12 | Snoqualmie Valley Chamber of Commerce
Fall City Historical Society By Ruth Pickering Fall City Historical Society President As a small unincorporated rural town, Fall City has a “family” feeling. From 2004 to 2006, when local resident and historian Jack Kelley’s book “Jack’s History of Fall City” was coming together, that “family” stepped up, sharing photos and history and donating to help with publishing expenses. As the publication date neared, it felt important for this community enthusiasm to continue. So, the decision was made to form the Fall City Historical Society. Much of the Historical Society’s early period, 2007 to 2010, was dedicated to the production of our own book, “Preserving the Stories of Fall City.” Funded in part by Heritage 4Culture, it was published in 2010, with 350 pages and more than 500 photos. Firsthand memories of growing up in Fall City are included, from over 50 contributors. We are honored that in 2012, Jack Kelley chose to pass on the copyright, printing rights and all proceeds from his history of Fall City to the society. As a small historical society, we have to be firmly based in caring for our collections but also flexible and imaginative when it comes to getting our history out in the community. We showcase theme-based displays at the annual Fall City Days event, offer a monthly historical article in the Fall City Neighbors Newsletter (also available online) and publish an anticipated Fall City Calendar with a unique historical theme each year. We always have a lot of fun along the way! With our “History in Your Hand” items, you can enjoy a “side of Fall City history” with your coffee…or beer! Building and caring for our collections keeps us busy. We have over 1,000 photos and about 1,200 documents and objects. Because we have no public museum building for ongoing displays, we are constantly on the lookout for ways to make history visible. We have mobile displays and have had pop-up displays at the local library and storefronts. Look for us on Facebook and like us to get notified of new postings! Our recent focus has been on creating a much more extensive website and making our collection of photos and objects accessible online. We are excited to announce that this is happening at our new site, www.fallcityhistorical.org. Fall City Historical Society PO Box 293 Fall City, WA 98024 fallcityhistorical@juno.com
Carol Ladwig/Record Photo
Kia and Lyle Geels,owners of Raging River Cafe and Club, bring live music to Fall City every weekend. If the bands don’t get you up and dancing, they don’t come back, says Kia.
Independent Fall City
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all City is an unincorporated community at the intersection of the Snoqualmie and Raging Rivers, and State Routes 202 and 203. Hundreds of rafters float through the well-placed city each summer, but most of them probably miss Trinkets and Treasures, an antiques and consignment store that features, clothing, fine art, furniture and lots of those aforementioned trinkets. Find Trinkets and Treasures at 33511 S.E. Redmond-Fall City Rd. If it’s lunchtime, you’ll have plenty of options, all of them good, from the beloved fast-food shack Small Fryes, to the burgers-and-brews places lined up on the main drag, to the more gourmet choices available at the Fall City Roadhouse or, if you’re willing to wait (and the wait is worth it) till 4 p.m. when the Fall City Bistro opens, you can snack on white truffle popcorn while reviewing a long menu suggesting pairings with its impressive wine list.
Fall City Arts Park There’s a colorful corner in Fall City that will always be home to the arts. The Fall City Arts Park, a project of Fall City Arts, is the place to find hand-painted salmon (or birds or other wildlife) during the city’s Fish Festival each September, spectacular chalk art on the sidewalks for Fall City Days, and other arts on display throughout the year. Find the Fall City Art Park, and maybe the next activity of sponsoring organization Fall City Arts, at the corner of 335th Place Southeast and Southeast Redmond-Fall City Road. Learn more at www.fallcityarts.com.
Fall City Roadhouse What you see is a little simpler than what you get at the Fall City Roadhouse, the building that anchors Fall City at the corner of Hwy 202 and the Preston-Fall City Road. A fixture here since 1916, the Roadhouse is at the center of an active farming community and tourism hotspot when summer temperatures climb and urbanites come to the nearby Snoqualmie River to cool off. Manager and executive chef Benjamin Riggs, on board since 2012, works to honor the community’s history, farm background and freespirited nature with a welcoming restaurant. Riggs offers a creative menu featuring locallygrown ingredients in hearty farm fare. The place truly is a roadhouse, too, with six guest rooms upstairs decked out in vintage ‘20s-era linens and decor. Every room features wood floors, plush rugs, flat-screen televisions and coffee makers, plus Roadhouse-exclusive elements like the sassy, sparkly chicken paintings on the walls. Adventurous souls making reservations should ask for Room 7—it may be haunted. The Fall City Roadhouse is located at 4200 Preston Fall City Rd S.E.
Raging River Live Music If you’re looking for live music, look to the Raging River Cafe Cafe and Club in Fall City. The popular after-hours spot is home to live entertainment every night of the week, with no cover charge. The beer is always cold, and the burgers are pretty good, too! Friday and Saturday nights are for dancing, as cafe owners Lyle and Kia Geels put Seattle-area rock and roll, blues, or country bands on stage, including local favorites. “If they don’t get you up and dancing, they don’t come back!” says Kia. Learn more at www.theragingrivercafeclub. com/entertainment.htm.