Summerfest returns to downtown next week

Summer is in full swing and in Kirkland, that means Summerfest.

The annual event, put on by the Kirkland Downtown Association, is in its sixth year and will run from Aug. 11-13.

Barbie Collins Young, executive director for KDA, said Summerfest is the Kirkland’s largest festival and features music, art and family on the waterfront and downtown.

Each day will have a different focus.

Activities on Aug. 11 will run from 3-11 p.m. at Marina Park and along Park Lane. It will be all about entertainment, with live music, a beer and wine garden, food and vendors.

“The music is really the big focus,” Young said.

The afternoon’s entertainment will have a little bit for everyone, including with DJ-hosted music, ukulele music, rock and roll and hits from the 1970s through 1990s. The evening will close out with the return of 1970s funk, disco and soul group Afrodisiacs, who have previously performed at Summerfest.

“It’s a Kirkland favorite,” Young said about the group.

On Aug. 12, the festival runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. at Marina Park and throughout downtown Kirkland. The day’s focus will be on family and kids.

Activities will include kids’ rides, bounce houses and other fun for youngsters.

In addition, attendees can enjoy more live music, the beer and wine garden, food and vendors. There will also be juried art.

“Bring your wallet,” Young advised. “Everything happens on Saturday.”

The final day of Summerfest, Aug. 13, will be quieter, with a focus on art, with juried art and street performances from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. along Park Lane.

Young said they try to keep Summerfest the same every year so people know what to expect. However, last year, the festival only ran two days and did not feature anything on Sunday. She said in the event’s history, they have had it both ways, sometimes having activities on Sunday and sometimes not.

This year, Young said, they decided on a happy medium of having just the arts featured on Sunday.

For Young, there are a few things that she is looking forward to next week.

“I love the energy of the bands and the beer garden,” she said, adding that she also loves the sense of community that Summerfest creates.

Young said the festival brings out the best in people.

Summerfest, she said, is a free event that is funded by sponsors and donations from the community.

“We really rely on community donations,” Young said. “We want to keep it going.”

To donate to Summerfest, visit www.kirklandsummerfest.com and click on the “Donate” tab at the top.

Young added that they rely on “hundreds of volunteers” to run the event and they still have positions to fill. So people can give their time instead of money if that they wish, she said.