Events
Glass Blowing Demo with Stillwater Straws and Robert Bank Glass
Come and learn about the art of glass blowing and flameworking from local artist and Spring into Adventure partner, Robert Bank. He will be demonstrating the art of glassblowing / flameworking and will answer questions and explain techniques and learn about his art. . He will be making little glass hearts to give away as well as other items during the event.
Lakeside Lectures: The Story of Beavers
Join Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park, UWRP, WA State Parks, and Beavers NW to learn about the rodents in our midst!
Beavers are our ecosystems' natural engineers, and possess a unique ability to modify and create their own habitat. In this presentation, we will discuss beavers, their distinctive adaptations, and the behaviors that those adaptations drive them to do. We will introduce the incredible ecological benefits beavers provide, the challenges that can be presented to people living alongside them, and the solutions Beavers Northwest provides to help with these challenges.
Light food and beverage will be available for registered guest.
SOUND BATH @ SUNSET BEACH
SOUND BATH @ SUNSET BEACH: A Unique Lakeside Wellness Experience
Collaborating artists Katrina Surdi of Kami Soul Healing and Nate Jorgenson of Om with Nate will guide you through an evening of resonant vibrations, creating a serene space for deep relaxation while overlooking Lake Sammamish. This is a special chance to reconnect with yourself and the profound beauty of nature through an immersive sound experience.
Bring your towel, mat, or chair and simply be present.
Join us at the Sunset Beach area near the concession stand.
Please note: A Discovery Pass is required for park entry. One-day and annual passes are available for purchase at https://store.discoverpass.wa.gov/
Find Art While Walking
Join Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park as we learn how to find art while walking…even if you don’t think you’re an artist!
Led by local fiber artist and author Janice King, this easy walk will explore both natural and man-made elements for art images. You will see familiar things in new ways and make new discoveries that will increase your enjoyment of any nature walk.
Suitable for adults and children age 10 and older. No experience required; just bring your curiosity. Capture interesting visuals with your phone camera or a quick sketch (limited sketching supplies available). We won’t have time to finish any art, but a group show and share of inspirations at the walk’s end will help everyone see the range of artistic possibilities.
Walk leader Janice King is a fiber artist whose work focuses on the natural elements of the Pacific Northwest, especially our native trees. She is also author of the local guidebook Eastside Seattle Walks, which covers easy walking routes in each Eastside community that feature nature, history and public art.
Space is limited; reserve your spot now!
Make Fall Leaf Art with Robot Mom and FLSSP
Join us for a hands-on class where you’ll create beautiful botanical magnets using native pressed leaves and flowers! Amy Handy, of Robot Mom Creations, will guide you through arranging your pressed botanicals into custom cut wood frames and sealing them in UV resin for a vibrant, lasting finish. Perfect for beginners and nature lovers alike, this project combines creativity and the beauty of the Pacific Northwest!
Lakeside Lectures: The Story of Indigenous Representation through the Lens of Art
Join Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park, UWRP, WA State Parks, Eighth Generation, the Snoqualmie Tribe and local artists Bethany Fackrell, Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, and others.
Light food and beverage will be available for registered guest.
We are looking forward to having you join us for a discussion of restoration at Lake Sammamish State Park!
SOUND BATH @ SUNSET BEACH: Your Unique Lakeside Wellness Experience
SOUND BATH @ SUNSET BEACH: A Unique Lakeside Wellness Experience
Collaborating artists Katrina Surdi of Kami Soul Healing and Nate Jorgenson of Om with Nate will guide you through an evening of resonant vibrations, creating a serene space for deep relaxation while overlooking Lake Sammamish. This is a special chance to reconnect with yourself and the profound beauty of nature through an immersive sound experience.
Bring your towel, mat, or chair and simply be present.
Join us at the Sunset Beach area near the concession stand.
This free event is generously sponsored by Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park and Issaquah Arts.
Please note: A Discovery Pass is required for park entry. One-day and annual passes are available for purchase at https://store.discoverpass.wa.gov/
ARTdoors July 2025
FLSPS is proud to partner with Happy Time Studio in Issaquah for July’s ARTdoors!!
