Meetings for the week of May 4th

Monday, May 4th 

Human Services Commission, 6pm 

Public Hearing on Human Services needs - All interested persons and members of the public are invited to provide comment on housing, community development and human services needs in the City. This will inform planning for 2027 funding allocations.  There is a one-page draft of guiding principles for meeting community needs, and commissioners will review and approve that plan.

Recommendations for the 2027-2028 Convening funding ($200k) will be reviewed and voted on. The goal is collective impact, facilitating collaboration and coordination amongst providers, and producing data-driven outcomes. Funding is recommended for Eastside for All, Eastside Pathways, and Hero House, and funds were also requested by Dahlia Living and Leadership Eastside, but these were not selected.

Tuesday, May 5th 

East King Chambers Legislative Wrap-up at Bellevue College, 4-6pm (link)

Numerous state legislators will be present, $40

City Council meeting, 6pm (link)

Carolyn Besana is recommended for an appointment to the Human Services Commission, for a partial term ending May 2027. 

Consent Calendar: 

- Minutes from meeting on 4/21 about how taxes can be increased (link)- Award Cedar Terrace Pump Station Rehabilitation Project to Northwest Cascade, Inc. for $2.0M plus tax. The pump station will be replaced with a new gravity sewer main using directional drilling. Easements have already been obtained. 

- Authorize an agreement with Washington State University to accept $500k in grant funding from the Community Energy Efficiency Program for Energy Smart Eastside to implement heat pump incentives for income-qualified households. Bellevue's portion is $170k, and some will also go to Issaquah, Kirkland, Mercer Island, Redmond, and Sammamish. 

- Increase contract with Hopelink for the Energy Smart Eastside (ESE) Boost program by $500k (see above), for a total contract value of almost $10M from 2025-2027. 

- Authorize $9.5M from the Long-Range Planning Reserves to support KidsQuest Children’s Museum, and transfer $4.5M from those reserves to the 2025-2026 General Fund budget for the first installment. The second installment will provide $2.5M for substantial completion of improvements/maintenance, and the final $2.5M at occupancy in about 2028. Government sources are expected to provide $18M. Total project cost for the facility and endowment creation is expected to be $67M, though only $5M is allocated for the building purchase. The city had previously provided $500k for study and design of the facility. Public benefit delivery will be guaranteed for 20 years from the opening, and there will be expanded out-of-school hours programs and reduced costs for households under 80% AMI. Projected economic impact is $24M annually. A funding agreement, intercreditor agreement, and priority and subordination agreement are attached. It is not clear how much Kemper Holdings is contributing, but they are receiving a right to purchase/ROFR. 

- Authorize release of an existing wall maintenance easement located at 1425 120th Ave NE. Four-phase MDP will construct a total of 784k sqft of office space, 425 residences, 5,000 sqft retail and 5,000 sqft dining. Since the city paid FMV for the easement, $92k will be paid to the city for its return. 

Public Hearing on release of a sidewalk and utility easement at 1425 120th Ave NE with compensation to the city of $74k. Not clear from the diagrams that this does not cover the same scope as the wall maintenance easement in the Consent Calendar. 

Public Hearing on release of a water easement located at 12835 NE Bellevue Redmond Road, which was recently redeveloped into a 31-unit townhome community called Verdyn. The new water line alignment has been designed to minimize impacts to the wetland and its buffer to the greatest extent practicable. The exhibit map does not delineate any stream, wetlands, or buffers on the property, so it is not possible to tell how significant the environmental impacts were. Goff Creek runs on the southern section of the property, and the floodplain boundary extends to about 1/3 of the eastern edge of the property.  There is a closed critical areas permit 22 105006 LO and an issued utility extension permit 22 129638 UE, clearing and grading is 22 129516 GD. 

Discussion of a tax increment finance (TIF) tool to generate funds for the Grand Connection (link). Total project cost is approximately $200-225M. The city will designate an "increment area” where property tax revenue from the incremental assessed value to pay down the debt service for the public improvements. After costs are paid, up to 25 years, the TIA will be retired. The proposed TIA covers approximately 63.3 total acres of parcels and the taxable assessed valuation of this TIA for 2025 is $489M. The expectation is for nominal TIF revenue of $84.4 million, with a present value of $41 million. The required public briefings were held on 4/22 and 4/23. Taxing districts KCLS, Port of Seattle, Sound Transit, KC Flood Control District, and KC Council Budget & Financial Management Committee are on board (state property taxes, school levies, and port district bond payment taxes are excluded). 

Page 5 of the Agenda Memo says that if the projected revenue is less than expected, the Office of the Grand Connection will have to investigate other revenue opportunities like state or federal grants or change the scope and delivery of the Crossing - but it seems like it might be hard to attract contributions or change course if the GC was already built well before the TIF is retired in 25 years. I think city taxpayers could be on the hook for a lump sum at that point, but I was not able to attend the briefings to understand this fully. A risk assessment is on page 76.  Anticipated bond amounts are $75 million in 2026; $80 million in 2027, and $75 million in 2028 (page 51). There is also some burden to the city upfront: "Due to the structure of TIF and the revenue limitations imposed by the MFTE, early-year TIF revenues are minimal. To manage this timing gap, the city intends to use internal funds as an interim loan to cover the debt service assigned to be supported by TIF revenues." (page 52). It is argued that the Downtown Livability Initiative (2017) and Wilburton Vision Implementation (2025) have been inadequate to stimulate development, so this public infrastructure is needed to catalyze private investments (note: Downtown Livability 2.0 is also being discussed at this meeting and will be introduced at Planning Commission this month). See Major Projects map for the large projects that are planned in Wilburton, but keep in mind whether they are already using MFTE tax incentives. 

The boundary, shown on page 13 of the Final Project Analysis, looks highly gerrymandered to get as close as possible to $500M in property value without going over, and it appears that these parcels were (somewhat) chosen with the likelihood of redevelopment in mind. Included is the The Meadow park that just had a ribbon-cutting this week, City Hall, the Bellevue Downtown Link Station, the Meydenbauer Convention Center, a couple medical buildings across from Overlake, Uwajimaya and Mutual Materials, the Bellevue School District bus parking/transportation office/warehouse(s), Burger King by Eastrail, etc. One property on the opposite side of 112th from the Downtown Link Station has been carved out to not be included. Publicly-owned properties may be "currently used — or planned to be used — for staging and construction activities related to the Grand Connection or light rail projects. This analysis anticipates that these properties will become surplus and suitable for redevelopment over the long term." 

