Founders' Days turns downtown Cashmere into a community celebration

CASHMERE — Downtown Cashmere became one big neighborhood celebration over the weekend as thousands of visitors filled Cottage Avenue for the community's annual Founders' Days festival, transforming the city's historic business district into a bustling showcase of classic cars, local businesses, community organizations and hometown traditions.

The festival stretched across downtown streets with vendor booths, food trucks, live music, a sprawling classic car show and family activities that kept visitors moving from block to block throughout the day. Sidewalks remained busy as festivalgoers browsed handmade crafts, shopped with local merchants, sampled festival food and caught up with friends beneath overcast skies that made for comfortable walking weather.

One of the day's biggest draws was the annual car show, where polished classics, hot rods and restored pickups lined Cottage Avenue for several blocks. Owners spent the day answering questions and swapping stories with spectators, while children wandered among chrome bumpers and open engine bays. At one point, a young Boy Scout carried his own blue toy pickup through the display, creating a fitting scene among the full-sized classics surrounding him.

Families also packed the Touch-a-Truck area in front of City Hall, where children climbed aboard fire engines, heavy equipment, tow trucks and other service vehicles while talking with the people who operate them. Nearby, vendors offered everything from handcrafted goods and home décor to specialty foods and community information.

Food remained a centerpiece of the celebration. Food trucks served festival favorites while community organizations prepared meals to support local causes. Volunteers with the Mission Creek Community Club grilled hamburgers and hot dogs throughout the afternoon, raising money for scholarships, youth activities and local families in need.

Local organizations used the festival to connect with residents as well. Cashmere High School cheerleaders offered face painting, temporary tattoos and fundraising activities, churches and nonprofit groups shared information about their programs, and businesses welcomed visitors into storefronts throughout downtown.

The festival also highlighted how far Founders' Days has grown beyond a hometown gathering. At one community booth, visitors placed colored pins on a large map of the United States showing where they had traveled from. By Saturday afternoon, the display included visitors from 16 different states, illustrating the event's growing appeal to travelers exploring North Central Washington.

While Saturday's vendor fair and car show drew crowds throughout the day, the weekend celebration also featured youth sports, live entertainment, the annual ping pong ball drop, the Grand Parade, a beer garden and an evening laser light show.

Originally created from Cashmere's 1979 Diamond Jubilee celebration marking the city's 75th anniversary, Founders' Days has evolved into one of the valley's signature summer festivals, bringing residents, former locals and visitors together each year to celebrate the community's history while supporting local businesses, civic organizations and nonprofits.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media