Tag: Everett

  • Everett EMS Levy: What the August 2026 Lid Lift Means

    Everett EMS Levy: What the August 2026 Lid Lift Means

    What is Everett’s August 2026 EMS levy ballot measure? On April 22, 2026, the Everett City Council voted to send a property tax levy lid lift to the August 4 primary ballot. If voters approve, the city’s emergency medical services (EMS) levy rate would rise from $0.36 per $1,000 of assessed value back to $0.50 per $1,000 — the rate voters originally approved in 2000. The typical Everett homeowner would pay about $80 more per year. The levy funds roughly 78 firefighter-paramedic positions inside the Everett Fire Department.

    What the Everett City Council actually did on April 22

    On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, the Everett City Council voted to place a property tax levy lid lift for emergency medical services on the August 4 primary ballot. The measure would restore the city’s EMS levy rate from its current $0.36 per $1,000 of assessed value back to the $0.50 per $1,000 cap that Everett voters first approved in 2000.

    This is not a new tax. Washington state law limits how fast regular property tax collections can grow — no more than 1% per year, regardless of how fast property values rise. Over time, that 1% ceiling has pushed Everett’s effective EMS rate well below the ceiling voters originally said yes to. A levy lid lift asks voters for permission to reset the rate back up to the original cap.

    How much it costs a typical Everett household

    According to the city, the average Everett homeowner would pay approximately $80 more per year if the measure passes. The exact dollar impact depends on a home’s assessed value, because the rate is applied per $1,000 of assessed value. A home assessed at $500,000, for example, would pay roughly $70 more annually — $250 at the new rate versus $180 at the current rate.

    Renters don’t pay property tax directly, but the cost is typically reflected in rents over time. Commercial property owners also pay the levy and may pass costs along to tenants.

    What the EMS levy actually funds

    The EMS levy is one of the primary funding sources for Everett’s emergency medical services — the ambulance, paramedic, and first-response medical calls handled by the Everett Fire Department. The levy currently supports about 78 positions inside the department, according to city documents presented at the April 22 meeting.

    When residents call 911 for a heart attack, a car crash, a fall, or an overdose, the people who arrive are paid largely through this levy. Everett Fire Department responds to thousands of medical calls per year — the overwhelming majority of its total call volume is medical, not fire.

    Why the levy is on the ballot again

    Everett Fire Chief Dave DeMarco addressed the City Council on April 22 in support of the measure. According to his statement, the EMS fund has remained solvent but call volume has grown and the cost of labor and medical supplies has risen since the last lid lift.

    “The fund has remained solvent throughout this period of extraordinary growth, also a global pandemic and increasing demands for service,” DeMarco told the council. “However, to remain stable and meet the growing emergency medical services needs of our community, the restoration of the levy is necessary.”

    The city notes that call volume at the Everett Fire Department is higher today than it was in 2018, when voters last restored the $0.50 rate. Labor and medical supply costs have also increased in that period.

    Everett’s levy history: 2000, 2010, 2018, 2026

    Everett voters have approved EMS levy lid lifts multiple times over the past 25 years, each time restoring the rate to the $0.50 per $1,000 cap that was originally authorized in 2000. The pattern is consistent:

    • 2000: Everett voters approved a permanent EMS levy at $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value.
    • 2010: Voters approved a lid lift restoring the rate to $0.50 after state law had allowed it to drift downward.
    • 2018: Voters approved another lid lift restoring the rate to $0.50.
    • 2026: The current measure, scheduled for the August 4 primary ballot.

    The recurring nature of these votes is a direct consequence of Washington’s 1% property tax cap, which applies to most regular levies statewide and was established by Initiative 747 in 2001.

    What “levy lid lift” means in plain English

    A levy lid lift is a ballot measure that asks voters for permission to raise a regular property tax levy back up to a previously authorized cap. It does not create a new tax. It also does not authorize a rate higher than what voters previously approved.

    Without a lid lift, state law caps year-over-year growth in a regular property tax levy at 1%, even when property values and service costs rise faster than that. For a service like EMS — where labor costs, medical supplies, and call volume all outpace 1% inflation in most years — that ceiling gradually erodes purchasing power. A lid lift is the reset button.

    What happens next

    The measure now heads to the Snohomish County Auditor for placement on the August 4, 2026 primary ballot. Ballots typically mail to registered voters roughly three weeks before election day. A simple majority (50% plus one) of voters in the City of Everett is required for the lid lift to pass.

    If the measure passes, the higher rate would take effect in the 2027 property tax year. If it fails, the current $0.36 rate would remain in place, and the city would face a funding gap inside the EMS fund — a gap that would need to be closed either by reducing EMS service levels, shifting costs to Everett’s general fund (which is already projecting a $14 million gap in 2027), or returning to the ballot with a revised measure.

    How this fits into Everett’s larger 2027 budget picture

    The EMS levy vote does not directly close the city’s projected $14 million 2027 general fund gap, which was outlined at Mayor Cassie Franklin’s 2026 State of the City address. EMS is a separate, voter-approved fund. But the two pictures are connected: if the EMS levy fails, rising medical-response costs could eventually spill over into the general fund, compounding the gap.

    This is the second major voter-facing budget decision Everett has surfaced in 2026. The first was the regional fire authority and library regionalization discussion raised as part of the 2027 budget conversation. The EMS levy is the first of these budget levers to actually reach a ballot.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When will Everett voters decide on the EMS levy?

    The measure is scheduled for the August 4, 2026 primary ballot. Ballots typically mail to registered voters roughly three weeks before election day. A simple majority is required for the measure to pass.

    How much more will I pay if the EMS levy passes?

    The city estimates an average homeowner would pay approximately $80 more per year. The exact amount depends on your home’s assessed value, because the rate is charged per $1,000 of assessed value. The rate would rise from $0.36 to $0.50 per $1,000.

    Is the EMS levy a new tax?

    No. The EMS levy was originally approved by Everett voters in 2000. The 2026 measure is a levy lid lift, which restores the rate back to the cap voters already authorized. It does not create a new tax and does not raise the rate above $0.50 per $1,000.

    What does the EMS levy pay for?

    The levy funds emergency medical services provided by the Everett Fire Department — ambulance, paramedic, and medical first-response calls. The levy currently supports approximately 78 positions inside the department.

    Why is this the third time Everett has voted on the $0.50 rate?

    Washington state law limits regular property tax levy growth to 1% per year, even when costs and property values rise faster. Over time, that cap pushes the effective levy rate below what voters originally approved. A lid lift is required to reset the rate back up to the authorized cap. Everett voters previously approved lid lifts in 2010 and 2018.

    What happens if the EMS levy fails in August?

    The current $0.36 rate would remain in place. The city would face a funding gap inside the EMS fund, which would need to be closed by reducing service levels, shifting costs to the general fund, or returning to the ballot with a revised measure.

    Does this affect the stadium vote or the 2027 budget gap?

    Not directly. EMS is a separate, voter-approved fund and does not close the projected $14 million 2027 general fund gap. But rising medical-response costs could eventually spill over into the general fund if the EMS levy fails.

    Who can vote on the Everett EMS levy?

    Registered voters who live inside the City of Everett are eligible. Voters outside Everett city limits — even elsewhere in Snohomish County — do not vote on this measure.

  • Thornton A. Sullivan Park: Everett’s Silver Lake Guide

    Thornton A. Sullivan Park: Everett’s Silver Lake Guide

    What is Thornton A. Sullivan Park?

    Thornton A. Sullivan Park at Silver Lake is a 35.3-acre City of Everett park at 11405 Silver Lake Road. It wraps the south end of Silver Lake and offers a swimming beach (no lifeguards), a 9-hole disc golf course, three picnic shelters, self-serve kayak and paddleboard rentals, a playground, waterfront trails, and Silver Hall for events. The park is open 6 a.m. to dusk year-round. Small electric or gas motors (8 horsepower maximum) are allowed on the lake.

