BASIN EVENTS: May 15-23
COLUMBIA BASIN — There’s plenty happening in the Basin as we sneak up on Memorial Day weekend. Check out some of these goings-on. May 15 Spring Hiring Event Bring your resume and take the opportunity to talk to local employers looking to fill their available positions. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at WorkSource, 309 E. Fifth Ave., Moses Lake. Info: 509-766-2559. Live music with Owen Barnhart Country solo artist Owen Barnhart’s sets include soulful banjo, fingerpicking guitar and a crystal clear voice - covering everything from classic country and Americana to classic rock and folk tunes. 5 p.m. at Monkey N’ Around Pizza, 716 13th Ave. SW, Quincy. Info: www.owenbarnhart.com.
BASIN EVENTS: May 22-29
COLUMBIA BASIN — It’s Memorial Day weekend and there will be celebrations and solemn remembrances all over the Basin. There’s also live music, art and community gatherings to enjoy. Here are a few ways to start the summer. May 22 Historic Marker Dedication A sign detailing the life of Nathaniel “Nat” Washington will be dedicated at the Nat Washington House. Sponsored by the Jonas Babcock Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution, the Washington State Society Daughters of the American Colonists and the Sons of the American Revolution, Spokane Chapter No. 1. 11 a.m. at 42 C St. NW, Ephrata. Info: www.jonasbabcockdar.org.
BASIN EVENTS: June 2026
COLUMBIA BASIN — As we swing out of spring into summer, there is a host of activities in the Basin, both indoors and out. Here are a few suggestions.
‘The Trip to Bountiful’
Masquers play explores what it means to go home
SOAP LAKE — Home, and what it means, is at the heart of the Masquers Theater’s production of “The Trip to Bountiful,” written by playwright Horton Foote, opening June 12. “The show is very nostalgic,” said director Jesse Huntwork. “It’s about going back to your hometown, your home roots, and remembering where you came from.” Carrie Watts (played by Rosalee Chamberlain) lives with her son Ludie (Jason Noble) and his wife Jessie May (Machelle Miller) in a small Houston, Texas, apartment in the post-World War II era, but none of them are really happy with the arrangement. Jessie May carps constantly at her mother-in-law, who responds passive-aggressively, while Ludie is forced to play the peacemaker.
Cars, fireworks and goat tying to grace this year’s Royal City Summerfest
ROYAL CITY — This year’s Summerfest, which takes place July 10-11, will feature a new activity: goat tying, organized by the Royal Ranchers 4-H group. “It’s pretty cute,” said Summerfest Committee Chair Jill Larsen. “It’s for younger kids. There’s a goat staked in the middle of a pen and toddlers run in and take a ribbon off the goat’s tail and then come back to the line. The (children with) the fastest times get prizes.” The goat-tying will be among the activities kicking off the festivities at 6 p.m., along with a touch a truck hosted by Royal Slope EMS and the Dean Callahan Memorial Car Show. The show was renamed this year, in honor of a pillar of the Royal City community who passed away in November, Larsen said.
BASIN EVENTS: June 19-27
COLUMBIA BASIN — School is out, and summer officially arrives this week. Here are some ways to make the most of the season. June 19 Soap Lake Food & Folk Festival Live music, local food, workshops, craft vendors, family activities, and community gathering. Hosted by Friends of the Lower Grand Coulee in partnership with Cloudview Farm and Soap Lake Creative District. Free and open to all ages. Soap Lake Creative District Friday, Cloudview Farms Saturday. Info: tinyurl.com/solawafff.
Soap Lake Food and Folk Festival grows with second venue, bigger crowd
SOAP LAKE — The third annual Soap Lake Food and Folk Festival added a new venue this year. “Cloudview Farm offered us the partnership and the manpower for getting the thing together,” said Ruthann Tobiason of the Friends of the Lower Grand Coulee, which puts on the festival. “We really needed that because we’ve been running on the energy of a handful of volunteers.” The festival ran for two days, with interactive exhibits and workshops at various locations in Soap- Lake. There was a guitar workshop with musician Carl Tosten, who performed at last year’s festival, held at the Bistro at Soap Lake Natural Spa & Resort, and Walla Walla-based Micah and Me offered a ukulele workshop at the Soap Lake Community Center. Cloudview Kitchen hosted free live music in the evening, for anyone who wanted to come and enjoy the show. “It’s a big deal for them to let all these musicians take over, allowing people to come in and listen to music,” Tobiason said. “Nobody’s asking you to buy a coffee, no admission, you can just come and listen.”
Wall of pride
Moses Lake unveils ball field mural
MOSES LAKE — The ball field at the Paul Lauzier Athletic Complex on Central Drive sported some new, vibrant colors Tuesday, when a mural celebrating Moses Lake was unveiled. “This is yet another example of (Moses Lake City) Council priority No. 3, which is city pride,” Mayor Dustin Swartz said. “This shows an immense amount of city pride, and also pride from our young people, which I love.” The image covers the back of the dugout facing Central Drive, and shows a young baseball player, a heron with wings spread wide, a Japanese torii gate and the city’s iconic fountain, all with a Moses Lake sunset for a backdrop. The mural was a collaboration between artist Phil Seth and 10 local youth between the ages of 12 and 17, Seth said. The creation took about a week, Seth said Tuesday.
EVENTS: July 2026
COLUMBIA BASIN — July will be bright, hot and filled with fun. Once the Fourth of July hoopla is over, there are still plenty of things to do. Here are a few suggestions, starting with a couple of end-of-June events.
BASIN EVENTS: July 3-11
COLUMBIA BASIN – This weekend will be loaded with Fourth of July observances in most of our communities, and then there’s plenty more happening afterward. Here are some things to check out.
