 Joining us this week are Charlie Shannon and Gianna Stagnaro, two return guests from the City’s Department of FUN, aka Parks and Community Services, to talk upcoming events, youth sports, the rec guide, and more. Plus, we talk Kirkland happenings, closures, public safety, surveys, maps, and Council updates. Check it out.
The next meeting of the Kirkland City Council is on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. Here’s a brief overview of some of the items on the Business Agenda, which starts at 7:30 PM:
- Council will consider an affordable housing agreement for the Arete Apartments.
- Council will consider allowing the newly-acquired former church in Kingsgate to be leased for a community purpose while the City finalizes a long-term plan.
- Council will receive reports about a completed economic competitiveness study and a minimum wage white paper.
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Council will consider options for naming the NE 85th Street Station Area.
Prior to the above Business Agenda, the Council will also hold a Study Session starting at 5:30 PM, where they will discuss:
- Citywide Speed Limit Changes
- Comprehensive Emergency Management Framework
How to watch: Kirkland City Council meetings are streamed live and can be watched after the fact on the City’s:
Meetings are also televised on Comcast Cable Channel 21 and Ziply Cable Channel 31.
How to participate: Members of the public wishing to address the Council may do so in person or via Zoom during the “Items from the Audience” part of the agenda. That part of the agenda occurs at the beginning of the Council’s business meeting, which starts at 7:30 PM. Information on the comment sign-up process to provide comment to the City Council, and on attending the meeting virtually, is available on the City Council webpage.
Written comments can also be submitted to CityCouncil@kirklandwa.gov. For additional questions, please call the City Clerk’s Office at (425) 587-3190.
Stay in the know: You can also get a preview of what’s coming up at Council in the coming weeks and months by checking out the City Council Agenda Calendar. Please note: This calendar is subject to frequent change and does not constitute legal notice.
Want to meet Kirkland Councilmembers in an informal setting outside of City Council meetings? Bring your own topic to the next Conversations with Council event.
Not sure where to find what you’re looking for?
Check out Ask Kirkland — the City’s website chatbot. Click on the circular icon in the lower lefthand corner.
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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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If you thought you saw a tentacle sprouting out of City Hall, you didn’t imagine it. While a local legend says the mysterious sea creature lurks amid the ruins of the collapsed Tacoma Narrows bridge, it has recently been spotted in Kirkland. The Seattle Kraken is taking over the city ahead of the NHL team’s home opener on Sunday, October 4!
Kirkland’s Moss Bay Hall also had a Kraken encounter on Tuesday, September 29. The team held a mobile fan experience featuring games, giveaways, and even meet-and-greets with players.
Learn more about the City’s partnership with the Kraken on our website.
 Join us for Green Kirkland Week from October 17 to 25! The week is a celebration of the start of planting season, our native forest ecosystems, and the amazing volunteers who care for Kirkland’s natural area parklands.
Get involved. Find a volunteer stewardship event near you and pitch in during this week of community and conservation. Whether you’re planting, weeding, or mulching, your efforts help restore and protect our urban forests.
Everyone is welcome. Events are open to all ages following the youth and event guidelines on our webpage. No experience is needed; tools, gloves, and training are provided.
Events will be held at several different parks around Kirkland, and there are many dates and times when you can get involved throughout the week. Visit the Green Kirkland Event Calendar to explore all events and sign up for the one that’s best for you.
For the sixth consecutive year, the Kirkland Police Department is participating in the Pink Patch Project, a nationwide effort to raise awareness about breast cancer and support those impacted by cancer. The Pink Patch Project began with the Seal Beach Police Department in California in 2015 and has since grown to include hundreds of public safety agencies across the country.
Throughout October, participating Kirkland Police and Corrections officers can swap their traditional patches and badges for pink versions while raising funds for Footprints of Fight, a local nonprofit that helps Washington families navigating pediatric cancer treatment. Over the past five years, KPD’s participation in the program has raised $6,155 for the organization.
Interested in supporting the campaign? Purchase commemorative KPD pink patches through the KPD Pink Patch Etsy store. Pink Patch coins and stickers are also available for purchase at the Kirkland Police Department, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. All proceeds from Pink Patch merchandise benefit Footprints of Fight.