The Market-Responsive Limited Buildout Scenario—based on parcels with the most likely near-term development potential—has an estimated value of $6.1 billion, but revenues will depend on the timing of construction within the 25 years. Residential tax policy is also considered to be a factor, since MFTE projects are almost guaranteed to have tax exemptions (page 29). While TIF is designed to redirect a portion of property tax revenue toward infrastructure investments, it also introduces new mechanisms—like apportionment, the increment add-on, and the no harm provision—that modify how taxes are calculated and distributed (page 35 and calculation example on page 39). Instead of the 1% limit on tax increases, the levy limit is increased the the rise in assessed value in the increment area, but this does not carry forward (page 38). Taxing districts are “giving up” some revenue to help fund the Grand Connection Crossing, but they’re also allowed to increase their levy limits to make up for that lost value (page 43). My interpretation is that it costs the City of Bellevue about $22M in foregone taxes (page 44) to get about $84M toward the project, but I don't know if the increased King County taxes are just coming out of Bellevue or will allow increased charges in Redmond, Kirkland, Seattle, etc. 

In order to cover the $200M+ total project cost, page 81 identifies a Transportation Benefit District (TBD) tax as a source of $141.4M and philanthropic and dedicated city funds as a source for another $127.8M (not clear how much is philanthropic and how much from the city budget). If TIF produces less money than anticipated, the TBD could be increased by about 50% to generate another $121M (? - perhaps the $141M is only part of the TBD money). By increasing the B&O tax rate, the city could add $154M over 20 years (page 82), and there's also banked levy capacity.  I still support a virtual Grand Connection that would compensate Sound Transit for free public use of the Link between Eastrail and City Hall Plaza, as well as ground level and elevated pedestrian features east of the Wilburton station to connect to the proposed Grand Connection improvements near 120th. 

Downtown Livability 2.0 will make updates to the Land Use Code that was most recently updated in 2017. Council will discuss the engagement plan and review the goals, including: Enhance downtown vibrancy after 5 p.m. by evaluating a range of evening-oriented uses like entertainment and cultural venues and exploring incentives for rooftop and outdoor amenity spaces to promote evening activation and social gathering opportunities.  Preserve the historic development pattern along Main Street in Old Bellevue by strengthening incentives and design standards that provide smaller storefronts and fine-grained block patterns as well as encouraging existing facades to be retained through the amenity incentive program.  Revise code provisions that constrain housing production and increase development costs such as restrictive building floor plate limits and certain requirements in the perimeter overlay.  Clarify and reconcile code language that is currently unclear or internally inconsistent.  Support implementation of the Grand Connection through updated clear and objective standards.  Refine building design requirements, including floorplate dimensions, weather protection height and depth, and build-to line requirements.  Eliminate or update commonly granted departures.  Explore consolidating use tables.  Update active use criteria and requirements.  Recalibrate amenity incentive criteria and points to make the amenity incentive system more effective.  Minor updates to pedestrian, transportation and landscaping requirements to ensure a welcoming pedestrian environment and consistency with existing transportation standards.

Council will discuss the 2026-2027 Federal Agenda, which will help us communicate our top priorities (including funding) to Congress and federal agencies. Plans for advocacy in DC are also laid out, as well as some timelines, such as the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) appropriations bill expected to advance in late May or early June. The draft is a very concise 4 page document that also gives perspective on the funding requests for King County and the state that we hope will be awarded. 

Wednesday, May 6th 

Bellevue Network on Aging Meeting, 8:30-10:30am (link)

There will be a presentation about King County Library Adult Services Programs and various updates from members about potential partnerships and resources.

Community Connect: Utilities Budget and Rates Open House at Crossroads Mini City Hall, 1:30-3:30pm (link)

There will also be one on 5/15 at NBCC, one at SBCC on 5/20, and one at City Hall on 5/27 (various times)

Parking Reform Data Walk, 5:30-7:30pm (link) 

an open house about changes coming to Bellevue https://bellevuewa.gov/code-amendments/parking-reform-land-use-code-amendment This was discussed at the February 25th Planning Commission meeting - there are many types of building for which we will not be able to require any parking or a reduced amount, based on new state laws. On January 13th, Council directed staff to perform analysis and outreach to explore additional scope options that could advance related Bellevue 2044 goals: 1. Extending station area rules from a quarter mile to half a mile for RapidRide corridors 2. Removing parking requirements in areas with frequent bus service (≥4 trips/hour for ≥12 hours/day). 3. Further expanding location-based exemptions or eliminating minimum parking citywide. The city can choose to regulate visitor parking, drop-off areas, loading zones, and carpool or vanpool space. See the Planning Commission's discussion about this in their minutes from the 2/25 meeting. There will also be a virtual lunchtime event on 5/8 

Thursday, May 7th 

WSDOT Transportation Demand Management Technical Committee meeting, 10am-noon 

BSD School Board Meeting, 4:30pm

Consent Agenda: HR Report, Field Trips, Staff Travel, Payment of $1.8M to Bellevue College for Running Start, $688k for decodable readers, $386 for Munis software, Payroll $3.3M, General Fund $6.7M, Capital projects $772k, ASB $152k, Delegate authority for interscholastic competitions to the WIAA and KingCo (covers Bellevue HS, Interlake HS, Newport High School, Sammamish High School, and International High School)

Public Comment (20 minutes) 4:55 - 5:15 pm

Annual Plan report on Staff Well-Being and Engagement. Feedback points to stress, overwhelm, exhaustion, class size, behavior intensity, and workload sustainability as the reasons the well-being category survey responses are low. This is a starting baseline from a year that was shaped by budget reductions, staffing reductions, and organizational change, and the next phase will be a more continuous staff voice system. There will be an effort to demonstrate listening with visible action with a predictable reporting cadence.

Summer meeting schedule

The A&E (architectural and engineering) contract to Integrus Architecture for the International School Replacement Project was $8.2M based on a total project cost of $78M. Since there were more needs identified during the EdSpecs process, significant site mitigation and right-of way improvements required due to the City, and escalation in construction costs, the cap for the total construction costs rose to $100M, and therefore the formula adds a little over $1.5M to the A&E fee. There is also a savings of $29k for their acoustical engineering line item since there will not be WSSP, A/V at the track and field, or a Black Box classroom.

1st Reading of Proposed Revisions to Policy 2420: Grading and Progress Reporting (no more details listed at the time of this newsletter)

Approval of Administrative Change: Policy 6022 Minimum Fund Balance (no more details listed at the time of this newsletter)

Budget and financial projections show that expenses are likely to be $11M below what was budgeted for, though revenues are also likely to be $3M below projections from the start of the year. I would have thought this would mean an ending fund balance of $5M in the black [the initial projected ending fund balance was $3M], but this is showing a likely positive balance of $9.5M, so maybe there are other revenue sources. April is expected to be the highest revenue month, and these statements are only through March.

