Meetings for the week of March 16th

Recently posted on NewBellevue.com: 

The Safe Speeds Survey in context (link)

HOMA vote coming on St. Patrick's Day (link) - you may want to reach out to Council today

Monday, March 16th 

Human Services Commission Special Meeting, 6pm, in-person only (link)

This Equity in Funding training (required once every two years) will be facilitated by Douglas Raiford, the Parks & Community Services' Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Program Administrator. Participants will (1) explore how implicit bias operates, (2) examine its effects on community organization funding, and (3) develop practical tools and strategies to identify and eliminate bias in the decision-making process. 

   The minutes discuss small business assistance for both for-profit and nonprofit companies, and a bilingual program partnering Startup425 with Centro Cultural Mexicano has been announced. The calendar includes consideration of teen afterschool applications and convening applications, and deliberations about other funding opportunities. There was a panel discussion of current challenges in human services for refugees and immigrants, as well as sources of support provided by the state and within King County. There were more details about the experience of the person detained on 148th than I have seen reported elsewhere. Requests for assistance have increased by ~4-5x or 3-4x greater than previous years, depending on the program.  

Tuesday, March 17th 

City Council, 6pm (link)

Oral Communications: There will be 30 minutes for public comment; speaker sign-up starts at noon (link) 

Consent Calendar: 

-Award the Bellevue City Hall 1W Suite project, to Balfour Beatty Construction, LLC, DBA Howard S. Wright, not to exceed $2.7M plus tax. About 18,000 square feet will be reconfigured and updated to meet current building code and improve energy efficiency. It will be funded under the 2025-2030 CIP (Plan No. G-124).

-Authorize a five-year General Services Contract with Northwest Cascade Inc. dba Honey Buckets, for toilets and hand-washing stations at parks (some on a long term basis, and others for special events or seasonally), not to exceed $525k plus tax 

-Release a portion of a Sidewalk and Utility easement and a portion of a Sidewalk, Utility and Wall easement located at 1425 120th Ave NE (in the block that is just to the north of Lake Bellevue), where a four-phase new development with 784,300 square feet of office space, 425 residential dwelling units, 5,000 square feet of retail and 5,000 square feet of dining is proposed. The easement would allow a wider sidewalk along part of the 120th frontage, but interferes with the development plans. There will be a new Central Drive that will eventually connect 120th and Spring Blvd. Details of the planned pedestrian and frontage improvements are on pages 24 and 26 here, which makes it appear that the current number of residences planned may be lower.

-Updated job classification list for city employees.  

Public Hearing on the release of a portion of a sidewalk, utilities, lighting and landscaping easement located at 633 110th Ave NE and 640 108th Ave (north side of the Bellevue Transit Center) 

Final action on the HOMA ordinance, which will incentivize affordable housing, rezone some areas, and allow taller buildings in other areas. This is a very complex package, with changes to impervious surfaces, stepbacks, landscaping requirements, floor plate sizes, etc. It will triple the allowed heights in some neighborhood centers and allow 8, 10, and 16 story buildings in other areas, such as Crossroads, Eastgate, Factoria, and south of Downtown. I wrote a post about HOMA that just scratches the surface of these changes (link).  

Sound Transit staff will provide updates on the 2 Line and Stride bus rapid transit, as well as a briefing on the Enterprise Initiative, Sound Transit’s response to an estimated $35 billion revenue gap. City Council will respond by preparing a letter to Sound Transit.  Service on Link will run approximately 5 a.m. to 1 a.m., Monday through Saturday and 6 a.m. to midnight on Sundays. At the 2 Line stations, trains will run approximately every 8 minutes during peak periods and every 10-15 minutes during the remainder of the day.

     Stride lines S1 and S2 will connect at the Bellevue Transit Center (every 10-15 minutes) and changes will be made there to remove windscreens and some benches and add ORCA readers and upgrade the roof. They will use the layover space on 110th adjacent to Bellevue Library, and charging infrastructure will be installed there in 2027.

     Bellevue's draft letter about the Enterprise Initiative describes the importance of specific Link 4 Line stations within Bellevue, requests that delays be minimized, and suggests that BRT or a combination of modes be considered as an alternative. We also emphasize the importance of subarea equity in funding obtained and services delivered. Previous letters are included in the meeting materials for context. 

2026-2030 Sustainable Bellevue Plan Implementation Update. Energy Smart Eastside saw 178 heat pumps installed in Bellevue in 2025, including 27 adult family homes. The Silver Glen senior living co-op received 34 heat pumps and this approach will be replicated in other multifamily buildings in 2026. $1.2M in new funding is coming from WSU Community Energy Efficiency Program and PSE's Decarbonization Program.

  The Better Buildings program includes: a Clean Buildings Incentive Program that will help medium and large commercial buildings covered by state Clean Buildings Law meet their new energy reporting and performance requirements (mid-2026). The Affordable Housing Green Building Design Technical Support will include design workshops and energy modeling services for developers. ChargeReady Bellevue will provide free technical assistance to multifamily building managers and owners looking to take the first steps to install electric vehicle (EV) charging (free site assessments, electrical load studies, and funding and cost analyses). See recent post about some of the challenges here. 

