Everything to know about Jazz Walk August 11, 2026 - street festival, food, music indoor and out

Tickets for Jazz Walk here

North City’s favorite jazz festival is back for its 18th year! This year's event features a vibrant five-block-long street scene buzzing with food trucks, family-friendly fun, and local businesses, two free outdoor stages flanked by beer and wine gardens, and five indoor venues where you can enjoy everything from Django-inspired gypsy jazz, and rootsy Americana, to smoky bluesy jazz, and gospel-infused grooves. 

There's something for everyone! 

Details: 

Tuesday August 11, 2026 - five blocks of 15th NE from 175th NE to 180th NE

6:00 pm - The street festival opens with community organizations and local businesses, face-painting and games for kids, and activities for the whole family; 

- Two beer and wine gardens next to the free outdoor stages start pouring beverages donated by Georgetown Brewing, Fremont Brewing, and Vault 177—with all proceeds going to local community projects coordinated by Shoreline Rotary and Lake Forest Park Rotary; 

- Five indoor (ticketed) music venues begin serving special "Jazz Bites" food and/or beverages; 

- Six food trucks begin offering barbecue, Mexican fare, gourmet hot dogs, Mediterranean cuisine, grilled and smoked chicken, vegan options, and dessert ice cream and cookie dough. 

6:30 pm - Bands begin playing at the two free outdoor stages, located at either end of the 'Walk in the parking lots of Frank Lumber "The Door Store", and Frank Lumber Bargain Barn. 

7:00 pm - Bands begin playing at the five indoor venues: North City Bistro, North City Water District, North City Lounge, Sodam Chicken, and Bethel Lutheran Church. These venues require a wristband for entry. 

Music: 

- Each stage / venue features the same jazz musician / band all night long. 

- All bands play three sets: the first two are 45 minutes long; the final set is 60 minutes long, with a 15 minute break between sets.

- Outdoor bands include The Foot Stompers, and Shear Jazz with Keith McClelland (one of the Jazz Walk's original founders). 

- Indoor bands include Pearl Django, Greta Matassa, Angela Petrucci, Ranger and the Rearrangers, and the Elnah Jordan Experience. 

Tickets: 

- Online tickets are $30 at EventBrite; these must be exchanged for an entry wristband on the night of the event. 

- Entry wristbands will soon be available at six locations so you can avoid having to exchange your ticket on the night of the event. 

- Seating is limited, and most attendees purchase tickets in advance, so it's best not to wait until the day of the event (when the ticket price also goes up).

- Tickets for Jazz Walk here

More Info: 

• FAQ: https://www.northcityjazzwalk.org/faq 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NorthCityJazzWalk/ 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northcityjazzwalk

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Trinity's Annual Picnic and Free Sale July 25, 2026

Trinity's Annual Picnic and Free Sale are coming! 

Saturday, July 25, 2026 from Noon - 3:00pm.

Come for Hot Dog barbecue, Bouncy House, Games, Free Sale, and Fun!

Everyone Welcome! Everything Free!

Trinity Presbyterian Church

1315 N 160th St, Shoreline, WA 98133

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North Helpline and Hunger Intervention Program combine to form North Seattle Food Connection

Two established social service organizations are combining forces. Both have a focus on addressing food insecurity.

North Helpline (NH) and the Hunger Intervention Program (HIP) will combine to form North Seattle Food Connection. The combined organization will expand access to nutritious food, prepared meals, and daily essentials—creating a more comprehensive, community-centered system of support for neighbors across North Seattle and beyond.

By bringing together complementary services—North Helpline’s food bank, grocery delivery, homelessness prevention, and client services with HIP’s prepared meal programs, nutrition education, food justice advocacy, and meal delivery—the new organization will better address both immediate hunger and long-term household stability.

Together, the organizations aim to make a broader and deeper impact than either could achieve alone.

Darcy Buendia and Srijan Chakraborty, HIP’s Co-Executive Directors, will co-lead the new organization, and the boards of directors of the two organizations will also combine. Over the next few months, more details will be finalized. 

However, we want to emphasize that all services will continue without interruption. Program participants will continue to access food, prepared meals, daily essentials, and support services as they do today, with a focus on maintaining trusted relationships and consistent care.

"For HIP, our mission has always been about more than meals—it’s about nourishing people and building community through food," said Emily Johnson, President, Hunger Intervention Program Board of Directors.

"By aligning with North Helpline, we can extend that impact and connect more people to the meals, food, advocacy, and essential services they need while also strengthening the fabric of our North Seattle community. We are grateful for the partners, volunteers, and supporters who make this work possible."