PSRC Equity Advisory Committee, 5:30-7:30pm 

Bel-Red Neighborhood Park Community Meeting 1, 6-7:30pm (link)

Join this meeting at the Highland Community Center to learn about the planning process and share your ideas and preferences.

Environmental Services Commission, 6:30pm

Agenda is not yet available, but I believe they were planning to discuss Rates forecast/Community Outreach, and Water System Plan draft review 

Friday, May 8th 

Parking Reform Data Walk - noon-1:15pm (link) 

Learn about changes coming to Bellevue, more info in the 5/6 event description above

Last Week:

Tuesday, April 28th

City Council Meeting, 6pm (link) 

Consent Calendar:

- Award Urban Core Bike Network Connections Phase 1 (CIP Plan No. PW-WB-85) to Always Active Services, LLC, up to $748k plus tax. This includes striped and buffered bike lanes (where possible) on 100th Ave NE between Main St and NE 1st St [the website says conventional bike lane, aka not buffered, but there is a painted strip for car door opening along the parking spots that's a bit like a buffer]. There is also a planned all-way stop installation at 100th and NE 1st that will create some space for the bike lanes by removing two left turn lanes and coordinate with the bike lane work. The project will install shared lane markings on NE 1st St between 100th Ave NE and Bellevue Way NE [and sharrows on the portion of NE 2nd that's west of Bellevue Way]. 116th Ave NE will have new bike lanes all the way from Main St to NE 8th St (this is an expansion beyond what was voted on by TC and may involve removal of a vehicle turning lane as well as affecting some intersections that are likely to have capacity issues). On Lake Washington Blvd between 99th Ave NE and 100th Ave NE, parking spots will be removed to make room for bike lanes. I still worry this could lead to removal of all the trees on the lake side of the roadway once we need space for a sidewalk to connect the sections of Meydenbauer Bay Park in a few years, but it will be nice until then.

The project also includes sign installations, signal modifications, and grind and overlay at specific sections as a result of the signal modifications (not described for phase 1 on the website). Sorry that this summary is so speculative, but I received a copy of the RFQ plans a bit late, and the project webpage had not been updated to include all the items that were alluded to in the agenda memo. If anyone would like to go over the details with me, I'd love to discuss it with another cyclist/transportation advocate. 

- Award 2026 Overlay Program to Lakeside Industries, Inc. for $957k plus tax - repair and resurfacing of 2.7 lane-miles of roadway and for upgrade of three curb ramps to ADA in the Enatai/West Bellevue area

- Authorize Interagency Agreement K6819 Amendment 8 and Funding Approval, with the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services (DES) to perform construction of electric vehicle infrastructure and charging stations at Bellevue City Hall for $6M plus tax. Project will add smart load management, electrical distribution upgrades, generator-safe connections, metering/controls, and ADA/signage improvements. It will add 102 Level 2 ports and a 3-port fast charger in the Fleet/Employee garage and add two Level 2 chargers and one fast charger with 4 ports in the Public Safety garage. There are currently only 18 chargers. The Department of Enterprise Services is involved through an interagency agreement and prequalified McKinstry Essention, LLC, which did the site assessment/design and will do the construction. 

- Gas easement to Puget Sound Energy Inc. (PSE) in a small corner of Lake Hills Greenbelt.

- Adopt the 2026-2032 Affordable Housing Strategy - See previous newsletter

- Adopt the 2026-2031 Economic Development Plan - See previous newsletter

- Authorize a Professional Services Agreement with MacLeod Record Architects, PLLC for $1.1M, plus tax, to provide the construction design, permitting support, and construction administration for the development of Ashwood Park.

- Amend the ethics code in chapters 3.90 and 3.92 of the Bellevue City Code (increase of gift value to $100 per year, and clarified requirement to abide by ethical standards) 

- Authorize a three-year agreement with Cornerstone OnDemand for licensing, ongoing maintenance, hosting, and upgrades of Software as a Service (Saas) products and services to support a city-wide learning management and performance evaluation system for $389k plus tax. The city has used this product since 2018, and the agreement was last amended in 2025. 

- Authorize an additional $139k plus tax to continue a 5-year Software as a Service agreement with Freshworks Inc., to continue to provide a cloud-based platform for IT Service Management (ITSM) and Customer Service Management, bringing the total to $757k plus tax. Additional city departments have started using it, so more licenses are needed. Contract ends in May 2028.  

Discussion of SeattleFWC26 - Local Organizing Committee - Global Soccer Tournament Update. There will be six matches in Seattle between June 15th and July 6th. Kickoffs may be in mid-day, evening, and late evening. SeaWin is a gameified city exploration app that allows users to get stickers and pins as prizes. There is a Community Calendar that can amplify our local community events. 

Preserving Equitable Sewer Rates - there are recommended annual rate adjustments from 2027 to 2031 to improve equity between the Single-Family Residential, Multi-Family Residential, and Non-Residential (e.g., Commercial, Government, Nonprofit) customer classes. It appears costs will go up significantly for all customer groups, though low-usage commercial customers would have the lowest increase. The previous financial equity analysis for the sewer utility was 2019. There are scenarios where single family residences use 5.5 CCF per month and multi-family units use 3-5 CCF per month, but these seem to just be examples. Documentation on the cost-of-service study methodology can be found in the American Water Works Association’s manual on rates, fees, and charges. 

Establishment and administration of a paid on-street parking program in support of Bellevue’s Curb Management Plan. The meeting materials include a nice map of spots in Downtown and the Spring District that currently have free 2 hour curbside parking. For 2026, initial program implementation costs for design (approximately $300,000) will be funded through PW-R-46 (Traffic Safety Implementation) in the existing 2025-2026 Capital Improvement Program (CIP) budget. Construction and contract expenses incurred in 2027 are anticipated to be recouped through revenue generated from the program within one year of full operation. BelRed, Wilburton, and East Main would also be included in the zone eventually. Performance would be monitored by parking occupancy, turnover rate, traffic, local business input, and public surveys. 

