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MOUNT VERNON – Tickets are on sale for the 28th annual Highland Games and Celtic Festival, July 13-14 at the Skagit County Fairgrounds, 501 Taylor Avenue, Mount Vernon. Produced by the Celtic Arts Foundation the family-friendly event is a Mount Vernon summer staple. Activities include bagpipe competitions, traditional Scottish athletic competitions, Highland dancing, sheepdog demos, performances from renowned Celtic musicians, history presentations, genealogy tents, children's activities and s...
Skagit County Display Gardens Open House, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, June 29, 16650 State Route 536, Mount Vernon. Explore gardens and educational displays. Learn about container gardening and Skagit Conservation District and Skagit County Noxious Weed Control Board efforts. Skagit County WSU Extension Master Gardeners will be on site with a plant clinic and plant ID, free garden tool sharpening and plant sale. Free admission. Salish Sea Early Music Festival, 7 p.m. July 2. Classical musicians Irene Roldan on harpsichord and Jeffrey Cohan on...
Over $420,000 was raised at the 32nd Museum of Northwest Art’s Annual Art Auction June 8, the Museum posted in an email Friday. The thank you to supporters starts “we have soared to incredible new heights,” echoing the auction’s theme of “spreading our wings.” A week earlier, staff reported over 200 people attended the auction. Proceeds came from sale of tickets, silent and live auction art and the raise the paddle appeal, with people joining from Whatcom County down to King County and all the way to Eastern Washington. Source: MoNA...
Dealing with loss is a universal challenge, but establishing a memorial garden can serve as a beautiful tribute to honor a loved one, offering a serene space for reflection and remembrance. There are no strict guidelines for creating such a garden. Whether it's on a small balcony or a spacious yard, the focus should be on capturing the essence of the individual being honored. Consider their interests, personality and favorite spots, perhaps incorporating elements they cherished or frequented....
Two exhibits open at the Museum of Northwest Art on First Street on Saturday, June 22, and run through Sept. 29. “Joseph Gregory Rossano: Portraits of the Divine” is a compassionate tribute to nature. The distillation of decades-long engagement of the artist with the impact of human beings on the natural world, it offers a selection of large-scale sculptures, drawings and paintings from three of the artist’s ongoing series: “At the Top of Her Lungs,” “Whitewashed” and “Ivory”. By depicting a menagerie of animals whether endangered or already ex...
Mark your calendars for these upcoming fun activities. Free outdoor concert at La Conner Marina July 4. Local favorites Pacific Twang will hit the stage at 5:30 followed by The Power Players Band from Seattle at 7:30. The Power Players are a dynamic 11-piece band featuring a full horn section, percussions and a host of talented vocalists playing classic rock. Fireworks show follows at 10 p.m. Local food vendors and a beer/wine garden provided by Anacortes Brewery will open at 5 p.m. The concert is a fundraiser for the Rick Epting Foundation...
Washington State University alumni will tell you that their classmates have fascinating careers and are doing wonderful things in every part of the state. As if to prove how varied these callings and careers are, in 2023 WSU Press published the "Evergreen Collection," essays detailing accomplishments of graduates and faculty first printed in Washington State Magazine over the last 20 years. The Skagit Valley is represented by the Roozen family and their Washington Bulb Co. The succeeding generation of ownership, after founder William, are all W...
Last Saturday over 200 people attended the 32nd Museum of Northwest Art’s Annual Art Auction, reported Executive Director Stefano Catalani. The year’s theme is “spreading our wings” and participants did that: “The museum galleries on both floors were filled with energy and excitement,” Catalani shared in an email. He called it an incredible night and “one of the most successful auctions ever, if not the most successful both in terms of gross and net revenue,” though funds raised were not totaled up Tuesday morning. Proceeds came from sale...
La Conner will again serve as host and the upriver community of Concrete will receive special accolades when the Skagit County Pioneer Association holds its 120th picnic and business meeting at Pioneer Park on Aug. 1. Concrete civic leaders Jason Miller, Valerie Stafford, Fred West, John and Gail Boggs, and Marty and Adrienne Smith will receive Pioneer Spirit awards during the event in recognition of their key roles promoting Concrete’s rich historical heritage and maintaining its envied quality of life while nestled amid some of Washington s...
Mark your calendars for these upcoming fun activities. La Conner Retirement Inn Car Show, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, June 14, 204 N. First Street. Featuring classic cars, barbeque, Kona ice truck, prizes and live music by The Esquires. La Conner Live 2024 Summer Concert Series takes over Gilkey Square every Sunday from 1-4 p.m. through Sept. 8 at First and Morris streets. The lineup features Chris Eger Band, June 16; BrohamM, June 23; Full Spectrum, June 30; Joan Penney & Herding Kats Jazz Nonet, July 7; The Fabulous Murphtones, July 14; Lost at...
The Black Oystercatchers live along the rocky shores searching for marine mussels, snails and worms. They actually don't eat oysters. Their long narrow beaks makes it easy for them to find food in between the rocks and in tide pools. They also nest on the rocks above the high tide line. Our favorite spot to see them is at Rosario Beach. From the bluff you can see them flying over the water or sitting on the rocks to the northwest where they nest. It is recommended that you watch them from a...
Does director Alex Garland’s provocatively titled film “Civil War,” depicting exactly that in a near-future United States needlessly throw gasoline onto flames in a 2024 America that need no fanning? A newsreel playing in the background mentions the president (Nick Offerman) is in his third term. The U.S. Constitution limits presidents to two terms. Something is wrong enough that the nation is at war with itself. There is purposefully no background, no explanation. An improbable California-Texas secessionist alliance is battling the feder...