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Free meals for children and teens up to age 18

Free meals are available this summer for all children and teens up to age 18. No registration or Shoreline enrollment required.

Shoreline School District

• Echo Lake Elementary, 19345 Wallingford Ave. N
• July 7–30, 2026 Monday–Thursday
• Breakfast 8:50–9:20 am
• Lunch 11:25–11:55 am

Community Lunch Sites (operated by the Hunger Intervention Program)

• June 22–August 21, Monday–Friday (no service July 4)
• Dale Turner YMCA, 19290 Aurora Ave N 12:00–1:00 pm
• Ballinger Homes, 2200 NE 201st Pl.: 12:00–1:00 pm
• Shoreline Library, 345 NE 175th St.: 12:30–1:30 pm

Find more summer meal sites:

• Call 1-866-348-6479 or 1-877-842-6273 (en Español)
• Text "FOOD" or "COMIDA" to 509-509
• Visit https://www.hungerfreewa.org/schoolmeals

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Pack the Park raises $2,300 for Angel Fund to pay student lunch debt

The starting line was a Pfingst Animal Acres Park
Photo courtesy Shoreline Schools

Pack the Park was the call. And the park was packed!

On May 9, 2026 Superheroes in the fight against food insecurity walked, ran, and strolled through the annual 5K to raise money for Lake Forest Park Farmers Market Bucks and the Shoreline School District Angel Fund.

Thanks to the event, plus an additional contribution from race organizer Kind + Co Events, $2,300 was raised for the Angel Fund, which helps pay negative meal balances for students in need.

Photo courtesy Shoreline Schools

Spotted at the event were Superintendent Susana Reyes, School Board Director Sara Betnel, Food & Nutrition Services Director Jessica Jandayan, Lake Forest Park Elementary Principal Aimee Miner, and Lake Forest Park Police Chief Mike Harden!

Thank you to all of the local superheroes who showed up to support our community. 

Why does this matter? This year, Shoreline School District’s student meal debt has climbed to more than $29,000 — the highest it has ever been. 

Photo courtesy Shoreline Schools

Many families earn too much to qualify for meal assistance, but still struggle to afford the rising cost of food and living expenses. 

Shoreline does not allow students to go hungry, so unpaid meal balances quickly add up.

Fundraisers like this help ensure students can continue receiving meals at school while easing financial pressure on families and the district.

Learn more or contribute here

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Summer Bash at Ballinger Thriftway May 28, 2026

Nibble your way through Ballinger Thriftway's 30 vendors on May 28, 2026

SUMMER BASH!
Start Summer here! Join us for an afternoon packed with food, fun, and an incredible tasting experience featuring 30+ vendors sampling products throughout the store! . Samples from all areas of our store will be included from bakery, deli, meat, beer, wine, and more!!
Mark your Calendars May 28, 2026
4–7 PM
Ballinger Thriftway 20150 Ballinger Way NE, Shoreline, WA 98155
What to expect:
Samples from over 30 amazing vendors
Fresh-off Department made samples.
Discover new local and seasonal products
Fun for the whole family
Great summer vibes all evening long
Come stroll the store, meet vendors, try something new, and celebrate summer with us! And come hungry there will be plenty to taste!

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Destinations: 55th Annual Northwest Folklife Festival at Seattle Center May 22-25, 2026

Folklife Festival Magazine

The 55th Annual Northwest Folklife Festival Returns to Seattle Center This Memorial Day Weekend, from 12-9pm on May 22-May 24, and from 12-7pm on May 25, 2026

As the final installation of our 5-part Cultural Focus series, Ubuntu is an African philosophy, congregating humanity with the common phrase, “I am because we are.”

As we reflect on the lessons learned from the last 4 years–Metamorphosis, Lagom, Meraki, and Ikigai–we look to the concepts identified with Ubuntu as a way to re-examine our interconnectedness, our solidarity with one another, and our commitment to treating each other with respect and dignity.

The philosophy of Ubuntu has always been found within the festival activities. It’s represented in multi-cultural, intergenerational, and emergent forms of art. Folklife has always breathed life into these fundamental ideas found within Ubuntu.

In collaboration with Smithsonian Folklife, we are able to offer new programs such as the Community Foodways Kitchen and the Ubuntu Summit.

The Community Foodways Kitchen is where we will work with communities and initiatives who are working at the intersections of food & land sovereignty, environmental sustainability, community health, and climate justice.

