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Issaquah Salmon Days is a festival held in Issaquah, Washington, United States, that celebrates the local salmon. The festival starts with a parade that celebrates the end of the salmon run, where salmon return to their birth river. The rest of the festival features local artisans selling a variety of items, as well as food being available to buy. There are five stages for live entertainment, with a variety of musical bands including cover bands, a kids' stage, and a Bluegrass stage. There are also sporting events, including runs, a Sporting Weekend held the week before the festival, including geoteaming, a treasure hunt around Issaquah using GPS. The local Veterans' Memorial Park is used as to offer entertainment for kids. The festival celebrates local history, culture and diversity. The 2010 register revealed over 180,000 people attended the event.[1]
History
[edit]Issaquah Salmon Days was created when Earl Robinson, the president of the Issaquah Chamber, suggested hosting a salmon festival, because tourists were already visting to see the salmon, and there was a salmon hatchery in Issaquah as well. There was also a want to replace the local Labor Day festival, which had ended two years previously. The first festival was in October 1970,[2] and was presented by the Greater Issaquah Chamber of Commerce,[3] with around 20,000 people attending.[4] At the time it was a small event with limited attractions and remained so for the rest of the 1970s.[2]
In 1980, Salmon Days was officially sanctioned by Seafair, meaning that Seafair clowns, pirates, and floats were added. The first parade float was created for an added parade for adults, not just children. The festival also joined the Northwest Festivals Association in 1985, which aids in planning and executing the festival. A paid festival director was hired in 1987 for the first time.[2] During the 1980s, attendance more than doubled, growing from 65,000 in 1980[5] to 150,000 in 1988.[6]
Through the 1990s and 2000s, the festival averaged around 150,000 to 200,000 visitors. In 2006, the festival's economic impact was measured at around 1.5 million dollars.
Festival Attractions
[edit]Salmon Days includes more than 270 artists that line Front Street and Sunset Way, more than fifty food vendors, the Field of Fun with free activities, and five stages offering live entertainment.
Historical Attractions
[edit]When the festival was created in 1970, attractions included the Kiwanis BBQ, hatchery tours, a children's parade led by [[J. P. Patches|J.P. Patches], and fire crew competitions.
Streets-Arts and Crafts
[edit]Front Street from Newport Way to Gilman Boulevard and Sunset from Newport Way to Second Avenue SE are closed during the festival due to the different arts and craft vendors and other Salmon Days sponsor booths. During the festival, booths are set up on the side of the roads with items for people to look at and buy. Different arts and crafts offered include jewelry, paintings, children's toys, clothing, pottery, glass sculptures, gourmet food, home & garden art, leather, metal, musical products, photography, and wood sculptures. The streets close at 8 a.m. and reopen at 7 p.m. during both days of the festival.
Memorial Field-Field of Fun
[edit]During Salmon Days, Veterans' Memorial Park has many activities for children. This area is known as the Field of Fun. Activities include pony rides, inflatables, trampoline jumping, Puget Sound DockDogs competition, and fish prints[clarification needed]. A kids' train also circles the parking lot adjacent to the Memorial Park.
Foods of the World
[edit]In the area south of the Veterans' Memorial Park in the Train Depot parking lot is the Foods of the World, which has many different foods, such as hamburgers and fries, barbecue, Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, and Korean foods. Drink options include smoothies and fresh-squeezed lemonade. Dessert choices include caramel apple, strawberry shortcake, apple dumpling, elephant ears, and chocolate-dipped strawberries on a stick.
Issaquah Salmon Hatchery
[edit]The Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, operated by the Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife, remains open during the festival.[7] There are several locations on the hatchery grounds where visitors can see chinook, coho, and sockeye salmon that have returned to their native waters to spawn. These viewing areas include a pedestrian bridge across Issaquah Creek and windows that provide a view of the hatchery's fish ladder and holding pond. Although tours are not available during Salmon Days, docents from Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery are stationed throughout the hatchery to answer questions from visitors during the festival.
References
[edit]- ^ "Issaquah Salmon Days". ParentMap. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- ^ a b c Dougherty, Phil. "Issaquah Salmon Days". www.historylink.org. History Link. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ "History of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery – Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery". www.issaquahfish.org. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
- ^ "Salmon Day unqualified success'". The Issaquah Press. October 21, 1970. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ "65,000 here for Salmon Days". The Issaquah Press. October 8, 1980. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
- ^ "Salmon Days crowds 'bigger than ever'". The Issaquah Press. October 5, 1988. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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