Minutes: 

4/14 City Council (link)

4/16 BSD School Board (link)

4/20 Human Services Commission meeting (link)

4/21 Special City Council meeting (link)

Upcoming meetings:      

5/13 Noon meeting for contractors interested in the Meydenbauer Bay Park Phase 2 RFP (RFI #26060)

5/13 Planning Commission: Public Hearing on the Omnibus LUCA  

5/14 BSD School Board Meeting 

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

5/21 Bid deadline for EASTRAIL TO NE SPRING BOULEVARD TRAIL LINK BID NUMBER: 26012

5/27 BelRed LUCA: Request to set Public Hearing, Introduction of Downtown Livability 2.0 

5/28 Public Hearing for BASIS Bellevue (K-5 school) permit in Lake Hills for 300 students (across NE 4th from the Grade 6-12 school), virtual, 6pm (link)

6/3 Arts Commission meeting 

6/4 BSD School Board Meeting

6/10 2026 CPAs: Request to set Public Hearing (Evans Plaza upzone), High Density Residential LUCA: Introduction 

6/24 Parking Reform LUCA: Request to set Public Hearing, Great Neighborhoods Factoria Update (and Request to set PH)

7/8 BelRed: Public Hearing, Great Neighborhoods Eastgate Update (and Request to set PH)

Opportunities:

Bellevue Essentials, a 10-week civic engagement course, is accepting applications for the 2026 cohort. The program will run from September to November, and participants will be able to meet leaders and learn how the city operates. Info sessions will be held on May 20th, June 18th, and June 29th. https://bellevuewa.gov/city-government/departments/community-development/neighborhoods/classes-and-events/bellevue-essentials

You can provide feedback on the city's next compost, recycling, and garbage collection services at BellevueWA.gov/future-solid-waste

There are openings for high-schoolers and adult(s) on Bellevue's Youth Link Board, and you have until May 29th at 5pm to apply.

Jubilee Reach applications are being accepted until May 29th. (link) Do you love your home but is yardwork or an outside project too much to manage due to physical or financial hardship? Potential projects are yard clean-ups, bark/gravel spreading, and fence/gate/shed/deck repair and painting.

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 21 responses so far, about community and art space, festival streets, bike connections, streams, traffic and parking, and small businesses. 

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.

Weigh in on Sound Transit's priorities via the Enterprise Initiative effort - survey takes about 5 minutes. https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/achieving-long-term-affordability

Fun and Educational Events this month:

See the latest at https://newbellevue.com/?page_id=82 

5/4 Monday Mixer: Mother's Day Special at NBCC, 55+, free, 1-2:45pm

5/4 Wine, Dine & AI Align: Bellevue Edition at Ascend, hosted by Encord, request to join, 6-10pm (link)

5/4 Toastmasters Public Speaking meetup at Bellevue City Hall, 6-7:30pm (link)

5/4 Whisk cooking class: Chicken Piccata, 6pm (link)

5/4 Korean-English Language Exchange at Crossroads, 6:30-8:30pm (link) - recurs weekly

5/4 Chessbar meetup at Tapster, 7pm - recurs on Mondays (they had some issues over the weekend, check that they're open before you go)

5/4 A Capella Joy Chorus rehearsal at Crossroads, 7-10pm (link) - new members welcome

5/5 GiveBIG Day

5/5 Trips and Tours goes to Snoqualmie Falls, 55+, $12, 9:45am-3pm (link) - meet at NBCC and optional home pickup

5/5 Tuesday Trails 50+ Hike to Oxbow Lake Loop, $8, 10am-2pm (link) - meet at NBCC and ride to the trailhead

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

5/5 CPR/AED and First Aid Training with the Medic One Foundation, 4pm (Eventbrite) - class is almost full

5/5 East King Chambers Legislative Wrap-up at Bellevue College, $40, 4-6pm (link) - numerous state legislators will be present

5/5 Bellevue Spanish Language Meetup Group at El Tapatio, 5pm (link) - meets weekly

5/5 TIE Seattle: The Importance of Purpose in the Age of AI at Round glass in Bellevue, free, 5:30pm (link)

5/5 IACS' Beyond the Hype: How AI is Actually Changing Work and Life at Viya Contemporary in Avenue at Third Culture Coffee, free, 6pm (Eventbrite)

5/5 Whisk cooking class: Taco Tuesday and Cinco de Mayo, 6pm (link)

5/5 The Art of Hawaiian Kapa printmaking workshop at Bellevue Library, 6-7:30pm (link)

5/5 Millennial Social Club's Blood on the Clocktower social deduction game, 6-10pm (link) - typical game lasts 1-2 hours

5/5 Climbing meetup at Edgeworks, 6:30pm (link) - meets weekly

5/5 Weekly Furlife meetup at Panera in Factoria, 6:30-10pm (link)

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

5/6 Walk and Roll to School day (there will be events all week)

5/6 KidsQuest Children's Museum Spring Fundraiser, BizQuest at Meydenbauer Center, 8-9:30am (link)

5/6 Tai Chi on the Terrace at the Westin, free, 8am (Eventbrite) - repeats on 5/13, 5/20, and 5/27 and also on Thursday evenings

5/6 Info Session for the RSVP volunteer matching program from Solid Ground (ages 55+), virtual, 10am-12pm

5/6 Whisk cooking class: Mastering French Bread, 10am (link)

5/6 TRACKS Wednesday Walk and Roll for little ones at Surrey Downs Park, 10:30am-noon, must pre-register (link) - no age specified, but it looks like fun for 5 and under, especially if you bring a little bike. Recurs weekly on Wednesdays in May.

5/6 Bellevue Chamber hosts Small Business Workshop: What’s Your 30-Second Commercial? 11:30am-1pm

5/6 Community Connect: Utilities Budget and Rates Open House at Crossroads Mini City Hall, 1:30-3:30pm (link) - there will also be one on 5/15 at NBCC, one at SBCC on 5/20, and one at City Hall on 5/27 (various times)

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

5/6 Is My Startup Venture Fundable? workshop by Venture Mechanics at Quadrant in Redmond, $59, 3:30-7pm (link)

5/6 Floral Arrangement class at BelRed Arts Studio, 4-5pm (link)

5/6 Seattle Leica Users Group (SLUG) May Photo Share at Leica Store Bellevue, free, 5pm (Eventbrite)

5/6 Wine Up and Talk Happy Hour at Hilton, 5pm (link)

5/6 Parking Reform Data Walk - open house about changes coming to Bellevue, 5:30-7:30pm (link) - there will also be a virtual lunchtime event on 5/8 https://bellevuewa.gov/code-amendments/parking-reform-land-use-code-amendment This was discussed at the February 25th Planning Commission meeting - there are many types of building for which we will not be able to require any parking or a reduced amount, based on new state laws. On January 13th, Council directed staff to perform analysis and outreach to explore additional scope options that could advance related Bellevue 2044 goals: 1. Extending station area rules from a quarter mile to half a mile for RapidRide corridors 2. Removing parking requirements in areas with frequent bus service (≥4 trips/hour for ≥12 hours/day). 3. Further expanding location-based exemptions or eliminating minimum parking citywide. The city can choose to regulate visitor parking, drop-off areas, loading zones, and carpool or vanpool space. See the Planning Commission's discussion about this in their minutes from the 2/26 meeting.