It’s not too late to take the Kirkland Age-Friendly Community Needs Assessment! Launched by the City of Kirkland and the Kirkland Senior Council this spring, the citywide survey will shape City policy, programs, and services for residents of all ages. Community members are invited to share their opinions by taking the survey at www.research.net/r/k-age between now and October 31, 2026.
This effort is part of Kirkland’s commitment to the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities, which the City officially joined in 2025. The network provides a structured framework that helps communities strengthen the features and services that make them livable from early childhood through retirement.
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Earthquakes can happen with no notice. Are you prepared? For International ShakeOut Day on October 15, practice your earthquake drill at 10:15 AM. You can Drop, Cover, and Hold On with the City of Kirkland and others across the globe during the Great Shakeout!
Interested in hosting your own ShakeOut drill at work or school? Visit the Kirkland Office of Emergency Management website or ShakeOut.org to learn more and register your drill.
For more details on how to best prepare for an earthquake and what to do when the ground starts shaking, visit the City of Kirkland’s Office of Emergency Management webpage. You’ll also find some earthquake-themed activities!
Another Umbrella Fringe Festival has come and gone! Returning for the second year, the annual “Art Is Everywhere” celebration hosted by the Kirkland Arts Center took place from September 25 to 27. During its three-day run, seven venues held 27 events, and hundreds of umbrellas added color to Kirkland.
Art lovers got to experience the bold and unexpected in many forms throughout Fringe. The lineup included stand-up comedy, film, dance, music, spoken word, graphic art, and much more. If you missed out, Fringe will be back next year! Visit the KAC’s Umbrella Fringe Festival page to learn more.
Trade used Halloween costumes for new-to-you costumes this year! The 2026 Costume Swap is coming up on October 10. From October 5 to 9, you can donate clean and gently used costumes, masks, hats, and accessories in the lobby of the North Kirkland Community Center (12421 3rd Ave. NE) or the upper lobby of Kirkland City Hall (123 5th Ave.). Then, come to City Hall on October 10 from 10 AM to 12 PM and “shop” for costumes in the Peter Kirk room (downstairs).
Costumes of all sizes, from infant to adult, are accepted. The Costume Swap is not an exchange program where you must bring in a costume to get one, but residents are encouraged to donate if you’d like to take a costume too. Please bring your own reusable bag when you attend the event on October 10.
If you’re looking for parking in downtown Kirkland or along our waterfront, try Kirkland’s live parking map! The tool shows real-time parking availability for on-street parking in the downtown Kirkland Central Business District and in the Lakeshore, Lake and Central, Houghton Beach Park, and Marsh Park lots.
Data is updated by the minute. You can use this information to determine which lots or streets have available parking capacity so that it’s easier to find a spot when you arrive. Map information includes real-time parking data, parking supply, rules, and pricing.
Community members will have three more opportunities this year to connect informally with the Kirkland City Council through Conversations with Council, the City’s pilot program launched in January 2026 to make it easier for people to speak directly with Councilmembers in casual, accessible settings.
Q4 Conversations with Council sessions include:
- Saturday, October 17, 10 AM-12 PM at Fire Station 26’s Community Room (9930 124th Ave. NE)
- Monday, November 9, 5-7 PM at Northwest University Caf (10930 NE 58th Wy.)
- Monday, December 14, 11:30 AM-1:30 PM at the Lobby at Kirkland Urban, Building E (400 Urban Plz.)
Conversations with Council is designed to be simple: no agenda, presentation, or prepared remarks. With the program’s B.Y.O.T.™ (Bring Your Own Topic) approach, community members can drop in, bring a topic or question, and have an open conversation with Councilmembers. Sessions are typically held in small-group or one-on-one settings, with Councilmembers and City staff available to listen and help connect people with the right resources.
“Conversations with Council provides an easy, relaxed setting for community members and Councilmembers to connect,” said Deputy Mayor Neal Black. “You don’t need to wait for a City Council meeting or have a big issue to bring forward. Conversations can start simply, with a question you want to ask or an idea you want to share. These conversations provide another opportunity for Councilmembers to hear from the community and learn what is on the minds of people across Kirkland.”
