 We’re joined by Jazmine Quintero and Charlie Shannon from Kirkland’s Parks and Community Services team (aka the Department of Fun) to talk about a slew of upcoming City events and get a behind-the-scenes look into how the Parks team makes the magic happen. Plus, we talk road closures, KPD’s community classes, e-riding safety, how to win a $3K gift card, volunteer opportunities, and more. Check it out!
 The next regular meeting of the Kirkland City Council is on Sept. 1, 2026. More information about the meeting will be included in an upcoming edition of ‘This Week in Kirkland’ and on the City Council webpage.
Not sure where to find what you’re looking for?
Check out Ask Kirkland — the City’s website chatbot. Click on “Let’s Chat” in the lower righthand corner.
You can also text Ask Kirkland to ask questions via SMS. Just text:
1-866-527-KIRK (5475)
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Have a question for the City but aren’t sure where to ask?
Rep’d is an innovative video platform that allows City staff to quickly and easily share short, plain-language answers to community questions. Ask a question today!
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See an issue needing to be addressed?
Whether it’s potholes, graffiti, downed trees, or otherwise, let us know through Our Kirkland!
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Plan your trip to the International Night Market! Head to Juanita Beach Park (9703 NE Juanita Dr.) from 4 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 19 to take in the international cuisine, live performances, artisan goods, and cultural experiences. The event is free to attend.
The first International Night Market won a Washington Recreation & Parks Association Program Spotlight Award for Innovative Programming. The 2026 edition will continue to create opportunities for community members to experience new cultures, support local businesses, and connect with one another in a welcoming community setting. Come out and discover new favorite dishes, shop from artisan vendors, enjoy performances, and meet neighbors.
Please note that parking is limited. Attendees are encouraged to walk, bike, carpool, or use public transportation. A free volunteer Bike Valet will be available for those arriving by bicycle. To learn more, visit https://tinyurl.com/internationalnightmarket.
When we’re out on the roads, we all have a role to play in keeping ourselves and others safe. Knowing the rules of the road is the responsibility of every driver and rider, and it’s also important to refresh yourself on even the basics periodically. Let’s help each other get home safe.
If you’re a bike, e-bike, or scooter rider:
- Wear a helmet and other appropriate gear.
- Keep tires inflated.
- Mount and dismount safely.
- Slow down ahead of intersections, driveways, and hazards.
- Use lights and reflectors at all hours.
- Use warning devices like bells when passing others.
- Always yield to pedestrians.
- Obey posted speed limits.
- Only ride e-bikes where allowed.
- Must be 16 years old to ride a Class 3 e-bike.
- E-motorcycles require a license and registration.
- Know the difference between e-bikes and e-motorcycles.
- Wear a seatbelt.
- Look out for people walking, rolling, and riding at all times, in all places. Slow down and be cautious when you see them.
- Respect the speed limit.
- Stop for people at crosswalks and unmarked crossings.
- Respect yellow lights at signals — slow down and stop.
- If a car is stopped at a crosswalk, follow suit.
- Use extra caution when driving in the dark or rain.
Join the fun and dedicated team of Green Kirkland Stewards! You can help engage your community in the restoration of natural area parkland in Kirkland.
Stewards are ongoing volunteers who share their love of green spaces by leading volunteers in forest restoration projects in their local parks with support and training from the Kirkland Parks Department. They bring a diversity of interests, skill, and time to Kirkland’s natural areas. Anyone interested is encouraged to attend Session 1 of New Steward Orientation.
Orientation is free and open to the public, and it is a blend of online and in-person sessions covering topics in urban forestry, habitat restoration, and volunteer management.
Session 1: Program and Urban Forestry Overview (Online) – Wednesday, Sept. 23, 6-8 p.m. Online via Zoom
Session 2: Field Training in Restoration Practices (In-person) - Saturday, Sept. 26, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Kirkland Park TBD
Session 3: Site and Volunteer Management (Online) - Wednesday, Sept. 30, 6-8 p.m. Online via Zoom
The Umbrella Fringe Festival, Kirkland’s “Art Everywhere” celebration, will return from Sept. 25 to 27, 2026. This event is funded in part by a grant from the City of Kirkland’s Tourism Development Committee, and the festival will again bring an eclectic variety of music, theater, visual art, comedy, and the entertainingly undefinable to venues across downtown Kirkland and Totem Lake Village. The event is hosted by Kirkland Arts Center.
