 
A spectacular fireworks show will be returning to Log Boom Park this 4th of July, thanks to event sponsors Amazon and Kenmore Air. This free event kicks off at 7:30 p.m. with music, food trucks, free face painting, games, and crafts, and the fireworks show will begin at 10:00 pm. The fireworks show is 20 minutes. Here are some helpful event details:
Shuttle and Parking Information:
- Log Boom Park parking lot will be closed all day on July 4 for setup and the event.
- To minimize traffic congestion and environmental impact, we encourage attendees to bus, carpool, bike, use the shuttles, or walk to this event.
- NEW this year, two ADA accessible shuttle buses will run from the Kenmore Park & Ride to the drop off point on 175th/entry to the park. See the event website for details.
- There will be ~10 ADA spots available on 175th for this event.
- Parking on 175th will take a while to exit after the fireworks show due to pedestrian and event traffic. Please practice patience.
- The website will be updated with detailed parking information and additional parking lots for this event.
Win VIP fireworks viewing tickets!
Amazon is offering 20 VIP viewing pier tickets for the fireworks show to community members. At the July 3 Farmers Market, visit one of the City of Kenmore tents between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. to pick up a trivia card. Complete the trivia card by 5 p.m. and you will be entered into the raffle to win 5 pier tickets for the fireworks show! We will be raffling off 4 sets of 5 tickets at 5 p.m. You must be present to win. See you at the market!
With the 4th of July approaching, here is a reminder that per Kenmore Municipal Code 8.10, ALL fireworks are illegal in Kenmore. Even if you can buy fireworks at a stand outside of the city, they are still illegal in Kenmore and therefore you can’t possess or fire them off in Kenmore.
Police will be on patrol responding to illegal fireworks calls. If there's an emergency involving an immediate threat to life or property (such as a fire or injury), dial 911. If you are reporting fireworks that are not an immediate threat, please call the non-emergency line at 206-296-3311. Thank you for celebrating safely!
 The 22nd Annual Summer Concert Series presented by All Decks is returning to Saint Edward State Park this July and August! Come enjoy free, outdoor music in a beautiful natural setting, with food trucks and fun for the whole family.
Concert Schedule: 6 p.m. - 8p.m.
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July 11 | JigJam | Bluegrass and American Folk
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July 18 | Annie J | Retro Soul and Modern Pop
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July 25 | Kupono + Hula O Lehualani | Hawaiian
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August 1 | Locarno | Mexican Folk, Colombian Son and African Rhythms
Next month the Kenmore City Council will consider revisions to the Exceptional Tree Ordinance it adopted in October 2023. In practice, a portion of the original ordinance may conflict with the City's obligations to allow for new housing stock. To remedy this unforeseen issue, amendments are proposed which allow exceptional trees to be removed in order to build new dwelling units where there is no feasible alternative. Under this proposal to amend the ordinance, exceptional trees will still be protected in other circumstances.
Solarize Kenmore, our residential solar program, is coming to a close soon. This program makes going solar easier and more affordable than ever. Over the last 3 months more than 700 people across Washington have signed up to be part of this limited time solar group-purchasing campaign, and we want to make sure you don’t miss your chance to join in the final weeks. There’s still some time to sign up for a free home assessment before July 4 at solarizekenmore.org.
 Catch a Flick at Movies @ The Square
Presented by Croasdale Homes
Come to Movies @ the Square this summer for two free outdoor movies. The community voted for this year's movies: Wonka (playing July 17) and The Boys in the Boat (playing August 14). The events begin at 8 p.m. with crafts, games, and free popcorn. The movies begin at dusk. Bring a blanket/chair and the whole family down for some cinematic fun!
The most recent episode of the City's podcast, Let’s Talk Kenmore, has great information and new updates about the Farmer’s Market. Host, Amber Clifton, sits down with Market coordinator Nicole Suarez along with the Woodinville Farmer’s Market President, Torrey Edwards, to discuss the exciting new partnership with the City of Woodinville. Listen to “Let’s Talk Kenmore” on any of the platforms listed below.
 At the June 10 City Council meeting, City staff presented a proposed design and updated project costs to complete the 61st Avenue NE Sidewalk Replacement Phase 1 improvements. This project includes new re-aligned sidewalk to preserve existing street trees, sidewalk panel repair on the east side of the roadway and new bike lanes along 61st Avenue NE from NE 190th Street to the north city limits.
Also included are safe pedestrian crosswalks off of 61st Avenue NE at NE 193rd Street and 60th Avenue NE, and improvements to the 61st Avenue NE and NE 193rd Street intersection (pictured above). Design is ongoing and construction is scheduled for the summer of 2025. When complete, these new enhancements will provide many added safety benefits. To learn more, visit the project website.
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Later this summer, rechannelization work will begin on 68th Avenue north of 175th Street to address safety and operational issues with how traffic moves between downtown and Bothell Way.