The Ubuntu Summit is one of four Convenings for Of the People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals, a national initiative that highlights the rich cultural traditions and creative communities that shape the United States. This gathering will explore the role of festivals as a tool for placemaking, community development, and cultural liberation operating within a diverse and interconnected Creative Ecosystem.

And while the festival itself has demonstrated for 55 years that “folk” is globally represented, we’ve attempted to use this 5-part series as a way to underscore to the public that that definition is outdated, and is fundamentally incorrect.

Folklife represents over 150 cultural communities, and year after year we see almost 40% of our applicants as first time applicants. The “genres” represented are international, AND are also intergeneration, showcasing punk, hip-hop, house, Afrobeat, and kizomba. They aren’t subject to music and dance, but also reflect food, fashion, and our responsibility to our planet and our land.

We have specifically designed this 5-year Cultural Focus series as a way to reclaim that folk is OF and FOR everyone of us, and highlight the strength of our communities who have been most impacted by erasure and displacement.

So, by joining us in our 55th celebration of our festival, we hope you can find space to reconnect—with yourself, with each other, and with the possibility of something better. May we leave here not only uplifted, but strengthened in our ability to organize, in our commitment to hold space for one another, and in our endeavors to spread unbridled hope.

Seattle Center 305 Harrison St, Seattle, WA 98109

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Event with five chefs to raise funds for Hunger Intervention Program May 29, 2026

A World of Flavor!

Friday May 29, 2026 from 6-8pm

Hunger Intervention Program

3841 NE 123rd St

Seattle, WA 98125

Purchase tickets here

Join the Hunger Intervention Program (HIP) on Friday May 29, 2026 for their fundraiser, A World of Flavor!

Their goal is to raise $10,000 at this event, with all proceeds going to HIP’s Summer Meals program this year.

This event will feature five chefs of distinct culinary and cultural backgrounds. Each chef will showcase their skills by serving two small dishes central to their food culture in booths decorated to tell a story of the dishes’ importance.

You’ll have time to mix and mingle, enjoy the tasting menu paired with drinks, and get to know the chefs and their stories before sitting down for a short program at 7pm.

More about the chefs, the cuisines they will be cooking from, and the program we will be raising money for on the HIP website

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Pack the Park and the Pantries May 9, 2026

By Rob Oxford

Children seldom realize how difficult it can be for parents to feed their families. Especially a single parent on a tight budget. It’s hardly a topic discussed openly at the dinner table and never on the playground. It's definitely not something of which a parent is particularly proud. Instead, a parent suffers in silence. Worrying about where their child’s next meal will come from.

With food prices constantly on the rise and income barely keeping pace with inflation, “Food Insecurity” is of real concern to many in our community. Affecting 13.7% of U.S. Households in 2024.

Driven by poverty, unemployment and high living costs, Food Insecurity causes severe health issues and as indicated above, mental strain. Given the current socio economic climate in our country, now is an extremely difficult time for many.

However, now is also the perfect time to help.

Coming up May 9, 2026 join your fellow Super Heroes at Animal Acres Park for “Pack the Park”. A 5K Fun Run and Walk.

Pack The Park 5k/Fun Run 2026

For the past 10 years, “Pack the Park” has raised nearly $35,000 to help fight food insecurity in the Shoreline and Lake Forest Park Communities. 

It supports programs such as The Shoreline School District's “Angel Fund” which helps pay negative meal balances for students in need and the Third Place Commons Farmers Market Bucks.

LFP Farmers Market.
Photo by Rob Oxford

The LFP Farmers Market has been a vibrant part of the local community for nearly two decades. 

It opens each year on Mother’s Day in the Town Center parking lot adjacent to the Lake Forest Park City Hall at 17425 Ballinger Way NE.

The Market offers farm-fresh produce, seasonal fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, pasta, baked goods, wine and hard cider, hot foods, sweet treats and savory snacks.

Their “Market Bucks” offers the opportunity for our neighbors who need it most to benefit from the fresh, healthy foods available from the Market's many vendors. 

The hours of operation are 10am – 2pm each Sunday through October and this writer suggests getting there early for the best selection.

Farmers Market - Third Place Commons

Whether you choose to run, walk or like me prefer a more stationary approach to living, lace up your running shoes or grab a camping chair and join us May 9th for "Pack the Park." You WILL make a difference.

2025 Pack the Park

Volunteers are always needed and there can be no better way to meet or reconnect with like-minded neighbors concerned with the betterment of our community.

A portion of every registration and 100% of all donations go to support the programs mentioned above.

Let's "Pack the Park".

Donate directly to the Shoreline Angel Fund: 

• email nutrition.services@ssd412.org or 
• call Food Services at 206-393-4209.

