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 November 29, 2023
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Holiday magic begins Friday with Holiday Lights Opening Night
Embrace the spirit of the festive season by joining the city for the enchanting opening night of Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park’s Holiday Lights on Friday, December 1. This occasion is a perfect way to enjoy cheer, togetherness, and celebration.
The Holiday Lights are back to full capacity this year with both Coulon park improvement projects completed. Enjoy the park's upgrades, with lights illuminating the vicinity of Kidd Valley/Galleria to the North Picnic Shelter, along the North Water Walk, to the north roundabout light poles.
The evening’s events are as follows:
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6 p.m.: Arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus
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6:15 p.m.: Official lighting of the trees by Mayor Armondo Pavone
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6:15 p.m.-8:15 p.m.: Photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus
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7:15 p.m.: Bonfire and singalong at North Picnic Shelter
- 7:30 p.m.-8 p.m.: Rainier Yacht Club’s Parade of Boats
- 8:10 p.m.: Argosy Christmas Ship
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9 p.m.: Park closes
Parking will be available at the North and South Lot, and double parking at the Boat Launch is open on December 1 only. The Kidd Valley lot will be closed for Event Permit parking and additional ADA parking. Please move vehicles before 9 p.m. to avoid getting locked into the park.
Holiday Lights will be lit daily from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. through January 1, 2024, and the parking lot will close at 8 p.m. daily. Be sure to catch different light themes from week to week.
In addition to the lights, be sure to participate in other Renton holiday activities this month:
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Don’t miss out on becoming an Elf cadet through Renton Recreation’s 2023 Elf Academy. Register by Friday, December 1, to experience the magic and take on the challenge. Receive an Elf enlistment kit, complete with a work checklist, resumé, crafts, and tips on agility training.
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The annual K9 Candy Cane Fun Run and Walk 5K is on Sunday, December 3, at the Renton Community Center, starting at 9:15 a.m. Runners and walkers travel along the beautiful paved Cedar River Trail before returning to the Community Center.
- Please Note: The City of Renton Recreation Division is aware of the recent mystery dog respiratory illness outbreak and recommends a few precautions for participants and their K9s. Information is available on our website.
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It’s that time of year again for the third annual Battle of the Badges Holiday Lights event hosted by the Renton Police Department. This free event is on Friday, December 8, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. outside the Renton Community Center. Experience the holiday spirit with a magical drive-through holiday light display, where public safety agencies from around the region transform their vehicles into festive displays for all to enjoy.
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Santa Claus has graciously shared his Renton email address – Santa@rentonwa.gov – for up to 300 writers who want to email him. Email Santa between December 1 and 10; he'll reply via U.S. Mail by December 20.
City awarded two Governor’s Smart Community Awards
This month, the City received two Governor’s Smart Communities Awards in recognition of two distinctive projects, the Family First Community Center (FFCC) and the redevelopment of South Lake Washington. Including these awards, the City has now received eleven Smart Communities Awards from the Washington State Department of Commerce.
Governor’s Smart Communities Awards recognizes achievements by local governments and their partners. These programs promote thoughtful growth planning and projects contributing to thriving communities, a prosperous economy, and sustainable infrastructure.
The FFCC received the Judges' Merit Award, recognizing success in more than one judged category. The South Lake Washington project received the Smart Planning Legacy Award, recognizing the long-term impact of community visioning, planning, and policy over a period of at least 25 years.
The Family First Community Center (FFCC) is a new facility combining a community center with recreational and health services, brought to life in partnership with former Seahawk Doug Baldwin’s Family First Community Center Foundation, the City of Renton, the Renton School District, HealthPoint, and the support of regional and local legislators. Located in the Cascade/Benson Hill community on property donated by the Renton School District, the facility is immediately adjacent to Cascade Elementary School. By design, this project is an excellent example of integrating new land uses in a predominantly residential area.
With 58% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch at Cascade Elementary School, FFCC is designed to empower individuals and families to lead healthy, prosperous, and fulfilling lives through access to education, recreation, and health services. The FFCC provides wrap‐around services in a 21,000‐square foot building that includes a fitness center, studio spaces, a gymnasium, a makerspace for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) curriculum, community gathering spaces, with HealthPoint providing needed medical, dental, and behavioral health services.
The 20-year transformation of the South Lake Washington area is another successful display of innovative partnership, land use planning, and redevelopment. In 2002, Boeing planned to consolidate operations in Renton, releasing over 50 acres of land. Taking advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the City and Boeing initiated a partnership to review and evaluate redevelopment opportunities.
This partnership resulted in the creation and adoption of a new urban zoning designation and amendments to the City's 1995 Comprehensive Plan and Comprehensive Plan Map. It also resulted in the development and adoption of the Planned Action Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to consider new developments and potential environmental impacts through a streamlined and expedited permit review process.
Over the last 25 years, this segment of South Lake Washington has transformed from an airplane manufacturing site into a mixed‐use lifestyle retail center through innovative development regulations, public investment, and acquiring easements to improve public access to the lake.
In the past year, the City has issued approval for several projects in the South Lake Washington area, continuing to fulfill the City’s long-term vision and enhance its progress. These projects include a new hotel and multi-tenant building adjacent to the existing Top Golf campus. Less than a quarter mile away, an upcoming project featuring mixed-use buildings will include over 1,100 multi-family housing units and approximately 50,000 sq. ft. of new commercial space and host the first standalone grocery store in the area.
Lind Avenue Bridge rebuild begins with closures starting next week
Work on the Lind Avenue Bridge continues with the next step: rebuilding. Starting December 4 through 8, there will be four overnight closures of southbound I-405 from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. to install eight new concrete girders.
Once the girders are in place, WSDOT will begin rebuilding the overpass deck.
The project will finish in spring 2024. Once completed, the overpass will restore a vital connection over I-405 for people in Renton and others who use this freeway.
For project updates, visit WSDOT's website.
Seattle Seahawks Blue Thunder Drumline donates the largest drum to Renton History Museum
Earlier this month, the Renton History Museum received possibly its largest (in size) donation with a 500+ lbs. bass drum from the Seattle Seahawks Blue Thunder Drumline.
Keith Rousu, founder and Director of the Blue Thunder, has been trying to find the perfect new home since retiring the drum in 2015.
With the Seahawks training facility just down the road and Keith being a Renton resident, making the drum part of the museum’s permanent collection only seemed fitting.
Blue Thunder is celebrating its 20th season as a group.
The Renton History Museum is located at 235 Mill Ave. S. It is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit the museum during operating hours and take advantage of free museum days on the first Wednesday and third Saturday of each month.
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Around Renton
December 1 - Holiday Lights Opening Night, Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park (1201 Lake Wash. Blvd. N), 6-8:30 p.m. Holiday lights will run daily from December 2 through January 1 from 4-9 p.m.
In other news
A recap of the news posted on the city’s social media accounts. Find us (@cityofrenton) on Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter. Renton residents can also find us on Nextdoor.
Recreation Guide (classes, activities, leagues & events for September through December)
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