Camp S'more 2025
We are excited to invite our community to Camp S’more, a Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park signature event. Camp S’more offers kids and their families a unique camping experience under the stars at our local state park and showcases what our public lands have to offer.
Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park is thrilled to partner with our 2025 presenting sponsor Banner Bank! This year, Banner Bank presents Science Night under the Stars at Lake Sammamish State Park! We also want to thank our general sponsors Freelove Orthodontics, Blazing Bagels, and the Issaquah Kiwanis Club.
We will learn about astronomy from the Pacific Science Center’s Science on Wheels Team, as well as test our knowledge with telescopes and a program from the Seattle Astronomical Society. We then gather round the campfire to celebrate the day!
On Sunday morning, we offer family friendly yoga to greet our own star, the sun!
To join us for this fun family night you simply need a tent and bedding.
Unfortunately, no dogs are allowed at Camp S’more.
Come outside for an evening of s’mores, camp stories and making memories with your family at Camp S’more 2025!
Please note: Discover Pass is required for overnight parking
If you are interested in being put on the waitlist, please email operations@flssp.org. Thank you and see you next year!
Solstice SUP
*Event has been rescheduled due to cold weather*
On Sunday, June 22th at 7 pm join Lake Sammamish State Park partner the Paddling Yogini for their annual Solstice SUP!
NEED TO KNOW:
Class is hosted at Lake Sammamish State Park. We will meet at LSSP Sunset Beach (the big beach near the new pavilion). Arrive 10 minutes early.
This is an intermediate/advanced level class for experienced paddlers with their own equipment. **Need your own equipment (Board, paddle, leash & PFD)**
*If you're unsure this class is right for you, contact Lindsay prior to registration*
Register at least 3 hours in advance. Book class with "Bringing Equipment" SUP Drop-in for $30 or a SUP 4 Pass $100.
SOLSTICE SOUND BATH @ SUNSET BEACH: Your Unique Lakeside Wellness Experience
SOUND BATH @ SUNSET BEACH: A Unique Lakeside Wellness Experience
Collaborating artists Katrina Surdi of Kami Soul Healing and Nate Jorgenson of Om with Nate will guide you through an evening of resonant vibrations, creating a serene space for deep relaxation while overlooking Lake Sammamish. This is a special chance to reconnect with yourself and the profound beauty of nature through an immersive sound experience.
Bring your towel, mat, or chair and simply be present.
This free event is generously sponsored by Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park and Issaquah Arts.
Please note: A Discovery Pass is required for park entry. One-day and annual passes are available for purchase at https://store.discoverpass.wa.gov/
Restoration Event
FLSSP will be returning to our Tibbetts Creek site this June. Come see all the growth of our native plants- and help keep the blackberries and reed canary grass under control!
Painting in the Park
FLSSP is excited to welcome back local artist, Brandy Jahn, to lead a community springtime Paint in the Park event on May 17th from 10 - noon. Please join Brandy for a delightful morning of creativity, relaxation and good company at the Meadow Shelter at Lake Sammamish State Park. Brandy will be walking us through painting a gorgeous Lake Sammamish inspired scene.
Brandy started teaching PNW inspired paintings over 5 years ago. She has an easygoing personality to make everyone feel at ease, she cracks jokes and helps you fix anything you might not love about your painting. Find her other events at her facebook page: https://fb.com/paintlocalseattle
No prior painting experience is required; just bring your enthusiasm and a desire to have some fun. We will provide all the necessary art supplies, including canvases, brushes and paints.
We can’t wait to see what you paint in the park this May!
Participants 16 and up welcome. A $20 dollars donation helps us cover our costs of this fun community event.
