Summertime Events on the Key Peninsula

We are going to start slow, with a version of that, and then maybe start doing it again every year, hoping to build from there.”

Sunnycrest Nursery owner Debbie Cassidy had long dreamed of offering a farmers market as part of her nursery operations. This year, along with market coordinator Emerald Bumpus, the market is a reality.

The market offers 15 booths featuring crafters, artists, and local farm produce and is open each Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Oct. 10. Booth spaces are rented for $10 a day.

“We had about a quarter of an acre in the back of the nursery not used much after the spring planting season,” Cassidy said. “A farmers market seemed a perfect fit. We contacted the county in January and heard back from them very quickly. Because we are already a business, much of what was required was already in place for the start-up. The response has been huge.”

Bumpus said, “We hear from a lot of people that instead of taking their wares over to Gig Harbor, it’s better to keep things here in the community. For me, it’s about bringing the community together, keeping things local.”

Pioneer Days Returns

At the same time, the Key Peninsula Civic Center is celebrating 70 years as a community center. Public activities as varied as a forum for political discussion, formal fund-raising dinners, award ceremonies, weekly scout and religious meetings, and roller skating find a home at the KPCC. The gym, office spaces, meeting rooms, and a commercial kitchen have been meeting community needs since 1956.

As part of that celebration, the KPCC board members imagined revisiting memories from their childhoods growing up on the KP. Introducing Pioneer Days to a new generation, with good old-fashioned fun for neighbors and friends, generating memories lasting a lifetime, seemed a grand way to celebrate a 70th anniversary.

Pioneer Day 2026 is scheduled for Aug. 22 from noon to 9 p.m.

The original Pioneer Days, an annual event dating back to 1984, featured a parade. Kicking off in Key Center, the parade route wound its way up to Olson Road and then to the civic center. It often featured the Lions Club Citizen of the Year winner, fire trucks, floats and costumes, horses and classic cars. (See “Pioneer Days,” KP News, August 1984.)

“We are going to start slow, with a version of that, and then maybe start doing it again every year, hoping to build from there,” said KPCC First Vice-President Rachel Newhouse. “We are not having a parade this year. We will have a summer market out on the big field in the back. We will have children’s activities on the front lawn. The historical society is going to be helping us, along with the Boy Scouts.”

The kitchen will open at noon, and there will be a beer garden in the tennis courts. The beer garden will host a local band from 5:30 to 6:30, followed by Soul Siren performing until 9 p.m.

Two Waters Arts Alliance Art Walk at the KPCC

Two Waters Arts Alliance was best known on the Key Peninsula for its annual Art Walk in Key Center. Launched in 2015, the first show was centered in and around Blend, a local wine shop. The Art Walk grew year after year as more artists participated and the community turned out in large numbers to view the works of painters, photographers, jewelers, and potters. Artworks were displayed in every building in town, from the library to the fire department to the nursery. The Art Walk expanded to include a beer garden and live music.

This year brings change to the Art Walk, as TWAA celebrates its 25th anniversary. The annual free event will be held at the KP Civic Center, Sept. 5, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

TWAA President Patty Finnegan said, “Because of planned construction in town and lack of parking, we decided to make the move. We’re going to have a lot of indoor booths, which means we won’t be fighting the elements-like wind and dust and heat — like we have in the past.”

Finnegan said about 400 people attended the walks in the past.

TWAA was formed in 2001 by local artists Margo Macdonald and Kathy Bauer.

“I was approached by community activist Dennis Taylor,” Macdonald said. “He was looking for a way to support underserved youth and connect with art in schools.”

She and Bauer found inspiration in a similar organization on Vashon Island and worked to create a group suited to the Key Peninsula’s needs.

TWAA began with two goals: to provide students on the KP with access to hands-on art lessons, and to provide a supportive organization for local artists.

TWAA coordinated with schools to bring local artists into classrooms to teach various techniques. Although the program is no longer active during regular school hours, TWAA continued to provide after-school programs at Evergreen Elementary.

TWAA also offered adult classes, taught by accomplished volunteer artists, such as the late Beverly Pederson.

TWAA offers a $2,000 art scholarship for KP residents of any age intending to pursue a career in the arts.

Food trucks and an ice cream truck will be on hand, with several musical events, kids crafts, and face painting.