Join us this month at Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday September 28th @ 10am – 4pm for the 35th Annual Nisqually Watershed Festival!
Best of Show & First Place Poster Contest Winners Announced – View All 2024 Winners Here!
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2024 Festival Schedule
TIME | EVENT | LOCATION |
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10:00 AM | Olympia Highlanders Rousing Bagpipes & Dancing | Mainstage |
10:30 AM | Nisqually Indian Tribe Blessing and Canoe Family | Mainstage |
11:00 AM | Killer Whale Tales Environmental Science Storytelling | Mainstage |
12:00 PM | Poster Contest Award Ceremony Local Student Art | Mainstage |
1:00 PM | Dogfish Dissection | Amphitheater |
1:00 PM | Nisqually Stream Stewards Program Presentation | Mainstage |
1:30 PM | Samba OlyWa Energetic Percussion & Dancing | Mainstage |
2:00 PM | The Falconer Raptor Education & Encounters | Mainstage |
3:00 PM | Salmon Dissection | Amphitheater |
2024 Festival Map
Volunteer at the Nisqually Watershed Festival
Volunteer at the Nisqually Watershed Festival – EMAIL CONTACT
2023 Nisqually Watershed Festival Recap
As Summer gives way to Fall in Nisqually there are many indicators you can look to, to see the changing of the seasons. One can feel the heat give way to crisper air; see the leaves brighten to bursting reds and oranges; and of course watch the Salmon swim and spawn along the mainstem and tributaries of the Nisqually River. Among these however, there is another marker of Autumn’s return – The Nisqually Watershed Festival!
On the last Saturday of September, this celebration of community, culture, and history takes over Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge and brings with it an entire day of salmon, science, singing, and more! Now in its 34th year, the annual festival serves as a place to gather for all those who love the outdoors and wish to celebrate the unique wonders of the Nisqually Watershed. This year, the sound of bagpipes and drums from the Olympia Highlanders announced the beginning of the day and from that moment on singing, laughing, and conversations filled the air with a hum of excitement as over 1100 attendees joined in the festivities!
Families crowded around arts and craft booths where kids painted elaborate designs on wooden salmon while others painted real salmon to then print on t-shirts and posters. In the background of these booths arrow darts flew at pictures of invasive species, non-profits from around the region connected with community members, and parents helped their kids climb inside FIN the Giant Wild Salmon! Not far from “Critter Corridor” the Refuge’s education center was bursting with excitement as kids and parents alike let their inner child out to hold geckos, look at snakes, and examine giant bugs in the “Insect Extravaganza”.
Speaking of bugs, this year’s poster contest theme was “Insects of the Watershed” and the imaginative artwork of local students was put on display at the mainstage so that everyone could enjoy the butterflies, bumblebees, and other illustrations in between performances from the Nisqually Indian Tribe Canoe Family and an interactive play about salmon ecology! If that wasn’t enough fish for one event, the smells of a salmon barbecue wafted throughout the festival mixed with fairfood delectables that were good enough to make your mouth water.
It truly is a joy to be part of such an incredible community event and while there are too many moments to capture in such a short time (did we mention salmon and dogfish dissections?) we’re grateful to be able to connect with our community and share our love for science, nature, and the history and people who make Nisqually all that it is. While we just wrapped this year’s festival, we’re already counting down the days till next year when we get to celebrate 35 years of sharing in the wonders of Nisqually with our community. So mark your calendars for the last Saturday of September and we’ll see you next fall!
Festival Host Committee:
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Interested in participating as an exhibitor? Contact info@nisquallyriver.org!