Northwest Travel and Life
It’s County Fair Season: Small Towns to Head to for the Fair This Summer
Originally published on Northwest Travel & Life. Summer brings small-town celebrations, where livestock barns, carnival rides, hometown rodeos and plenty of fair food offer one more excuse for a summer road trip. From Washington to Montana, these four fairs pair classic Americana with destinations worth exploring beyond the fairgrounds. Southwest Washington County Fair August 11-16, […]
Art in the Pearl: Portland’s Labor Day Tradition Turning 30 This Year
Originally published on Northwest Travel & Life. Every Labor Day Weekend, Portland likes to celebrate with art. It comes with 140 artists, tree-lined park blocks and a very good excuse to bring home something you probably did not plan on buying. Art in the Pearl takes place in perhaps the most fitting spot Portland could […]
Make the Most of Summer: August Events Around the Northwest
Originally published on Northwest Travel & Life. The list of things to do in August in the Northwest is packed with one more big round of fairs, festivals, food, music and outdoor adventures. From blueberry celebrations in Alaska and dahlia fields in Oregon to rodeos in Washington and mountain biking and brews in Wyoming, there’s […]
Meeting News Northwest
Big Connections Start Small: A Q&A with Deborah Hoskins on Meetings in the San Juan Islands
Originally published on Meeting News Northwest. While massive conferences have their place, oftentimes smaller gatherings make for more meaningful connections. And that’s where destinations built for smaller gatherings are having a moment. The San Juan Islands have long specialized in intimate retreats and meetings where attendees can step away from daily distractions, reconnect with colleagues […]
Looking Back Toward the Future: Why In-Person Events Are Booming Again
Originally published on Meeting News Northwest. Last year, Forbes released a report that showed meetings and events industry saw a surprising amount of optimism in 2025. That continues to be good news for destinations, convention centers and hospitality businesses across the Pacific Northwest. According to the Forbes report highlighting the American Express Global Business Travel […]
IACC Report: Making Large Meetings Feel Personal
Originally published on Meeting News Northwest. Venues are often evaluated on metrics. After all, there are many to consider: square footage, room layouts and audiovisual capabilities, just to name a few. While those fundamentals still matter, a new report from the International Association of Conference Centres (IACC) shows the industry’s priorities are shifting. The modern […]
425
Feel Good Friday: Children's Literacy, Wildfire Relief, and a Local Actor's New Show
Originally published on 425. Major Grants to Restore Washington Branch of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library The Imagination Library of Washington has secured two grants intended to help revitalize its program and support its goal of providing free books to children 5 and under — a mission the broader organization has championed since singer-songwriter Dolly Parton […]
Quilceda Creek Winery Acquires Full Ownership of Historic Champoux Vineyard
Originally published on 425. Snohomish’s Quilceda Creek Winery, one of the oldest family-owned wineries in Washington, has acquired the remaining ownership interest in the Champoux Vineyard, securing one of the state’s most iconic and historically significant sites, according to a winery news release Tuesday. Located in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA in south-central Washington, one […]
Bellevue Getting New Korean BBQ Spot
Originally published on 425. Goban Korean BBQ is soft opening in downtown Bellevue at 4 p.m. on Aug. 12. The global restaurant chain — whose foray into the Eastside city is also its Washington debut — will sit inside the luxury condo building Mari Bellevue, the Bellevue Downtown Network reported. The brand debuted in 2016 […]
425 Business
Mercer Island's Vision Media Appoints First HR Employee
Originally published on 425 Business. Mercer Island advertiser and media-services provider Vision Media has hired Monica Ybarra-Rankin for its newly created director of human services position. This is the company’s first human-resources role, the company said in a news release. Ybarra-Rankin’s previous work experience included directing, across a decade, the human resources department at the […]
Construction Begins on New Washington Ferry
Originally published on 425 Business. Gov. Bob Ferguson has announced that Washington’s ferry fleet is officially growing, with Florida-based Eastern Shipbuilding Group set to build three new hybrid-electric ferries. Construction of the first boat began Aug. 5 and was marked by a ceremonial steel-cutting ceremony at the shipyard in Florida. The vessels are scheduled to […]
Upcoming EASC Coffee Chat to Explore How Circular Economy Turns Efficiency Into Opportunity
Originally published on 425 Business. The Economic Alliance Snohomish County is next week hosting an event, “Circular Economy and Industrial Symbiosis: From Efficiency to Opportunity,” as part of its monthly Coffee Chats series. The event, hosted in partnership with — full disclosure — 425 Business, will be held from 8:30-9:30 a.m. on Aug. 11 over […]