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

5/6 Whisk cooking class: Peruvian Pollo a la Brasa, 6pm (link)

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

5/6 Nihongo - English Language Exchange at Fluffy Donut Cafe & Bagels, 6:30pm (link) - weekly event

5/6 Board Games at Applebee's in BelRed with the Millenial Social Club, 6:30-8:30pm (link), recurs on Wednesdays

5/6 Is Humanity Reaching a Spiritual Tipping Point? at Eastside Baha'i Center, 6:30pm (Eventbrite)

5/6 Bellydance Workout with Nalini at NIKA, 7:40-8:40pm (link) - beginners and experienced dancers welcome, recurs weekly

5/7 Invest in Youth Breakfast to support Youth Eastside Services at Meydenbauer Center, 7:30-9am (link) - Tim Gunn will be speaking

5/7 Bellevue Network on Aging Meeting, 8:30-10:30am (link)

5/7 iMuslims Microsoft Company Visit in Redmond, space limited, 10am-1pm (luma)

5/7 Preschool (ages 3-5) Story Time at the Bellevue Library, 10:30-11:15am (link) - recurs weekly

5/7 Whisk cooking class: Sesame Miso Ramen, 11am (link)

5/7 TRACKS Park Walks (50+) visit a different Bellevue park each week followed by a picnic lunch, departing from NBCC at 11am, must pre-register (link)

5/7 Baby Story Time at the Bellevue Library, 11:30am-12:15pm (link) - recurs weekly

5/7 Bike Everywhere Month Kickoff Pizza Party at City Hall, 11:30am-1pm

5/7 Are you paying too much in property taxes? free, 11:30am (Eventbrite) - learn about the appeal process

5/7 Bellevue South Asian Women Entrepreneurs Coffee Meet, noon (link)

5/7 Nonprofit Roundtable Lunch at Duke's Seafood, noon (Eventbrite) - space limited

5/7 Leadership Eastside LE101 Learning Event and info session for potential participants, noon-1:30pm (link)

5/7 Teen Makerspace at Crossroads Community Center,4-5:30pm - repeats weekly through 5/28

5/7 Girls Who Write at Crossroads Community Center (ages 8-12), 4:30-5:30pm (link) free to sign up - this is the first week of a new series that recurs Thursdays until 6/11

5/7 Eastgate and Factoria Draft Policy Open House at SBCC, 4:30-7:30pm (Eventbrite)

5/7 BSD School Board meeting, 4:30pm

5/7 CPR/AED and First Aid Training at Bellevue Fire Station 9 with the Medic One Foundation, 5pm (Eventbrite)

5/7 BelRed Run Club meetup in Bellevue and run to the Yarrow Bay Kitchen and Market in Kirkland, 5:30pm - register on Strava

5/7 Tai Chi on the Terrace at the Westin, free, 5:30-6:30pm (Eventbrite) - repeats 5/14, 5/21, and 5/28 and also on Wednesday mornings

5/7 Bel-Red Neighborhood Park Community Meeting 1 at the Highland Community Center, 6-7:30pm (link) - join to learn about the planning process and share your ideas and preferences.

5/7 Whisk cooking class: BBQ Indoors, 6pm (link)

5/7 Post Productions x Lords of Luxury Singles Mixer, 6:30pm (Eventbrite)

5/7 Presentation on Prostate Health at Overlake Medical Center by a urologist, free, pre-register, 6:30-8pm (link)

5/7 Paint and Sip at Tapster, 7pm (Eventbrite) - PNW Galaxy

5/8 Women in Data Science Puget Sound 2026 Conference on Mercer Island, 8:30am-6pm (link)

5/8 Eastside B2B Marketing Morning Brew Meetup at Bellevue Technology Center, 9am (link)

5/8 Muse Maree co-working for women entrepreneurs at Woods Coffee, 10am - check location, since there is more than one Woods Coffee in Bellevue

5/8 Parking Reform Data Walk - noon-1:15pm (link) - learn about changes coming to Bellevue, more info in the 5/6 event above

5/8 Korean Story Time at Newport Way Library, ages 0-8, 4:45-5:30pm (link) - recurs weekly

5/8 Fujiwara opens in Bellevue - reservations available on OpenTable now

5/8 Japanese English Language Exchange at Meet Fresh, 6-8pm (link) - repeats on first Fridays

5/8 The Sophia Way's Party for a Purpose fundraiser with bingo in Redmond, 6:30-8:30pm

5/8 Romeo and Juliet at Bellevue Youth Theatre, 7pm

5/8 Kiss Me Kate at Sammamish High School, adult tickets $15, 7pm, also 5/9 at 11am and 7pm

5/8 Millennial Social Club Board Games and Boba at Lincoln Square South, 7-10pm (link), recurs Fridays

5/8-5/9 First weekend of Theatre 33's Diagnostic réservé by Jean-Pierre Martinez, a dark comedy set in a hospital waiting room, where strangers await life-changing news, French with English subtitles, 8pm (link)

5/8 Millennial Social Club Mixer at W Bellevue, 8-10pm (link)

5/8 W After Dark, 8:30pm (link) - repeats on Friday and Saturday nights

5/8 Mark Dufresne Band at Bake's Place (Blues)

5/8 Soul of South Tollywood Edition at Mirra, 10pm (Eventbrite)

5/9 Keep Bellevue Beautiful - Somerset, 9am (link)

5/9 Small Business Spend Like it Matters Saturday at Bellden, bag of granola with purchase of food and drink

5/9 CPR/AED and First Aid Training with the Medic One Foundation, 9am (Eventbrite)

5/9-5/10 Mother's Day DIY Flower Bar at Downtown Park, 9am-4pm

5/9 Teddy Bear Clinic at KidsQuest Museum, 9:30am-noon (link) - bring your bear to meet the UW student doctors and practice suturing and listen to heartbeats as your bear gets a full checkup. $20/$12

5/9 Leica Store Bellevue invites you to a Pre-Mother's Day photo meet at Bellevue Botanical Garden, 10am-noon (link)

5/9 Garage clothing store opening at Bellevue Square, 10am, - gift for those who are first to attend

5/9 Bug Smashing (UX) Whackathon at Bellevue College, 10am-3pm (link) - No experience needed. Testers (both human and AI) will go table to table, probing each startup’s software, finding bugs, and providing invaluable UX feedback to local startup founders. Free for humans, $199 for startups, $299 for AI software entrants.

