Content provided by City of Issaquah
The excitement of Salmon Days, with booths lining Front Street, a Grande Parade, and returning salmon, has evolved alongside Issaquah itself. The event celebrated a rich 55-year history in October 2024.
The idea of a new festival evolved from the decline of a Labor Day celebration, which started in 1936 and saw participation waning in the 1960s. With the final Labor Day event taking place in 1968, the Greater Issaquah Chamber of Commerce and Kiwanis Club of Issaquah decided they would create something new. Earl Robertson, Chamber president at the time, came up with the idea of a festival centered around salmon. People were already coming to Issaquah each fall to witness the salmon as they swam upstream to spawn – why not create an event based on their homecoming?
In 1969, the inaugural Salmon Days – at that time called the Salmon Festival – was born. The name we know today, Salmon Days, was adopted a year later. The earliest version of the celebration featured traditions that continue to this day, like a Kiwanis salmon barbeque, an art show, and educational displays from the Issaquah Hatchery. A children’s parade, marshaled by local personality J.P. Patches, gave root to larger parades to come.
In the 1980s, Salmon Days became a Seafair-sanctioned event, which would grow the event substantially. Additions included a Grande Parade, musical acts, and a major art show expansion. The first paid festival director was hired and “ofishal spawnsors” were introduced during this time. These changes saw the festival’s reach grow from local to regional.
The next decade saw continued success for the festival. During the ‘90s, the event committee introduced a poster to commemorate Salmon Days with a limited run of 450 prints. This collection of prints, most of which are sold out, ran through 2003.
During the 50th anniversary of Salmon Days in 2014, the event attracted 150,000 visitors over its two-day celebration. A committee still runs the event with spawnsor participation. Recent additions include a Field of Fun carnival and a DockDog canine swimming event.
Approximately 200,000 attendees attend the Salmon Days festival, which traditionally takes place the first weekend of October. Mark your calendars to experience the exhibits, artwork, eateries, kids’ activities, and the salmon returning home.
