Snoqualmie hosts final Finally Friday of the season

Snoqualmie’s Finally Friday Art and Wine Walk concluded its sixth season last week in Historic Downtown Snoqualmie.

Finally Friday Art and Wine Walk is held the last Friday of each month from May through September. Locals were invited to stroll along Railroad Avenue while listening to live music, watching artists in action, chatting with friends, and visiting shops along the way for wine tastings from local and regional wineries.

Sally Rackets, the owner of Mount Si Art Gallery, has been part of organizing Finally Friday since the beginning.

“Back in 2008, we were going through a recession and I noticed that Snoqualmie looked a bit like a ghost town, and the idea popped into my head that we should put art in the windows,” she said.

Over the years, more and more art was shown in the windows of several buildings, and it ultimately led to the Mt. Si Art Commission, which Rackets is now a co-chair, organizing a formal art walk throughout the town.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” she said. “It’s been amazing to get to know a lot of artists and musicians throughout the years and see people’s work. It’s also been wonderful to see how the art walks bring the merchants together.”

Participating merchants include the Art Gallery of SnoValley, Bindelstick, the Black Dog, Carmichael’s Hardware, Corners Gift Shop, Down to Earth, Heirloom Cookshop, Kevin Hauglie’s Farmers Ins., Sigillo Cellars, Snoqualmie Falls Candy Factory, the Northwest Train Museum, and Wild Hare Vintage.

Iya Brown and her husband own Wild Hare Vintage. Since becoming the new owners last year, this was their first year participating in Finally Friday.

“We’ve honestly have just been having a ball,” Brown said. “It’s such a wonderful way for people to connect and a great way to see what the town has to offer.”

Local restaurants also participated by providing light appetizers paired with the wines in some of the venues. Gianfranco’s Italian Restorante has been at the Art Gallery of SnoValley, the Snoqualmie Brewery and Taproom at Corners Gifts, Copperstone Family Restaurant at Down to Earth, the Snoqualmie Falls Candy Shop at Wild Hare Vintage, Heirloom Cookshop at Heirloom, and Woodman Lodge at the Northwest Train Museum.

Local wineries included William Grassie Wine Estates, Convergence Zone Cellars, Chateau Noelle, Mt. Si Winery, Pleasant Hills Cellars, Pearl & Stone Wine, and Sigillo Cellars. Regional wineries include Celaeno Wine, Sol Stone Wine, Long Cellars, and Wilridge Winery from Woodinville, and Drink Washington/Eternal Wine and Barrel Springs Winery from the Walla Walla area.

Artists and musicians on the sidewalks display their talents throughout the night. Music artists this year included, Cascade Jazz, One Step from Everywhere, Small Town Soul Band, Tanya and the Groove Hats, The Dan Taylor Trio, The Loving W’s, as well as solo performances by Chase Rabideau, Gavin Treglown, Kirsten Silva and Tim Bertsch.

Along with music artists, the local artists set up their areas on the sidewalk and created art.

Jacqueline Tribble, a local artist, painted watercolor landscapes by flashlight. She said it was the second year she had participated in Finally Friday.

“I’ve been painting nearly all my life,” Tribble said. “The art and wine walks are so great for the community as it allows people to see a different side of Snoqualmie… it’s a great thing for the community to connect over.”

Finally Fridays is scheduled to return for its seventh season next May.