As the summer draws to a close, the city of Issaquah becomes the parent to thousands of returning northwest salmon. To honor and celebrate this homecoming, the community prepares for an annual weekend of festivities to welcome back Chinook, coho, sockeye, and pink salmon alike. Their daringly long and, one might argue, heroic journey continually inspire and bring joy to the city’s residents. But why? Understanding the historical and immediate significance of salmon in Issaquah is the only way to make sense of the Salmon Days success story.
For centuries, the Issaquah area has been home to many different ways of life. From Native Americans and early European settlers to the modern residents and families that make up the region today, one curious detail has unquestionably linked their cultures together: Salmon. Their immeasurable importance has influenced community livelihood in more ways than one. That is, in more ways than simply providing food for the city.
During the Great Depression, the Issaquah Creek was substantially polluted as the lumber and coal industries struggled with exhausted resources, dwindling populations of life-sustaining salmon. Eventually, President Roosevelt's New Deal saw the construction of a salmon hatchery to help combat ecological damage and promote once historic salmon runs through the area. Industry in Issaquah was restored as the hatchery provided jobs to hundreds of local, unemployed residents. This helped forge a strong bond between the newly invigorated city and its aquatic friends, one rooted in an important mutual value. Around 30 years later, in 1970, this bond would lay the groundwork for the first ever Salmon Days.
Salmon Days had its humble start on a balmy, October Saturday as nearly 20,000 patrons made the pilgrimage to witness the annual salmon run through Issaquah. Accompanying the hatchery was a parade, Kiwanis barbecue, and several performances and political speeches. Although the following years would prove to be a struggle, Salmon Days was beginning its slow ascent to fame.
A century and a half later, the festival’s popularity spiked, drawing in much larger crowds and launching the small-town event into a premier Northwest attraction. Parades turned into incredible orchestrations of floats and entertainment; streets, into wild, expanding stretches of vendors and artists; fields, into organized sports, games, and community bonding. Success at Salmon Days transformed the city into a beloved pastime that helps celebrate the importance and beauty of nature.
Today, Salmon Days is very much well and alive, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. To many of them, it’s easy to get caught up in the festivities and ignore the underlying theme. But, to the people of Issaquah, its importance can never be undervalued. The salmon of Issaquah help bring together a community of families, friends, neighborhoods, and businesses, all the while demonstrating a great bravery and freedom. It’s almost as if the salmon have something to teach us, if we watch closely.
Check out the Salmon Days website for more information on this year's festival.
