📰 This Week in RedmondOctober 22, 2026 🏊 This Pumpkin Patch Is in a Swimming PoolPicture a swimming pool full of jack-o'-lantern beach balls. That's the Beach Ball Pumpkin Patch Family Swim, this weekend on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Redmond Pool, 17535 NE 104th St. Families swim among the floating pumpkins, play for prizes, and stop by water safety stations, and it's open to all ages. It's a pumpkin patch where nobody tracks mud into the car. Registration runs through Wave Aquatics, so check the price when you sign up. The link's in the show notes and in the newsletter. https://www.waveaquatics.org/ 🎃 No Knives, No Carving, Just Bring Your Own PumpkinBring a pumpkin and a costume to the Redmond Senior & Community Center on Monday night. The Spooky Spectacular runs 6 to 7:30 p.m. at 8703 160th Ave NE, and it's for all ages. There's face painting, a photo booth, arts and crafts, and mini games, plus hot dogs, veggie dogs, chips, Halloween candy, and drinks. The pumpkin decorating is no-carve, so the supplies are provided and nobody needs a knife. You just bring the pumpkin. Admission is $5 to $6, and space is limited, so register ahead. The link's in the show notes and in the newsletter. https://www.redmond.gov/Calendar.aspx?EID=3560 🍯 A Master Beekeeper Wants You to Taste Honey Like a ProYou've probably never tasted honey the way a Master Beekeeper does. This weekend on Saturday, Iron Bee Apiary from Sammamish runs a honey tasting in the Red Room at Pomegranate Bistro, 18005 NE 68th St., Suite A-150, from 2 to 3:30 p.m., with doors at 1:45. A certified Master Beekeeper walks you through award-winning local honey, single-source honey from their own hives, and exotic honeys from around the world. Seats are $49.05, plus a $30 food or drink minimum paid to the restaurant. Tickets aren't refundable, but you can give yours to a friend. Parking is free. Tickets are in the show notes and in the newsletter. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/seattles-ultimate-honey-tasting-experience-registration-1991841297941 🐟 Learn About Salmon, Finish the Hunt, Win a PrizeYour kids can win a prize this weekend just for learning about salmon. On Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., FISH and GoRedmond run a free Salmon Discovery Walk and Scavenger Hunt on the Sammamish River Trail by Redmond City Hall, 15670 NE 85th St. Find their outreach booth on the trail, then take a flat, easy 30-minute walk along the river while you learn about the salmon that swim in it. Finish the scavenger hunt for a prize. GoRedmond is also handing out preloaded ORCA cards and transportation giveaways while supplies last. Details are in the show notes and in the newsletter. https://www.issaquahfish.org/discoverywalk/ 🍪 Decorate Halloween Cookies at a Brewery, No Baking RequiredSix sugar cookies, four icing colors, and a pile of sprinkles are waiting for you at Postdoc Brewing on Wednesday night. Sweet Creations by Cris, a Redmond cottage bakery, runs a Boujee Halloween Cookie Decorating Workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. at 17625 NE 65th St., Suite 100, with doors at 5:45. Everything's baked and prepped, so you just decorate and box them up to take home. No experience needed. Class tickets are $60.94, it's capped at 15 people, and the class description lists it as 21 and over, so this one's a grown-ups' night. Tickets are in the show notes and in the newsletter. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boujee-halloween-cookie-decorating-workshop-tickets-1990719868716 ♟️ Checkmate Over a Pint at Black Raven Tuesday NightBlack Raven Brewing's Redmond taproom turns into a chess hall on Tuesday night. The Eastside Chess Club meets there on the last Tuesday of every month, from 6 p.m. until the taproom closes at 9, at 14679 NE 95th St. Show up, order a beer, and find someone to play. Every skill level shows up to these things, so don't let rusty openings stop you. Black Raven's Redmond location is 21 and over only, so the kid chess prodigies will have to sit this one out. Simply Leak DetectionA lot of people put off calling about a leak because they're scared of what it'll cost. But fixing it costs money no matter what. The question is whether you're guessing or you actually know. Simply Leak Detection finds the exact spot first, so you can decide whether a repair makes sense or the line needs replacing. Either way, you're deciding with real information. Over 300 five-star reviews on Google. Redmond, Kirkland, Bellevue and the whole Eastside. Call 253-800-1412 or visit SimplyLeakDetection.com. 📞 (253) 800-1412 🌐 https://simplyleakdetection.com/ 🥏 He Swam the Strait of Gibraltar, Then Coached Frisbee to Help Refugee KidsA Seattle school counselor who swam the Strait of Gibraltar built an Ultimate Frisbee team to help immigrant and refugee kids heal, and on Wednesday you can meet the filmmaker who told his story. The Redmond Library screens Ultimate Citizens, about counselor Jamshid Khajavi, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the West Meeting Room, 15990 NE 85th St. A Q&A with filmmaker Francine Strickwerda follows. It's free, no registration needed, and recommended for high schoolers and older. Bring a teenager. They'll get more out of it than you'd think. 📜 Redmond History MinuteIt's time for the Redmond History Minute, where we share a piece of history, a tidbit, or some trivia about life in and around Redmond. Today's trivia question is... Between 1951 and 1967, Redmond grew its land area by about how much through annexations? A) It doubled in size B) It grew five times larger C) It grew more than thirty times larger D) It stayed about the same The answer is at the bottom of this newsletter. 🔥 Redmond Rumor Mill: Brazilian Barbecue Near the Light Rail?Rumor has it a Brazilian churrascaria is scouting a spot near the light rail station. It isn't the all-you-can-eat kind where servers keep bringing skewers to your table. Picture a tight eight-item menu, tabletop grills, and good caipirinhas instead. The operator apparently runs a catering company and wants a permanent home. None of this is confirmed. We don't have a name, an address, or an opening date. So would you give up the endless meat parade to grill it yourself? If you've got a guess or have heard something, head to our Facebook page at facebook.com/BestOfRedmond and drop it in the Redmond Rumor Mill Guesses post. 🗳️ Your PicksAnd while you're at our Facebook page, find the Your Picks post and answer this question... We want to know what you think the best place to see fall colors is. 🎧 Love the Newsletter? There's a Podcast TooIf you enjoyed this newsletter, you're gonna love the companion podcast. Find it at bestofredmond.com. ✅ History Minute AnswerC) It grew more than thirty times larger. When Redmond incorporated in 1912, it was just three square blocks, and for decades it stayed small. After World War II, the city went on an annexation spree. It took in Education Hill in 1951, which nearly tripled its size, then Overlake in 1962, Viewpoint in 1964, and Bear Creek in 1966. By 1967 Redmond was more than thirty times its original size. In about 15 years it went from a small farming village to more than 17 square miles.
