City of Carnation Newsletter
Vol. 18 | August - September 2026
| | Second Annual Carnation Concert Crawl | | Be Dam Ready Annual Siren Test & Community Drill in Carnation - Saturday, September 26, 2026 | |
The City of Seattle owns and operates a dam on the Tolt River. Seattle Public Utilities will run a full audible test of the Tolt Dam Early Warning (Siren) System on September 26th at noon. Expect to hear loud siren sounds and spoken messages from the speakers. Audible testing of the sirens occurs once a year on the last Saturday of September.
EVACUATION DRILL DETAILS:
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11:00 AM: Informational session at Carnation Library (4804 Tolt Ave. Carnation, WA 98014). Enjoy coffee and donuts with neighbors while hearing about dam safety!
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12:00 PM: Alarm sounds and evacuation drill begins. Walk up the hill to the Assembly Point with the Carnation Library group, or from your home or workplace.
| | | Don’t let the cloudy sky fool you - with temps in the 80s, we were all in need of some shaved ice and an Eastside Fire & Rescue sprinkler. Mayor Ribail, Deputy Mayor Merizan, Councilmember Paquette, and Councilmember Voelker joined the fun. One of them may have slid down the slide a few times. | | | New Hand Carved Bench Installation at Tolt Commons | |
Tolt Commons has a beautiful new art installation made by Snoqualmie Tribe carver Wayne Graika!
Four years in the making, this incredible art was paid for by a generous grant from the Snoqualmie Tribe, with additional funds and production by the Lee Arts Foundation, as a gift to the City of Carnation and the greater Snoqualmie Valley.
Deputy Mayor Merizan spoke at the unveiling to extend the City’s gratitude for the placement of this bench. A blessing then took place over the art, the carver, and the tools used to create the piece.
| | | This year's National Night Out went a little differently than planned, but the party was just as fun! We are grateful to our community partners for their participation and flexibility as the event was altered to accommodate indoor activities. A special shoutout to Riverview School District for letting us use Tolt Middle School as a last-minute venue. King County Sheriff's Office and Eastside Fire & Rescue vehicles welcomed people at the entrance of the event. Games, face paint, live music, and community vendors were set up in the gym. | | Councilmember Voelker & Deputy Mayor Merizan | | Mayor Ribail & Councilmember Paquette | | Snoqualmie Valley Preservation Alliance | | |
Councilmember Paquette, Councilmember Voelker, Planning & Parks Board Member Sherfey, and City Manager Ender attended the Snoqualmie Valley Preservation Alliance (SVPA) Taste of the Valley Farm Dinner!
SVPA's mission is to protect the lives, livelihoods, lands, and waters of the beautiful and productive Snoqualmie River Valley. The funds raised will enable collaborative work to find balanced, long-term solutions to agricultural viability, land-use planning, watershed management, ecosystem health, flood risk mitigation, and preservation of this stunning landscape for generations to come.
King County Council Chair Sarah Perry, Duvall Mayor McHenry, and Snoqualmie Mayor Mayhew were also in attendance. Also pictured are our friends from Seattle Theatre Group, Remlinger Farms, and Jessica Self!
| | Councilmembers Out and About | | September is Eat Local Month! | |
The City of Carnation and the Carnation Chamber of Commerce are teaming up with Eat Local First to inspire everyone to #eatlocalcarnation throughout September! We’re excited to have ALL local businesses join in the fun, whether you serve food or not.
We’re going to celebrate all things eating local for the whole month; each week will have a special emphasis on an aspect of our local food economy.
Week 1: CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture) and Farmstands
Let’s showcase the harvest from our local farmers! Have you ever signed up for a CSA or visited a local farmstand?
Week 2: Sunflowers and Other Edible Flowers
Sunflower Saturday is coming up on Saturday, September 12! Check out all of the fields around town and stop by the commons for a special celebration – did you know sunflowers are edible? We’ll be grilling them up at the Commons!
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Week 3: You Pick It!
Sunflower Saturday is coming up on Saturday, September 12! Check out all of the fields around town and stop by Tolt Commons for a special celebration – did you know sunflowers are edible? We’ll be grilling them up at Tolt Commons!
Week 4: Restaurants
Let’s celebrate all of our amazing restaurants! Breakfast, lunch and dinner, from dine-in to take-out, we have it all right here!
Week 5: “Feeding” Local
We certainly can’t forget our grocery store, and what about the organizations in our community that are making sure no one goes hungry?
| | Riverview School District: Newsletter Excerpt | |
CARNATION, DUVALL — As students return to classrooms for the 2026-2027 school year, Riverview School District is reminding families that a safe school year begins with preparation, awareness and a shared commitment to looking out for one another.
From traveling to school safely to new campus security improvements, the district continues to strengthen its approach to student and staff safety.
“Safety is something we all contribute to,” said Riverview School District Health and Safety Supervisor Aaron De Folo. “Families can help us start the year strong by reviewing some simple safety practices with their students before the first day of school.”
