the Field of Fun bustles with excited children and free activities for the family to enjoy, the and three stages offering live entertainment enchant ears throughout the weekend.

treets-Arts and Crafts

During salmon days Front Street from Newport Way to Gilman Bloulevard and Sunset from Newport Way to 2nd Avenue SE are all closed due to the different art and craft vendors and other salmon days sponsor booths. During the festival, booths are set up on the side of the roads and people roam the streets looking and buying the different things to offer. Different arts and crafts to offer include Bathing products, Body & Candle products, Pottery, Children's Items, Clothing, Fiber Art, Gift Foods, Glass Home & Garden Jewelry, Leather, Metal, Musical Products, Painting & Drawing Photography Wearables, Adult Wood, and much more. The streets close at 6 a.m. and reopen at 7 p.m. during both days of the festival.

Memorial Field-Field of Fun

During salmon days, memorial field is full of fun activities for children many of them being free. This area is known as the field of Fun. A kids train also circles the parking lot of memorial park.

Foods of the World

In the area south of the memorial field parking lot lies the Foods of the world which has many different foods from around the world including barbecue, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, or just a simple hamburger. To drink they sell soft drinks, smoothies, and freshed squeezed lemonade. For desert you can have a caramel apple, a elephant ear, or a chocolate covered strawberry. This is just the beginning of what you can find in the foods of the worlds area.

Parking

Parking just outside the festival boundaries is limited due to the fact that the festival grounds consist of most of the downtown area. The best way to park is to park either at the Issaquah costco parking lot, Issaquah highlands park and ride, or Issaquah park and ride and then take the shuttle which comes frequently.

Links

* [http://www.salmondays.org/home/about/default.asp Salmon Days History official site]