Oct 04 Saturday
How far can an apron, a bowl, or a book take one small Chinese girl with a passion to cook?
The Downtown Issaquah Association (DIA), in partnership with the Issaquah Library, returns the interactive Story Stroll™ to the windows of Olde Town businesses with the light-hearted dreams of a young Chinese chef. This year’s stroll features the inspiring and light-hearted tale of a young Chinese chef whose dreams would change America’s culinary landscape. All ages will delight in reading the historic tale while engaging with local businesses from Sept. 5 through Oct. 5, 2025.
Carrie Clickard’s delectable rhymes tell the story of how Joyce Chen, a girl born in Communist China, immigrated to the United States and popularized Chinese cooking. Illustrator Katy Wu brings this inspiring story beautifully and deliciously to life.
“This uplifting story will delight young children and their parents and grandparents,” said DIA President Christina Bruning. “We are taken on a journey that delights both palate and soul.”
The Story Stroll™ complements the city of Issaquah’s annual Culture Fest event on September 5, 2025, at the Issaquah Community Center. The celebration honors the area’s rich cultures from around the world. The free, family-friendly event spotlights the community’s cultural diversity. Festivities include music, world dances, interactive art, Henna art, resource booths, and food trucks.
Visitors are encouraged to experience both Culture Fest and the self-directed Story Stroll™, two engaging opportunities to celebrate our community’s diverse cultural heritage, discover ways to get involved locally, and support Issaquah’s unique small businesses.
Echoes of the Floating World features a striking collection of 18th, 19th and early 20th-century Japanese woodblock prints from the Tacoma Art Museum and others, displayed alongside works by contemporary Northwest artists. This exhibition honors the rich legacy of ukiyo-e while exploring its cultural impact on today’s artistic expressions.
Hours-
Monday CLOSEDTuesday CLOSEDWednesday 10 am – 5 pmThursday 10 am – 8 pmFriday 10 am – 5 pmSaturday 10 am – 5 pmSunday 10 am – 5 pm
We are protesting project 2025. TacomaRama marching band will join us for the next 4 years. We will meet each month on the Saturday closest to the 18th each month. Always 10am, always Reconciliation park. Feel loved and supported.
The period from the 1870s to the 1900s, known as the Gilded Age, saw the rise of the railroad, textile industry, and production. It also saw a rise in migration to US cities, providing workers to fill low paying jobs producing many of the fashions of the era. This era marked a turning point in fashion as new technologies and changing cultural norms transformed the ways in which people dressed.
Explore this history and enjoy the rare chance to see clothing, notions, and artifacts of the period from the Washington State Historical Society collections.
Never Turn Back: Echoes of African American Music unveils the profound legacy of Gospel, Blues, Jazz, and Soul artists who shaped the soundscape of American culture and used their music as instruments of resistance, identity, and representation.
Gospel, Blues, Jazz, and Soul embody the profound influence of African American music on culture and history. From the spiritual foundations and transformative movements of Gospel hymns to the revolutionary improvisations of Jazz, the Blues’ Southern roots rising from the Mississippi Delta, and Soul’s powerful amplification of the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, these genres have defined the unique sound and undying spirit of a nation that continues to echo through contemporary Black music today.
Come celebrate our magical PNW trees at the 2025 Tree Hugging Fest! Listen to trees communicate through song--and change their tune when you hug them! Connect with yogis, storytellers, poets, and dancers as we come together in our tree-loving community! 12-2 Bird-nest building: Come see childrens' multimedia nest art and build a nest yourself!… Ancient Futures Pre-school12-1 Vibrational Yoga to Songs of Trees, Kevin Mattison (Bring your yoga mat or blanket) Donations appreciated1-1:30 Tree stories: Listen to the words of poets & storytellers sharing heartfelt stories about trees and nature (Debe Edden, Beth Lembach, Tobey Ishii Anderson, Sandra Niman, Bowen Lee)1:30-2 Dancing to the Music of Trees: Flow to the movement of inspirational dancers as they improvise to the music of the trees (Barefoot Collective, RADCO, Lauren Thompson, Community Dance and Tree Hug)
Join us October 3-5, 2025, for the annual Oregon Coast Jazz Party!
