Local News and Events for Kent, Washington

This week’s edition is a little late. We were waiting for news of the Seattle TBirds who won the WHL Championship last night. So exciting!

Also this week, we’ve got events including KDP’s wine walk, a Khalsa Day parade and spaghetti dinner fundraiser, and news about Police Week, the TBirds, fireworks and more. In addition, we’ve added a new feature – stories you might have missed to help you stay up-to-date on all the Kent news.

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

~ Dana Neuts, publisher

NEW–Seattle Thunderbirds are the WHL champions
Last night the Seattle Thunderbirds won the WHL championship, defeating the Regina Pats in Game 6 of the WHL championship. The TBirds defeated the Pats in overtime last night, 4 to 3, giving the TBirds four wins in the seven game series. Congrats to our Seattle Thunderbirds for a great season, and for bringing the WHL cup home! We are so proud of you. See Game 6 highlights here.

NEW–Kent Creates puts out call for art exhibit entries
The Kent Arts Commission and Kent Creates has put out a call for entries for its online art exhibit at KentCreates.com. The entries can be in any medium. The theme: Farmers Markets. The exhibit will run May 1 through July 31, 2017. Get more details here.

KDP to host spring Wine Walk this Fri., May 19
Spring has sprung and that means it is Wine Walk season in downtown Kent. Kent Downtown Partnership is hosting its first event of the season this Friday, May 19. All participants must be 21+ with valid ID to participate. $25 in advance or $30 at the door for 12 tasting tickets. Registration begins at Down Home Catering at 5:30 PM. Wine Walk runs from 6 pm to 9 pm. Click here for more details and online ticket purchases.

NEW–It’s Police Week, May 14 – 20, 2017
This week is National Police Week. There are approximately 900,000 law enforcement officers in the U.S., including about 4,000 men and women in King County serving 39 cities, three tribal governments, the University of Washington and nearly 250,000 in unincorporated communities. On behalf of iLoveKent, we thank them for their faithful service.

NEW–Fireworks are now illegal in Kent
From the city’s ‘Scene’ newsletter, May 2017: The sale, the possession, and the discharge of any fireworks is prohibited in the city of Kent and can result in a $250 fine and confiscation of the fireworks. The one exception is public fireworks displays that have a permit…like the one planned on the Fourth of July Splash at Lake Meridian. Kent police will be out in full force to educate and enforce the new law.

NEW–Khalsa Day Parade is next Sun., May 21
Next Sunday Gurudwara Singh Sabha of Washington is hosting its annual Khalsa Day Parade with an all-day celebration at ShoWare Center. The event includes a colorful parade at 3 PM. Non-Sikhs are invited to attend to learn more about the Sikh culture and to celebrate the day with their neighbors and friends. Get more details here.

NEW–Community bazaar and farmer’s market comes to East Hill
This past Saturday, Living Well Kent hosted its first East Hill Community Bazaar and Farmer’s Market at Morrill Meadows Park, featuring local farm coalitions, businesses, craftsman and more. Despite the rain, the event was well attended. It is the first of five events scheduled for the summer. Click here for details and photos of Saturday’s event as well as a schedule for upcoming events. A big thank you to Living Well Kent for helping make healthy food more accessible to Kent residents!

NEW–Kent International Festival returns to Kent June 3
Mark your calendars for one of the area’s most popular summer events – the Kent International Festival. Held at ShoWare Center, this fun event is a celebration of our community’s diversity, complete with vendor booths, ethnic food, live music, performances and more. Do not miss this free event! Learn more about the Kent International Festival here.

NEW–Kent Has Talent auditions set for Sept. 3, main event Oct. 7
Last year the Kent Community Foundation hosted Kent Has Talent, its first all-ages talent show, featuring a wide range of talent in three age categories. The fundraiser was such a success that the foundation is bringing it back to Kent this fall. Auditions are tentatively set for Sat., Sept. 23 at Allegro Performing Arts and Kent Has Talent will be Sat., Oct. 7, 2017. Visit KentCF.com for more info. or email info@kentcf.com. Sponsorship and volunteer opportunities are available.
Kent Travel AdvisoriesNEW–Stay on top of Kent traffic and construction
Now that construction season is in full swing, we’ve brought back our Kent Traffic Alerts and Construction Projects page to keep you up to date on construction traffic affecting Kent drivers. We’ll do our best to keep your page up to date, but if you see something missing or a mistake, please let us know. View the page here.
NEW–Next iLoveKent coloring/drawing contest during Kent Cornucopia Days
We had so much fun with our first coloring contest for Earth Day that we are partnering with Artsy Fartsy Art Lessons in downtown Kent to do a drawing/coloring contest for Kent Cornucopia Days. The theme: “My favorite thing about Kent Cornucopia Days is…” More details, including rules and deadlines, will be posted soon.
NEW–KM PTSA Football Booster Club pasta dinner
Also next Sun., May 21, KM PTSA Football Booster Club is holding a pasta dinner fundraiser at the Kent-Meridian High School cafeteria from 3 pm to 6 pm. The event will be hosted by G. Scott from ESPN Radio and guest speakers include Robin Earl, a KM alum and former NFL player. Tickets are $5 at the door or they can be purchased online. More details here.
Other stories on iLoveKent you might have missed:
Upcoming Events
Additional details for these events are available on our Google calendar or on our May 2017 “things to do” list.
May 15        Coffee, Cake & Island
May 16        Kent City Council
May 17        Starting a Cottage Food Business workshop
May 18        Communities in Schools Kent Fundraiser breakfast
May 18        Third Thursday Art Night
May 19        PICC Annual Luncheon
May 19        KDP Wine Walk
May 20        Green Kent Event: Morrill Meadows Park
May 20        Bereiter House Plant Sale (Kent Museum)
May 20        LFL: Seattle Mist vs. Denver
May 21        Khalsa Day Celebration and Parade
May 21        KM PTSA Football Booster Club Pasta Dinner

Dana Neuts

I am a full-time freelance writer, editor, marketing pro and the publisher of iLoveKent.net.