Restoration Event
FLSSP will be launching a new restoration site this year - Bat Box Meadows! We are excited to be embarking on another location to help restore Lake Sammamish State Park one acre at a time. Beyond working at our new site, FLSSP will be hosting events to maintain our Tibbetts Creek location, as well as tackling projects at the Sunset Beach Rain Gardens, the Boat Launch, and Front Entry Garden. There is a lot to do to help maintain and restore the Park, but with your help we will move the mountains of mulch and dig out those blackberries.
Join us as we plant more native species, grub out invasive blackberries, and sweat a little to care for our salmon-bearing streams!
Spring into Adventure: Disabled Hikers!
Not ready to be done with Spring into Adventure? Join our Disabled Hiker community on a Group Hike!
Spring into Adventure: Lake Sammamish Outdoor Festival
Spring into Adventure, the Lake Sammamish Outdoor Festival will be hosted on May 3rd at Lake Sammamish State Park in Issaquah. This is a fun free public event aimed at introducing a wide variety of visitors to different ways they can get outside this spring with their pets, their kids, or just on their own running the lake or in their home garden. Spring into Adventure: Lake Sammamish Outdoor festival will be a great way to encourage our community to get outside this Spring and to enjoy what Lake Sammamish State Park and everything our surrounding community has to offer. Outdoor activities will include a 3k walk, yoga, art, adoptable dogs, food trucks and more! Take advantage of all the outdoors has to offer this year and do something you have never tried before! Join in the fun for FREE!
For a small donation of $20 dollars you will receive a Friends logo bag, Stillwater Glass Straw, and a reusable tumbler. All proceeds raised at our Spring into Adventure event goes to support our restoration work and community programming at Lake Sammamish State Park!
EVENT SCHEDULE
10:00-2:00 Registration and Vendor Villages open
10:30-11:00 3k Walk in the Park
11:00-2:00 Food Vendors open
11:30am
12pm
12:15pm
12:30pm
1pm
1:15pm
1:30pm
Michael’s Subaru Main Stage
Wolf Camp Outdoor Cooking Demo
Learn about Outdoors for All and their rental chairs
Tradish-ish: Learn about kokanee stewardship and Snoqualmie traditions
Flying Aces Dog Training: Learn the basics of nose training
Stillwater Straws: Learn more about reusable straws and the glassblower that makes them!
Adoptable Dogs with Pacific Rim Rescue
Helmet Safety with Pedalheads
FLSSP Annex Stage
Kutting Edge Fitness- Stretching/ Warm- up
Yoga with YogaSix Sammamish
Barre class with Barre3 Issaquah Highlands
Storytime with Suncatcher Forest School
In addition to the stages, additional events will be happening at the following times
-Storytime with Mermaid Lunalee at 11:30 and 1pm next to the playground
-Walk and talk about Salmon with UWRP at 12pm
Over 40 vendors attending!
Presenting Sponsor:
With generous support from:
Help FLSSP raise money to install new water bottle filling stations at Lake Sammamish State Park!
Restoration Event
FLSSP will be launching a new restoration site this year - Bat Box Meadows! We are excited to be embarking on another location to help restore Lake Sammamish State Park one acre at a time. Beyond working at our new site, FLSSP will be hosting events to maintain our Tibbetts Creek location, as well as tackling projects at the Sunset Beach Rain Gardens, the Boat Launch, and Front Entry Garden. There is a lot to do to help maintain and restore the Park, but with your help we will move the mountains of mulch and dig out those blackberries.
Join us this Spring as we work to restore our community State Park and sweat a little to care for our salmon-bearing streams!
Northwest Trees Fabric Collage
Workshop Description: Northwest Trees Fabric Collage Workshop
Sunday, April 6, 2025 1:00-2:00 PM
Learn about the distinctive features of local native trees and how to translate them into your own artistic fabric collage! Led by fiber artist Janice King, this one-hour workshop offers a fun and easy learning activity for adults and children ages 5 and older. All materials provided; no sewing involved. You’ll gain a new appreciation for local trees and new ideas for making nature-themed art.
About the Walk and Workshop Leader
Janice King is a fiber artist whose work focuses on the natural elements of the Pacific Northwest, especially our native trees. She is also author of the local guidebook Eastside Seattle Walks, which covers easy walking routes in each Eastside community that feature nature, history and public art.