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Food recall

Food recall Ajinomoto Foods North American

A recall of Trader Joe’s frozen chicken fried rice announced late last month has expanded to 33 million more pounds of food across 16 different frozen food products, all of which are at risk of being contaminated with glass.

The recalled products come from Ajinomoto Foods North America, an Oregon-based food distributor for stores including Trader Joe’s and Kroger. The recall now includes ramen and shu mai dumpling dishes

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Ballinger Thriftway competes in Can Madness event

Ballinger Thriftway 20150 Ballinger Way NE, Shoreline, WA 98155 in Ballinger Village is competing against other grocery stores to collect the largest number of cans of food for Hopelink in the Fight Against Hunger February 27 to April 3, 2026.

"We are hosting a friendly competition between our store and other to see who can come out on top for food donations. Cash donations bins are located at checkstands."

Every item donated gets you one raffle ticket. Names drawn will get the chance to purchase an allocated whiskey.

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Councilmember Dembowski helps secure capital grant for Hunger Intervention Program (HIP)

Rod Dembowski at the HIP 2026 Community Appreciation Event
Photo courtesy HIP

King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski has helped the Hunger Intervention Program to secure a  $1.75 million capital grant to help them acquire a new, larger home for HIP. 

"This money would allow us to expand the breadth and quality of services that we provide. As more families, single adults, and seniors struggle with food insecurity every day, this new home will be key in addressing the increasing need."

Dembowski said,

"I’ve been a big fan of Hunger Intervention Program in Lake City for a long time. They are effective and efficient at making sure people don’t go hungry - a policy area I want King County to do more in. Thrilled to be able to write into our 26-27 budget a significant capital grant to help them acquire a permanent home that will secure their future and help them grow their essential work."

HIP began in 2007 with a group of volunteers who served a daily breakfast to clients at a major downtown Seattle shelter. 

During this time, HIP’s volunteers were awarded multiple Mayor’s End Hunger Awards for their commitment to feeding the Seattle community. 

In 2008, HIP became a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

HIP transitioned its daily breakfast service up north in 2010 in order to emphasize the issues of hunger among the homeless and low-income residents of the Lake City community. 

In the years that followed, HIP created the Summer Meals, Senior Community Meal, Afterschool Snacks, and Shelter Meals programs, and added nutrition education and anti-hunger advocacy as pillars of its work. 

Today, HIP serves over 10,000 meals a month to children and families, seniors, and unhoused individuals across North King County.

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Free Community Advocacy Dinner February 16, 2026

Calvin Presbyterian Church, 18836 3rd Ave NW, is hosting another Community Advocacy Dinner this coming Monday February 16, 2026 at 6pm.  

With dinner and a program, the event is expected to last until approximately 8pm.

The dinners are becoming very popular, so please RSVP to norm@calvinpc.org so we can plan on having enough food.  Thank you!

The dinners are held regularly on the 3rd Monday of the month.

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You’re Invited: Field Hearing on Corporate Consolidation and Rising Food Prices

Pramila Jayapal

U.S. Representative (WA-07)

As prices continue to rise, American families are having a harder time than ever affording groceries. At the heart of the problem is corporate consolidation throughout the food supply chain that has allowed a few large corporations to raise prices and reduce quality for consumers. 

This consolidation exists at every level of the food supply chain, from farms and food production to grocery store shelves. It is time that Congress addresses food consolidation head-on.

This month, the Monopoly Busters Caucus and I will host a public field hearing to dive deeper into the issue with a farmer, an independent grocer, an antitrust expert, a grocery store worker, and a small business owner. 

We will be joined by Governor Bob Ferguson, Seattle Deputy Mayor Brian Surratt, former Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter, multiple Members of Congress, and more. I invite you to join us and participate in the conversation about how to hold these corporations accountable and finally bring down costs.

WHAT: Field Hearing: From Farm to Kitchen Table: How Consolidation Spikes Food Prices

WHEN: Wednesday January 28, 2026 from 6:00pm to 7:30pm; Doors open at 5:30pm

WHERE: Bertha Knight Landes Room (1st Floor) at Seattle City Hall, 600 4th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104

Registration is required, so please RSVP today. If you have questions or need accessibility accommodations, you can contact my district office at (206) 674-0040.

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Share your creative baking talents at the Edible Book Festival January 24, 2026

Show off your artistic baking skills at the Edible Book Festival on Saturday January 24, 2026 at Third Place Commons in Lake Forest Park Town Center from 11am to 1pm. Awards presented at 12:15pm

Sponsored by ShoreLake Arts, this is an annual event.