    The Everett park most locals drive past

    Silver Lake has a neighborhood named after it, a shopping district named after it, and a highway exit named after it. What it doesn’t have — in most Everett residents’ mental maps — is the 35-acre park wrapping its south shore that most people haven’t actually walked since they were kids.

    Thornton A. Sullivan Park at Silver Lake is that park. If you live anywhere south of 41st and want a day outside without driving to Mukilteo or over to Jetty Island, this is the answer most Everett locals haven’t fully reckoned with.

    The basics

    • Address: 11405 Silver Lake Road, Everett, WA 98208
    • Size: 35.3 acres
    • Hours: 6 a.m. to dusk, every day
    • Cost: Free for day use
    • Phone: City of Everett Parks, 425-257-8700
    • Parking: Free on-site lot

    No lifeguards are on duty. Life jackets are available to borrow at the beach.

    What’s actually here

    A real swimming beach

    This is the big one. Silver Lake has an honest-to-goodness sand beach at the park — not a ramp, not a pier, an actual walk-into-the-water beach with a sand playground area right next to it. On hot summer weekends this is the default Everett family move for anyone who doesn’t want to fight traffic to a saltwater beach. Because the lake is smaller than a Sound beach, the water warms up faster in the spring, which makes this one of the first genuinely swimmable places in Everett each year.

    The city posts water safety reminders prominently: no lifeguards, wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket if you’re not confident, and swim with a buddy. Drowning risk climbs sharply in summer across all Western Washington lakes — this park takes the messaging seriously, and so should visitors.

    A 9-hole disc golf course

    Thornton A. Sullivan has one of the better natural-terrain disc golf courses in Snohomish County. It’s 9 holes, forested, free to play, and busy on weekends. Beginners and veterans share the course. If you’ve never played disc golf, this is the most forgiving place in Everett to learn — the fairways are generous enough that first-timers aren’t constantly hunting lost discs.

    Self-serve kayak and paddleboard rentals

    Whenever Watersports operates a self-serve kayak and paddleboard rental kiosk at the park. It’s app-based — you rent from your phone, grab the gear, and return it when you’re done. The kiosk operates from sunrise to sunset, every day, with no reservations required. For an Everett family that wants to paddle without owning the equipment or hauling it anywhere, this is the simplest entry point to lake paddling in the city.

    Silver Lake allows small motorized boats — electric or gas motors up to 8 horsepower. That cap keeps the lake quiet and swim-friendly while still allowing a fishing skiff.

    Three picnic shelters

    Camp Patterson Picnic Shelter, Silver Lake Beach Shelter, and the Silver Lake Dock Shelter each anchor a different section of the park. They’re reservable through the City of Everett. The main shelter seats up to 64 for large family gatherings or birthday parties.

    Silver Hall

    If you need to host an indoor event at the park, Silver Hall is 1,018 square feet with a 40-person capacity. It includes restrooms and a kitchen with a stove, oven, microwave, and refrigerator. Reservations go through the City of Everett Parks department.

    Trails and waterfront access

    The park has a loop trail system around the southern lakeshore with multiple waterfront viewpoints. The loop is short enough to walk with a toddler and long enough to actually count as a walk. There’s a concrete table tennis table in the sand area — a small detail, but the kind that tells you someone who used this park as a kid designed it.

    Fishing

    Silver Lake is stocked and open to fishing with a valid Washington fishing license. The park’s waterfront viewpoints and the dock area are the most common fishing spots.

    When to go

    Spring (April–May): The best time for walking the trails and playing disc golf. Water’s still cold for swimming, but the park is quiet and the weather is starting to turn.

    Summer (June–August): Prime swimming and paddling season. Weekends get crowded — plan to arrive before 11 a.m. if you want a shaded picnic spot or a shelter without a reservation. Weekdays are dramatically quieter.

    Fall (September–October): Disc golf weather is excellent through October. The trees around the disc golf course turn and the park empties out.

    Winter: The park stays open at 6 a.m. to dusk year-round. Trails are walkable in most weather. The disc golf course plays cold but plays fine.

    How the park got here

    Thornton A. Sullivan Park is named for a long-serving parks commissioner whose work shaped the Everett parks system for decades. The park has been Everett’s primary lake-access park since the city acquired and developed the site, and it’s been expanded and renovated in phases over the years. Today’s 35.3 acres include the southern arc of Silver Lake’s shore, the beach, the wooded disc golf corridor, and the meadow zone around the picnic shelters.

    What makes the park distinct in Everett’s park system is that it’s one of the only city parks built around a lake — not a viewpoint of Port Gardner Bay, not a city block retrofit, but a park where the water is the point.

    Who this park is for

    Families who want a swim day without leaving the city. Disc golfers who want 9 holes they can play after work. Paddlers who don’t own a kayak. Anyone hosting a birthday party in Everett who doesn’t want to pay for a venue. Seniors who want a flat, walkable loop with benches. Kids who want a playground with a beach attached.

    If you’ve lived in Everett for a decade and haven’t been to Thornton A. Sullivan in five years, you’ve probably forgotten how good this park is.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is Thornton A. Sullivan Park in Everett?

    The park is at 11405 Silver Lake Road, Everett, WA 98208, wrapping the south end of Silver Lake in the Silver Lake neighborhood of south Everett.

    What are the hours of Thornton A. Sullivan Park?

    The park is open from 6 a.m. to dusk every day of the year. There are no lifeguards on duty at any time.

    Is there a swimming beach at Silver Lake?

    Yes. The park includes a sand beach with designated swimming area. There are no lifeguards, so swimmers are asked to wear Coast Guard-approved life jackets (available to borrow) and swim with a buddy.

    Can you rent kayaks at Thornton A. Sullivan Park?

    Yes. Whenever Watersports operates a self-serve kayak and paddleboard rental kiosk on the lakeshore. Rentals are app-based, available sunrise to sunset, with no reservations required.

    Is there a disc golf course at the park?

    Yes. The park has a 9-hole natural-terrain disc golf course. It’s free to play and open during park hours.

    Can you have a motorized boat on Silver Lake?

    Yes, but only small motors — electric or gas motors up to 8 horsepower are allowed. That keeps Silver Lake quiet and swim-friendly while allowing fishing skiffs.

    Can you reserve picnic shelters or Silver Hall?

    Yes. Camp Patterson Picnic Shelter, the Silver Lake Beach shelter, the Silver Lake Dock shelter, and Silver Hall are all reservable through the City of Everett. Silver Hall seats 40 and includes a kitchen; the largest picnic shelter seats up to 64.

    Is fishing allowed at Silver Lake?

    Yes. A valid Washington State fishing license is required. The dock and waterfront viewpoints are the most common fishing spots.

    Related

  • Riverside Everett Neighborhood Guide: Living & History

    Riverside Everett Neighborhood Guide: Living & History

    What is the Riverside neighborhood in Everett?

    Riverside is Everett’s oldest neighborhood, running from 19th Street south to Pacific Avenue and from Broadway east to the Snohomish River. It was first platted in 1891 and is home to Garfield Park, Riverside Park, Summit Park, JJ Hill Park, and Judd & Black Park — more public green space per square block than almost any other Everett neighborhood. Residents are automatically members of the Riverside Neighborhood Association and pay no dues.

    Everett’s first neighborhood, still writing its story

    Most Everett guides start downtown. Riverside was there first.