     A $337k e-bike rebate program will launch this summer. The Wilburton Green Buildings catalyst incentive has already had buildings in preapplication review sign up for all the 500 units available under this program. 700 trees were distributed at an October tree giveaway. 100 filter fan kits were distributed to smoke-vulnerable community members. Utilities provides technical assistance for food composting, and Greener Living Classes reached 864 residents. City Hall is efficient and has smart building software; the renovation will be LEED equivalent. New accounts are joining PSE's Green Direct program, decarbonization is being studied for the next size grouping of municipal buildings. The Bellevue Service Center (BSC) retrofit should reduce emissions by 71%, the Green Fleet Strategy 2.0 provides a roadmap for fleet electrification, and EV charging is being installed at Fire Station 1, City Hall, and BSC. Solar panels on the new Fire Station 10 should generate 89,000 kWh annually and water conservation measures will save over 41,000 gallons per year. The Envision Sustainability Framework may be applied to the development of a new park in Bel-Red. Community-wide GHG emissions for 2024 were down 4.3% from 2023 (also, aviation and fuel oil emissions have been removed from the data). There was a 70 acre decline in city-wide tree canopy between 2021 and 2023 (King Conservation District has a TreePlotter CANOPY application), and 27 acres were lost in the right-of-way along streets, while there are 500 acres of plantable space in the ROW. Updates will be provided to council twice a year and through monthly newsletters. 

Wednesday, March 18th 

Lake Hills Neighborhood Enhancement Program Kickoff, 6:30-8pm (link) 

RSVP by email to receive the link, and chat with various departments about Lake Hills' needs; $622k is budgeted for improvements

Parks and Community Services Board Meeting, 6pm (link)

Report on the Diversity Action Plan (DAP) 2035 and the 41 long-term equity objectives

Parks CIP Project Status report: Eastgate Pedestrian Pathway received an award; community outreach for the BelRed park  at 12525 NE Spring Blvd will begin later this spring; an RFP for Airfield Park will be issued this month; for Meydenbauer Bay Park Phase II, the city may use a General Contractor Construction Manager format, and construction may start in 3-4 years; a Trails Report is being prepared; renovation projects have been identified in a new report (not sure if it is yet published, search didn't find it); updates on other work in progress will be shared when meaningful milestones are reached. For more info, see the City’s Capital Projects Dashboard (updated quarterly) or Current Projects webpage.   

Thursday, March 19th 

BSD School Board Meeting, 4:30pm (link)

Consent Calendar: HR report (classified and coaches hirings and resignations), approval of warrants and transfers ($23.6M payroll, $7.8M general fund, $1.54M capital projects, $148.5k ASB funds), and staff travel.

Public Comment (20 minutes) 4:55 - 5:15 pm (register by noon on Wednesday) 

Board approval is sought for a $100 million bond sale this spring, in partnership with Piper Sandler and the Finance and Facilities teams, for capital projects (construction at Newport High School and the Transitions Program Sensory Garden, continued delivery of the Big Picture School replacement with occupancy anticipated in fall 2026, and early planning and pre-construction for future replacements at Interlake High School and International School). There was previous discussion in the 3/5 meeting. 

Board will take action on the 2026 District Advanced Learning Plan, which covers universal screening, identification measures, and the various ways services may be delivered (general ed classroom differentiation, accelerated classroom, or subject acceleration). Our plan will be reviewed by Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), and this review was last done for the 2022-2023 school year. Some funding was received for Highly Capable programming as part of the formula, but I am not sure if the figure given is based on a school year or multiple calendar years.

A 12 page Advanced Learning Program report is provided; 4,336 students are being served this year, mostly in Grades 2-8. Specific curriculum resources are mentioned, such as the literacy curriculum ARC Core Literacy Program that is for all students, but allows complex differentiation. The Braiding Sweetgrass book is used for 8th grade SEL and Beast Academy for grade 1-5 math. AL- IGNITE identifies and nurtures students from underrepresented communities, serving 3rd and 4th graders at 3 out of 4 BSD Title I elementary schools. The 'Thinking Educator' series has been developed specifically for all elementary and secondary educators to enhance their knowledge and pedagogical skills. 

Executive session for employee performance and real estate pricing (final sale decision will be at a public meeting). 

If you have read this far and would like to know more about BSD programs or have anything you'd like me to include more information about in the future, please reach out. 

