articles

It's Salmon SEEson Again! Salmon Days + Salmon Spotting

Salmon Days highlights for families plus local places to spot salmon plus

September 22, 2016
Well, it's an election year, which means Salmon Days has a wonderfully political theme: FIN-DEPENDENT. Take a break from the negativity of those other two campaigns, and join in the fun as Sammy runs for president!  As the Salmon Days committee works to get Sammy elected and asks you to "join the party," this is the perfect opportunity to talk to your kids about the election process - without taking sides!

Festivities kick off early on Saturday, October 1 with the Grande Parade at 10:00 am.  The route starts at Front & Dogwood and heads North on Front Street where it will take a left onto Gilman Blvd and exits at 12th Avenue.  The first year my family watched from Front Street near Staples; it was very crowded and tough to manage with little kids.  You need to get there early to get a spot and avoid road closure issues.  What has worked better for us is watching from Gilman Blvd.  Take exit 15 and back track toward the parade route. There's plenty of parking plus you can run an errand and grab lunch after instead of sitting in traffic!  Or you can jump on the shuttle at the nearly Issaquah Transit Center and head to the Festival.  

My family took a vote, and we decided to split up our Salmon Days experience: we watch the parade on Saturday and then head to the festival on Sunday.  We don't try to accomplish both on the same day.

On Sunday morning you can experience the rigors of the campaign trail at the 40th Annual Run with the Fishes!  It includes a 5K Fun Run/Walk at 8:50 am, a Kids’ Dash 1K at 10:20 am, and there's a Post Event Celebration at 11:00 am.  The route begins at Heritage Bank, located at 1250 NW Mall Street.  Registration is already underway. It's $10.00 for the Kids' Dash and includes cotton t-shirt.  To run the 5K, adults pay $35 if pre-registered and ages 12 & under is just $20.

Now, let's talk about the actual Festival, which takes place along Front Street and Sunset Way on both Saturday and Sunday, October 1-2, 2016 from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

First you'll need to make a decision about GETTING THERE. You can either elect to drive, hope to find a parking spot, and then walk to the festival or to take the convenient shuttle from one of three locations.

Both options are manageable, however one burns more patience, calories, and fuel than the other.  In my opinion, the $4/person cost of riding the shuttle is well worth it!  If you have young kids, riding the shuttle bus may actually be a highlight of the day - at least that was the case for my girls before they started school!  

The shuttle runs from three locations: Costco Corporate, Issaquah Transit Center, and Issaquah Highlands. You can ride from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.  Cost is $4 per person and children under 10 ride FREE.  Be sure to bring cash, and you'll pay on return trip.  If you're bringing a stroller, the driver will help you load it in the back of the bus.  For more details, a full map and schedule: www.salmondays.org/shuttles

If you're hoping to park closer to the action, look for Sammamish Issaquah Young Life's sponsored parking lots, off of Gilman Blvd. All day parking is just $10 and supports a great organization!

Once you've safely reached the festival grounds, start at the Field of Fun because it will make your kids happy ... and well, if they are happy, chances are you will be happy too!  At the Field of Fun, you are going to find lots of activities and some long lines but everything is FREE, so it all balances out!  Don't miss the Human Hamster Balls, Toymaker's Workshop, Soccer Experience, Giant Inflatables, Mini-Trains, and our favorite, the Springfree Trampolines - we heard they are bringing 8 trampolines this year!

Once you're tired of standing in lines ... I mean, having more fun that you can possibly stand ... find a place to SIT at the DockDogs or Kids Stage.  The DockDogs are a family favorite - who knew dogs running and jumping into a giant tank of water could be so entertaining?  And the Kid Stage features an interesting and eclectic line-up of kid-friendly, interactive comedy including Memorable Clown duo, Zero and Somebody, Zambini Bros. Puppet Show, Alex Zerbe The Zanic, and more.  You’ll find a different performer each hour from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on both Saturday and Sunday.  

There's one other fairly new component - the Salmon Days Carnival.  We haven't been to the carnival but may give it a try this year.  It's located in the Staples parking lot and requires the purchase of a $25 one day unlimited ride ticket for one person; purchase online and save $5.

-----------------------------------------

If Salmon Days doesn't provide enough fishy goodness for you, to turn your eyes toward local waterways where you'll spot a few spawning salmon in the rivers! 

Salmon Hatchery Tours: See salmon return to Issaquah Creek from the bridge or through viewing windows daily starting now. In addition, trained docents from Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery (FISH) will lead drop-in tours Saturday and Sunday from September 17 to November 12 at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm.  This is the perfect opportunity to avoid Salmon Days crowds!

Cedar River Salmon Journey: See spawning salmon at five sites along the Cedar River this fall! At Landsburg, learn how some salmon are allowed to enter our drinking water. This is a rare opportunity you don't want to miss. Volunteer Naturalists will be on-hand to answer questions and share information.  All sites are along the Cedar River in the Renton and Maple Valley area.

Kokanee Quest is a real-world treasure hunt for geocaches designed to connect you with the effort to restore native Lake Sammamish kokanee salmon.  The geocache adventure takes place along nine locations that highlight the restoration of the kokanee salmon in the Lake Sammamish watershed. To qualify for a prize, participants must print a Kokanee Quest passport and stamp it with the ink stamp inside each cache.
Geocachers should expect adventure and to become kokanee experts as they visit creeks, the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery and wildlife areas along the Lake Sammamish watershed.

Self-guided nearby locations: