Lake Stevens Local Election Info, Aquafest + Farmers Market Dates Confirmed, Mill Spur Opens and more...
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Lake Stevens Local Election Info, Aquafest + Farmers Market Dates Confirmed, Mill Spur Opens and more...
All the details you need to plan your day, week and Summer. Learn about the Davies Beach closure, the Mill Spur opening, an update on Filing Week candidates and Aquafest save-the-dates
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LAKE STEVENS - After a weekend of record-setting early May heat, it does feels like Summer is here to stay in Lake Stevens.
With that said, J425 is taking this opportunity to run you through the news stories that are heating up Lake Stevens — we’ve got the info on the summer event schedule, today’s beach closure, the City and school district political scene, the 2023 farmers market slate, a North Cove Park opening and more.
We’ve also delivered the save-the-date info you need to plan your summer: we’ll run you through key dates including Aquafest, park openings, the farmers market schedule and beyond.
Gailey Gains Second Term as Filing Week Fails to Produce an Opponent
UPDATE May 19 - No opponent materialized for Mayor Brett Gailey, who will apparently enjoy a second term. J425 did cover the contested City Council race - meet the candidates here.
Earlier in the week, J425 reported on Lake Stevens Mayor Brett Gailey’s decision to seek re-election. This story kicked off J425’s season of local campaign coverage as Monday, May 15 marked the start of Filing Week - the time in which local government candidates must declare themselves for November elections.
We ran you through the races that will directly impact Lake Stevens in this article from last week and we updated you on just whom has filed for re-election so far earlier today.
Currently, Lake Stevens Mayor Brett Gailey has made it official, as have two incumbent Lake Stevens School District Board of Directors: David Iseminger and Paul Lund. No word on Mari Taylor yet. In the City ranks, two new candidates have tossed their respective hats in the ring for Lake Stevens City Council Position #4 (Dickinson’s current spot): Kymm Shipman and Gloria Ngezaho. J425 reached out to both around 4:30 pm yesterday but haven’t heard back as of early Tuesday morning.
UPDATE: 10:31 AM Tuesday - J425 heard from both of the aforementioned new LS CC candidates this AM. We will publish an update with their responses later today. - KTH (And here it is!)
“Welcome Back” - Aquafest 2023 Set for July 28 - 30
Aquafest 2023, Lake Stevens’ signature three-day festival returns July 28-30 at North Cove Park – this year’s theme is “Welcome Back” - which apparently is meant to convey a 70’s vibe.
Aquafest offers a range of activities and events for all ages, and we’ll get to that in a second with hyperlinks and everything.
Aquafest 2023 Save the Date
Kids’ Parade: Friday, July 28, 6:00 pm
Grand Parade: Saturday, July 29
Boat Parade: Saturday, July 29, 4:00 pm (Davies Beach)
Frank McDaniel Fireworks Show: Saturday, July 29, 10:00 pm.
Aquafest was founded in 1962 as a community event celebrating the City's waterfront.
In the early years, Aquafest was primarily a water-based event. There were swimming races, water volleyball tournaments, and even a water skiing show. As the festival grew, more and more activities were added, including parades, carnival rides, food vendors, and live music.
Today, Aquafest is one of the largest festivals in the Pacific Northwest and the signature weekend for Lake Stevens. The festival draws tens of thousands of people from all over the region. And after a pandemic-induced hiatus (the boat parade and its fleet of rum-soaked pirate captains couldn’t be stopped) the festival returned in full force last year.
This year, the City’s signature event returns with organizers selecting a “Welcome Back” theme and emphasizing that Aquafest is a family-friendly event with something for everyone including parades, competitions, rides, food, arts and crafts, live music, and fireworks.
Parades: The Children's Parade kicks off at 6:00 pm Friday (5:00 pm registration), the Boat Parade is Saturday at 4:00 pm, and on Saturday, July 29, watch the Grand Parade with floats, bands, and community groups - time not listed.
Food: From the iconic Firefighters’ Breakfast Saturday and Sunday mornings to the familiar food booths downtown (Tri tip or Corn on the Cob anyone?), satisfy your appetite with various food options at Aquafest, from hot dogs and hamburgers to deep-fried Oreos and funnel cake.
Fun: Three-on-three basketball - (register here by July 22), AquaRun 5K/10K, horse-drawn carriages, diaper races, pie-eating contests, dunk tanks and more.
Arts and crafts: Browse and buy arts and crafts from local vendors, including jewelry, paintings, and sculptures.
Live events: Listen to live music on the main stage all weekend long. The lineup features local and regional bands of different genres - with an acclaimed hypnotist Friday night.
Fireworks: Don't miss the fireworks show on Saturday night at dusk. The fireworks show is a highlight of Aquafest and a great way to end the day.
Aquafest is a family-friendly event that celebrates summer in Lake Stevens. For more information, visit the Aquafest website.
Lake Stevens Farmers Market Returns June 7
The Lake Stevens Farmers Market returns to North Cove Park June 7, 3:00 - 7:00 pm, kicking off the 2023 season. The market will run through August at the same time each Wednesday, with a break for Aquafest.
It’s hard to think of a more idyllic spot then the location for the Lake Stevens Farmers Market.
The Mill Spur festival street hosts the majority of the vendors, with the Mill on Lake Stevens building’s garage doors rolled up on sunny days against a back drop of North Cove Park’s lake front, sandy beach and stage/pavilion area.
Coupled with the nostalgic small town vibe of the Jays Market/Main Street setting, the location is Norman Rockwell perfect.
And people love the new North Cove Park - they’re headed there in Robert Moses-style droves and passing generally straight-A reports on the City’s work in building up this great public resource.