Upcoming meetings:      

3/24 City Council agenda will include a public hearing on the Downtown Old Bellevue IOC, and legislative session wrap up presentation 

3/25 Planning Commission: Great Neighborhoods Update, BelRed LUCA update 

3/30 Transit Town Hall: The Future of Light Rail on the Eastside event at Bellevue City Hall, 6-7:30pm 

4/2 Bellevue Network on Aging 4/2 School Board Meeting 

4/2 ESC: 2025 Financial Performance, review of CIP, and Solid Waste Contract Procurement

4/4 New to Bellevue sustainability tour, 10am-noon (link) - visit Bellden Cafe, ride the 2 Line, and see BelRed Artist Studios, coffee and snacks provided

4/8 Bellevue Development Committee meeting 

4/8 Planning Commission: Omnibus LUCA, High density residential LUCA, Affordable Housing Strategy post-adoption update

4/9 Transportation Commission will continue to discuss TIP if this time is needed 

4/18 Earth Day cleanup at Wilburton Hill Park

4/22 Planning Commission: BelRed LUCA, MFTE Study Session 

4/22 Virtual Briefing on the Tax Increment Financing for the Grand Connection Crossing. 6-7:30pm (link)

4/23 Public Briefing on the Tax Increment Financing for the Grand Connection Crossing at City Hall, 6-7:30pm (link) - a virtual session is 4/22 

4/25 Open House for the new Fire Station 10 

5/7 ESC Rates forecast/Community Outreach, Water System Plan draft review 

5/13 Planning Commission: Public Hearing on the Omnibus LUCA and Introduction of Downtown Livability 2.0 

5/14 TC: Public Hearing on TIP, and Comp Plan Amendments 

Opportunities:

To report road hazards in Bellevue, call 425-452-7840 or send a request through the MyBellevue app.

Engaging Bellevue has a map for residents to pin the kinds of community features they'd like to see in different parts of BelRed, as part of the BelRed Look Forward LUCA.   https://www.engagingbellevue.com/belred-luca There are 20 responses so far, about community and art space, bike connections, streams, traffic and parking, and small businesses. 

The BSD Family Engagement Survey is open until March 20th. 

The deadline for submitting feedback on the Great Neighborhoods Programs for Eastgate and Factoria is March 20th.  Share your thoughts about neighborhood identity, mixed use and neighborhood spaces, community gathering spaces, mobility and access, and environment. You can drop a pin on the map to show where there should be improvements or things you particularly like about the community (there are 20 pins on each of the maps right now). 

The Safe Speeds Bellevue Survey is open until March 31. The city wants to hear from you about the streets where speed limits were reduced and evaluated in 2025, streets where lower speed limits should be prioritized and how you would like to stay informed of the project. There are 10mph reductions proposed for W. Lake Sammamish Pkwy, part of Northrup and NE 20th, BelRed Rd, part of Kamber and SE 26th, Factoria Blvd, part of Newport Way, maybe others, and 5mph reductions in many places such as downtown, LWB, part of 114th,120th, 124th, 132nd, 148th, 140th, part of the Lake Hills Connector and many more. Background info here.

Safe Routes to School Survey and Interactive Map The city would like to hear from parents, students, teachers, administrators, bus drivers and neighbors about their experience walking, biking, rolling and driving near schools. Please complete this four-question survey and tell us about things you like, as well as things you see that could improve safety near your neighborhood school. Your feedback will be incorporated into the Safe Routes to School Action Plan.

Shape the future of utility services in Bellevue by taking a quick 3-minute survey by April 30th. When it comes to drinking water, wastewater disposal, stormwater flood management, surface waterways protection, and garbage / recycling / composting management, what’s working and what can be done better?

Medic One is offering a free program to introduce women to careers in EMS/FIRE, with a hands-on experience on April 25th and 26th; the application deadline is March 30th. bit.ly/PSRFAFWIEF

Energize - Community Spaces is taking applications for heat pump and weatherization upgrades that may be funded 100% by King County through April 20th (link) - places in Bellevue that are eligible include Crossroads, part of Lake Hills (Samena and south), and a chunk of Wilburton/Kelsey Creek south of Bel-Red, and community spaces that serve residents from those areas are also eligible. About 40 projects will be selected.  

PSRC is offering a Summer Planning Academy program for high school students that will meet on four days during the summer; apply through May 18th. After completion, students will be eligible for a $500 scholarship (link)

Cultural Conversations Facilitator Course: From May to August, participants will receive a two-hour training each month on group facilitation, cultural competency, language access and best practices for participatory engagement. They will identify relevant community themes for the 2026-2027 Cultural Conversations season, which runs from September to May, and practice new skills during real-world Cultural Conversations events. Applications are due by 5pm on Sunday, April 12th. 

Vendor and performer application is now open for the BelRed Arts Night Market. The event will take place on September 19, 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM at the BelRed Light Rail Station, featuring artist and cultural business/organization booths, food trucks, arts activations,  live music and more.

 Fun and Educational Events  See the latest at https://newbellevue.com/?page_id=82 - it's updated several times a week. 

