The Stillaguamish Tribe will celebrate the Festival of the River this weekend beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at River Meadows County Park, 20416 Jordan Road, east of Arlington.
The Stillaguamish Festival of the River is a fun way to celebrate summer and the Pacific Northwest environment. Regional citizens and visitors share their experiences and learn from others about water quality, salmon habitat, and the watershed. And if you don’t know what a watershed is, we’ll teach you!
This year we feature a giant storytelling turtle tent, interpretive salmon habitat tours, arts and craft vendors, a scrumptious salmon steak barbecue prepared by the Stillaguamish Tribe, and a variety of live music.
The Stillaguamish Tribe’s new dug-out, shovel-nosed river canoe is to be displayed in public for the first time during the 21st annual Stillaguamish Festival of the River and Pow Wow on Saturday and Sunday at River Meadows County Park.
The canoe, carved from ancient cedar logs from the Stillaguamish River watershed, was a project of Coast Salish scholar and artist Felix Solomon of the Lummi Tribe.
The festival, a free family event, seeks to honor the environment and native cultures of the region, said festival coordinator Franchesca Perez.
“The mission of the festival is to help people who live and work in the Stillaguamish watershed understand how their actions can help make their environment cleaner for people, fish and wildlife,” Perez said. “This year, we are thrilled to be celebrating the opening of Port Susan for shellfish harvest, for the first time in over 20 years.”