    The eastern-most part of the neighborhood was platted by the Mitchell Land Company and filed on September 23, 1891 — the third plat in Everett, just weeks behind the first two, and months before the main plat of the city itself. Everything east of Broadway and west of the Snohomish River that sits between 19th and Pacific traces its street grid back to that filing. By the time Everett incorporated in 1893, Riverside was already a neighborhood with a name, streets, and a working river on its eastern edge.

    That matters, because Riverside is the neighborhood that most directly connects modern Everett to its sawmill-and-railroad origin story. The Snohomish River isn’t a view from Riverside — it’s the eastern property line. Stand at the top of Summit Avenue and you’re looking at the same ridge workers climbed home to after a shift at the waterfront mills a hundred and thirty years ago.

    Where Riverside actually is

    If you’re new to Everett, the boundaries are easy to hold in your head:

    • North: 19th Street
    • South: Pacific Avenue
    • East: the Snohomish River
    • West: Broadway

    Broadway is the western artery — the wall that separates Riverside from the Bayside grid to the west. Everything between Broadway and the river is Riverside. That’s a rectangle roughly a mile wide and a mile and a half tall, cut through by Everett Avenue, Hewitt Avenue, Pacific Avenue, and a whole lot of quiet residential streets that most Everett residents have driven past without ever knowing they were there.

    Six parks in one neighborhood

    Riverside’s quiet superpower is parks. For a neighborhood this small, the park inventory is remarkable — and most of them are the kind of parks only locals know about.

    Garfield Park (23rd & Walnut)

    The anchor park. Baseball fields, a playground, a walking track, pickleball courts, basketball, tennis courts — all in one footprint. Garfield is the park where Riverside kids grow up, Little League seasons happen, and pickleball players have been quietly organizing for years. The city has an active renovation plan in motion, and we’ve covered the Garfield makeover separately.

    Riverside Park (Everett Avenue & East Grand)

    A viewpoint park at the east end of Everett Avenue overlooking the Snohomish River and the Cascade foothills beyond. There’s a little free library here. The view at sunrise is arguably the best unofficial viewpoint in Everett — and one that almost no tourist guide mentions.

    Summit Park (Summit Avenue)

    The highest point in Riverside. On a clear day you can see the Cascade Mountains from Summit, which is why generations of Riverside families have walked up there to watch the Fourth of July fireworks.

    JJ Hill Park (Hewitt & Broadway)

    A pocket park at the western edge — small, but it does the job of breaking up the Hewitt-Broadway intersection with a patch of green.

    Judd & Black Park (Hewitt Avenue & Maple)

    Another small neighborhood park — the kind of place where locals walk their dogs on the way back from the grocery store and nobody else stops.

    The Snohomish Riverfront

    Technically not a city park, but functionally one — the Snohomish Riverfront Trail system runs along the eastern edge of the neighborhood, and the Lowell Riverfront Trail extension sits a short walk south. Snohomish County has been acquiring former Puget Sound Energy corridor parcels since 2020 for the Snohomish River Trail Phase 1, which will eventually knit the whole riverfront together from Everett to Snohomish.

    The neighborhood association that actually runs things

    The Riverside Neighborhood Association is one of Everett’s most active. Residents are automatically members — no sign-up, no dues. The association uses mini-grants from the City of Everett to fund community programs, organize events, and lobby on neighborhood infrastructure questions.

    That “automatically a member” structure matters. It means the neighborhood association isn’t a small club of the same ten people — it’s a framework that lets anyone on any Riverside block show up to a meeting and count. If you just moved in, you already belong.

    What it’s like to live here

    Riverside’s housing stock is older than almost anywhere else in Everett, which means you get the good and the quirky. Craftsman houses with original woodwork. Mid-century ramblers. The occasional Victorian holdout. Streets that don’t quite line up with the rest of the city because they were laid out before the modern grid was imposed. Mature trees that give the neighborhood a canopy most Everett neighborhoods haven’t had time to grow.

    It’s also one of the most walkable non-downtown neighborhoods in the city. Hewitt Avenue runs through it. Everett Avenue runs through it. You can walk from central Riverside to downtown Everett in fifteen minutes and to the riverfront in ten.

    The demographic profile tilts toward a mix of long-time residents and younger households who’ve figured out that Riverside offers Everett’s most house for the money once you get east of Rucker. Rentals make up about half the housing stock, but owner-occupancy is higher here than in many central Everett neighborhoods.

    What long-timers say

    The thing longtime Riverside residents repeat, almost verbatim, is that the neighborhood is underrated — and they’d prefer to keep it that way. It doesn’t have the waterfront cachet of Bayside. It doesn’t have the lake of Silver Lake. What it has is history, parks, the river, and a neighborhood association that actually meets and actually gets things done.

    If you’re reading a Riverside neighborhood guide, you’re probably already the kind of person who would fit in here.

    Getting around

    Broadway and Rucker handle the north-south traffic. Hewitt, Everett, and Pacific handle the east-west. I-5 is a five-minute drive west. The Snohomish Riverfront Trail is a walk east. The Everett Transit Station is a mile south, which puts commuters on a Sound Transit bus to Seattle without needing to drive to a park-and-ride.

    For the riverfront trail connection specifically, the Mill Town Trail loop ties the Port of Everett waterfront to Riverside Park via East Grand Avenue — a continuous six-plus-mile walking loop that uses Riverside as its eastern anchor.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is the Riverside neighborhood in Everett?

    Riverside sits between 19th Street and Pacific Avenue on the north-south axis, and between Broadway and the Snohomish River on the east-west axis. It’s directly east of Bayside and directly north of the Port Gardner / Pacific Avenue corridor.

    Is Riverside really Everett’s oldest neighborhood?

    Yes. The first plat in what is now Riverside was filed in September 1891 — earlier than the main plat of Everett itself. The neighborhood’s eastern blocks trace directly back to that filing.

    How many parks are in Riverside?

    Five official city parks sit inside the neighborhood: Garfield Park, Riverside Park, Summit Park, JJ Hill Park, and Judd & Black Park. The Snohomish Riverfront Trail corridor runs along the eastern edge, adding a sixth functional green space.

    Does Riverside have a neighborhood association?

    Yes. The Riverside Neighborhood Association covers the entire boundary area. Residents are automatically members, there are no dues, and the association uses City of Everett mini-grants to fund neighborhood programs.

    Is Riverside a good place to live in Everett?

    For buyers and renters who value walkability, older housing stock, mature trees, and proximity to both downtown Everett and the Snohomish River, Riverside is among the strongest options in the city. It sits outside the price pressure of the waterfront and the density of downtown while keeping a short walk to both.

    What’s the history of Garfield Park?

    Garfield Park is one of Everett’s oldest named parks, anchored at 23rd and Walnut. It has grown into a multi-use facility with baseball fields, a playground, a walking track, pickleball, basketball, and tennis — and the city is currently advancing a formal renovation plan for the park.

    How do I join the Riverside Neighborhood Association?

    You already did. If you live inside the Riverside boundaries — 19th Street to Pacific Avenue, Broadway to the river — you are automatically a member and can attend any association meeting or event without signing up or paying dues.

    Related

  • Jetty Island Ferry 2026: Schedule, Reservations & Guide

    Jetty Island Ferry 2026: Schedule, Reservations & Guide

    Q: When does the Jetty Island ferry open in 2026?
    A: The Jetty Island passenger ferry runs July 8 through September 6, 2026, Wednesday through Sunday. Reservations are required and cost $4 per person Wed-Thu and $7 Fri-Sun. Children 2 and under ride free. The ferry departs from Jetty Landing at 10th Street and W. Marine View Drive in Everett.

    Mark July 8 on the calendar. That’s the day the Jetty Island ferry season officially starts in 2026, and that’s the day Everett’s two-mile-long sandy island park becomes accessible again to anyone who can get to the marina. The ferry runs through September 6 — exactly two months of the only beach in Western Washington that actually feels like a beach.