3/8-3/19 Diwan Coffee House will have late night hours (9pm-midnight) for the last 10 nights of Ramadan

3/16 Why do Young Children... interactive Q&A about child development hosted by Kindering, virtual, free, 6-7pm (link)

3/16 Rhetoracles Toastmasters at Bellevue City Hall, 6-7:30pm (link) - meets weekly

3/16 Bellevue Youth Symphony Winter Concert Series, 7pm (link)

3/17 St. Patrick's Day deals: BOGO 11" pizza at Pagliacci, one discount per order; BOGO drink at Mercurys Coffee Co.; Buy one meal, get one for $1.21 at Ivar's

3/17 Toddler Tuesday at Infinity Farm in Issaquah from 9:30-11AM - weekly event geared towards Littles (ages 0-8) and their caregivers to explore the farm, meet & feed our farm animals, engage in themed crafts and hands-on activities, $30/vehicle (link)

3/17 St. Patrick's Day macaron cooking class at Whisk, $130, 11am-1:30pm (link)

3/17 Funding your small business needs with SBA programs, 12:30-1:30pm (link)

3/17 Baby Story Time at Newport Way Library, 1-2pm (link) - recurs weekly

3/17 Beeswax Botanical Image Transfer class at BBG, 1-3pm (link)

3/17 Family Story Time (various ages) at Bellevue Library, 5:30-6:15pm (link), recurs weekly

3/17 Top Rope and Bouldering at Edgeworks, 6:30-8:30pm (meetup)

3/18 Bellevue Library Book Group, Book and Dagger by Elyse Graham, 11am-1pm (link)

3/18 HRMVMT Coworking and networking at Bellden Cafe, noon-2pm (link)

3/18 Stem Exploration: Robotic Hand activity at Newport Way Library for ages 6-12, 2-3:30pm (link) - registration not required, but space is limited.

3/18 Art Show Opening Gala: Finding Joy, hosted by The Gardens at Town Square, 3pm - this is a free event for seniors, and there will be refreshments and live jazz music by Doug Bambrick

3/18 After School Story Hour at Newport Way Library with games, crafts, and a read-along for ages 5 and older, 4:30-6pm (link) - recurs 4/15 and 5/20

3/11 Seattle Climbing meets at Edgeworks Bellevue, 4:30-7:30pm (link) - repeats 3/25, 4/1

3/18 Pajama Story Time at Lake Hills Library, ages 0-5, 6:15-7pm (link) - recurs weekly

3/18 KC Conservation District All about Pollinators virtual talk, 6-7:30pm (link)

3/18 Board Games at Applebee's in BelRed with the Millenial Social Club, 6:30-8:30pm (link), recurs on Wednesdays

3/18 Big Data Bellevue Meetup at Bellevue Library, 6:30-7:30pm (link)

3/18 Lake Hills Neighborhood Enhancement Program Kickoff, 6:30-8pm (link) - RSVP by email to receive the link, and chat with various departments about Lake Hills' needs; $622k is budgeted for improvements

3/19 Discover Parks free day at Washington State Parks

3/19 Eastside Audubon Bird Walk at BBG, 9-10:30am, (link) - Class Full

3/19 Leadership Eastside Class of 2026 will present their adaptive campaigns at Bellevue College, 9-11am

3/19 Preschool (ages 3-5) Story Time at the Bellevue Library, 10:30-11:15am (link) - recurs weekly

3/19 Mending Circle at the Bellevue Library, 11-1pm (link) - recurs 3/26

3/19 Baby Story Time at the Bellevue Library, 11:30am-12:15pm (link) - recurs weekly

3/19 Meet the founder of SMAK Wines for Women's Month at Yarrow Bay Kitchen and Market, 4-7pm, free samples and a raffle

3/19 BSD School Board meeting, 4:30pm

3/19 Electronics Mending Circle at the Bellevue Library Makerspace, 4:30-5:30pm (link)

3/19 Title Nine's Spring it on Event - open late until 8pm

3/19 Thursday Evening Climb at Edgeworks, 5:30-7:30pm (link) - repeats weekly until 4/26

3/19 Beginner Hiking Workshop at NBCC, free, 6-7:30pm, recurs 3/26 - what to wear, how to stay dry, and gear to bring

3/19 Seattle Rust User Group meets at Bellevue City Hall, 6-8pm (link) - topic: Building a minimal, rootless container in Rust

3/19 Spring Awakening: Photography in the Garden at BBG, first of 3 classes (will be in-person on 3/21 only), 6-8pm (link)

3/19 Thursday Thriller Book Club at Mercury Coffee about Butter by Asako Yuzuki, waitlist, 6:30-8:30pm (link)

3/19 In-person Paint Night with Maxine Jung at Tapster, 21+, 7-9pm (link) - repeats on 3/26

3/20 & 3/21 Dahlia Tuber Sale at BBG, 10am-2pm (link)

3/20 Greener Living Class: How to get rid of almost anything - recycle, compost, trash, and hazardous waste, virtual class, free, pre-register, noon-1pm (link)

3/20 Seattle AI Startup Showcase at Coffee Dance Studio in Bellevue, 1-3:30pm (link)

3/20 Bamboo of Ikebana Floral Arrangement Class with Zen Flower Studio in BelRed, $60, 3:30-5pm