Create a cake that looks like a book - and if you can make a pun of it - so much the better!

Here is a sample from a previous event.

Tequila Mockingbird

Warning - the art is eaten after the awards so take lots of photos.

One more example: The Ketchup on the Rye

Two edible books and a literal plate of food

Register by January 22, 2026. Use the QR code in the flyer or this link.

--Photos courtesy ShoreLake Arts

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Ten years of free community meals at Ronald Commons Café

Free community meals at Ronald Commons Café

Every Thursday doors open at 5:30pm

Ronald United Methodist Church

accessible basement door in back of the building

17839 Aurora Ave N

Shoreline, WA 98133

Ronald Commons Café (RCC), will celebrate its 10th anniversary and more than 100,000 meals served on January 22, 2026.

RCC offers free community dinners every Thursday starting at 5:30pm.

RCC began in 2016 through a collaboration among Ronald United Methodist Church (RUMC) Richmond Beach Congregational United Church of Christ, Dale Turner YMCA, Shoreline Covenant Church, Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Church, and was later joined by First Lutheran Church of Richmond Beach. 

The project was made possible when RUMC sold part of its property to Compass Housing Alliance for the development of Ronald Commons, an affordable housing development.

Volunteers launched RCC serving around 40 meals a week; by year’s end they served 80 to 85.

The café grew steadily, averaging 150 meals weekly by 2020 During the pandemic, RCC pivoted to meals-to-go and provided 75 brown bag lunches weekly for Prince of Peace Lutheran Church’s meal program.

Over the years, RCC has partnered with diverse community groups, including preparing Bosnian dishes for Eid al-Fitr in 2017—a contribution that earned volunteers a KSER 90.7 “Community Impact” award.

RCC relies on volunteers to set up, serve, and clean up each week. New volunteers are always welcome and can sign up through this link

The café also seeks an additional volunteer chef to lead one meal per month and assist with prep on other weeks.(link to more information)

Join us in celebrating a decade of shared meals and community connection!

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Always Summer Café launches two brand-new crêpes

Always Summer Café is thrilled to announce the launch of two brand-new crêpes—crafted with care for both light brunch and relaxed afternoon snacks.

Banana & Chocolate

Sweet option: 

Banana & Chocolate Crêpe

A warm, delicate crêpewith sliced local bananas and drizzled with rich dark-chocolate. Perfect alongside your morning latte or as a mid-afternoon treat.

Savory option: 

Pesto & Cheese Crêpe

Delicate crêpe filled with fragrant basil-pesto sauce, artisan cheese, topped with arugula and sun dried tomatoes. Ideal for a savory snack between errands or a light lunch pairing.

Crafted by a husband-and-wife team of professional designers, the café is rooted in the greater Shoreline area and devoted to welcoming spaces, handcrafted dessert, and small-batch indulgence.

Pesto & Cheese

Whether you're stopping in for your first coffee of the day or taking a break mid-afternoon, these crêpes bring something a little extra to our menu. We wanted to offer both a sweet moment and a savory one — and make it easy to just treat yourself and stay a little longer.

Stop by Always Summer Café to enjoy your choice of crêpe alongside one of the café’s signature small-batch, handcrafted locally-made ice-creams or a craft coffee.

Always Summer Café is located by the lower level entrance to Town Center, intersection Bothell and Ballinger Way NE, Lake Forest Park 98155.

Contact information

• Website: https://www.alwayssummercafe.com
• Instagram: alwayssummer.cafe
• Google maps: https://share.google/GQmaNV5wyQpIXbmu5

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Free Meals from Shoreline churches

Ronald Commons Cafe

Residents are responding generously to the Hopelink food drive. But the social aspect of sharing food is also important.

Several churches in Shoreline host free meals where you can sit down with other people. After years of sit-down dinners, PoPy's Café ceased sit-down meals when the pandemic hit but now hands out boxed meals weekly. 

St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church
722 N 145th St, Shoreline WA 98133
Tuesdays 5:00PM – 6:30PM
Sit down or to-go meals

Prince of Peace Lutheran (PoPy’s Café)
14514 20th Ave NE, Shoreline WA 98133
Wednesdays 5:00PM – 6:00PM
To-go meals

Ronald Commons Café at Ronald United Methodist Church
17839 Aurora Ave N, Shoreline WA 98133
Thursday 5:00PM – 6:00PM
Sit down or to-go meals

Calvin Presbyterian Church
18826 3rd Ave NW, Shoreline WA 98177
3rd Monday (1/19, 2/16, 3,16) from 6PM-7:30PM

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