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.
Auditions open in July for Masquers’ ‘Anastasia the Musical’
SOAP LAKE — The Masquers Theater will hold auditions for “Anastasia: the Musical” next month. Auditions will take place at 6 p.m. July 17 and 2 p.m. July 18, according to an announcement from the Masquers Theater. Children 7 and older and adults of all experience levels are encouraged to audition. All roles are available, according to the announcement. Those auditioning should be prepared to sing songs listed in the audition material packet – ideally one associated with the role they are pursuing – and will also participate in a cold reading. Auditions will be recorded as part of the casting process.
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.”
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.
Senior Picnic celebrates America’s 250th birthday with hot dogs, music and fun
MOSES LAKE — The 12th annual Moses Lake Senior Picnic June 10 was a star-spangled success, organizers said. “It’s amazing,” said Laurie Ahmann, executive director of Brookdale Hearthstone, one of the sponsors of the event. “There are some (people) who are first-timers this year, but there are those who say they’ve been here all 12 years.” The picnic took up two buildings at the Grant County Fairgrounds and drew a crowd of about 900 people, said Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce Director Debbie Doran-Martinez. That number was about on a par with the 2025 picnic, she added.
SENIOR EVENTS: July 2026
COLUMBIA BASIN — When all the Fourth of July celebrations have wound down, there will still be plenty of opportunities to get out of the house and into something fun. Here are a few things awaiting seniors in July.
Moses Lake pianist performs at honors recital
MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake student performed last week at the Washington State Music Teachers Association Honors Recital. “She performed very musically and beautifully,” music instructor Marina Munter wrote in an email to the Columbia Basin Herald. “A lot of teachers from all over Washington commented to me how much they enjoyed her performance with a lot of musical expression and emotion.” Anna Borodulin, who has studied with Munter for nine years, was one of 11 students statewide selected to perform at the WSMTA Conference, which was held at Central Washington University June 27-29.
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.
