The Pumpkin Patch

Phew! The Mill Creek Bloggers are back to kick off the Fall Season. And what better way to do that, then to discuss the PUMPKIN PATCH!

Some of the best childhood memories I have involve visiting the pumpkin patch with my family. I loved everything from the hay ride to the camramel corn, to trying to find the biggest pumpkin in the patch!

Last year we visited Stocker Farms for our pumpkin patch experience, and although they had a great pumpkin selection, it wasn't as fun as we had expected. I love the carnival type experience when going to a pumpkin patch, but Stocker is just the good old fashioned family owned farm business. Which is great to support, but with young kids, you might want to go somewhere with a little more activity - which leads me to...

The Farm at Swan's Trail. This pumpkin patch's claim to fame is their Washington State Corn Maze, which looks AMAZING! Apparently tons of kids from all over this part of the state take field trips to this farm. They also have a petting zoo, espresso bar (yes!), free parking, wagon rides, and a story trail.



Does anyone else have some great pumpkin patches in the Snohomish area to recommend?

-MC Bloggers

Heat Wave

Phew. We made it through yesterday's heat. It's still going to be in the upper 80's all weekend, so here are some suggestions on how to enjoy your day off and beat the heat!

• Head over to the Thorton A. Sullivan Park at Silver Lake for a quick swim, or rent a paddle boat for the afternoon!
  
• Swimming at McCollum Park Pool, which tends to be packed during hot days but the kids love it!
  
• Have a picnic and swim at the Martha Lake Park, and then walk across the street to the fresh fruit stand for some great local produce (located just across 164th.)
• Enjoy a treat at one of the many air conditioned restaurants or cafes at the Mill Creek Town Center. Personally, we love The Spotted Cow for their great ice cream, awesome coffee, and laid back atmosphere.
• Grab a fun sprinkler from Target or Fred Meyer, stick it in the backyard, and let the kids (or adults) go wild!
  

What do you do to stay cool and entertained during a HOT summer day? Email your suggestions to mymillcreek@hotmail.com!

Weekend Happenings

Band: Blues Union
Food: Cheeseburger
Cost: $6.00 + tax
When: Tonight, July 24th!
Time: Dinner from 5:30-7:30, Music from 6:00-8:30
Where: Central Market at the Mill Creek Town Center





What: Capitol Hill Block Party - 2 days, 3 stages, over 50 bands!
Where: Capitol Hill (Seattle)
When: Friday, July 24th from 3:00pm-2:00am & Saturday, July 25th from 1:00pm to 2:00am
Cost: $25 at the gate



What: Blueberry Benefit Breakfast
Where: Central Market at the Mill Creek Town Center
When: Saturday, July 25th from 8:00-11:00am
Cost: Free, but donations are encouraged!



What: 35th Annual Ballard Seafood Fest
Where: Ballard (Seattle) on Market Street
When: Saturday, July 25th from 11:00am-8:00pm & Sunday, July 26th from 11:00am-7:00pm
Cost: Admission is free (but you'll end up spending money on the delicious food!)


We here at the Mill Creek blogger HQ encourage you all to get out and enjoy the neighborhood this weekend! We definitely will.

Bite of Seattle

If you're feeling adventurous this weekend, head on down to Seattle and check out The Bite! (But only if you promise to check out the Mill Creek Festival first!)

When: July 17th, 18th, and 19th
When: 11:00am-9:00pm (Friday & Saturday), 11:00am-8:00pm (Sunday)
Where: The Seattle Center
Cost: Free Admission

As always there will be tons of music and FANTASTIC food!

Friday Nights at the Market

Friday Nights at the Market are in full swing! With great music and delicious food, it's hard to pass up such a fun and inexpensive entertainment opportunity.

This upcoming Friday music will be provided by Ruby's Basement - a band specializing in "Rock Blues Hits."

Check out their playlist here: http://www.rubysbasement.com/playlist.cfm.

The dinner is a tasty cheeseburger and it will only set you back $6 + tax per person! Rock on, I say!

Where: Central Market at Mill Creek Town Center
When: Friday Night, July 17th. Dinner from 5:30-7:30pm and Music from 6:00-8:30pm
Cost: $6.00 + tax per person

Everett Animal Shelter

The mister and I made the trek up to the new Everett Animal Shelter this weekend in hopes of finding a kitten or two to adopt.