3/20 CreativeMornings Supper Club in Bellevue, 7-9pm (link) - potluck

3/21 Eastside Runners meeting at Juanita Beach Park in Kirkland, 8:30am (they come to Bellevue less than once a month)

3/21 Master Gardener class Introduction to Pruning with Plant Amnesty, 9:30-10:30am, online, $9 (link)

3/21 Lake Hills Keep Bellevue Beautiful Cleanup, 9-11am (link)

3/21 BelRed Run/Walk Club with visit to La Bean, 10am

3/21 Thread Together Community Sewing and Upcycle Event at Bellevue City Hall, 10am-4pm

3/21 Explore! Family Fair at Seattle Center, hosted by Cascade PBS, 10am-6pm (link) - meet-and-greet Daniel Tiger is full, but the rest of the event is still free with RSVP

3/21 Seattle Children's Museum 46th Birthday Bash celebration in Seattle - mural creation, sensory play, and crown decorating, 10am-5pm - early entry for members

3/21 Gooey mashups creature creation at Lakeshore Learning, free, ages 3+, 11am-3pm (link)

3/21 Travel Workshop - know your options by Choose Your Way Bellevue, must pre-register, 11:30-12:30pm (link) - includes talk at Bellevue Library and a ride to Bel-Red Station on the Link

3/21 Rainbow Elder Play and Connect at Crossroads Community Center, noon-2pm (link)

3/21 Spring Flowers in Ink and Watercolor Class with BBG, virtual, 1-4pm (link)

3/21 Lego Block Party at Newport Way Library, ages 4+, 2-4pm (link) - recurs 4/18 and 5/16

3/21 World Hindi Day & Film Festival at Interlake HS, 2:30-7:30pm - hands on workshops, an Understanding India session, food festival, and movie

3/21 Bellevue Youth Choir performs in Renton, 3pm (link)

3/21 Reduction Linocut printing art workshop inspired by native plants at Happy Time Studio in Issaquah, 4pm - repeats 3/28

3/21 Bingo Night at Crossroads Community Center, 6-8pm

3/21-3/22 Best of IBT Gala at Meydenbauer Center, 7pm and 2pm (link) - ballet in two acts

3/21 Goran Krivokapic plays classical guitar at Bellevue College's Carlson Theatre, 7:30pm

3/21 Neon Nights 2026 at Mirra with FetchNW, 21+, 9:30pm-2am (link)

3/22 Deadline to submit work for a STEM Artwalk at the Pacific Science Center

3/22 French Macarons class at PCC, 3pm (link) - repeats 4/12, 4/15, and 5/2 at various times

3/22 NPA March Mania Plant Sale at BBG, 10am-1pm (link)

3/22 Bloom Basket Workshop with Monica Hart at Bellevue Square, $50, 9:30-11am (link) - create a centerpiece and enjoy sips and bites

3/22 Boys and Girls Club Flag Football for K-8th grade starts, season runs through May 17th

3/22 Bellevue Princess Day at Meydenbauer Center 10-4:30pm (link)

3/22 Vesnyanky at Toloka Cultural Center, noon - food, music, workshops, clothing and gifts

3/22 Artvana Paint and Sip at Redd Dog : Lighthouse, 1pm (link)

3/22 Browne Family Vineyards' Browne U: Washington Bordeaux Grapes, 1-3pm, $46 (link)

3/23 Bellevue Teacher Night at Mercer Slough, 5-7pm - learn about Nature bridge outdoor education at Olympic National Park

3/23 Public meeting on the Sammamish HS Baseball Field renovation, virtual, 6pm - project will add astroturf, stormwater treatment improvements, a gravel path and discus field, and impact wetland buffers

3/23 Bilingual Language Development talk hosted by Kindering on Zoom, free (link) 

3/24 Community chat with Bellevue College's VP of Administrative Services, room U208, 5-6pm

3/24 City Council meeting, 6pm - a public hearing on the Downtown Old Bellevue IOC and  legislative session wrap up presentation have been scheduled, and the rest of the agenda will be announced in the week before the meeting. With this IOC, there may be facade requirements when properties along Main are redeveloped.

3/24 Intro to 3D printing at the Bellevue Library Makerspace, 6-7pm (link) - registration opens 3/17

3/24 Corks and Canvas napkin painting at Suite, 6-8pm (link)

3/25 Autism - a family affair: From Wondering to Diagnosis and Beyond with Kindering, free online talk, 1-2pm (link)

3/25 PuPPy & WiDS Python talk night at GitHub Bellevue, 5:30-8pm (link) - first talk will be about open source maintainers and contributors, food provided, afterparty will be at Lucky Strike

3/25 Seattle Agent Magazine's Accelerate Summit at InterContinental Bellevue

3/25 Greener Living Class: How to reorganize and declutter, virtual class, free, pre-register, 6-7pm (link)

3/25 Community Dinner to raise money for the Big Picture prom, $15 suggested donation, 6-7:30pm