5/9 Bellevue Demonstration Garden Spring Plant Sale, 10am-2pm (link)

5/9 The Shipyard x Lovable: Build Day at Blueprint, $30, 10:30am-4:30pm (link) - request to join, open to women, men may join as a community ally, beginner-friendly, lunch and 100 Lovable credits included

5/9 BelRed Run Club celebrates AANHPI month with a run/walk and food crawl starting at Downtown Park, 10:30am - RSVP on Strava, Event is at capacity (100 people have registered), free

5/9 Puranava Indian Heritage and Cultural Festival at Crossroads Park, 11am-6pm (link)- dance, music, food, crafts, a Heritage Village, and kids can pre-register for Quiz Competition

5/9 Kiss Me Kate at Sammamish High School, adult tickets $15, 11am and 7pm

5/9 Bellevue Lifestyle Magazine hosts Bellevue in Bloom, an event on Mercer Island to celebrate women, $100, 11am-2pm (link)

5/9 Cheers Board Games at Bellevue Library, 11am-5:30pm (link)

5/9 Second annual Cross-Cultural Art Exhibition: Bellevue Welcomes the World at Yuan Ru Art Gallery in BelRed, noon-5pm (link) - exhibition continues until 5/19

5/9 Mom and Me - Sugar & Tea at Samena, $15, 1-3pm (link) - tea party and cookie decorating

5/9 AI PM Skills Workshop: From Discovery to Prototyping with Seattle Tech Forum and PDMA Seattle in Yarrow Bay, $25, 1-3:30pm (link)

5/9 and 5/10 Alice In Wonderland, an IBT For Children production at Meydenbauer Center Theatre, 1-5pm

5/9 Sensory Friendly Open Swim at Samena, 2-4pm (link)

5/9 Romeo and Juliet at Bellevue Youth Theatre, 2pm and 7pm

5/9 Improv for Technology Professionals at Theatre 33, $50, 2-4pm (link)

5/9 Eastside FIRE Goal Sharing and Budgets at Capital One Cafe, 4-6pm (link)

5/9 Ukrainian Business and Tech Networking Night, 4-7pm (link)

5/9 Shape the Future gala for Rainier Athletes, 5:30pm(link)

5/9 Natya Uisav solo dance recital Harini at Bellevue College, 6pm

5/9 Lagers and Laughs at Northwest Brewing in Redmond, 8pm (Eventbrite)

5/9 Luckytown: A High Octane Tribute to the Boss (Springsteen) at Bake's Place

5/9 Latin Nights at Mirra, 10pm-2am (link)

5/10 BelRed Run Club ten mile run starting at SKPR (technically in Bellevue), 9am - register on Strava

5/10 Mother's Day Brunch at the Westin, 9am and noon seatings (link), Carts and Carousels brunch at Ascend, 10am-3pm, $145, The Lakehouse, $62, seatings 8am-3pm (link) Central Bar and Restaurant

5/10 Weekly founder and investor Dance meetup at Coffee Dance Studio, $20, 10:30am (luma)

5/10 Mother's Day Gond Art Experience at Yuan Ru Art Gallery, 1pm (Eventbrite)

5/10 Held: A Mother's Day Sauna event at Fyre Sauna in Redmond, 4pm (link)

5/10 Tribute to the Carpenters: Feat. Sue Nixon and the Bake's Place All Stars at Bake's Place, 7-8:30pm (doors open at 5pm)

5/11 Fire Station 10 Tour with Bellevue 2030 District, $35, 3-4:30pm (link)

5/11 PSCTM Spring 2026 Dinner and talk about gifted education pedagogy at St. Madeleine Sophie School, $15, 5pm (Eventbrite)

5/11 Monday Night Networking at 13 Coins, 6-8pm (link) - recurs monthly

5/11 Full Moon Meditation at Downtown Park, 6:30-8:30pm (link)

5/12 Tuesday Trails 50+ Hike to Franklin Falls, $8, 10am-2pm (link) - meet at NBCC and ride to the trailhead

5/12 Bellevue Fiber Arts Club meets at NBCC, free and volunteer-led, for adults, 1-3pm - recurs 6/9, 7/14, and 8/11 - volunteers needed

5/12 Meet the Bees at KidsQuest: Pollinator Celebration, 2-4pm

5/12 Startup425 Accelerator Cohort 4 Demo Day in Renton, 4-6pm

5/12 Bob Ferguson fundraiser in Bellevue, 5:30pm

5/12 Greener Living Series: Make Homemade and Healthy Cleaners, Newport Way Library, 6-7pm, registration required

5/12 ISACA Annual General Meeting and Operationalizing AI Governance at Scale at Embassy Suites, 6pm (Eventbrite)

5/12 Soccer Season Opener with Midlakes United v. Bellevue Athletic match on their shared home field,, 6:30pm (link)

5/12 Calligraphy Class at Suite, $65, 6:30-8pm (link) - includes a starter calligraphy kit that's yours to keep

5/12 Queer Climb Night at Edgeworks Bellevue, 7pm (Eventbrite)

5/13 Bike Everywhere Day

5/13 Clean Buildings Performance Standard Coffee Panel at City Hall, $30, 9:30-11am, (link)

5/13 Medicare 101 presentation at Overlake Medical Center, free 9:30am (link) - this program is offered monthly

5/13 Bellevue Chamber hosts Eastside B2B Professional Alliance networking at Lincoln Square, 11:30-1pm (link)

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

5/13 Bridging Data, Security, and AI - A Seattle Data AI and Security meetup at Bellevue City Hall, 4:30-8pm (link) - Speakers from Cogzia, Andesite, and Upwork

5/13 Mingo (Musical Bingo) at the Brown Family Vineyards Tasting Room, 6-8pm, free to pre-register (link) - repeats 5/27, 6/10, and 6/24

5/13 Annual Vendor Showcase at Armada Design Center, 6-8pm - for designers and industry professionals, free food and drinks

5/13 Creating Communites of Hope at Eastside Baha'i Center, 6:30pm (link)

5/14 Bellevue Chamber's Executive Business Roundtable: Sit Down w/ Dow Constantine at the Bellevue Club, 7:30-9am (link) - for chamber members

5/14 Northwest Summit for Financial Professionals at Meydenbauer Center

5/14 Mid-day Mindfulness in the James Turrell Skyspace at the Henry Art Gallery at UW in Seattle, 11:30 (link)

5/14 My Owners Circle Eastside at Bis on Main, 3-4:30pm (link) - second Thursdays

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

5/14 Old Bellevue Wine Walk, VIP entry starts at 4pm, GA at 5:30pm

5/14 Thirsty Thursday business networking, free, 4:30pm (Eventbrite)

