Finn Hill residents are set to celebrate the end of the summer with their annual DennyFest, featuring a professional BBQ grill and live performances by local Kirkland artists.
Finn Hill’s annual neighborhood festival will be held noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday in O.O. Denny Park near the Clayton Rich Memorial Shelter. The festival is free to all and offers food and drinks, along with their popular chili and pie contests, arts and crafts, a bouncy house for the kids, and an informal dog show.
The grilled food will be cooked on a professional BBQ and smoker brought by Windermere Real Estate’s Michael “Smit” Smith.
Organizers are encouraging those who plan on attending the festival to participate in the chili and pie contests – and bring plenty. Marc Ackerman, one of the festival’s organizers, says if the weather is right they expect 600-800 people.
“It’s not just for the judges,” he said. “We’re trying to give everybody the full experience.”
Chili contestants are asked to bring a campstove and at least two gallons of chili to serve to festival attendees.
Prizes will be handed out for each competition.
Live performances will include electric violinist Geoffrey Castle and his band, as well as Jessie Oliver and Finn Hill Jazz, a four piece ensemble. Castle and his band play the Wilde Rover in downtown Kirkland every Monday along with regional and some national shows.
Among the booths and merchants this year will be the University of Washington’s Green Futures Lab. Members will discuss their plan for Finn Hill to accommodate future growth while retaining the livability, which will include a physical model and literature. The Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance will also have a canopy.
“I’ve got big ideas for this, but a limited budget,” Ackerman said. “I’d love if there were a petting zoo sometime, but I’d also love to do something along the water.”
FHNA President Scott Morris is also one of the primary organizers of DennyFest.
For those interested in parking farther away from Denny Park, this year the Inglewood Presbyterian Church will be offering a shuttle service in a 14- passenger van from the top of Finn Hill at 7718 NE 141st St to the park. The shuttle runs every 20 minutes from noon until 4:30 p.m.
DennyFest’s sponsors include Jim Lloyd, Windermere Real Estate, Michael ”Smit” Smith, Windermere Real Estate, Fred Meyer, QFC, Amante, the Finn Hill Shell, Meadows Chiropractic, Padria, Plaza Garcia, Pup Scrub and Denny’s Pet World.