    If you’ve never made the trip, here’s the short version: Jetty Island is a man-made, two-mile-long sandbar just off the Port of Everett, separated from the mainland by a narrow channel. There’s warm water on the inner shoreline (the channel side warms up in the summer sun), wind for kiteboarders on the outer shoreline, miles of walking, and almost no infrastructure. Bring what you need, take what you brought. That’s the deal.

    The 2026 Ferry Schedule

    The passenger ferry runs Wednesday through Sunday from July 8 through September 6, 2026. Operating hours by day:

    • Wednesday and Thursday: 10 AM to 5:45 PM
    • Friday and Saturday: 10 AM to 6:45 PM
    • Sunday: 10 AM to 5:45 PM
    • Monday and Tuesday: No ferry service

    The ferry departs from Jetty Landing, which is right next to the boat launch at the corner of 10th Street and W. Marine View Drive in Everett. There’s parking near the launch, but on a hot weekend in August it fills up fast. Get there early or be prepared to walk a few blocks.

    Reservations Are Required (Yes, Even on Weekdays)

    This is the part that trips up first-timers. You cannot just show up. All ferry rides require advance reservations through the Port of Everett’s reservation system. Walk-up tickets are not sold at the dock.

    Pricing for 2026:

    • Wednesday-Thursday: $4 per person
    • Friday-Sunday: $7 per person
    • Children 2 and under: Free

    Applicable taxes and a small booking fee apply at checkout. Reservations open up at portofeverett.com — and for prime weekend slots in July and August, they go fast. If you know you want to be there a particular weekend, book it the moment the schedule goes live.

    What You Need to Know Before You Go

    Jetty Island is intentionally left rustic. There are no concessions. There is no drinking water. There are vault toilets and that’s it. Pack:

    • Water — more than you think you need. Two miles of beach in August sun without shade is a long day.
    • Sunscreen and a hat — there is genuinely zero shade on most of the island.
    • Snacks/lunch — and a trash bag. Pack out what you pack in.
    • Wind layer — even on hot days the outer beach gets a steady afternoon wind off the Sound.
    • Beach toys, a kite, or a paddleboard — the channel side is calm and warm enough for all-day water play.

    Pets are allowed, but they need to stay on leash. There’s no lifeguard service. Watch the tide schedule — at extreme low tides the channel between the mainland and the island gets shallow enough to expose long stretches of mudflat, which is fascinating to look at and miserable to walk through.

    Why the Ferry Closes Early on Hot Days

    This is the one operational quirk to plan around. When the island reaches maximum capacity — which happens on hot weekends in late July and August — the ferry can stop running new round-trips early. The return ferries still operate to bring everyone back, but if you show up at 2 PM on a 90-degree Saturday and the ferry is paused, your reservation may not get you across. Earlier is better.

    Inclement weather can also cancel ferry service. The Port posts updates on the day-of through their site and social channels.

    The Things People Don’t Realize About Jetty Island

    The water is actually warm. The channel side, sheltered from the Sound, gets shallow and sun-heated through the day. Kids can wade for hours. It’s the warmest swimming water you’ll find anywhere in Snohomish County.

    It’s a kiteboarding hotspot. The outer shoreline catches a consistent westerly afternoon wind in summer, and the local kiteboarding community treats Jetty as one of the best spots in the region. If you’ve ever wanted to watch the sport up close, head to the south end of the island in the late afternoon.

    The bird life is wild. Jetty is on the Pacific Flyway and is a Snohomish County designated wildlife area. Bald eagles, herons, oystercatchers — bring binoculars if you’re into that.

    You can paddle there. If the ferry is full or you’ve got your own kayak or paddleboard, the channel from the marina is short, calm, and well within reach for a casual paddler. Bring a leash for your board and a PFD.

    Getting to Jetty Landing

    Jetty Landing is at 1700 W. Marine View Drive, right next to the Port of Everett’s 10th Street boat launch. From I-5, take exit 193 (Pacific Avenue) and head west until Marine View Drive, then turn north. The boat launch parking lot is signed.

    Everett Transit’s Route 7 stops within about a half-mile walk if you’d rather not deal with parking. On weekends the bike racks at Jetty Landing fill up too, which tells you something about who knows what they’re doing.

    What to Do After the Beach

    Coming back from a Jetty day around 5 or 6 PM puts you right at the Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place — which has the best dinner options in the area and is about a five-minute walk from where you’ll dock. Tapped Public House, Rustic Cork, and the new Sound to Summit taproom on the south side of the marina are all right there. The Net Shed Fish Market & Kitchen is another great option for a casual dinner with a view.

    Make a day of it: ferry over for a morning swim, beach lunch, kite-watching afternoon, then dinner on the waterfront when you get back. That’s an Everett summer Saturday done right.

    The Big Picture: Jetty Days 2026

    The Port of Everett’s Jetty Island Days programming runs alongside the ferry season July 8 – September 6, with naturalists, environmental education programs, and family activities scheduled throughout. The full programming calendar typically goes live in mid-June. Watch portofeverett.com for the schedule.

    This is a free island park (the only cost is the ferry ride). It is a genuinely unusual asset for a city the size of Everett. And once you’ve been once, you’ll find a reason to go back every summer.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When does the Jetty Island ferry open in 2026?
    July 8, 2026.

    When does the ferry season end?
    September 6, 2026.

    How much is the ferry?
    $4 per person Wednesday-Thursday, $7 per person Friday-Sunday. Children 2 and under ride free.

    Where do I make ferry reservations?
    Through portofeverett.com. Reservations are required — there are no walk-up tickets.

    Where does the ferry leave from?
    Jetty Landing at 10th Street and W. Marine View Drive in Everett, next to the Port of Everett boat launch.

    What days does the ferry run?
    Wednesday through Sunday. No ferry service Monday or Tuesday.

    Can I bring my dog to Jetty Island?
    Yes, dogs are allowed but must be on leash.

    Is there food on Jetty Island?
    No — bring your own food, water, and pack out all trash.

    Can I kayak or paddleboard to Jetty Island?
    Yes. The channel from the marina is short and calm in good weather. Wear a PFD and use a board leash.

    Are there bathrooms on the island?
    Yes, vault toilets only. No running water.

    Can the ferry be canceled?
    Yes, the ferry may close due to weather or when the island reaches maximum capacity on busy days. Check portofeverett.com for day-of updates.

  • Boeing Q1 2026 Deliveries Top Airbus As Everett Expands

    Boeing Q1 2026 Deliveries Top Airbus As Everett Expands

    Q: Did Boeing out-deliver Airbus in the first quarter of 2026?
    A: Yes. Boeing handed over 143 commercial airplanes in Q1 2026, beating Airbus’s 114. It’s the first quarterly delivery win for Boeing over Airbus since 2019, before the 737 MAX grounding. The 737 MAX accounted for 114 of the 143 deliveries — and Everett is the next factory adding to that single-aisle output.

    For the first time in seven years, Boeing handed over more commercial airplanes in a single quarter than Airbus did. The Q1 2026 scoreboard read 143 to 114 — and the most important number for Everett isn’t either of those. It’s 114, the number of 737 MAX jets Boeing delivered in three months, roughly 80% of the company’s commercial total.

    That’s the line Everett is about to plug into.

    What just happened on the delivery line

    Boeing delivered 143 commercial aircraft in Q1 2026. The mix, per the company’s own monthly disclosures and reporting from Aerotime and AIAA: 114 single-aisle 737 MAX jets, 15 widebody 787 Dreamliners, eight 777s, and six 767s. Defense, Space and Security delivered another 30 — Apache helicopters, KC-46 Pegasus tankers, and P-8 Poseidons — bringing the all-up Boeing total to 173 aircraft for the quarter, a 10.9% increase over Q1 2025.