Cantabile Chamber Choir will perform “The Drop That Contained the Sea” at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 8, at McIntyre Hall. They will share the stage with the Kulshan Chorus of Bellingham, Sno-King Chorale of Edmonds, singers from Mount Vernon High School and a 53-person orchestra. Christoper Tin is the composer. His work captures a Sufi concept: just as a single drop of water contains the essence of the entire ocean, inside every human being is the essence of all humanity. Tin says, “Each movement is inspired by water in a different form, arran...
Mark your calendars for some upcoming fun activities. June 5 fun fundraiser for La Conner Fire Association: The La Conner Fire Association invites everyone to “take over the La Conner Pub & Eatery” from 4-9 p.m. Wednesday, June 5, 702 S. First St. Come out, enjoy a delicious meal with family and friends, and help make a difference in the community. Fifty percent of food and beverage sales and 100% of gratuities will go directly to support the La Conner Fire Department. 32nd annual MoNA art auction is now live: Visit the Museum of Northwest Art...
While the 32nd Museum of Northwest Art’s Annual Art Auction is at the museum June 8, more than 300 of some 418 pieces of art can be viewed in person in its galleries or online. People are already making silent auction bids for those 388 works of art and another seven special experiences ranging from a glass blowing class to wine, and some pieces have been purchased. At the June 8 event, 30 pieces will be auctioned live. Additional funds will be raised through the “golden raffle,” with the winner getting her choice of almost any art item. The a...
The Skagit County Farmland Legacy Program is sharing their accomplishments with county residents in their 2023 annual report. It is inserted in this week’s Weekly News. The report provides insight into the role of agriculture in Skagit County and how protecting farmland helps us preserve agricultural viability. After protecting 425 acres of farmland in 2023, Skagit County farmland under conservation easement protection totals 14,700 acres. This includes row crops, seed crops, dairy and cattle operations, as well as silage, hay pasture, bulbs, f...
Mark your calendars for some upcoming fun activities. June 5 fun fundraiser for La Conner Fire Association: The La Conner Fire Association invites everyone to “take over the La Conner Pub & Eatery” from 4-9 p.m. Wednesday, June 5, 702 S. First St. Come out, enjoy a delicious meal with family and friends, and help make a difference in the community. Fifty percent of food and beverage sales and 100 % of gratuities will go directly to support the La Conner Fire Department. La Conner Live 2024 Summer Concert Series takes over Gilkey Square eve...
Instead of my regular La Conner Swinomish Library column, Jim Airy, who was board chair during much of the 2020-2022 state audit period and I would like to respond to the recent article about library audit findings in the May 15 La Conner Weekly News. The board and the library recognize the importance of accountability and transparency for the operations of our library district and are committed to ongoing improvements to our service and to compliance with state laws and regulations and library policies. Jim Airy’s response: The recent state a...
We’re splitting the difference between singles and the album drop for La Conner born and raised musician, Anna Tivel. I first discovered Tivel while covering the 2023 Christian Lee Hutson/Fenne Lily tour stop in Seattle for The Daily of the University of Washington. From the moment she began to sing, I knew I was in for a treat. There’s a great fear of unknown openers in concert going, but Tivel surpassed all expectations with her haunting voice, narrative lyricism and command of the stage. To my surprise she then uttered a familiar name, “La...
This is the time when the male American Goldfinch looks his best! You can't miss seeing them with their bright yellow feathers and they hope that the females will do the same. They come to seed feeders with sunflower and thistle seed, or look for seeds on grasses and in deciduous trees and shrubs. It helps them not to mow everything, and even let a thistle plant grow for the fun of seeing them eat those seeds. During wintertime, their plumage changes and they look more subdued like the females...
Mark your calendars for some upcoming fun activities. Skagit Community Band free ensemble concert: “Postcards of Gratitude” at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 25, at Maple Hall. This concert features groups that represent all sections of the band, including Fluteus Maximus, Barefoot Jazz Dixieland, Skagit Brass Quintet and more. Expect to hear traditional music, jazz, show tunes and more. As a backdrop to the music, there will be a silent dessert auction with a variety of sweet selections on display. Maple Hall, 104 Commercial St., La Conner. Info: www...
Friday was a Lucky day in La Conner, and not just because of the Northern Lights. An upbeat, hour-long morning program at La Conner-Swinomish Library by award-winning author and musician Lucky Diaz made the day special as well. Diaz, a bilingual force of energy, came to celebrate with area children and parents the wonder and joy that can create magic in the lives of young people. "I do this for the kids," Diaz told the Weekly News. "I started doing this to entertain my oldest daughter. I'd...
When you’re facing issues with your garden, from troubled roses to fungus on your fruit trees or even perplexing plant identification, you need not rely on uncertain advice from neighbors or online forums. Visit a WSU Extension Master Gardener Plant Clinic in Anacortes or Burlington for reliable answers and assistance. The free Master Gardner Clinics offer extensive on-site resources, including a comprehensive library, print materials, access to online resources and microscopes for plant identification and disease diagnosis. The plant clinic v...
Mark your calendars for some upcoming fun activities. La Conner Guitar Festival 2024, May 17-19. Listen to, play and shop for the world’s finest handmade instruments with three days of events and exhibitions in Maple Hall and evening concerts at the Civic Garden Club. Vendors room open 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday in Maple Hall. Luthiers exhibitions 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday in Maple Hall. Evening concerts 7-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Civic Garden Club. Tickets on s...
"The Force" was with the Skagit River Poetry Foundation on Saturday May 4th, Star Wars Day, as 125 community members gathered to support our nonprofit at our fourth annual auction at historic Hillcrest Park Lodge in Mount Vernon. We want to thank everyone who celebrated with us and our donors who could not attend as we hosted our Star Wars-themed fundraiser – even Darth Vader made an appearance. We are happy to announce that in only three hours the love and support of our guests raised over $...