For more than two decades, Oregon Coast Jazz Party has celebrated great live jazz—and the dedicated fans who love it—on the beautiful shores of Nye Beach at the Newport Performing Arts Center. Enjoy a lively, marvelously music-focused weekend of live jazz in an idyllic coastal location filled with charm, shopping, local brews, and fresh seafood.
Music director Ken Peplowski returns in 2025! As of April 21st, the full lineup of musicians has been announced: Ken Peplowski (Music Director, Clarinet, Sax), Bruce Harris (Trumpet), Lucy Yeghiazaryan (Vocals), Scott Hamilton (Sax), Mariel Bildsten (Trombone), Diego Figueiredo (Guitar), Mark Feinman (Drums), Alejandro Arenas (Bass), John O’Leary (Piano), Katie Thiroux (Bass), Rossano Sportiello (Piano), and Greg Williamson (Drums).
Session 1: Friday, October 3 @ 7pmSession 2: Saturday, October 4 @ 1pmSession 3: Saturday, October 4 @ 7pmSession 4: Sunday, October 5 @ 1pm
North Bend BLues Walk October 4th, 2025 6pm - Midnight
One Ticket - One Night - 18 Venues - 27 Bands 90+ Musicians
Presented by KNKX. Booker T. Jones is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and arguably the most famous Hammond B3 player in history. As leader of the legendary Booker T and the MGs, this pillar of soul music collaborated with Otis Redding, Albert King, and more during his tenure at Stax Records. Since then, Booker has lent his trademark keyboard chops to and produced classic albums such as Willie Nelson's multi-platinum hit “Stardust” and Bill Withers’ “Just As I Am” featuring the hit song “Ain’t No Sunshine". Both Booker's 2009 solo release "Potato Hole" and his 2011 solo release "The Road From Memphis" won GRAMMY Awards for Best Pop Instrumental Album. In 2013 Booker released “Sound The Alarm”, marking a return to Stax Records after 40 years.
In 2016, Booker debuted his live show “Booker T Presents: A Stax Revue”, working with new talent to create a show that reflects the heart and soul of Stax Records. Most recently, Booker released his memoire, Time is Tight, and an accompanying album “Note by Note”. Booker is currently working on a new recording project and touring worldwide with his solo band.
Sponsored by KNKX. BIMA is proud to partner once again with Seattle’s Earshot Jazz to as part of the most prestigious jazz festival in the Pacific Northwest. Earshot Jazz dedicates itself year-round to cultivating a vibrant, diverse jazz community—championing artistic innovation, honoring the rich history and integrity of the genre, and fostering meaningful connections between musicians and audiences through the annual Earshot Jazz Festival.
The BIMA Annual Within/Earshot Jazz Festival is more than a concert series—it’s a dynamic, living conversation where sound, story, and visual art intersect. For the entire month of October, the Frank Buxton Auditorium transforms into a creative studio, a place where jazz musicians, storytellers, and visual artists come together to explore and celebrate the many facets of jazz.
Each artist brings their own unique voice to the festival, honoring jazz’s deep roots and its ever-evolving future. Some lean into poetic, modern grooves that push boundaries and invite reflection; others revive the exuberance of speakeasy-era swing, capturing the spirit of a bygone era. The pulse of Brazilian folk traditions adds rich textures and rhythms, while fresh voices from the Northwest highlight jazz’s ongoing innovation and cultural resonance.
Whether you attend a single event or immerse yourself in the full month-long experience, you’ll discover a vibrant tapestry of music, culture, and storytelling that showcases jazz’s timeless appeal and its power to inspire across generations and communities.