    Airbus delivered 114 commercial aircraft over the same three months. The 29-airplane gap is the first time Boeing has finished a quarter ahead of its European rival since the first quarter of 2019 — the last quarter before the second 737 MAX 8 crash and the 20-month grounding that reset the entire competitive map.

    Boeing reported its full Q1 2026 earnings on April 22, 2026 (Boeing mediaroom Q1 results), and CEO Kelly Ortberg has publicly framed the year as a recovery story rather than a victory lap. Production rates, not quarterly delivery totals, are the metric the company is being judged on.

    Why Everett is the load-bearing wall of this comeback

    Three of the four commercial models Boeing delivered in Q1 — the 767, the 777, and the 787 (final assembly in Charleston, but with significant Everett-built components) — flow through or originate from the Everett factory at Paine Field. The KC-46 Pegasus tanker, also assembled in Everett, drove a meaningful share of the defense deliveries. The factory’s 105th KC-46 rolled out April 3, on pace for 19 tanker deliveries in 2026.

    What Everett does not currently build is the 737 MAX — and that’s the next chapter.

    Boeing’s North Line, the new 737 MAX final assembly line being stood up at the Everett factory, began production and entered LRIP after its July 2026 opening (July 10 feature). According to the company’s own April 2026 update, construction and tooling are complete, and CEO Kelly Ortberg has personally toured the line. The remaining work is hiring and training — hundreds of new and transferred teammates from Renton, Everett, and Moses Lake who will assemble 737-8, 737-9 and 737-10 jets in a building that has spent its entire history building widebodies.

    The production rate math, in plain English

    Here’s why the North Line matters for any future quarter that looks like Q1 2026.

    The FAA formally lifted Boeing’s 737 MAX production rate cap in March 2026 after the company sustained quality metrics at its Renton plant. Boeing has confirmed a steady rate of 38 MAX per month as of late March. CEO Ortberg has signaled the company will step that up in five-aircraft increments — getting to 47 per month is the near-term target Boeing has guided publicly.

    Anything above 47 per month, the company has said, will be built in Everett on the North Line. That’s the structural change. Renton was the world’s only 737 factory for decades. Now Everett gets to be the second.

    Industry analysts at AirInsight have noted Boeing is publicly aiming for combined output of 53 MAX per month by year-end 2026, with longer-term ambitions toward 63. None of that is possible without the North Line in Everett.

    What Q1 looked like for Snohomish County workers

    Translate the headline numbers down to ground level and you get this: every 737 MAX delivered to a customer in Q1 2026 represented work for thousands of people across the Puget Sound aerospace ecosystem — Renton final assembly, Auburn fabrication, Frederickson composites, Moses Lake, and the dense web of Snohomish County suppliers documented in the 600-company aerospace supply chain that surrounds the Everett factory.

    Q1’s 114 MAX deliveries were entirely Renton’s. The next year’s deliveries will be a mix. By 2027, if production rate goals hold, Everett will be building a meaningful share of the 737 MAX volume Boeing’s customers are waiting for. That’s net new aerospace assembly work for the city for the first time in a generation — narrowbody, not widebody, but assembly work all the same.

    For Everett, the spillover is what it always has been: jobs anchored to the factory feed housing demand south of Boeing Boulevard, lunch traffic at every restaurant within five miles of Paine Field, gym memberships, school enrollments, and the property tax base that pays for fire, libraries, and parks. The North Line ramp-up is the first major Everett-specific Boeing growth story since the 777X line was set up — and unlike the 777X program, the 737 MAX has a delivery backlog of more than 4,500 airplanes Boeing has already booked.

    What to watch in Q2 and beyond

    A few things Everett readers should keep an eye on between now and the next quarterly delivery report:

    The Lufthansa 777-9 first flight. Boeing has targeted April 2026 for the first flight of a production-standard 777X out of Paine Field, with Lufthansa as the launch customer. That milestone moves Everett’s marquee widebody program closer to certification, with delivery now slipped to early 2027.

    North Line first conformity airplane. Boeing’s stated process is to build a small number of “low-rate initial production” and conformity aircraft on the North Line before fully integrating the line into the broader 737 MAX flow. The first North Line airplane will be a defining Everett milestone.

    SPEEA’s October 6 contract expiration. The engineers’ and technical workers’ union is in active bargaining preparation. Anything that disrupts engineering support on the factory floor would slow down the very rate ramp Q1’s deliveries depend on.

    737 MAX rate increase to 47/month. That’s the target Boeing needs to hit before any of its monthly deliveries shift to Everett. Watch the FAA’s monthly production data as it’s published.

    The bigger picture for Everett

    Q1 2026 wasn’t a fluke quarter. Boeing’s commercial backlog at the end of March stood at more than 6,000 aircraft, with the 737 MAX accounting for roughly three-quarters of that order book. The company’s challenge is not finding customers — it’s getting airplanes out the door fast enough to keep them.

    That’s the problem Everett is being asked to help solve. The North Line going hot this summer isn’t a feel-good ribbon cutting. It’s the only path Boeing has publicly identified to push 737 MAX production above 47 a month, and 47 a month isn’t enough to clear the order book on the timelines Boeing’s customers are demanding.

    For the city of Everett, the stakes are simple: Boeing’s recovery is Everett’s recovery. Q1 2026 was the first proof point that Boeing can out-build Airbus again. The next proof point lands in this city.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How many planes did Boeing deliver in Q1 2026?

    Boeing delivered 143 commercial airplanes in the first quarter of 2026: 114 737 MAX, 15 787 Dreamliners, eight 777s, and six 767s. Boeing’s defense unit delivered another 30 aircraft, for a total of 173 across the company.

    Did Boeing actually beat Airbus on deliveries?

    Yes. Airbus delivered 114 commercial aircraft in Q1 2026 to Boeing’s 143. It is the first time Boeing has out-delivered Airbus in a single quarter since 2019, before the 20-month 737 MAX grounding.

    Where is Boeing building 737 MAX jets right now?

    Currently in Renton, Washington. A new Everett “North Line” is on track to begin 737 MAX production this summer at the Boeing Everett factory at Paine Field. Once the North Line is integrated into the production flow, anything above 47 MAX per month will come out of Everett.

    What does the Everett factory build today?

    The Everett factory currently produces the 767 (commercial freighter and KC-46 Pegasus military tanker), the 777, and the 777X. The 737 MAX North Line will be a new program added to the building this year.

    How many KC-46 tankers has Everett delivered?

    Boeing delivered its 105th KC-46 tanker on April 3, 2026, with another 18 scheduled for delivery from Everett in 2026.

    What is Boeing’s 737 MAX production rate goal?

    Boeing’s near-term target is 47 jets per month, with combined Renton and Everett output potentially reaching 53 by the end of 2026. Long-term, the company is publicly aiming for 63 per month, though the timeline is uncertain.

    When does Boeing report Q1 2026 earnings?

    April 22, 2026. The earnings call will give a clearer picture of the financial story behind the delivery numbers, including any updated guidance on 737 MAX rate ramp and 777X certification.

    What does this mean for Everett’s economy?

    The North Line ramp-up represents Everett’s first net-new Boeing assembly program since the 777X. The 737 MAX has more than 4,500 airplanes on backlog, and Everett’s share of that work translates directly into local jobs, housing demand, and tax base growth in Snohomish County.

