
Episode #57
Food Hall Rumor Downtown? Wine Walk, Alison Krauss & Best Playground in Redmond
Welcome to Best of Redmond! Redmond's twice-weekly newsletter and podcast about all the amazing things happening in Redmond for the next seven days! NE 128th Way Is Closed If NE 128th Way between 181st Ave NE and Avondale Road NE is part of your regular route, there's a big change you need to know about this week. King County closed the road starting Monday, August 17, for a culvert replacement, and the closure is expected to last up to eight weeks. The road is closed to cars, pedestrians and bicyclists, and the detour is more than five miles. Here's the thing: this isn't a quick closure, so change your route now and expect some extra time if you're heading that direction. Redmond Wine Walk Is Friday The Redmond Wine Walk is Friday, August 21, from 5 to 8 PM at Redmond Town Center, 7345 164th Ave NE. You'll get 12 tasting tokens, a souvenir wine glass and a chance to sample Washington wines from wineries around the state. There'll also be live music in the plaza, plus shops and winery reps to wander through. General admission is $35 in advance, or $45 day-of if tickets are still available. If you're going, grab your ticket early and bring your ID. This one's for the 21-and-over crowd. NEEDTOBREATHE at Marymoor NEEDTOBREATHE brings The Long Surrender Tour to Marymoor Live Friday, August 21. Doors open at 4:30 PM and the show starts at 6:30 PM at 6046 West Lake Sammamish Parkway NE. Drew & Ellie Holcomb are also on the bill, so you've got a pretty full night of music. Marymoor also has food and drink vendors on site, which means you don't have to figure out dinner before you go. Check your ticket before leaving home, and give yourself time for parking and getting through the entrance. ♻️ Thrift & Threads Festival If you're into secondhand clothes, creative projects and finding ways to reuse stuff instead of tossing it, the Thrift & Threads Festival is happening Sunday, August 24, from 2:30 to 5:30 PM at the Redmond Senior & Community Center, 8703 160th Ave NE. United Hub is bringing together secondhand clothing sellers, individual vendors, up-cyclers, clothing repairers, crafters, artists and environmental groups. You'll be able to shop "twice-loved clothing" and check out people turning reclaimed materials into something new. Bring a friend and plan to browse. Shuffle Club & Balboa Workshop Want to learn a swing dance or just try something different on a Friday night? Shuffle Club is Friday, August 21, at Gotta Dance, 17945 NE 65th St #100. The Balboa workshop runs from 7:30 to 9 PM, followed by social dancing from 9 to 11:30 PM. The workshop and dance are $35 together, or you can do the workshop for $25 or dance only for $15. You don't need to already be a great dancer. If you're new, take the workshop first and let somebody else worry about looking cool. Alison Krauss & Union Station at Marymoor Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas play Marymoor Live Saturday, August 22, with the show starting at 6 PM at 6046 West Lake Sammamish Parkway NE. Theo Lawrence is also on the bill. If bluegrass, country and ridiculously good musicians are more your thing than a giant pop show, this one's worth a look. Marymoor has food, drinks and multiple local vendors inside the venue, so you can make an evening of it. Check your ticket for door information and give yourself some extra time for parking. Boots & Brews Line Dancing If you've never tried line dancing, Thursday, August 20, is a pretty easy night to give it a shot. Boots & Brews runs from 7 to 8:30 PM at Watts Brewing Company, 15510 Redmond-Woodinville Rd NE, Suite E110 in Woodinville. Wildflower Dance Co. leads the class, and they're welcoming all ages and skill levels. It's $10 at the door, and they teach new dances while reviewing favorites from earlier weeks. So you don't need experience. Just show up, grab a drink if you want one, and follow along. Bicycle Bling: Bike Swap at the Velodrome Okay, bike people, this one's for you. The Jerry Baker Memorial Velodrome is holding its annual Bike Swap Saturday, August 22, from 2 to 4 PM. Bring your bike stuff to sell, or come see what everybody else is unloading. The velodrome says it won't take a cut, and your gear doesn't have to be track-specific. So if you've got an old bike, wheels, parts or random gear taking up space in the garage, load it up and see if somebody else needs it. Or just go browse. You might find something useful. ️ Redmond History Minute Okay, it's time for the Redmond History Minute, where we share an interesting piece of history, trivia, or tidbit about life in and around Redmond. What nickname did Redmond's Chamber of Commerce put on a sign at the city's west entrance in 1978? A) Bicycle Capital of the World B) Bicycle City of Washington C) Bike Town USA D) Cycling Capital of the Eastside Answer revealed at the bottom of this newsletter. Redmond Rumor Mill Okay, here's one that's making the rounds... We're hearing that a longtime Redmond restaurant space could be getting a completely different kind of tenant. The word is that a local group is looking at turning the space into a neighborhood food hall with a few small kitchens, communal seating and a rotating lineup of local food vendors. We haven't confirmed the location, who's behind it, or whether the deal is actually happening. So here's the question: What Redmond restaurant space do you think could be the next food hall? If you've got a guess or have heard something, head to our Facebook page at facebook.com/BestOfRedmond and drop it in the "Redmond Rumor Mill Guesses" post. ️ Your Picks: Best playground in Redmond Alright, that's it for this week. Head on over to facebook.com/BestOfRedmond, find the post called "Your Picks," and drop your vote in the comments. We want to know who you think is the best playground in Redmond. Don't Miss the Podcast If you enjoyed this newsletter, you're gonna love the companion podcast. Find it at bestofredmond.com. We'll see you in the next one... or maybe before then, walking around Redmond. History Minute Answer The answer is A – Bicycle Capital of the World In 1978, Redmond's Chamber of Commerce erected a sign at the city's west entrance proclaiming Redmond the "Bicycle Capital of the World." Redmond's cycling history goes back much further, with Derby Days bike races becoming a long-running local tradition. The city eventually became home to the Jerry Baker Memorial Velodrome at Marymoor Park, so the nickname has a pretty solid local history behind it. And this week, you've got a Bike Swap at that same velodrome if you want to see a little of that cycling tradition in action.