Getting to School Safely
Students riding bicycles, e-bikes, scooters or skateboards should always wear properly fitted helmets, follow the rules of the road and wear bright or reflective clothing. These transportation devices should be walked and not ridden once students arrive at a school campus.
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Students walking to school should use established routes, cross streets only at designated locations, remain alert, and walk with others whenever possible.
Bus riders should remain a safe distance from the roadway while waiting at bus stops, follow the bus driver’s directions and practice safe behavior while onboard.
Families driving students to school can also help by using only designated pickup and drop-off areas and following each school’s established traffic patterns.
“Arrival and dismissal bring together buses, vehicles, pedestrians and students on bikes and scooters in a relatively short period of time,” De Folo said. “Slowing down, staying alert and following the established procedures make a significant difference.”
| | Certificates of Appreciations & Proclamations | | The Carnation City Council presented a Certificate of Appreciation to the Carnation 4th of July Celebration Committee for organizing the beloved annual Independence Day event. The Committee organizes the 5k run, parade, vendor village, car show, music, entertainment, and the firework show. | | The Carnation City Council presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Girl Scouts of Western Washington Troop 43187 for their 4th of July parade volunteer efforts. In addition to walking in the parade, they helped with parade check-in, flag raising, and clean-up. Thank you for all of your hard work! | | Council proclaimed August 2026 as Emergency Management Awareness Month. Emergency Management is an essential public safety function, charged with coordinating the actions of communities to protect lives, property, environment, and economy, before, during, and after emergencies of all kinds. | | The City of Carnation is currently constructing the Carnation Community Campus, located next to the entrance of Tolt MacDonald Park at 4001 Tolt Avenue. This future facility will serve as our customer service center, Council Chambers, and administrative offices. | |
City Hall operations will relocate to the City-owned live-work unit in the new 85 Degrees development, located at 4248 Tolt Avenue, Carnation, WA 98014. This temporary facility will be known as the Municipal Services Center (MSC).
The MSC will open Monday, October 5th, 2026. The current City Hall’s last day of operations will be Friday, September 25th, 2026. City Hall will be closed September 28th – October 2nd, 2026, for the move.
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Tips to Keep Riders and Others Safe:
- Educate yourself on road rules and use bike paths or bike lanes whenever possible.
- Follow all rules of the road. Wear appropriate gear, including a helmet designed for e bike riders with chin strap secured tightly.
- Slow down ahead of intersections and hazards.
- Use lights and reflectors.
- Use warning devices like bells.
- Keep tires properly inflated.
- Practice safe mounting and dismounting due to the weight of e-bikes.
Rules of the Road for ALL Riders:
- Yield to pedestrians on sidewalks and in crosswalks.
- Obey posted speed limits. Exceeding the posted speed limit is a traffic violation.
- Only ride e-bikes (or any bike) where allowed.
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Regular City Council Meeting
September 1, 2026 | 6:00 PM | City Hall
City Hall Closed
September 7, 2026 | All-Day | City Hall
Regular City Council Meeting
September 15, 2026 | 6:00 PM | City Hall
Planning & Parks Board Meeting
September 22, 2026 | 5:00 PM | City Hall
Coffee with Council
September 26, 2026 | 9:00 AM | Kelsey's Koffee
Be Dam Ready
September 26, 2026 | 11:00 AM | Carnation Library
City Hall Closed
September 28 - October 2, 2026 | All-Day | City Hall
| | Your one stop-shop for Carnation Fun! | There's always something to do in Carnation! City Staff has compiled a calendar of fun Carnation events on the City's website. | Don't see your Carnation event on the calendar? Email the City's Communications Manager: ashlyn.farnworth@carnationwa.gov | | Carnation Chamber of Commerce Sunflower Festival | | | | |
Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: Tolt Commons (31999 E Bird Street)
Each summer, the Snoqualmie Valley bursts into bloom with a celebration of agriculture, art, and community. In 2026, the Carnation Chamber of Commerce invites you to Grow Together and Deepen Roots as we honor the farms, artists, makers, and traditions that make this valley such a special place through the beauty of sunflower season.
The City of Carnation will have a table at the Sunflower Festival to collect feedback on community priorities ahead of Biennial Budget planning.
| | Save the Date - SnoValley Flood Forum | | |
Date: Wednesday October 7, 2026
Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: Riverview School District Office (15510 1st Ave. NE, Duvall, WA 98019)
Join neighbors, local leaders, and experts to talk about flooding in our community and how we can prepare. Carnation Emergency Manager Rachael Sibug will be speaking on the panel. There will also be a virtual session on Wednesday October 7th at 5:30. This event is put on by the Flood, Fish, and Farm Caucus, a collaborative effort between Carnation, City of Duvall, City of North Bend, King County, the Snoqualmie Valley Preservation Alliance, and more!
| | Utility Box Wraps at Tolt Triangle Park | | Utility box wrapping at Tolt Triangle Park is complete! Thank you to the artists for their contributions to the space. | | | | Artist: Elizabeth Dillinger | | | | | |