  • Scuttlebutt Paws and Pints: Everett Animal Shelter Promo

    Scuttlebutt Paws and Pints: Everett Animal Shelter Promo

    Scuttlebutt Brewing and the Everett Animal Shelter’s Paws & Pints photo contest closed voting on April 17, 2026. The grand prize is a Scuttlebutt beer named after the winning dog, unveiled at a celebration party at the Scuttlebutt Taproom (3310 Cedar Street, Everett) with a food truck, swag, and a puppy playpen. The celebration date is forthcoming — keep an eye on Scuttlebutt’s channels.

    Here’s what happened. The Everett Animal Shelter partnered with Scuttlebutt Brewing on a fundraiser called Paws & Pints. People submitted photos of their dogs. Other people voted — at a dollar per vote — and the money went to the shelter. The grand prize? Scuttlebutt brews a beer, names it after the winning dog, and releases it at a celebration party at the taproom.

    Voting closed on Friday, April 17 at 9:00 PM. Which means somewhere in Everett, right now, there is a dog about to get its own limited-release beer. And we are very much here for it.

    The Basic Breakdown

    Paws & Pints ran from March 27 to April 17, 2026. Dog owners uploaded photos of their dogs — “glamour shots,” basically — and friends, family, and strangers paid a dollar per vote to push favorite pups up the leaderboard. The top vote-getter wins the beer naming. The top five get prizes. Everyone’s dollars went to the Everett Animal Shelter.

    In the list of reasons to live in Everett, “you can pay a dollar to get your dog a beer named after it” is a sneaky one.

    Why This Promo Actually Matters

    Breweries run dog-friendly events constantly. Most of them are the same: dog-friendly patio, dog-themed event name, maybe a rescue has a table set up. Scuttlebutt went further. The winner doesn’t just get a photo on a wall — they get an actual Scuttlebutt beer, in Scuttlebutt’s taproom, with Scuttlebutt’s name on it.

    That’s the kind of community promo that only works when the brewery actually cares. Scuttlebutt has been an Everett institution for three decades. They’ve done major-league collabs, including the Big Dumper beer earlier this year with Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh. They could absolutely spend their marketing budget on bigger swings. They chose to spend a chunk of it on a fundraiser for the local animal shelter and a goofy, joyful promo for a stranger’s dog.

    That says something about who Scuttlebutt is. That’s a brewery worth supporting.

    The Prizes (and Why the Leash Is So Good)

    The grand prize:

    • A Scuttlebutt beer named after the winning dog, unveiled at a celebration party at the taproom
    • A Scuttlebutt-branded dog leash autographed by Cal Raleigh, the Seattle Mariners catcher

    The top five also get prizes. Details on the exact top-five prize package weren’t spelled out in the announcement, but the winner’s Cal Raleigh leash is the piece that made local news. Cal Raleigh’s autograph on a dog leash. Sold at literally no store, anywhere. Owned by one dog in Everett.

    Scuttlebutt has been leaning into Mariners collabs all season. The Cal Raleigh tie-in for the Big Dumper beer and now this leash is a smart extension of a relationship they’ve clearly built deliberately.

    When Is the Celebration Party?

    As of this writing, the exact celebration party date has not been announced by Scuttlebutt. What organizers have confirmed:

    • It’s at the Scuttlebutt Taproom (3310 Cedar Street, Everett — not the main brewery and restaurant at 1205 Craftsman Way on the waterfront)
    • There will be giveaways
    • There will be a Puppy Playpen
    • There will be Scuttlebutt swag
    • There will be a food truck on site
    • And — critically — dogs are invited

    For the exact date, watch Scuttlebutt’s Instagram (@scuttlebuttbrewing) and the Everett Animal Shelter’s channels. The announcement is likely to come in the weeks after voting closes, so late April through May is the realistic window.

    Which Scuttlebutt Location Is the Taproom?

    This trips people up, so let’s be clear. Scuttlebutt operates two Everett locations:

    • Scuttlebutt Brewing Company restaurant & brewery — 1205 Craftsman Way, on the waterfront near the marina. This is the full restaurant.
    • Scuttlebutt Taproom — 3310 Cedar Street. This is the smaller dedicated taproom where the celebration party is happening.

    The Cedar Street taproom is the more intimate, taproom-first of the two. It’s set up for events, beer-first crowds, and dogs. If you’ve only ever been to the waterfront restaurant, the Cedar Street taproom is a different vibe and worth a visit for its own sake.

    How to Prep for the Party

    If you plan to go — and you should — here’s the prep list:

    • Bring your dog, on a leash, well-behaved enough to be in a crowd
    • Bring cash or card for the food truck (varies per event)
    • Bring a tag with your dog’s name in case the leashes get mixed up at the playpen
    • Budget for a flight — you’re going to want to try the new namesake beer, and flights let you pair it with a few others
    • Plan for the Cedar Street taproom, not the waterfront restaurant

    Arrive early if you can. Dog-centric events at Scuttlebutt tend to fill out fast, and the Puppy Playpen setup has capacity limits once things get busy.

    The Bigger Point: Everett’s Brewery Scene Is Paying Attention

    We’ve written a lot about Everett’s brewery trail this spring — the Sound to Summit taproom at the Marina, At Large Brewing on Marine View, U-Neek (formerly Crucible), and Scuttlebutt’s flagship. What makes the Everett brewery scene different from a lot of mid-size city brewery scenes is this exact kind of thing: local breweries doing promos that are genuinely for Everett, not imported playbooks from a Denver or a Portland.

    Paws & Pints is a perfect example. It raises money for a specific Everett nonprofit. It partners with a Mariners player Everett has adopted as a local hero. It gives a real product to a real dog. It makes the Cedar Street taproom into a party.

    That’s Everett-brand community building, run by a brewery that has been around long enough to know what that looks like.

    The Bottom Line

    Voting is closed. The winning dog is somewhere out there. In a few weeks, that dog’s name is going on a Scuttlebutt beer and the Cedar Street taproom is going to be full of dogs, food truck food, and people having the exact kind of Saturday you move to Everett for.

    Watch Scuttlebutt’s channels for the party date. Bring your dog. Order the namesake beer. Pet every dog in the room. Scuttlebutt earned the loyalty.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is Scuttlebutt’s Paws & Pints contest?

    It’s a fundraiser for the Everett Animal Shelter. Dog owners submitted photos of their dogs, and the public voted at $1 per vote — all proceeds to the shelter. The top vote-getter wins a Scuttlebutt beer named after their dog, unveiled at a celebration party at the taproom.

    When did Paws & Pints voting close?

    Voting closed Friday, April 17, 2026 at 9:00 PM. The winner and celebration party date are expected to be announced in the weeks following.

    Where is the Paws & Pints celebration party?

    At the Scuttlebutt Taproom, 3310 Cedar Street, Everett — not the flagship brewery and restaurant on Craftsman Way.

    What’s the grand prize?

    A Scuttlebutt beer named after the winning dog, released at the celebration party, plus a Scuttlebutt-branded dog leash autographed by Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh.

    Are dogs invited to the celebration party?

    Yes. Dogs are explicitly invited. There will be a Puppy Playpen, food truck, swag, and giveaways at the event.

    How do I find out the celebration party date?

    Watch Scuttlebutt Brewing’s Instagram (@scuttlebuttbrewing) and the Everett Animal Shelter’s channels. The date is expected to be announced in late April or May 2026.

    How does Scuttlebutt’s Paws & Pints compare to other brewery dog events?

    Most brewery dog events offer dog-friendly patios and rescue tables. Paws & Pints goes further by committing an actual beer release, autographed memorabilia tied to a Seattle Mariners player, and substantial fundraising dollars to the Everett Animal Shelter. It’s one of the most genuinely community-integrated brewery promos in Snohomish County this year.