Charity Bootcamp at Kutting Edge Fitness
Come sweat for Lake Samm!
FLSSP is partnering with Kutting Edge Fitness in Issaquah this year! They will have some workout sessions at the park in September and they are hosting a free boot camp class at their gym to raise funds for FLSSP.
Lakeside Lectures: Lake Sammamish State Park Restoration Open House
Join Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park, UWRP, WA State Parks, Mountain to Sounds Greenway, and other partners to learn more about the restoration work that is ongoing at Lake Sammamish State Park and nearby.
Partners working on restoration in and around Lake Sammamish State Park will be tabling and available to answer questions from 5 - 6:00 pm. At 6 pm we launch into a short presentation and discussion about the Issaquah Creek Project being led by Mountain to Sound Greenway Trust the summer of 2025. After the presentation please join us for tours of the Issaquah Creek Project at Lake Sammamish State Park.
Light food and beverage will be available for registered guest.
We are looking forward to having you join us for a discussion of restoration at Lake Sammamish State Park!
Restoration Event
Join FLSSP as we start work on our BRAND NEW restoration site, called Bat Box Meadows near Sunset Beach. We are so excited to bring our new ideas and shared knowledge from Tibbetts Creek to Bat Box Meadows! Join us this March!
Lakeside Lectures: The History of Our Place
A Discussion of Issaquah's and the surrounding communities history and the development of Lake Sammamish State Park.
Join FLSSP and UWRP as we launch the 2025 Lakeside Lecture Series. This March 5th at Formula Brewing we will be hosting several wonderful speakers to explore the history of the surrounding community in a fun and engaging format. The speakers will be talking about a wide range of topics, including the growth and development of this community, as well as the concepts that led to the creation of Lake Sammamish State Parks and the open spaces of our community.
Speakers will include
-Rich Benson, Rich Benson retired from a 40 year career with Washington State Parks working at Lake Sammamish for a majority of those years. He started as a young newlywed, raised 4 sons in the park and retired as the area manager of the Cascade foothills Area which includes Lake Sammamish. He and his wife continue to live in Issaquah, a community they learned to love.
-Paul Winterstein, Paul is the Executive Director of Issaquah History Museums, our local historical society. Issaquah History Museums (or "IHM") cares for over 30,000 artifacts, photos, and documents in its collection, and runs a museum and gift shop at the historic Issaquah train Depot. They also host guided history tours for kids and adults, offer a multiple-episode series of history presentations called "Let's Talk Local History", and publish about 10 history vignettes monthly on social media. You can peruse their collection online at issaquahhistory.org
-Cristy Lake of Snoqualmie Valley History Museum; Cristy holds a BA in History and Anthropology from Whitman College and a Masters in Historical Archaeology from the University of York. She has worked for several museums in King County, including the Nordic Heritage Museum, Tolt Historical Society, the Northwest Railway Museum, where she is currently the Deputy Director, and the Snoqualmie Valley Museum, where she is currently the Executive Director. She is past Chair of the King County Landmarks Commission and currently serves on the Mountains to Sound National Heritage Area advisory committee.
-Isabel Smith, Senior Researcher of Racially Restrictive Covenants Program at the University of Washington; Isabel is a student at the University of Washington studying Journalism and Political Science with a focus on American Politics. Their academic interests include community journalism, social and environmental justice, and Asian American communities and their history. As a research associate, they are involved in research, data management, community outreach, and manage the project newsletter.
Please join us at Formula Brewing on March 5th, 2025!
Learn more about our partner, Formula Brewing!
Mermaid Lunalee Storytime
Something fishy is swimming our way and it's not salmon! Mermaid Lunalee is splashing her way to Lake Sammamish State Park to read her favorite books about some very important friends and share her adventures around our freshwater watershed! Join Mermaid Lunalee at the Meadow Shelter at Lake Sammamish State Park at 10am on March 1, 2025 for a mystical morning!