Sarah Dylan Jensen, Market Manager says she has an “amazing mix of new and returning vendors ready to serve the community every week”.
She is also introducing a new program, Power of Produce (POP) Kids Club – more on that at the market’s site.
“Every season is bigger and better than the last!” said Jensen.
And it cannot be argued that the Lake Stevens Farmers Market organizers scored anything less than a success with their well-received 2022 season at the Mill Spur at North Cove Park.
That said, in J425’s opinion with regard to farmers markets, the best ability is availability, and the Lake Stevens Farmers Market seems to start a month late and end a month and a half early.
J425 is a regular attendee of the market and at last year’s finale it seemed like every other customer and vendor we spoke to was remarking on how odd it was to roll up the welcome rug in August.
This year, the same schedule is in effect. Just in case our feeling on this was wrong, J425 did a survey of area farmers markets to get a handle on the usual schedule. In short? The average opening is mid-May and the average closing is mid-October.
A quick look at the Washington Farmers’ index of farmers’ markets shows that statewide, markets are universally kept open until the end of September, at least. Locally, even later - the average season for farmers markets within 30 miles of Lake Stevens runs through mid-October. So let’s get the most out of that beautiful setting at North Cove Park: Extend the thing. In the meantime, here’s a listing of a full slate of regional farmers markets to keep you busy through the sunny s
Lake Stevens Farmers Market
Website: www.lakestevensfarmersmarket.org/
Market Day(s): Wednesday, 3-7pm
Season Starts: 06/07/2023
Season Ends: 8/30/2023
Everett Farmers Market
Website: www.everettfarmersmarket.com
Market Day(s): Sunday
Season Starts: 05/14/2023
Season Ends: 11/19/2023
Snohomish Farmers Market
Website: www.snohomishfarmersmarket.org
Market Day(s): Thursday
Season Starts: 05/04/2023
Season Ends: 09/28/2023
Stanwood Farmers Market
Website: www.stanwoodfarmersmarket.org
Market Day(s): Friday
Season Starts: 06/02/2023
Season Ends: 10/06/2023
Bayview Farmers Market
Website: www.bayviewfarmersmarket.com/
Market Day(s): Saturday
Season Starts: 04/29/2023
Season Ends: 10/21/2023
Mount Vernon Farmers Market
Website: www.mountvernonfarmersmarket.org
Market Day(s): Saturday
Season Starts: 05/20/2023
Season Ends: 10/14/2023
Sedro-Woolley Farmers Market
Website: www.sedrowoolleyfarmersmarket.com
Market Day(s): Wednesday
Season Starts: 05/24/2023
Season Ends: 10/18/2023
Anacortes Farmers Market
Website: www.anacortesfarmersmarket.org
Market Day(s): Saturday
Season Starts: 5/6/2023
Season Ends: 10/28/2023
Bellingham Farmers Market
Website: www.bellinghamfarmers.org
Market Day(s): Saturday
Season Starts: 01/21/2023
Season Ends: 12/16/2023
Duvall Farmers Market
Website:
http://DuvallFarmersMarket.org
Market Day(s): Thursday
Season Starts: 05/04/2023
Season Ends: 10/12/2023
Lake Forest Park Farmers Market
Website:
http://thirdplacecommons.org
Market Day(s): Sunday
Season Starts: 05/14/2023
Season Ends: 10/15/2023
Shoreline Farmers Market
Website: www.shorelinefarmersmarket.org
Market Day(s): Saturday
Season Starts: 06/03/2023
Season Ends: 10/07/2023
Per the City: During market days, drivers are encouraged to follow posted signage through the area due to increased pedestrian traffic around North Cove Park. The demand for parking is high and extremely limited on market days.
Visit the market's website for a list of current vendors and other market information.
Mill Spur Ribbon Cutting June 7
The City of Lake Stevens marks the completion of the North Cove Park’s designated festival street with the ribbon cutting and grand opening of the Mill Spur June 7.
From a City release:
Join Mayor Brett Gailey and other dignitaries for the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony of Mill Spur at North Cove Park on Wednesday, June 7, at 4 p.m. during the initial edition of the 2023 Lake Stevens Farmers Market.
Mill Spur represents the final phase of the North Cove Park Expansion as the 300-foot festival street and will include a new retail block near Main Street and 18th Street SE.
The festival street connects North Cove Park, The Mill and North Cove boat launch. The street is the central location for city festivals, such as Aquafest, and open-air markets. The curbless street with wide walkways provides pedestrians with easy access between the park, shoreline, and local attractions.
Mill Spur is the current home of the Lake Stevens Farmers Market and Grimm House, and will be home to the new Lake Stevens Historical Museum.
Million Dollar Listing - Lake Stevens’ Only Hotel Up for Sale?
Fresh on the heels of a very generous piece in the Herald’s advertising circular, it appears that Lake Stevens’ sole “hotel” is in danger of closing.
The Victorian-themed Mansion Inn is up for sale, with a $3.5M listing showing on Zillow.
As the Sound & Summit feature put it, “the rambling 10,490-square-foot home features six rooms for rent, a grand staircase in the lobby, two dining rooms, a great room with fireplace, an 11-foot bar, a chef’s kitchen and a pool.”
If you’re interested in making all of that yours, here’s the contact details for the real estate agent.
Previously:
https://www.thejournal425.com/p/lake-stevens-beleaguered-public-works
https://www.thejournal425.com/p/filing-week-kicks-off-a-spicy-lake
https://www.thejournal425.com/p/lake-stevens-among-safest-cities