3/25 Planning Commission meets at City Hall, 6:30pm - Great Neighborhoods Update, BelRed LUCA update 

3/26 Founders Monster Meetup Day at Venture Mechanics Launchpad, 9am-6pm (link)

3/26 Nowruz celebration at First Fed Bank, 3-6pm

3/26 Drop-in Art Activities at the Frye Art Museum in Seattle, 5-7:30pm, repeats on second and fourth Thursdays

3/26 Cooking with Beer class at PCC, 21+, 6pm (link)

3/26-3/27 Title Nine annual bra fit fest, reserve a time in advance

3/26 Sip and Stitch at Rain City Needlepoint, 4pm

3/26 Studio Wax Esthetics HydraFacial Happy Hour event, 4-7pm

3/26 Cultural Conversations: Loneliness and Belonging at BBG, 6:30-8pm (link) - RSVP, light refreshments provided

3/26 Bellevue Womens' Book Club discusses Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei, 6:30-8pm (link)

3/26 A Garden of Useful Spaces talk with BBG, virtual, 7pm (link)

3/27 Bellefield Office Park Open House, 9-10am (link)

3/27 Transform Your Greenery Copper Plant Stick Workshops, 10am and 1:30pm, (link) Classes Full

3/27 Pilates for Gardeners, 2-3pm (link)

3/27 Intro to Sergers at Bellevue Library Makerspace, 3:30-5:30pm (link) - registration opens 3/20

3/27 Community Bingo Night at Crossroads Community Center, 6-8pm, please pre-register

3/27-3/29 Opening weekend for BYT's The Princess from the Moon, $13, performances at 7pm on Fri/Sat and 2pm on Sunday

3/27-4/19 Ханума at Theatre33

3/27 Open Mic Night at Third Culture Coffee, 7pm

3/27 Paint and Sip at NWAC: Cherry Blossom Breeze, 7-9pm (link)

3/28 Eastside Runners meets at Medina Park, 8:30am - their weekly runs are often in Redmond, Kirkland, etc. See event on Strava

3/28 Summer Camp Open House for Bellevue Parks programs at Crossroads Community Center, 9am-1pm - help with registration and financial assistance is available

3/28 Dave and Busters Bunny Bash, 9-11am (link) - breakfast buffet, photo op, egg hunt, and game play packages

3/28 Link light rail Crosslake Connection opens, connecting Bellevue to Mercer Island and Seattle. BelRed's celebration will be noon-4pm (art, drumming, pottery painting, etc). Spring District will have a petting zoo, food trucks and vendor booths from 10am-3pm. Bellevue Downtown Station will have live music, food trucks and community booths (10am-2pm). South Bellevue's celebration (10am-2pm) will include live entertainment, food, children’s activities, community booths and a firetruck.  Mercer Island's new station has an opening celebration from 10am-2pm, and there are shuttles starting at 7am from South Bellevue that can get you to the ribbon cutting and street fair at Judkins Park* in Seattle, and there will also be celebrations at International District/Chinatown in Seattle. There will be live music at Symphony and a library-hosted stop in Lynwood. In Redmond, there will be food provided by Microsoft and a cricket demonstration and chai truck at Marymoor. There will be a bucket hat prize for the first 1000 people who collect stamps at four new stations along the line. (The article at this link says the Judkins Park celebration starts at 9am, but the SoundTransit IG post says 10-2pm)

3/28 Seed Starting Tips and Techniques from BBG, 10-11:30am (link)

3/28 Future Aviator Pilots one-day camp for 3rd-12th grade at Museum of Flight in Seattle, $49 (Eventbrite)

3/28 Youth Workshop at BBG: Fairy Gardens, 1:30-3pm (link) - Class Full

3/28 The Wedding Edit 2026: South Asian Wedding Showcase at Embassy Suites, 2-10pm (link) - floral mandaps, fashion show, cuisine, and DJ

3/28 For The Birds Concert at Eastshore Unitarian, 7-8:30pm, $20 (link)- Nelda Swigget Quintet performs original music and spoken words, with images

3/28 Newcastle Arts Council screening of All is Lost at Aegis Gardens in Newcastle, featuring Robert Redford, 7pm

3/28 Story Coffee Open Mic hosted by XAMA

3/29-5/16 Weekly discounts from local businesses for Link riders - sign-up for an email with the deals (link)

3/29 Bellevue Book Club discusses The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, at Bellevue Library 11am-1pm (link)

3/30 Bellevue College Golf Scramble and Athletics Fundraiser, noon (link)

3/30 City of Bellevue Summer Camps Registration opens at noon (link) - see guide here

3/30 Transit Town Hall: The Future of Light Rail on the Eastside event at Bellevue City Hall, 6-7:30pm - Claudia Balducci, Angela Birney, and Kelli Refer and Sound Transit staff and board members will be there

3/31 Deadline for responding to The Safe Speeds Bellevue Survey There are 10mph reductions proposed for W. Lake Sammamish Pkwy, part of Northrup and NE 20th, BelRed Rd, part of Kamber and SE 26th, Factoria Blvd, part of Newport Way, maybe others, and 5mph reductions in many places such as downtown, LWB, part of 114th,120th, 124th, 132nd, 148th, 140th, part of the Lake Hills Connector and many more. 