5/14 BelRed Run Club Thursday Run/Walk starting from Downtown Park, 5:30pm - register on Strava

5/14 Spanish Practicing Meetup at Bellden Cafe, 5:30-6:30pm (link) - recurs every other Thursday through early summer

5/14 Cultural Conversations event at Crossroads Community Center, 6:30-8pm

5/14 Thursday Thrillers Book Club: Whose Body by Dorothy Sayers, 6:30-8:30pm (link)

5/14 Seattle Singles Event (25-40) at Dave and Buster's in Bellevue, 7pm (Eventbrite)

5/15 Energy Efficiency Tour of Overlake Medical Center, $30, 9:30-11am (link) - more than 40 efficiency measures that achieved a 16.3% reduction in energy use

5/15 Women's Networking with CEO Society on Mercer Island, 10am (link) - connect with a community of female founders

5/15 Community Connect: Utilities Budget and Rates Open House at NBCC, 11am-2pm (link) - also 5/20 at SBCC and 5/27 at City Hall

5/15-5/16 Second and final weekend of Theatre 33's Diagnostic réservé by Jean-Pierre Martinez, a dark comedy set in a hospital waiting room, where strangers await life-changing news, French with English subtitles, 8pm (link)

5/15 Massy Ferguson: Amplified Americana at Bake's Place

5/16-5/17 Dozer Day in Puyallup, $12, entry 9am-2pm and 9am-1pm (link) - several kid-operator construction activity zones

5/16 Venture Saturday at Bellevue College, $20, 9:30am-8:30pm (link)

5/16 Rumba del Barrio salsa and bachata festival at Bravo Dance School, also 5/17 (Eventbrite)

5/16 Photowalk with Kate Hailey at Bellevue Downtown Park, free, 10am (link)

5/16 Spring R&B High Tea presented by Blend Coffee at Elements Apartments, 11am (Eventbrite)

5/16 Meet me at the Henry (Seattle), 11am (link)

5/16 Rainbow Elder Play and Connect (board games) at Crossroads Community Center, free, noon-2pm

5/16 Teen Makerspace at Crossroads Community Center, 1-4pm

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

5/16 Champions of Youth Gala to support Boys and Girls Club of Bellevue - volunteers needed for event set up, reception, general event, auction and event break down support.

5/16 Club Millennial + Black book at Legion Sports Bar, 5pm (Eventbrite)

5/16 Black & Bling Fundraiser by Eastside Friends to support Seattle Children's Hospital and families, 5pm

5/16 Africa Fashion Week Seattle at Vasa Park Resort in Bellevue, 6-10pm (Eventbrite)

5/16 Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra Spring Concert at Bastyr University Chapel (not Bellevue), also 5/18

5/16 Scott Losse at Forum Social House (comedy), 7pm (Eventbrite) - event not found?

5/16 Taken By the Sky: A Fleetwood Mac Experience at Bake's Place, 6-7:30pm and 8:30-10pm

5/17 Application Deadline for Bellevue's Emerging Artist Program, $75k budget for each project

5/17 Lululemon x Aya Pilates x Crunch & Brunch at Bellevue Square, 10am (Eventbrite) -sold out

5/17 Escape Room Meetup at Mox Boardinghouse, 10am-1pm (link)

5/17 Sawubona Festival "I See You" at Bellevue College, 2-4pm (link) - a vibrant celebration of African Diaspora cultures.

5/17 Bellevue Knotty Knitters at Lincoln Square, 3-5pm (link)

5/18 Line Dancing at Crossroads Community Center, free, 18+, 5:30-7:30pm - recurs weekly until 6/15

5/19 Tuesday Trails 50+ Hike to Osprey Park, $8, 10am-2pm (link) - meet at NBCC and ride to the trailhead

5/19 Trips and Tours goes to Seattle Asian Art Museum for a guided tour, 55+, $10, 11:30am-3:45pm (link) - meet at NBCC and optional home pickup

5/19 Ladies Musical Club Concert at Crossroads Community Center, free, 18+, 1-2pm

5/19 Navigating the Landscape of Commercial Real Estate at PeopleSpace, 4pm

5/19 Agentic + AI Observability meetup at Databricks, 5-8:30pm (luma) - presentations from Databricks and Anthropic

5/19 Midlakes United soccer match vs FC Olympia, $15/$11, 6:30-9pm (link)

5/20 Tenderfoot Adventures 55+ Hike at BBG/Kelsey Creek, 8-10am (link)

5/20 Bellevue Consult and Connect for mental health providers, free, 9-11:30am (link) - recurs on 3rd Wednesdays

5/20 Bellevue College Annual Networking and Job Fair, free, 11:30am-2pm (link) - you don't need to be a student to participate

5/20 Senior Housing Protections talk with an ombudsman at Tutta Bella, 11:30am (Eventbrite)

5/20 Bellevue Essentials Info Session, 12-12:30pm (link) - virtual

5/20 Opportunity to meet Christian Louboutin in-person at Nordstrom and have him sign a shoe or handbag, 1-3pm - space is limited, contact Nordy King

5/20 Community Connect: Utilities Budget and Rates Open House at SBCC, 4-6pm (link) - also 5/27 at City Hall

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

5/20 Big Data Bellevue Meetup at Bellevue Library, 6:30-7:30pm (link) - also 6/17

5/21 Eastside Audubon and Kenmore Camera Wildlife Photo Walk at Juanita Bay Park in Kirkland, 7:30-9:30am (link)

5/21 Chamber Lunch: Westside Story, Seattle Edition at the W Bellevue, 11:30am-1pm (link) - early bird pricing through 5/8

5/21 Bellevue Farmers Market Opening Day, 3pm

5/21 Data & Drinks Happy Hour with Komprise, EverPure, and Datec at The Redd Dog, 4:30pm (Eventbrite)

5/21 Seattle Rust Users Group at Bellevue City Hall, 6-8pm (link)

5/21 Bellevue Game Designers' Meetup at Mox Boarding House, 6-9pm (link) - recurs on 3rd Thursdays

5/21 No Dumb Questions community-building tools at Crossroads Community Room, free, 6pm (Eventbrite)

5/22 Crossroads Community Room Board Game meetup with Japan Seattle ABC Network, 6-8:30pm (link) - Japanese and English language learners welcome, may go to Applebee's afterward - recurs 6/26

5/22 Midlakes United soccer match vs. Tacoma Stars, $15/$11, 6:30-9pm (link)

5/22 Twilight in the Wetland at Mercer Slough, recommended 5+, 7-8:30pm, must pre-register (link)

5/22 Brunch After Dark (B.A.D.) at Primo's, 7:30pm (Eventbrite)