The new building was very nice. It was suprisingly clean, spacious, and very well lit. All of the dogs had their own little rooms, and the cats were kept in either "Cat Condos" with several other cats and lots of toys, or in a reasonably sized cage with a volunteer close by to play with them. The volunteers were all incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, and if we're ever in the market for another pet, we'll definitely be heading back up there!

And with that said, we'd like to introduce you to the newest members of the Mill Creek Blogger family.

This is Nox... she's a feisty little one.


And her brother, Roscoe.


They were abandoned kittens from the same litter and we're more than thrilled to bring them into our home. I'm sure you'll be seeing more pictures of these two little rascals, but in the meantime, head on up to the Everett Animal Shelter and consider rescuing one of the many, many pets that are there for adoption! They have everything from guinea pigs to German Shepherds!

Until next time,
MC Blogging Team

Don't forget Run of the Mill is happening tomorrow morning at the Mill Creek Town Center! Come it out and cheer on the runners as the cross the finish line!

Mill Creek Festival

The Mill Creek Festival is coming up in just a few weeks! There is something for everyone here including a Car & Motorcycle shows, Kids Korner, Pet Plaza (a festival for dogs), two Music Stages, and an Arts & Crafts fair! Sounds like a great way to get out and support all the local artists, musicians, and businesses that are participating. Plus, there will be lots of great food!

What: The Mill Creek Festival and Street Fair
When: July 18th & 19th (Saturday & Sunday)
Where: Mill Creek Town Center
Website: http://www.millcreekfestival.com/index

Vacation

Well, the Mill Creek Bloggers are heading out on vacation for the week. We'll be down in Black Butte, Oregon - enjoying a relaxing week hanging out by the pool, playing golf, riding bikes, and loving nature. Enjoy your 4th of July and we'll see you all on the 6th!

Run of the Mill 2009

Run of the Mill 2009 is coming up in a few weeks - so it's time to lace up those running shoes and get going! It's a 5k that starts and stops at the Town Center and sounds like a lot of FUN! Plus, 100% of the entry fee is donated to charity!

What: 24th Annual Run of the Mill
When: July 11th, 9:30 am
Where: Mill Creek Town Center
Cost: $18 for individuals 16 and over if you sign up by July 1st - $36 after that

For more details, you can visit mcrunofthemill.com

Skandia Midsommarfest

Skandia Midsommarfest is the traditional Swedish celebration of Summer Solstice. This year, it's at St. Edward Park in Kenmore on Sunday, June 28th from 11am-6pm. Looks like a lot of fun, and yet another great place to spend part of your weekend.

This is the festival's 60th anniversary and is one of the biggest Midsommarfest celebrations outside of Scandinavia!

There will be folk music and dance, crafts, food, and kids' activities. Admission is free! For more information, here is a great article about the festival at The Enterprise Mill Creek Edition.

For more information you can contact 206-784-7470 or www.skandia-folkdance.org

What: Scandia Midsommarfest
When: Sunday, June 28th from 11am-6pm
Where: St. Edward Park, 14445 Juanita Dr NE, Kenmore
Cost: Free!

Shoreline Arts Festival

The 19th annual Shoreline Arts Festival is happening this weekend, Saturday from 10-7 & Sunday from 10-5. This years theme is "Weaving a Cultural Tapestry."

According to their website, "with two stages of music and dance, Juried Art, Sculpture, Photography and Poetry Hall, hands-on art activities, artisan marketplace and food there is something for the whole family."

If you're going to be in town this weekend - it sounds like a fun, inexpensive way to spend time with your family enjoying the community!

What: Shoreline Arts Festival
When: Saturday, June 27th from 10am-7pm & Sunday, June 28th from 10am-5pm
Where: Shoreline Center, 18560 1st Ave NE, Shoreline 98155

Welcome to MILL CREEK!

We (the Mill Creek blogging team) just made the move from Ballard to Mill Creek - and were crushed to learn there was NO BLOG for our new neighborhood!

How will we know whats happening on the weekends? Events going on on the area? Traffic accidents and crimes that occur? New restaurants and shops that are moving into the area?

So here we are starting our own blog to discuss the happenings going on in the Mill Creek area!

Welcome to the neighborhood!