3/31 BDA Downtown Talks, 8am-9:30am

3/31 Leica Connect SL Experience with Gajan Balan, 5:30-6:30pm (link)

3/31 Bedtime Stories at the Newport Way Library for ages 0-5, 6:30-7pm (link) - recurs 4/28, and 5/26

4/1 Small Frye Storytime and Art at the Frye Museum in Seattle, 10:15am - repeats on first Wednesdays

4/1 Art Cart at Newport Way Library for ages 6+ to teens, 3-5pm (link) - recurs 5/6

4/2 Bellevue Network on Aging meeting at NBCC and virtual, 8:30-10:30am

4/2 Bellevue Chamber's Eastside Real Estate Symposium at Hyatt Regency, 7:30-10am

4/2 Free Washington Native Plant Society talk at BBG, 7-8:30pm (link) - Western Cape of South Africa

4/3 Storytime at BBG for Preschoolers, 10-10:30am (link)

4/3 Japanese English Language Exchange at Meet Fresh, 6-8pm (link) - repeats on first Fridays

4/3-4/4 BYT's The Princess from the Moon

4/3 Family Chess Night at Crossroads Mall, 7-8:45pm (link)

4/4 Journaling the Garden at BBG, free, 9-11am  (link)

4/4 New to Bellevue sustainability tour, 10am-noon (link) - visit Bellden Cafe, ride the 2 Line, and see BelRed Artist Studios, coffee and snacks provided

4/4 U-District Boardgames Social meets at Mox in BelRed, 10am-1pm (link) - repeats on first Saturdays

4/4 Eggstravaganza at Aldergate United Methodist Church, 10:30am-noon - event will have cookies, crafts, and more (allergen-friendly)

4/4 Big Playdate at Newport Way Library for ages 0-5, 11:30am-1pm (link) - recurs 5/2

4/4 Youth Nature Journaling Club at BBG, free, for kids age 6-14, noon-1pm (link) - ages 6-12 must be accompanied by an adult, repeats 5/2 and 6/6

4/4 Spring Family Festival at Samena, with toddler and underwater egg hunts, noon-2:30pm (link)

4/4 HOP to Bellevue Old Bellevue Merchants family event, 1-3pm

4/4 Spring Eggstravaganza at Kelsey Creek Farm, 1pm - event spots will fill up

4/4 Integirls Math Competition, virtual, 3pm (link)

4/4 Symphonic Fantasia performed by the Redmond Tech Orchestra at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, some free tickets are available, 4-6pm (link)

4/4 Theatre33 presents The Case of the Crushed Petunias by Tennessee Williams at Meydenbauer Theatre as part of BITFest, 4pm

4/5 Spring Afternoon Tea at R+ M Dessert Bar, reservations required

4/6 Opening week of Oxygen Yoga Fitness with heated studios - they have a new member special before 4/6 and free classes all week, signups have just started.

4/6 Intermediate Ceramics at Eastside Pottery, 10am-12:50pm First session of a six-week workshop (link)

4/6 Startup425 Startup and Small Business Coworking at Bellevue City Hall, 10:30am-2pm (link)

4/6 Build your own superhero art series at Samena, ages 10-14, 1-2pm, also on Wednesday and Friday, (link)

4/6-4/10 Spring Break Camp at Bellevue Youth Theatre (link)

4/6-4/17 Kidsquest has additional activities for Spring Break included with admission - active painting, games and gadgets, stories and Simon Says, circuits and tinkering, and clay creations. See website for schedule.

4/6 Hand building Fundamentals at Eastside Pottery, 6:30-9pm First session of a six-week workshop (link)

4/6 Introduction to Ceramics at Eastside Pottery, 10am-12:50pm First session of a six-week workshop (link)

4/7 Introduction to Ceramics at Eastside Pottery, 6:30-9pm First session of a six-week workshop (link)

4/7 Dienstag Bier German Language Meetup at Applebees in BelRed, 7pm (link) - repeats 5/5

4/8 All Ages Boardgame Afternoon at the Newport Way Library, 3:30-5:30pm (link) - recurs 5/13, and 6/10

4/8 Reading with Rover for elementary students at the Bellevue Library, 6:30-7:30pm (link) - kids read aloud to a certified therapy dog, recurs 5/13

4/9 Bellevue South Asian Women Entrepreneurs Coffee Meet, noon (link)

4/9 Preschool (ages 3-5) Art Cart at the Newport Way Library, 4-5:30pm (link) - recurs 5/14

4/9 Packing with Sarah Murdoch event at Title Nine, 6:30-8pm

4/9 Introduction to Ceramics at Eastside Pottery, 6:30-9pm First session of a six-week workshop (link)

