The following is a release from the Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance:
Kirkland’s sixth annual DennyFest, a waterfront celebration of live music, food and family fun in the Finn Hill neighborhood, returns Sept. 7. The event takes place from noon to 4 p.m. at O.O. Denny Park, on the shores of Lake Washington. All members of the local community are invited to attend. Admission is free.
DennyFest will feature live music by the Geoffrey Castle Band, Bochinche, and Jessie Oliver, a neighborhood dog competition, chili and pie contests, guided forest hikes, magic and numerology readings, and crafts and a bouncy house for kids. Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance (FHNA) President Scott Morris says “DennyFest gets bigger and better every year. We look forward to seeing more new faces from around the neighborhood and the rest of Kirkland.”
For more updates and information about DennyFest, visit www.finnhillalliance.org and follow FHNA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/finnhillalliance.
O.O. Denny Park is located at 12032 Holmes Point Drive, about a mile off Juanita Drive. Access Holmes Point Drive at the intersection where Fire Station 25 is located or across from Inglewood QFC.
Live Music
The Geoffrey Castle Band is back for a second straight year and plays from 2-4 p.m. with singer and guitarist Connor Dunworley starting off the first set.. Castle is a pioneer on the electric six-string violin and very popular draw at Eastside venues. Bochinche, a longtime tropical Latin ensemble with Grammy award winning singer Carlos Cascante, plays from 12:30-1:30 pm. Jessie Oliver, local soul and pop singer, starts things off from noon to 12:30 pm.
Dog Parade and Contests
Always a fan favorite, the dog parade and dog competitions return this year. The parade will begin at 1:30 p.m. and will be followed by a variety of competitions including Most Talented, Best Dressed, and the ever-popular Dog-Owner Lookalike Contest. Prizes will be awarded to the top dog in each category. Registration occurs at the event. For more information, e-mail christy.e.carter@frontier.com or oneplustriplets@msn.com
Chili Cook-off and Pie Contest
Visitors to DennyFest will enjoy samples supplied by contestants in a chili cook-off contest and dessert competition. Looking for bragging rights? The top three vote-getters, as determined by the attendees, will each receive a medal commemorating their efforts. If you have a great chili recipe, contact Jane Burgan atjane@finnhillalliance.org. To enter a delicious pie, contact Marianne Christian-Griffith at mchristian369@gmail.com or Marlien Paine at marlienp@comcast.net for details. It’s a fun, popular event, and the more participants the better.
Trail Tour
Lou Berner will be leading an interpretive forest walk as part of the DennyFest celebration. Berner will share his passion for the outdoors and describe area vegetation, wildlife, and history.
Activities for Kids
Fun activities and entertainment are targeted specifically at kids and include organized arts and crafts as well as a a bouncy house courtesy of Windermere Real Estate’s Jim Lloyd and Amanda Lloyd. Ruben Barron will entertain with his magic tricks and great sense of humor.
And more
The City of Kirkland will have representatives from different departments on hand to answer questions about important local initiatives, like the comprehensive plan update. And just in case, you think all of this might leave you over-stimulated and bewildered, DennyFest also offers chair massages and numerology readings.
Volunteers Welcome
You can be a part of DennyFest if you would like to volunteer. Volunteers are needed to help with the Arts and Crafts projects (one hour shifts), the Dog Show, set-up, and clean-up. Please contact Marc at pcvack@gmail.com if you would like to help.
About Finn Hill Neighborhood Alliance
FHNA, formerly known as the Denny Creek Neighborhood Alliance, is a 20-year-old non-profit organization which brings neighbors in the Finn Hill area of Kirkland together through land conservation and environmental stewardship, as well as programs that support and enhance the Finn Hill neighborhood. For more information about FHNA, visit http://finnhillalliance.org.