Northbound Traffic: Heading north on 68th Avenue from 175th Street towards Bothell Way, the rightmost lane will be changed to buses-and-right-turns only. The second-to-the-right lane will remain a through-lane, and the leftmost two lanes will remain left-turn lanes. Continuing north of the Bothell Way intersection heading towards 181st Street, the rightmost lane will receive only buses and will be dedicated to buses-and-right-turns only. The second lane will receive all vehicles and carry through-moving traffic through the 181st Street intersection. A new left-turn pocket will carry left-turn traffic through the 181st Street intersection. North of 181st Street the lanes will retain the same configuration, but will be re-aligned to provide several additional parking spaces on the curb in front of City Hall.
Southbound Traffic: Heading south on 68th Avenue from 181st Street, the receiving lanes for southbound traffic at the intersection will be reduced to a single receiving lane. Continuing south to Bothell Way, the lane will split into the existing configuration with the rightmost lane for right-turns and through-movements, the second lane will remain a through-lane, and the leftmost lane will remain a left-turn lane. From Bothell Way south to 175th Street, 68th Avenue will remain unchanged from its current configuration.
The new channelization has many benefits, including reducing conflicts, improving transit speed, increasing downtown parking, and reducing crossing distances for pedestrians. See a visual diagram of the changes.
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New sidewalk along the north side of NE 170th Street approaching Juanita Drive is now under construction. Along with sidewalks, new bike lanes will also be installed as well as intersection safety enhancements at NE 170th Street and Juanita Drive. These improvements will safely guide cyclists through the intersection. In addition to the new bike lanes, the bike lanes east along NE 170th Street/Simonds Road will be refreshed with more durable pavement markings. Pavement marking work is expected to be completed in July or August. View a map of the project area.
Given the City’s automated photo enforcement program’s success in reducing speeds and increasing safety in school zones, the City Council discussed expanding the program at their June 24 meeting. New state law has expanded speed zone authority from school zones only to other streets where speeding is a problem.
As a result of the June 24 discussion, the City Council directed city staff to return in September with a plan to add photo enforcement at the Inglemoor High School school zone. Before the IHS school zone is added, the City Council directed staff to implement a reduced speed limit on Simonds Road from 35 mph to 30 mph.
In addition, the City Council directed staff to bring back a plan to enforce the non-school zone speed limit (i.e. the regular speed limit when the school zone time is not activated) all day every day (24/7) at the following three locations:
- Arrowhead Elementary School Zone on Juanita Drive (30 mph non-school zone speed limit)
- Kenmore Elementary School Zone on 73rd Avenue (30 mph non-school zone speed limit)
- Inglemoor H.S. School Zone on Simonds Road (future 30 mph non-school zone speed limit)
In addition to the two existing photo enforcement zones at Kenmore Elementary and Arrowhead Elementary, the City utilizes photo enforcement for red light running at the left turn signal (eastbound turning northbound) at 61st Avenue and Bothell Way. No new red light running photo enforcement locations are proposed at this time.
At the June 24 meeting, other locations with speeding problems were discussed, including sections of Juanita Drive outside of the Arrowhead Elementary school zone and Simonds Road/170th Street east/south of Rhododendron Park. These locations will continue to be monitored and may be considered for future photo locations if speeding persists.
At the June 24 City Council meeting the City Council directed staff to increase the photo enforcement fine amount from $100 to $110 in 2025 and $135 in 2029 in order to keep pace with the increased operating costs of the program. Traffic Engineer Tobin Bennett Gold confirmed that the firm that operates the camera system does not get a commission or percentage of fines collected. Instead, the firm is paid a flat fee for operation of the cameras, and a small pass-through cost for the printing and mailing of violations.
The Financial Sustainability Task Force recommended expanded photo enforcement as part of their recommendations to help pay for public safety costs. Revenue from the photo enforcement program is intended to help pay for 1) pavement preservation and street repairs, 2) traffic safety improvements, and 3) police department time spent on traffic safety and enforcement of traffic laws.
Expansion of the KAPE program is an important safety tool to encourage drivers to moderate driving speed which reduces both crash risk and the severity of crashes that do occur. The program is fair, equitable, transparent, and safety-driven and the revenue from KAPE supports important City services as recommended by the Financial Sustainability Task Force.
Arts of Kenmore is excited to announce the return of the beloved Kenmore Art Show after a seven year break. The Kenmore Art Show will bring local artists and the community together to enjoy photography and 2D artwork on August 16 - 18 at Kenmore Camera.
Now accepting submissions! Artists ages 16+ are invited to submit their work for the Kenmore Art Show.
 Find Local Businesses With the New Kenmore Business Directory
Are you looking to stay, play, dine, shop, or find a local business or community organization to support or engage with?
Introducing your new local business directory, FindKenmore.org!
Kenmore has a surprising variety of businesses serving our local community and you can learn more about them at FindKenmore.org, a brand new, easily searchable business directory and community calendar. Support local businesses and help them grow!
Are you a local business that has registered for a Kenmore City Business License?
Registered Kenmore businesses can join the directory for free and are encouraged to request an account to manage an existing listing or submit a new listing.
Visit the City calendar to see more events here.
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