South Sound
Feel Good Friday: Wildfire Relief, Free Dental Care, and Children's Literacy
Originally published on South Sound. How United Ways of the Pacific Northwest is Helping Spokane Fire Displacees UWPN has partnered with Airbnb to provide temporary housing for those who have been displaced. Additionally, the organization has set up the Greater Spokane Recovery Fund, whose proceeds will be used to support those impacted by the fires. […]
Out & About: Obliteride's Return, a Tattoo Expo, and Free Museum Visits
Originally published on South Sound. Obliteride Returns to Seattle Thousands of cyclists, walkers, runners, volunteers, and general supporters are coming together on Aug. 8 for the Fred Hutch Cancer Center’s annual Obliteride fundraiser, which supports cancer research. The weekend begins with a Friday-night party at Gas Works Park from 4-8 p.m. featuring live music, dinner, […]
The Tacoma Rugby Club is Looking to the Future
Originally published on South Sound. For almost 50 years, rugby aficionados and teams from across the Pacific Northwest have been making the journey to a small park in Tacoma for the annual Aroma 7s tournament, hosted by the Tacoma Rugby Club. For the uninitiated, rugby is a close-contact team sport, typically played in teams of […]
South Sound Business
Sumner Apartment Complex Receives $52M Refinance Loan
Originally published on South Sound Business. Mesa West Capital has provided Timberlane Partners with a $52-million short-term, first-mortgage loan to refinance its Sumner Mill Apartments property. The Sumner apartment complex is a 162-unit multifamily community with a mix of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments. Its amenities include an outdoor pool, fitness center, dog park, picnic […]
Registration Opens for South Sound Real Estate Forum
Originally published on South Sound Business. Real estate professionals, developers, investors, business leaders, and community stakeholders are invited to attend the 18th Annual South Sound Real Estate Forum in Lacey. The Thurston Economic Development Council is hosting the event in partnership with the Commercial Real Estate Development Association of Washington. It will be held from […]
Columbia Banking Appoints New Board Member
Originally published on South Sound Business. Tacoma-based Columbia Banking System, the parent company of Columbia Bank, has appointed financial-services executive Simone Lagomarsino to its board of directors, where she will serve on the Enterprise Risk Management Committee and Audit Committee. Her new role is effective Sept. 1. Lagomarsino has more than 40 years of leadership […]
Southwest Travel and Life
Beyond Telluride: 4 Small Colorado Mountain Towns You May Not Know (But Should)
Originally published on Southwest Travel & Life. Colorado loves to hog all the mountain charm. So much so that while places like Telluride, Breckenridge and steal the spotlight, but there are plenty of postcard-worthy mountain towns you may have never heard of. Scattered throughout the Rockies, these smaller communities offer the same dramatic peaks, historic downtowns and outdoor adventures—just with fewer […]
It’s Restaurant Week Season in the Southwest
Originally published on Southwest Travel & Life. Come hungry to this Southwest, because restaurant week season is officially on the menu. From August through October, destinations across the Southwest are serving up special prix-fixe menus with chef creations for a chance to try somewhere new and delicious. Whether you’re tasting your way through Los Angeles, […]
Monsoon Magic: 3 Hikes to See the Summer Water
Originally published on Southwest Travel & Life. For much of the year, water is a bit of a rarity in the desert Southwest. Then comes the season locals love most (well, many of them): monsoon season. Come usually July through September, the monsoons bring a seasonal shift in winds and moisture that fuels summer thunderstorms […]
West Sound
Poulsbo Café Supporting Homeless Youth Reopens with Updated Menu and Hours
Originally published on West Sound. The Coffee Oasis, a nonprofit organization providing services and support to youth and young adults experiencing homelessness and housing instability in Pierce and Kitsap counties, recently reopened its Poulsbo café on Northeast Iverson Street. The café is now open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday to Friday, and in addition […]
Bainbridge Island Author Releases Vietnam-Era Historical Fiction
Originally published on West Sound. Bainbridge Island-based author Susan Wiggs, whose penned more than 30 books, added one more to her repertoire this summer — a historical fiction novel titled “Wayward Girls.” “Wayward Girls” is based on a true story and follows six teens from Buffalo, New York in 1968 amidst the unsettling Vietnam War […]
Look Up at the Bremerton Airshow
Originally published on West Sound. The Port of Bremerton at the Bremerton National Airport will host the Bremerton Airshow on July 11-12. The show will feature a full lineup of classic military and civilian aircraft, para-commandos, and lots of action in the sky. On the ground, check out planes, military vehicles, take pics in an […]