Gut-busting burgers are on the menu for North Bend’s downtown Block Party this Saturday, but someone has to order them—someone really, really hungry.
“It’s five pounds of beef, but when it’s all said and done, it’s probably a 10-pound burger,” said Kyle Twede, who is organizing the third annual burger-eating contest for the block party.
Glenn Derwin’s been busy making trips to Tiger Mountain, bringing a friend’s big collection of heavy, clunky competition gear to North Bend. Today’s trip brings in a few huge tractor tires, which join the heavy blocks of stone, steel dumbbells and 400-pound sled that Derwin will use to challenge the Valley’s strongest.
Derwin, owner of Alpine Fitness in North Bend, hosts the Almost Strongest Man contest Saturday, July 23, next to Boxley’s Place. It’s the third year for the contest, which has been part of the North Bend Block Party since year one.
Pigs will fly on Saturday, July 23, when Valentine’s Performing Pigs come to the North Bend Block Party. The Community Stage is where Petunia the Vietnamese pot-bellied pig will amaze party-goers by jumping through hoops and other unlikely piggie feats, and she’s not even the star of the show.
Nellie, billed as “The World’s Smartest Pig” when she performed on Letterman and Leno, is the finale of the Valentine’s half-hour show, says owner Steve Valentine.
Cathie Linden is expecting at least one Lady Gaga at this weekend’s festivities, and hoping for a Justin Bieber, too.
“This year, I’ve asked people to get creative with their costumes,” she said, “so I asked a friend to bring her dog as Lady Gaga.”
But dogs dressed up as pop stars are only part of the full day that Linden, owner of U Dirty Dog, is planning for dogs and their owners who come to the North Bend downtown Block Party. There will also be grooming demonstrations give-aways, and the much anticipated doggie olympics, with events like bobbing for hot dogs, and the loudest “speak.”
They’ve tempted you at area farmers markets, and maybe you resisted the urge to buy one, but there’s no denying the appeal of the George’s Bakery giant doughnut.
“Kids come in, look around, and say ‘I want that!’” says Kathie Stokesberry, co-owner of George’s Bakery. They can have it, if they sign up for the doughnut eating contest set for 3:15 p.m. Saturday, July 23, as part of the North Bend Downtown Block Party.
Kids of all ages are invited to come play with their food at the children’s area of the North Bend Block Party Saturday, where the Banana Boogie is back for its third year.
The event is an exercise in creativity, and a lot of fun, says Boogie coordinator Cindy Walker. “It’s something that clearly doesn’t happen every day, making your own car with a banana.”
From 2 p.m. to about 8 p.m., participants can pay their $2 admission, pick a banana, trick it out with toy wheels, stickers, feathers, pipe cleaners and their own original marker art, then race it down a 16-foot ramp.
Local music fans need look no further than North Bend Way to find two different stages playing host to a bevy of local bands, singers and dance acts.
Regional rock outfits, jazz groups, cover bands and singer-songwriters from the Snoqualmie Valley will appear on the Main Stage, on Main Street across from Cook Real Estate, while local talent also appears on the Community Stage, located on Bendigo Boulevard.
Real art in the making is just off the beaten path in the Artists’ Alley.
“We call it the arts right down our alley,” says Dick Burhans, chairperson of Snoqualmie Valley Arts, and, with his wife Sally, coordinator of the Artists’ Alley attraction of the Block Party.
Daryl Lambert and King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert, both of Redmond, announce the engagement of their son, Craig Lambert, to Amy Speight of Mukilteo. She is the daughter of Mr. Shannon and Mrs. Rachel Speight of Freeland, Wash.
Amy Speight is a graduate of the Intercollegiate College of Nursing and works as a pediatric oncology nurse at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Craig Lambert is a graduate of Redmond High School and a 2004 graduate of Washington State University. He is a Kappa Sigma alumnus with a degree in construction management. He now works for Boeing in Everett.
IGNITE Dance students will share performances they’ve honed at recent competitions at the North Bend Block Party. From tap and jazz to hip hop and lyrical dance, top students and instructors will put on a show at 4:05 p.m. on the main stage.
Spectators “will be blown away by the teachers’ dance, just because of the teachers’ ability,” said instructor and studio leader Katie Black.
In the hands of Boarders for Christ, the skateboard is more than just a toy or a vehicle. It becomes a tool for ministry.
The 14-year-old organization formed to help people draw closer to God through board sports like skateboarding and snowboarding. It relies on demo and contests just like the Half Pipe and Trick Contest talking place Saturday afternoon, July 23, in front of North Bend Bar and Grill, for its work.
With a higher vantage point, you can generally see things better. Kathie Cassady of Snoqualmie knows this is especially true if your vantage point is atop a beautiful white horse.
From this position, Cassady was able to see centuries’ worth of Florida’s history on a prayer ride she and her Glory International teammates made across that state in February, and parallels to life in the Valley.
Lobsterfest VI, a benefit dinner and auction, is 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, at St. Clare’s Episcopal Church, 8650 Railroad Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie. Diners can choose from fresh lobster or barbecued chicken, served with red potatoes, Yakima corn on the cob, homemade slaw, watermelon, cake, and cold beer, wine and soda. There are plenty of hot dogs for children.
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