5/22 Darelle Holden at Bake's Place

5/23 Keep Bellevue Beautiful - West Bellevue (link)

5/23 Basics of Successful Vegetable Growing at the Bellevue Demonstration Garden, 10-11:30am (link)

5/23 Photowalk at Bellevue Downtown Park with Kate Hailey Photography, free signup, 10am-noon (link)

5/23 Bollysteps Dance showcase Nachle 14 at Meydenbauer Center, 5-8pm (link) - there are also shows on 5/24 at 11:30am (link) and 5pm (link)

5/23 The Chicago Transit Experience at Bake's Place, 8:30-10pm

5/23 Gen-Zindagi - 2010s and up pop, house, and high nakhra, 10pm (Eventbrite)

5/24 BelRed Bike Club starts at Marymoor in Redmond and rides through Bellevue, Issaquah, and Sammamish, 30 miles, register on Strava, 9am

5/24 Beyond Yoga free mat Pilates class at Bellevue Square, free, 10am (Eventbrite)

5/25 Murph Fitness Challenge community workout at Samena, 8am (link)

5/26 Tuesday Trails 50+ Hike to Redmond Watershed, $8, 10am-2pm (link) - meet at NBCC and ride to the trailhead

5/27 2026 Breakfast for Justice at Meydenbauer Center, 7am, supporting legal aid in King County

5/27 Beyond the Build Habitat for Humanity Annual Luncheon

5/27 Community Connect: Utilities Budget and Rates Open House at City Hall, 11:30-1:30pm (link)

5/28 @Scale Systems and Reliability Conference

5/28 Eastside Leadership Initiative's Believe event, $25, 5-7pm (link) - highlighting smaller and newer non-profits

5/28 Painting & Prosecco at Kitchen & Market (Yarrow Bay in Kirkland), 5-7pm (Eventbrite)

5/28 Public Hearing for BASIS Bellevue (K-5 school) permit in Lake Hills for 300 students (across NE 4th from the Grade 6-12 school), virtual, 6pm (link)

5/29 Bike Classes at Bellevue Library for Bike Everywhere Month, free11:15am and 12:30pm

5/29 Deadline to apply for Bellevue's Youth Link Board, with teen openings and possibly an adult opening

5/29 Art Opening at BelRed Art Studio: Visualizing Korean Cinema: “From Screen to Canvas: Reimagining Korean Cinema Through Youth Perspectives”, organized by Studio S Fine Arts, free, 4-8pm (link)

5/29 Bellevue Women's Book Club: The Wedding People by Alison Elspach, 6:30-8pm (link)

5/29 Open Mic Night at Third Culture Coffee, 7-9pm - signups start at 6pm

5/29 Paint and Sip: Mom's Bouquet at Northwest Arts Center, non-alcoholic beverages, 16+, 7-9pm

5/29 Jake La Botz performs at Spring District Studios, 8pm-midnight (link) - They're Coming For Me deftly ties threads from La Botz's background in Chicago blues, gospel, early rock 'n roll, American folksong traditions, and a dash of country twang into a grooving knot of warm-timbred Americana.

5/29 Umami Jazz Fusion at Bake's Place

5/30 Pollinator Fest at 21 Acres in Woodinville

5/30 ARC Lifeguard Recertification class at Bellevue Club, 10am-8pm (link) - recurs 5/31, 6/27, and 6/28

5/30 Garden Tool Sharpening at the Bellevue Demonstration Garden, 18+, free, 10-11:30am

5/30 Lovable Founder Series: Eastside Edition at GIX in the Spring District, free, 11am-3pm (luma) - volunteers needed, and there are opportunities to present - founder showcase, demo, and breakout rooms to build with free credits

5/30 MAPS Eid Celebration at Downtown Park, 11:30am-7pm (link) - cultural activities, traditional attire, handicrafts, food stalls, and children’s games 

5/30 Ranger-led Hike at Mercer Slough Nature Park, 2-3:30pm

5/30 Improvised Character Lab at Theatre 33, $50, 2-4pm (link)

5/30 Screening and artist talk at Bellevue Library, Illuminate: Bright Tongue film by Soo Hong, 3-4:15pm (link)

5/30 Sam Miller comedy at Forum Social House, 7pm (link)

5/30 Bellevue Chamber Chorus concert "Let's Dance" at First United Methodist Church on 108th, 7:30pm (link) - includes professional dancers performing a galliard, hora, Irish dance, Csardas, samba, salsa, merengue, tango, and swing - there will also be a Seattle performance on 5/31

5/30 Laurel Canyon Legacy: Carole King's Tapestry at Bake's Place

5/31 Mercer Slough Canoeing with Bellevue Park rangers from Enatai Beach Park, ages 5+, 8:45am-noon, must pre-register

5/31 Teddy Bear Tea Party at KidsQuest, 9am-noon

5/31 Bellevue Book Club: Virginia Evans' The Correspondent at Bellevue Library, 11am (link)

Future events to sign up for in advance: 

6/2 Tuesday Trails 50+ Hike to Twin Falls, $8, 10am-2pm (link) - meet at NBCC and ride to the trailhead

6/3 Trips and Tours goes on a Historic Sightseer lunch cruise, 55+, $85, 10am-3pm (link) - meet at NBCC and optional home pickup, cruise is on Lake Washington and Lake Union, with taco bar, snickerdoodle cookies, tea and coffee

6/5 Bellevue Chamber Annual Gala: Celebrating Bellevue, 4:30-8:30pm (link) - early bird pricing and award nominations close 5/1, late registration starts 5/23 

6/5 Hopelink fundraiser Farm Fresh Feast at Columbia Collective in Woodinville, $250 - register by 5/8

6/6 Free AI Agent Workshop: Empowering Professionals, offered by Microsoft and iLink, 9:30am-4pm (Eventbrite)

6/6 Global Running Day BelRed Run-iversary: Lululemon, solidcore, and TruFusion, 10am - register on Strava 6/6 Community Walking Audit of NE 8th and 116th NE with Bellevue's Transportation Department, free signup, noon-2pm (link) - there will also be one on 7/25 along BelRed Rd., and one on 8/22 on Northrup Way

6/18 Chamber Lunch: Mid-Year Economic Forecast, 11:30am-1pm (link) - features Brent Beardall of WaFd Bank, early bird pricing through 6/5 

6/18 Bellevue Essentials Info Session at Crossroads Community Center, 6-6:30pm (link)

6/20 Bellevue Youth Theatre Tie Dye Family Event, 1-5pm - season reveal, lawn games, and raffle - space is limited, so RSVP now 

7/14 PNW Climate Week: Tour of Microsoft's Battery Lab in Redmond, 1pm