Tukwila’s culture takes center stage Aug. 20

Culture old and new in Tukwila and the Duwamish River Valley will find its showcase on Saturday, Aug. 20, at Tukwila’s Community Heritage and Culture Celebration.

The Tukwila Days event is also the official grand opening of the Tukwila Heritage and Cultural Center – the city’s own museum.

The celebration is being held, appropriately, at the museum, in the historic Tukwila School/City Hall, 14475 59th Ave. S.

“We want to showcase some of our community groups and different cultures that are living in Tukwila,” said Tracy Gallaway, the volunteer and events superintendent for the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.

Besides celebrating Tukwila’s rich culture, the event will include vendor booths and displays from community groups and organizations, food, local entertainment, a Goodwill Vintage Fashion Show and the Eighth Annual Tukwila Classic Car Show.

The vendors and entertainment planned for the celebration are “kind of an eclectic group,” said Gallaway.

The city wants to get all participants finalized by Aug. 17, but there’s a bit of leeway there. For example, registration for the Classic Car Show is $20, but it jumps to $30 on the day of the show.

The car show will feature vehicles from 1973 and older. Gallaway said organizers have carefully mapped out where cars, vendors and entertainment will fit around the museum and nearby park.

Typically, such events are held at the Tukwila Community Center, but Gallaway said this was an opportunity to also showcase the new home of the Tukwila Historical Society and the museum.

“We will get a lot of exposure,” said Louise Jones-Brown, the museum’s director. The museum is getting almost daily exposure, as people stop by to check out a book. Its building was once also used as a King County Library System branch library.

The historical society raised about $10,000 at its June fundraising gala, with most of the money going to remodel the building’s bathroom, Jones-Brown said. About 10 percent is going to help the museum pay its operating costs, she said.

Some items didn’t sell at the auction; they’ll be at the museum during the celebration, she said.

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