By Joel Odegard
UW News Lab
After a three-year absence, the Kent Wine Walk returned this weekend and everyone must have missed it, because lines were stacked up outside downtown storefronts.
The event brought more than 400 people to downtown Kent on Saturday, April 11 and filled participating businesses with customers eager for samples from local wineries. Businesses with enough space hosted makeshift stages for three local bands throughout the night.
This event and others like it are put on by Kent Downtown Partnership, a non-profit community development organization that aims to strengthen the economic vitality, cultural vibrance, and historical character of downtown Kent, said Kent Downtown Partnership Executive Director Gaila Haas.
“Bringing attention to the historic area, promoting the businesses that make up this area, and having a place and reason for people to gather are the main reasons we put on events like these,” Haas said.
The reason this event was created in 2018 was to bring different communities to the area and showcase everything Kent downtown has to offer, including its businesses and ethnic and cultural diversity, said Haas. This event was put on hold in the past few years to focus on other beer, cider, and spirit-related events, according to Haas.
Attendees for the Wine Walk met at Sweet Themes Bakery, which is owned by Terri Ameri. Patrons received raffle tickets, cups, and maps to navigate the event. People filled the sidewalk outside at 5 p.m. sharp waiting for the event to start.
“Events like this get people to come here and see that Kent is not just some offshoot of Seattle, and people recognize that there are great restaurants and businesses,” Ameri said.
Across the street from Sweet Themes Bakery, Retro Emporium is filled with old video and card games, My Little Pony, Care Bears, and nerdy trinkets, but during the event, Naches Heights Vineyard was set up in the store and brought in wine enthusiasts and geeks alike.
Moore Than Rocks hosted the funky sounds of local band SunWheel amidst the store’s amethyst, quartz, and Mica products. After looking at rocks, listening to funk music, and having a choice of sweet or dry mead, attendees headed East on Meeker Street towards Cycle Therapy bike shop. This business was also hosting live music with a speaker propped up outside their front door.
Altha’s Louisiana Cajun Store, owned and operated by Reginald Robinson, hosted winery T2 Cellar while they sold their Cajun style cuisine including gumbo, boudin, alligator, and catfish.
The Wine Walk isn’t the only event the Kent Downtown Partnership hosts each year, and Robinson is involved in one of the largest. In August the Cajun and Creole Festival is held in downtown Kent at Burlington Green Park and more than 8,000 people attended last year, said Robinson, whose business does catering for the event.
“What I wanted to do was bring that southern culture up and where people from Washington and other places could see how we lived in the south, […] bringing that whole flavor,” said Robinson.
Photos
Click arrows or swipe images to view slideshow:
Event attendees waiting outside Sweet Themes Bakery and Moore Than Rocks just before 5 p.m. to pick up their maps. These two stores are right next to each other, and Retro Emporium is across the street. Photo by Joel Odegard 
Inside Retro Emporium, looking at a vintage video game display. They have old and new items on sale related to video games, TV shows, and Music. Photo by Joel Odegard 
Event attendees at Altha’s Louisiana Cajun Store are waiting in line for a sample from T2 Cellars. Altha’s is the perfect stop for Gumbo and other Creole-style cuisines. Photo by Joel Odegard 
Inside Retro Emporium, looking at a vintage video game display. They have old and new items on sale related to video games, TV shows, and Music. Photo by Joel Odegard 
One of the many displays in Moore Than Rocks features a variety of crystals. Geology-focused people should check this place out if they haven’t already. Photo by Joel Odegard
Kent Nerd Party will be June 6
Kent Downtown Partnership also hosts the Kent Nerd Party, which involves a cosplay contest, Lego Museum, LARP Games, and outdoor vendors on Saturday, June 6.
University of Washington’s News Lab (COM 362) gives advanced Journalism and Public Interest Communication students an opportunity to build a dynamic clip portfolio by working with client news outlets and other organizations in the greater Seattle area.
