
Episode #66
Redmond's First Barbecue Showdown & Best Bike Repair Shop in Redmond?
Welcome to Best of Redmond! Redmond's twice-weekly newsletter and podcast about all the amazing things happening in Redmond for the next seven days! Redmond's First-Ever Barbecue Competition Smokes Into Marymoor Park This Weekend Marymoor Park hosts its first barbecue competition this weekend, and it's a big one. Smoke on the Sound brings in pitmasters from the Kansas City Barbecue Society's international competition circuit to smoke ribs, brisket and pork across two full days. It runs Saturday and Sunday, September 26 and 27, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 6046 West Lake Sammamish Parkway NE. Attendance is free, but tastings run on tokens: 10 for $15 in advance, or $2 each on site. Check the event page for vendors and parking, and the show notes for the link. Buy a Book, Fund a Classroom: Brick & Mortar's One-Day Dolly Parton Tribute Dolly Parton's Imagination Library inspired this one. Brick & Mortar Books is donating 10% of every pre-tax sale to buy books for Redmond's Title I classrooms, aiming to raise $500 in a single day. It runs Friday, September 25, store hours 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 7430 164th Ave NE, Suite B105. Online orders count only if placed between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. that day. You can also donate directly with a gift card — just note in your order that it's for the Title I fundraiser. Even a paperback helps fill a classroom shelf. Free Ice Cream, and a Real Lesson in Whose Land This Is Free ice cream is the hook, but the real draw is what you'll learn. The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe and the City of Redmond are teaming up for a family-friendly evening on how the two governments work together to protect cultural and natural resources, including why consulting with Tribes matters before ground gets broken. It's Monday, September 28, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Redmond City Hall, 15670 NE 85th St. It's free — check the city's event page for any RSVP or updates before you head over. Arts in the Park Closes Out Its Season With One Last Free Show Four Saturdays of free live music in Downtown Park wrap up this weekend, and the lineup is going out strong. Redmond Academy of Theatre Arts, Seattle Community Theater, and Faizi Piano Academy students and professionals share the stage for the final night of Arts in the Park, alongside the Eastside Made artisan pop-up. It's Saturday, September 26, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Downtown Park, 16101 Redmond Way. The music and the park are free; bring cash if you want to shop the artisan booths. Catch the last set of the season before it's gone till next year. Stand-Up and Good Wine Collide at SAMĀ Cellars Thursday Night Zahnae Aquino and Brandon Wong headline a night of stand-up at SAMĀ Cellars, with Dani Marie hosting. Tickets are $18 plus tax and need to be bought at least two days ahead — seating is limited and first-come, first-served. Recommended for ages 21+ given the adult content. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the show running 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 24, at 7425 166th Ave NE, Suite C-110. Tickets are on Eventbrite; the link's in the show notes and the newsletter. Why Your Windows Might Be Killing Birds (And How to Fix It) More birds die from flying into windows than from almost any other human-caused threat they face, and Eastside Audubon wants Redmond to know what actually helps. Judy Bowes opens the group's new season of program-night speakers with a talk on protecting birds from window collisions, covering the simple fixes that make glass visible to birds without wrecking your view. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the talk running 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 23, at the Redmond Library, 15990 NE 85th St. Free, no registration needed. Redmond's Teen Lounge Throws a Back-to-School Bash Worth Showing Up For A few weeks into the school year is exactly when teens need an excuse to blow off steam, and the city's Teen Lounge has one. The Teen Back to School Bash brings games, music, food and a look at upcoming programs to the Redmond Community Center at Marymoor Village. It runs Saturday, September 26, from noon to 5 p.m., at 6505 176th Ave NE. New or returning, everyone's welcome — check the city's listing to register and confirm the exact age range for the Teen Lounge before heading over. ️ Redmond History Minute — Trivia The Campbell Mill, one of Redmond's biggest lumber operations, was unusual because it was built on top of what? A) A floating barge B) Pilings extending over Lake Sammamish C) A natural cave system D) An abandoned railroad bridge (Answer at the bottom!) Redmond Rumor Mill The quietest café you've never heard of. Sources say a "quiet café" — no music, no loud espresso machines, conversation kept to a low murmur — is being designed for a spot near the light rail station. Nothing's confirmed: no name, no lease, no opening date. The concept's apparently been doing serious numbers in Tokyo and a few NYC neighborhoods, and word is a Redmond resident came back from a trip and decided someone needed to build one here. Who do you think is behind it? If you've got a guess or have heard something, head to our Facebook page at facebook.com/BestOfRedmond and drop it in the Redmond Rumor Mill Guesses post. Your Picks And while you're at our Facebook page, find the Your Picks post and answer this question... We want to know who you think the best bike repair shop is. If you enjoyed this newsletter, you're gonna love the companion podcast. Find it at bestofredmond.com. History Minute Answer: B — Pilings extending over Lake Sammamish. In 1905, James Campbell and L.B. Stedman invested $100,000 — over $30 million today — and built a massive lumber mill on pilings extending out over the northeast corner of Lake Sammamish, complete with a company town called Campton. The mill burned down in 1924 when firefighters discovered their unused hoses had rotted through. You can still see the old pilings in the water today.

