Wenatchee River Salmon Festival returns to Rocky Reach Sept. 19

WENATCHEE — The Wenatchee River Salmon Festival will return to Rocky Reach Park and Discovery Center Sept. 19 for a free day of activities highlighting fish, wildlife, Native American culture and the Columbia River.

Community Day runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with this year’s festival carrying the theme “We Are River People,” celebrating the connections between the Columbia River, wildlife and communities throughout the region.

Activities will include Native American storytelling inside the festival’s large salmon tent, gyotaku fish printing and a portable aquarium featuring local fish species. Gyotaku is a Japanese printing technique, with festival participants painting fish models and creating prints to take home.

A Native American village will feature 45 educators and exhibitors representing 11 tribes and bands, offering visitors opportunities to learn about Indigenous traditions, stories and cultures from across the region.

The public event follows two days of educational programming for area students. About 2,000 local third- and fourth-graders are expected to visit Rocky Reach Sept. 17 and 18 for outdoor activities focused on science and discovery.

The festival is supported by Chelan PUD, Friends of Northwest Hatcheries, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Microsoft, Confluence Health, Yakama Cares-Yakama Nation Legends Casino Hotel and several other regional organizations and businesses.

Additional festival information is available at salmonfest.org.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media