Lunalee is a mermaid taking up residence in our freshwater lakes, often found exploring different watersheds of Washington State and sharing her findings with friends in her community! Although she originated from the sea she is fascinated with the connections between land and sea, after all, all water is connected!
Restoration Event
FLSSP will be returning to our Tibbetts Creek site this February!
Join us as we plant more native species, grub out invasive blackberries, and sweat a little to care for our salmon-bearing streams!
Nature Writing Workshop
Join us for a creative Nature Writing Class at Lake Sammamish State Park on January 25, 2025! In this immersive experience, you’ll unlock the secrets of vivid imagery and sensory exploration as you wander through the park's enchanting landscapes. Feel the crisp winter air and listen to the whispers of the trees, while observing the delicate patterns of frost that cloak the earth. Through creative prompts and guided exercises, you’ll learn to craft evocative descriptions that draw readers into nature’s mysteries. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just beginning your journey, this class will inspire you to express your unique perspective and deepen your connection with the natural world.
Storm Relief Work Party
Help Lake Sammamish State Park recover from the recent wind storm. Vital infrastructure and trails suffered damage during the storm and we need your help to move storm debris from trails and other surfaces.
Please join FLSSP for a work party to assist park staff who are currently focused on safety issues throughout the park by removing storm debris from trails and other surfaces. We will be focusing our efforts on removing smaller debris and thin branches from trails and stacking any larger branches for park staff to remove at a later time. We will not be focused on removal of large trees or debris so no special skills will be required. A specific meetup location will be determined by need and we will email out all the details several days prior to the event.
Polar Plunge 2025
Make a splash at the Polar Plunge at Lake Sammamish State Park !
Polar Plunge returns on New Year’s Day 2025. Festivities will begin at 10:30 a.m. with registration, music, and merriment brought to you by Clown Garage on the shores of Sunset Beach. The crowd will “plunge” at noon.
The first 300 registered participants will receive a Polar Plunge SWAG bag, including a commemorative pin from local company Pins by Design..
Spectators are welcome to come out to cheer on the athletes as they take a dunk in the chilly waters of Lake Sammamish.
Schedule for the Plunge:
Registration and Plunge HQ opens 10:30
Costume Contest judging: 11:30
Plunge at 12:00
Please dress for the weather and bring water shoes and/or socks.
Visitors will not need a Discover Pass to park at Lake Sammamish State Park.
Online registration is now closed. Please join us on January 1 and register onsite!
Glimpse of 2024 Polar Plunge Fun at Lake Sammamish State park
Storm Relief Work Party
Help Lake Sammamish State Park recover from the recent wind storm. Vital infrastructure and trails suffered damage during the storm and we need your help to move storm debris from trails and other surfaces.
Please join FLSSP for a work party to assist park staff who are currently focused on safety issues throughout the park by removing storm debris from trails and other surfaces. We will be focusing our efforts on removing smaller debris and thin branches from trails and stacking any larger branches for park staff to remove at a later time. We will not be focused on removal of large trees or debris so no special skills will be required. A specific meetup location will be determined by need and we will email out all the details several days prior to the event date of December 15th.
A Bid for Nature Online Auction
Celebrate the beauty of Lake Sammamish State Park by helping to care for it!
A decade ago, FLSSP emerged as a catalyst for positive change, aligning with the vision of State Parks to enhance visitors’ park experience. Through direct financial support of park improvement projects and conservation efforts, hosting community events, and fostering environmental education, we’ve made a collective tremendous impact on our community.
Join the Friends of Lake Sammamish State Park (FLSSP) to celebrate and protect the stunning beauty of our park!
FLSSP has partnered with Washington State Parks for over a decade to enhance visitor experiences through community support. Your donations fuel vital conservation initiatives, park improvement projects, and engaging events that transform Lake Sammamish into a thriving haven for all.
Make a Difference! Your contribution directly impacts the preservation of this beloved space. Join us in our mission to safeguard its natural wonders for future generations!