4/11 Foraging for basketry and wild crafts at BBG, 10am-noon (link)

4/11 Black Girl Scout Magic Volunteer and Caregiver meetup, 11:30-1pm (link)

4/11 Introduction to Cordage at BBG, 1-4pm (link)

4/12 Deadline to apply to Bellevue's new Cultural Conversations Facilitator course (link)

4/12 Bellevue Classical Piano Meetup Group at Northwest Pianos in BelRed, 10am-noon (link) - listeners do not need to RSVP

4/13 Monday Night Networking at 13 Coins, 6-8pm (link) - recurs monthly

4/14 Bellevue Fiber Arts Club meets at NBCC

4/15 Networking After Hours with the Chamber and Akopyan Group, 5-6:30pm (link)

4/15 Greener Living Class: Repair and renew everyday items at the Lake Hills Library, free, pre-register, 6-7pm (link)

4/16 Audubon Bird Walk, 9-10:30am, $5 (link) - this event will fill up

4/16 Chamber Lunch, 11:30-1pm (link)

4/17 Pilates for Gardeners, 2-3pm (link)

4/17 BYT's Storybook Series: The Boy Who Cried Monster, 7pm - this performance is mostly sold out, but there are additional performances on 4/19, 4/24, 4/25, and 4/26

4/18 Volunteer with the City of Bellevue to do an Earth Day cleanup at Wilburton Hill Park

4/18 EarthFest 2026 at Bellevue Botanical Garden, 11am-3pm (link)

4/18 Woodinville Spring Market Fair, 10am-4pm

4/18 Bellevue College Diamond Jubilee 60th Anniversary Gala, 5:30pm (link)

4/19 Scout Day at the Garden, K-3rd grade Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts, 12:30-3pm (link)

4/19 BYT's Storybook Series: The Boy Who Cried Monster, 2pm - additional performances on 4/24, 4/25, and 4/26

4/19-5/2 Seattle Restaurant Week includes many Bellevue restaurants

4/21 Quiet Reading Party at Bellevue Library, 5:30-7:30pm (link) - pizza will be provided

4/21 Greener Living Class: 3D printing replacement parts with the Bellevue Library Makerspace, free, pre-register, 6-7pm (link)

4/22 Earth Day Forest Bathing in the Garden at BBG, 10:30am-12:30pm (link)

4/22 Virtual Briefing on the Tax Increment Financing for the Grand Connection Crossing. 6-7:30pm (link)

4/23 Seattle/Bellevue Apache DataFusion meetup at Databricks, 5:30-8pm (link)

4/23 Public Briefing on the Tax Increment Financing for the Grand Connection Crossing at City Hall, 6-7:30pm  (link) - we recently received federal funding to cover about 1% of the project cost - find out how the rest of the funds will be obtained.

4/23 Bellevue Womens' Book Club discusses  I Hope This Finds You Welll by Natalie Sue, 6:30-8:30pm (link)

4/24 Make Your Own Recycled Artwork at the BelRed Arts Studio, free, 4-6pm - artist-in-residence Fred Lisaius will be guiding this event.

4/24-4/26 BYT's Storybook Series: The Boy Who Cried Monster, 2pm and 7pm performances

4/24 Paint and Sip at NWAC: Hearts and Roses, 7-9pm

4/25 Master Gardener Foundation class: Fire Prevention for Your Yard at the Lake Hills Greenbelt, free, 10-11:30am (link)

4/25 Native Plant Sale at BBG, 10am-2pm

4/25 Sheep Shearing at Kelsey Creek Farm, 11am-4pm, free (link, link) - shuttles from Wilburton P&R and Bannerwood will be provided

4/26 All In For Autism 5k at Downtown Park, family friendly, dogs welcome (link)

4/26 NPA Spring Plant Sale at BBG, 10am-1pm (link)

4/28 Bellevue LifeSpring's Step Up to the Plate benefit luncheon, 11am-1pm (link)

4/30 Greener Living Class: Swap Single Use Plastics, virtual class, free, pre-register, 6-7pm (link)

4/30 Be a Garden Nurturer BBG class, 7-8:30pm, virtual (link)

5/1 Storytime at BBG for Preschoolers, 10-10:30am (link)

5/1-5/3 The Little Mermaid Jr at Theatre 33, performances at 6:30pm, 12pm, and 4pm (link)

5/1 Teen Lifeguard Skills Clinic with SPLASHForward, 8-9pm (link) do an endurance test and learn basic rescues, followed by a pizza social

5/2 Fuchsia and Daylily sale at BBG, 9am-2pm

5/2 Carnation Farms Spring Market in Carnation, 10am-3pm (link) - over 20 local artisan vendors, hourly crop and livestock tours, pizza oven, live music

5/5 PEPS Benefit Luncheon at Seattle Center, 11am-1pm (link)

5/6 Seattle Adult Casual Baseball starts season at Wilburton Hill Park, $99 for the 16 game season - every Wednesday from 6-8:30pm, registration is open now