Community Events
Festivals, farmers markets, and gatherings along the Highway 2 corridor — from Monroe to Stevens Pass.
Light Up Monroe
S Ann St, Monroe
Annual holiday lights and community celebration.
The Events That Define the Corridor
The calendar above updates on its own, so it always shows what's coming up next. But a handful of events come back every year, and if you're new to the area or thinking about moving here, they're the best way to get a feel for each town.
Evergreen State Fair, Monroe (late August through Labor Day)
The biggest event in Snohomish County. Twelve days of rodeo, concerts, carnival rides, 4-H barns and fair food at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds. Traffic on Highway 2 and SR 522 through Monroe gets heavy during the fair, so plan around it if you're driving through.
Sultan Shindig (July)
Sultan's big summer weekend: a parade, a street fair, live music and a logging show downtown. It's a good snapshot of Sultan, a small town that still knows how to throw a party.
Sultan Farmers Market (summer)
A weekly market through the summer with local produce, baked goods and crafts from around the valley. It's also where you run into half the people you know.
Gold Bar Memorial Day picnic (May)
A long-running tradition in Gold Bar, where I live. Nothing fancy, which is exactly the point.
Index Fourth of July parade (July)
One of the smallest parades you'll ever see, revived in 1976 and still going. If you want to understand what living in Index is like, go to this.
Getting to Events Along Highway 2
Most of these towns are small, and parking fills up fast on event days. Summer weekends also bring heavy traffic heading east toward the rivers and trails, and westbound traffic backs up on Sunday afternoons. In the colder months, check road conditions before you head out, especially for anything east of Index.
Know of an event that should be on here? I'm always happy to add community events, fundraisers and markets from anywhere between Monroe and Skykomish. Send me the details.
Thinking about living closer to all of this? Take a look at the Highway 2 communities to see how each town compares.