“Fringe is a unique experience that showcases local talent, creates spaces for our community to connect with art and each other, and attracts visitors to our city,” said Deputy Mayor Neal Black. “We’re thrilled to support Kirkland Arts Center’s efforts and to celebrate art in its many forms.”
Since its launch in 2025, the Umbrella Fringe has received funding from the City’s Explore Kirkland Tourism Program. The program is funded by the lodging tax collected by Kirkland hotels, motels, and short-term rentals, which enables them all to share in both the costs and the benefits of tourism promotion. The program has previously awarded funding to numerous beloved Kirkland events, including the Junior League Softball World Series, Kirkland Uncorked, Pride Across the Bridge, Kirkland Summer Concerts, and more.
The Umbrella Fringe Festival in Kirkland draws on the legacy of the original Edinburgh Fringe by encouraging and embracing independent, original, and experimental work. The event also provides an opportunity for Kirkland residents and visitors to enjoy the talents of local artists.
“During Fringe, arts experiences are everywhere,” said Kirkland Arts Center Executive Director David Lynx. “After last year’s success, we are continuing to grow the festival and have put together an exciting lineup of musicians, performers, and other artists that will creatively engage the community.”
Ever wondered what happens behind the scenes at the Kirkland Police Department? Applications are open for KPD’s 2026 Community Police Academy, an eight-week, hands-on program that gives community members a closer look at how local law enforcement works.
Participants will learn about patrol, investigations, K9, SWAT, and more while taking part in hands-on activities, training scenarios, and a mock crime scene. Participants will meet KPD officers and staff, ask questions, and learn more about the policies and practices that shape public safety in Kirkland.
The free academy runs Wednesdays, Sept. 16 through Nov. 4, from 6 to 9 p.m. Space is limited to 20 participants. Applicants must be at least 21 years old, live or work in Kirkland, have no prior felony convictions and commit to attending all sessions of the eight-week program.
Ready to go behind the scenes? Apply online by noon on Wednesday, Aug. 26.
Our local blood supply has hit emergency low levels, prompting Bloodworks Northwest to issue a Code Red. As patient need exceeds supply, our community urgently needs steady donors this month. Their donations will help ensure Pacific Northwest patients have immediate access to lifesaving transfusions for cancer treatment, trauma care, and childbirth complications.
The City of Kirkland will host three mobile blood drives at City Hall in August. Bloodworks Northwest will be on site on Wednesday, Aug. 19 and Thursday, Aug. 20 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Thursday, Aug. 27 from 9:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Make your appointment to donate today.
If you need help booking your donation appointment, contact the Bloodworks Donor Care Team at 1-800-398-7888 or schedule@bloodworksnw.org.
Reminder: On the morning of your donation, please answer the health and lifestyle questions from the comfort of your own home via QuickPass.
 It was City Hall Selfie Day on Aug. 11, and staff celebrated by snapping photos of themselves, both on- and off-duty. They captured themselves out in the field, at Kirkland’s waterfront, hanging out with the local tree canopy, catching a Mariners game, tabling a City booth, and, of course, keeping things going at City Hall. Wherever they are, City staff are always proud to serve the Kirkland community!
Walk through almost any grocery store and you’ll see products covered in words like eco-friendly, green, natural, biodegradable, and compostable. The packaging is often earthy green or brown, with leaves and plants printed across it. It makes you feel like you’re making a better choice for the environment.
But are these products really what they claim to be? The answer is not always.
Biodegradable doesn’t mean “disappears quickly.” A biodegradable product is something that will eventually break down into natural elements with the help of microorganisms, which are tiny living things like bacteria, algae, and fungi that live in nearly every environment on Earth. The key word is eventually. There is no guarantee of how long that process will take. It could be months, years, or even decades, depending on where the item ends up.
Compostable means something much more specific. Compostable products are designed to break down into compost without leaving behind harmful or toxic residue. But they also need the right conditions. In a commercial composting facility, compostable products can break down in a matter of weeks or months.
That’s why where you throw something away matters just as much as what it’s made from. For example, a banana peel placed in an active compost pile may decompose in as little as two to five weeks. The exact same banana peel left outdoors could take many months or even years.
To clear up some of the confusion, Washington State now has specific requirements for products marketed as compostable. Under the state’s Plastic Product Degradability Act, most products labeled “compostable” must meet recognized compostability standards and be certified by a recognized third-party organization.