  • Birrieria Tijuana Everett: Must-Try Casino Road Birria

    Birrieria Tijuana Everett: Must-Try Casino Road Birria

    Birrieria Tijuana at 205 E Casino Road (Suite B19) in Everett serves Tijuana-style birria tacos, quesabirria, and vampiros using 100% halal beef. Open Monday through Friday 9 AM to 9 PM, the consommé alone is worth the drive — and it is one of the strongest birria operations on Casino Road right now.

    If you have not had proper Tijuana-style birria in Everett yet, there is a specific strip plaza on East Casino Road where you need to go. The address is 205 E Casino Road, Suite B19, and the restaurant is called Birrieria Tijuana. It has 253 Yelp reviews. It runs 100% halal beef. And the consommé is what you’re going to remember.

    This is a Casino Road International Eats installment, and Casino Road earns that designation every single time we write one of these. The food on this stretch is as deep, as specific, and as diverse as anything in Snohomish County. Birrieria Tijuana is one of the restaurants that proves it.

    What Birria Actually Is (Short Version)

    Birria is slow-simmered meat — traditionally goat in Jalisco, typically beef in the Tijuana style — cooked down in a deep chile-and-spice braise. The meat goes into tacos. The rich, red, glossy cooking liquid gets served on the side as consommé. You dip the taco in the consommé. That’s the move. That is the entire ritual.

    Tijuana-style birria is the version that swept the country a few years back — birria tacos fried on the flattop until the cheese melts and the tortilla crisps, served with a cup of consommé for dipping. When it’s done well, it is one of the best three tacos you can eat. When it’s done poorly, it’s just a greasy cheese taco with some brown liquid next to it.

    Birrieria Tijuana does it well.

    Where It Is

    Birrieria Tijuana is at 205 E Casino Road, Suite B19, Everett, WA 98208. It sits in the complex on the south side of Casino Road, a short drive off I-5 Exit 189. Phone is (425) 374-2867.

    You are in a plaza, not a destination street — which is the Casino Road story generally. The best food in this neighborhood lives in strip plazas, converted spaces, and small family-run rooms, not polished main-drag storefronts. That is a feature of Casino Road, not a bug. The people cooking are cooking for their actual community first.

    Hours

    Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. A full twelve-hour day, six days most people aren’t eating birria at 9 AM, which is their loss. Breakfast birria is a completely underrated move. Check current hours before a late-night run, especially on weekends.

    What to Order

    Here is what we order and why:

    Quesabirria Tacos

    This is the single dish that put birria on the American map. Tortilla pressed on the flattop, cheese melted into the shell, birria meat packed inside, the whole thing crisp on the outside and molten in the middle. Served with the consommé for dipping. If you order one thing here, order three of these. You will not regret it.

    Vampiros

    A vampiro is a flat-crisped tortilla with cheese and meat — sort of a cross between a taco and a tostada. Birrieria Tijuana’s version uses the birria meat, and it’s a good choice for people who want the crunch of a tostada with the depth of the birria braise. It’s less famous than the quesabirria but frankly just as good.

    Straight Birria Tacos (Not Quesa)

    A regular birria taco — soft tortilla, meat, onion, cilantro, no cheese, served with the consommé. This is the traditional play, and if you grew up on this style, this is your order. The meat reads cleaner without the cheese, and the consommé hits differently.

    The Consommé Itself

    This is genuinely what sets Birrieria Tijuana apart. Reviewers repeatedly call out the consommé as the restaurant’s signature — deeper, richer, more layered than the average Tijuana-style operation. Order extra. Drink the rest of it like soup when the tacos are gone. Yes, really.

    The Halal Beef Detail Matters

    Birrieria Tijuana advertises 100% halal beef for its birria, which is a deliberate choice and worth noting. It opens the door for Muslim diners who are often navigating a very limited birria map in the Seattle metro, and it signals that the kitchen is paying attention to who its customers are. Casino Road is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in Snohomish County, and the businesses that last here tend to be the ones that understand that.

    Real Talk on the Service

    We are not going to pretend the Yelp reviews are universally glowing about service. They’re not. Some reviews mention attentiveness issues, and we’ve seen moments during busy lunch stretches where front-of-house is clearly stretched. The food, however, is consistent. Go expecting family-run casual, not full-service polish, and the experience lines up with the price point.

    Also: this is a cash-friendly, order-at-the-counter operation depending on the time of day. Don’t show up expecting a host with menus and a wine list. Show up expecting great birria and a very specific smell coming from the kitchen.

    Price and Portions

    Casino Road restaurants universally give you generous portions for the money, and Birrieria Tijuana is no exception. A plate of quesabirria tacos plus consommé runs well under what you’d pay for the same plate in Seattle — and the meat-to-price ratio is better than most mainline taquerias in Snohomish County. Lunch for two is easy to do under $30 if you share a plate.

    Parking

    Plaza parking, free, plenty of spaces. You are not fighting Casino Road traffic to find a meter. You pull in, you park, you walk 30 feet, you eat.

    Where Birrieria Tijuana Fits on Casino Road

    Casino Road’s food scene is the best-kept secret in Everett dining, and we keep saying it because it keeps being true. Tasty Indian Bistro handles the Indian corner. Pho To Liem handles Vietnamese pho. Casa El Dorado and Aliberto’s Jr. run the broader Mexican lineup. Birrieria Tijuana is the birria specialist in that map.

    You do not have to pick. Most Casino Road eaters rotate through two or three of these in a single week. Birrieria Tijuana earns a permanent spot on that rotation specifically on the strength of the quesabirria and the consommé.

    The Bottom Line

    Go to Birrieria Tijuana. Order three quesabirria tacos. Order extra consommé. Dip every bite. Do not fight it.

    If you grew up eating birria and have been waiting for a version in Everett that actually tastes like home, this is closer than most of what’s around. If you’ve never had Tijuana-style birria at all, this is a solid first stop. Either way: the Casino Road food map gets better every month, and Birrieria Tijuana is one of the restaurants doing the work to keep it that way.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is Birrieria Tijuana in Everett?

    Birrieria Tijuana is at 205 E Casino Road, Suite B19, Everett, WA 98208, in a strip plaza on the south side of East Casino Road. Phone is (425) 374-2867.

    What are Birrieria Tijuana’s hours?

    Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Weekend hours may vary; call ahead for late-night or Sunday visits.

    Is Birrieria Tijuana halal?

    Birrieria Tijuana advertises 100% halal beef for its birria. That makes it one of the more accessible birria stops for Muslim diners in Snohomish County.

    What is birria?

    Birria is a slow-simmered, chile-braised meat dish. In the Tijuana style served at Birrieria Tijuana, the meat is beef and it comes in tacos or quesabirria with a cup of consommé — the rich cooking liquid — for dipping.

    What should I order at Birrieria Tijuana?

    The quesabirria tacos are the signature order. Also recommended: the vampiros, classic birria tacos, and extra consommé on the side to drink or dip into.

    Is Birrieria Tijuana good for takeout?

    Yes. It’s set up for quick takeout, and the consommé travels in lidded cups. Birrieria Tijuana is also on major delivery platforms like DoorDash and Grubhub for anyone ordering to a hotel or office in the area.

    How much do birria tacos cost at Birrieria Tijuana?

    Prices on Casino Road are generally well below Seattle taqueria pricing. A filling lunch of quesabirria tacos and consommé typically runs a reasonable price per person, with generous portions that make it one of the better value picks on Casino Road.

  • STRGZR Coffee Everett: Downtown’s Best Scratch Kitchen

    STRGZR Coffee Everett: Downtown’s Best Scratch Kitchen

    STRGZR Coffee & Kitchen is a hip downtown Everett café at 1422 Hewitt Avenue (corner of Hoyt & Hewitt) serving Ladro espresso, scratch breakfast, gluten-free pastries, and a from-scratch lunch menu. Open Monday through Saturday, with a funky beatnik vibe and a 4.7-star Yelp rating.