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Recently, King County closed a portion of the Cross Kirkland Corridor (CKC) trail between NE 52nd Street and 108th Avenue NE to repair a culvert. The damaged culvert runs under the County’s Eastside Interceptor Section 14 (ESI 14) sewer pipe.
The closure is expected to last approximately three months. The repair work will help protect the pipe from potential damage in the future. During the closure, King County will also build a retaining wall to support the slope at the culvert site and stabilize the stream nearby.
A detour route is available for trail users. Please follow the detour signs and stay out of the work area. For more information, visit the King County project page.
More than 300 guests attended the official opening of the LWTech Center for Design and Event Center on September 24. The state-of-the-art facility houses LWTech’s Art, Design, Illustration, Architecture, and Gaming programs under one roof, creating a vibrant hub for creativity, collaboration, and innovation.
In addition to new instructional and creative spaces, the Center features a brand-new, fully equipped event space. The space can accommodate up to 501 guests standing or 224 guests seated at 28 72-inch round tables, making it an ideal venue for community gatherings, workshops, conferences, and special events.
Students, faculty, staff, and community members are invited to explore and experience this new addition to the LWTech campus. For more information, visit LWTech.edu.
(1) NE 134th/136th/137th Streets: 2026 Overlay Program
Drivers can expect intermittent disruptions between 90th Avenue NE and 100th Avenue NE on NE 134th/136th/137th Streets as Kirkland’s contractor ‘raises iron’ of utility holes along the street. Working hours are between 7 AM and 6 PM. Permanent markings will be applied in October after sufficient curing of the asphalt.
(2) NE 112th Street at 132nd Avenue NE
Drivers can expect the continued closure of NE 112th Street at 132nd Avenue NE. Local access will be maintained. This extended closure is necessary for the sanitary sewer construction project at the Trend Lift Station.
(3) NE 128th Street at 120th Avenue NE (at Evergreen Hospital)
Westbound travel of NE 128th Street is open to drivers at Evergreen Hospital. Eastbound travel of NE 128th Street remains closed from 120th Avenue NE to 124th Avenue NE. Kirkland’s contractor continues concrete work along NE 128th Street, from the DeYoung Pavilion driveway to the transit center entrance. The DeYoung Pavilion driveway from NE 128th Street will be open from 6 AM-7:30 PM from Monday to Saturday with flaggers directing traffic.
King County Metro continues the transit center relocation during this phase. Metro users should follow their signage for bus stop changes. Additional ramp repairs continue around the hospital campus to facilitate the coming street overlay of NE 130th Lane and 124th Avenue NE. Pedestrian detours are posted.
The travel direction allowed on NE 128th Street right at Evergreen Hospital is likely to reverse late next week (October 8 or 9). Please follow posted closures and detour routes.
(4) NE 85th Street/I-405: WSDOT Project
Drivers should expect a full weekend closure of NE 85th Street from 10 PM Friday, October 2 to 5AM Monday, October 5. 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. Final paving of the intersection is expected.
Harvest Festival
Date: Saturday, October 3
Location: Juanita Beach Park | 9703 NE Juanita Dr.
Bring your family to our sixth annual Harvest Festival on Saturday, October 3 from 11 AM to 4 PM at Juanita Beach Park. The event will include craft and food vendors, food trucks, contests, a cornhole tournament, pony rides, kids’ korral with games and crafts, and more.
Everest Park Forest Stewardship Event
Location: Everest Park (south lot) | 500 8th St. S
Join the Green Kirkland Partnership for a fun day of stewardship at Everest Park! The park’s natural areas are a hidden gem featuring conifer forests, streams, wetlands, and walking trails tucked into a 23 acre park with many other amenities. With your help, this park with have healthy and thriving natural areas for years to come.
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Costume Swap
Date: Saturday, October 10 (Donations drop-offs from October 5 to 9)
Location: City Hall (Peter Kirk Room) | 123 5th Ave.
Drop off clean and gently used Halloween costumes and accessories in the lobby of North Kirkland Community Center (12421 103rd Ave. NE) or upper lobby of Kirkland City Hall (123 5th Ave.) from October 5 to 9. Then come to City Hall’s Peter Kirk room (downstairs) from 10 AM to 12 PM on October 10 to pick out new-to-you Halloween costumes for you and your family!
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Avoid this major recycling faux pas! Here’s a tip for recycling right.
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