- Display the word “Compostable.”
- Use green, beige, or brown colors, tinting, stripes, symbols, or other markings that help distinguish compostable products from non-compostable products.
Washington’s requirements are designed to make compostable products easier to identify at a quick glance, both for consumers and for workers at composting facilities.
Two important rules for Kirkland residents: In the City of Kirkland, you can place all BPI certified compostable items in your compost/yard waste cart. Anything labeled “biodegradable” cannot be placed in your compost/yard waste cart.
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The Kirkland Police Department is hosting a Personal Gun Safety Class for Kirkland residents interested in learning more about firearm safety at home. Kirkland Police officers will cover firearm safety principles, demonstrate secure storage techniques, and provide an overview of Washington gun laws.
The class is on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Kirkland Police Department. Due to space limitations, attendance is limited to 20 participants. Attendees must be at least 21 years old and live within the City of Kirkland.
For safety reasons, attendees should leave personal firearms at home. Officers will use inert training aids during the class.
Space is limited. Register online through Eventbrite.
To continue work on the NE 85th Street Interchange Project, the Washington Department of Transportation will close the interchange and local streets at 10 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 14 and reopen them at 5 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 17. Detours will be in place (see map above), but you may wish to plan extra time or consider an alternate route if you plan to travel through the area.
NE 85th Street will be closed between 6th Street and 120th Avenue NE. The closure encompasses the I-405 on-ramps on NE 85th and the I-405 Exit 18 off-ramps as well as 114th Avenue NE between NE 87th Street/Kirkland Way and Odhe Avenue.
Additional weekend closures are also expected from Aug 28-31 and in September. Please note: All dates are tentative and subject to change due to weather conditions or other factors. For concerns, contact the project hotline at 425-224-2423 or visit the WSDOT project page.
The role of Emergency Managers usually only comes into the spotlight when something is wrong, but they do a lot of their most important work when it’s business as usual. Behind-the-scenes, they serve the community by preparing for the times we need them most. In honor of National Emergency Management Awareness Month Continues, let’s look at what that means.
Emergency Managers maintain situational awareness of what’s going on in the community, region, state, nationally, and globally to identify risk, threats, or potential situations that need action to protect our community. They also document or plan what to do when different things happen or actions are needed. On top of that, they build relationships with peers, responders, leaders, the community, and businesses so that we have partners we can count on in a crisis.
It’s work like this that ensures we’re ready if the City needs to operate shelters or warming/cooling centers, clean up debris from storms or disasters, or respond to a host of other emergent situations. Learn more about Emergency Management in Kirkland.
(1) NE 134th/136th/137th Streets: 2026 Overlay Program
Drivers can expect a disruption to travel between 90th Avenue NE and 100th Avenue NE on NE 134th/136th/137th Streets as Kirkland’s contractor begins overlay maintenance on this street. Work is expected to last multiple weeks. Working hours are between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.
(2) NE 85th Street/I-405: WSDOT Project
Drivers should expect a full weekend closure of NE 85th Street from 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14 to Monday, Aug. 17. The closure encompasses all ramps to/from I-405 and NE 85th Street from 6th Street to 120th Avenue NE. Detours will follow the standard routes from previous closures.
A northbound freeway closure at NE 70th Place is expected in late August (8/28-8/31) and another NE 85th Street closure in September.
Green Kirkland Stewardship Events
Date: Saturday, Aug. 15-Sunday, Aug. 23
Volunteers will connect with community as they help with mulching, weeding, and watering. All are welcome, and training and tools are provided.
The stewardship events will take place in Juanita Open Space #1, Everest Park, Windsor Vista Park, and North Rose Hill Woodlands Park. See the details below:
International Night Market
Location: Juanita Beach Park | 9703 NE Juanita Dr.
International Night Market celebrates the different cultures from around the world that make up our Kirkland community!
This event is free and open to the public, everyone is welcome to attend.
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Evening Summer Concert
Location: Marina Park | 25 Lakeshore Plz.
Enjoy weekly outdoor concerts on the shores of Lake Washington in Kirkland’s beautiful Marina Park. Bring friends and enjoy the music during this summer favorite. All summer concerts are free to attend and are a great way to gather with the community.
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What’s the status of the North Rose Hill Woodlands Castle Playground? Parks Planning and Development Manager Mariah Gill has the update!
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