    Most coffee shops in Everett pick a lane. You get your third-wave espresso bar that sells a couple pastries from a local bakery. You get your full-breakfast diner that pours drip coffee that’s been sitting there since six in the morning. STRGZR Coffee & Kitchen, on the corner of Hoyt and Hewitt, does both lanes at once — and that is why the line at the counter keeps growing.

    We’ve been stopping in all spring. Here is what we can tell you: this place is the real deal.

    Where It Is and Why the Location Matters

    STRGZR lives at 1422 Hewitt Avenue, right on the corner of Hoyt and Hewitt in downtown Everett. You can reach them at (425) 297-2396.

    That corner is one of the more interesting stretches of downtown right now. You’ve got Narrative Coffee a few blocks over, Artisans Books & Coffee down the street, Sobar Coffee on Colby, and Tabby’s tucked inside the Everett Public Library. Downtown Everett finally has a real coffee scene, and STRGZR is the newest room in the house.

    Walk in and you get what the regulars call “a funky little cafe with sorta a beatnik hippy vibe.” The space is warm, lived-in, and a little weird in the best way. It does not feel like a chain. It does not feel like a coffee shop that is performing coffee-shop aesthetics for Instagram. It just feels like somewhere people actually hang out.

    What to Order

    STRGZR runs on Ladro espresso, which is a Seattle roaster with a long reputation for doing things correctly. That means your latte is going to taste like a Ladro latte — which is to say, good.

    But the real story here is the kitchen. The kitchen is why you stay past one cup.

    Here is what we order and what we recommend:

    • The turkey club sandwich. This is the move. It is the single most-praised item in the 200+ Yelp reviews for a reason. Stacked, fresh, and the bread actually holds up.
    • Homemade hash browns. Not the freezer-bag hash brown rectangles. Actual hash browns. Crisp edges, soft inside. Breakfast food that respects you.
    • Breakfast burritos. Wrapped tight, filled right, reasonably priced.
    • Hand-punched fries. With the sandwiches. Skip the chips option.
    • Gluten-free pastries. A real gluten-free selection — not a single sad muffin in a plastic wrapper. If you have a person in your life who has been suffering through coffee-shop GF options, send them here.

    The breakfast and lunch menus are both made from scratch. The menu lists sandwiches, burgers, breakfast plates, breakfast sandwiches, and pastries — and the kitchen runs during business hours, not just for a rushed morning window.

    The Hours Situation (Check Before You Go)

    STRGZR runs a slightly unusual schedule. Here is what is currently listed:

    • Monday: 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
    • Tuesday: 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
    • Wednesday: 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
    • Thursday: Closed
    • Friday: 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
    • Saturday: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
    • Sunday: Closed

    Two things to flag. First, they’re closed Thursday and Sunday, which is not the schedule most downtown coffee shops run. Do not show up Thursday morning expecting a latte. Second, the kitchen closes at 3 PM — this is not a late-afternoon or evening spot. It’s a breakfast and lunch operation, full stop. Hours can shift, so a quick call before you drive over is never a bad idea.

    Parking and Getting There

    Parking in downtown Everett is mostly street metered parking, and 1422 Hewitt puts you right in the thick of the downtown grid. If you’re coming mid-morning, there is usually a spot within a block or two. The garage options at Wall and Wetmore are a short walk if the street is full. Bus riders: multiple Everett Transit routes run along Hewitt.

    Who This Place Is For

    STRGZR is for:

    • Anyone looking for real scratch breakfast food downtown before 11 AM
    • Remote workers who want a funky, quiet-ish spot that’s not another third-wave white-tile espresso bar
    • Anyone with a gluten-free friend who deserves better than they’ve been getting
    • People who want Ladro coffee without driving to Seattle
    • Anyone avoiding chain breakfast and wanting something that feels like the owner actually made it

    It is not really for: evening crowds (closes at 3), people who need laptop outlets at every table (we’ve seen a mix), or anyone who wants their breakfast done in under 15 minutes during the Saturday rush.

    The Bigger Picture for Downtown Everett

    Between Narrative Coffee, Sobar, Makario Coffee Roasters, Tabby’s at the library, and STRGZR, downtown Everett now has more genuinely good coffee shops in a four-block radius than it’s had at any point in the last two decades. That’s not an accident. Hewitt Avenue has been in a slow, steady lift for years — condos going in, old storefronts getting reinvested in, new restaurants filling ground floors — and the coffee scene is one of the clearest indicators that it’s actually sticking.

    STRGZR showing up on the Hoyt & Hewitt corner is part of that. It’s exactly the kind of independent, scratch-kitchen, mid-morning-to-mid-afternoon operator that a real downtown needs in order to feel like a downtown. Not a drive-through. Not a chain. Just a neighborhood cafe doing the work.

    The Bottom Line

    Go. Order the turkey club. Sit at a window seat. Get the hand-punched fries. Leave a tip. If you have a gluten-free person in your life, bring them. If you hate Thursdays already, now you have another reason.

    STRGZR Coffee & Kitchen is the kind of downtown Everett spot that proves the neighborhood is not just getting built up — it’s getting better.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is STRGZR Coffee & Kitchen located?

    STRGZR Coffee & Kitchen is at 1422 Hewitt Avenue in downtown Everett, on the corner of Hoyt and Hewitt. The phone number is (425) 297-2396.

    What are STRGZR’s hours?

    STRGZR is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Saturday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and closed on Thursday and Sunday. Hours can shift, so call ahead if you’re making a trip.

    What kind of coffee does STRGZR serve?

    STRGZR serves Ladro espresso, the well-known Seattle-based roaster. They also offer standard cafe drinks built on that espresso.

    Does STRGZR have gluten-free options?

    Yes. STRGZR is specifically known for a real gluten-free pastry selection, not just a single token item. It’s one of the better gluten-free cafe options in downtown Everett.

    What should I order at STRGZR?

    Regulars consistently recommend the turkey club sandwich, homemade hash browns, breakfast burritos, and the hand-punched fries. The scratch breakfast and lunch menus are the draw alongside the coffee.

    Is STRGZR good for remote work?

    It has a warm, lived-in vibe that works well for short to medium work sessions. It is not a quiet library, but it’s a solid spot for a morning of focused work before the lunch rush hits.

    How busy does STRGZR get on weekends?

    Saturday mornings can draw a line, especially mid-morning. If you want a table without a wait, go right at open or after 1 PM.

  • Millwright District Phase 2: Everett Waterfront Retail

    Millwright District Phase 2: Everett Waterfront Retail

    What is planned for retail in Millwright District Phase 2? The Port of Everett and Lincoln Property Company are targeting family-entertainment retail for Phase 2 of the Millwright District at Waterfront Place — including a movie theater, miniature golf, an arcade, bowling, plus smaller shops, gyms, and salons. Retail is anticipated to be completed by mid-2029, behind the up-to-120,000 sq. ft. of Class-A office space currently in pre-leasing.

    We’ve spent a lot of time on the office side of the Millwright District story — the up-to-120,000 square feet of Class-A space across three interconnected buildings, the 5,000 sq. ft. minimum suite, the pre-leasing campaign Lincoln Property Company has been running since 2025. It’s a real story and we’ll keep covering it. But the part we get asked about more often, by people who actually live in Everett, is the other part: what’s going to be on the ground floor?

    Now we have at least a directional answer. According to recent Port presentations and Phase 2 planning materials, the family-entertainment retail vision for Millwright is starting to come into focus — and it’s a meaningful departure from the Restaurant Row playbook the Port used at Fisherman’s Harbor. Phase 1 went all-in on dining. Phase 2 is leaning toward things you do, not just things you eat.

    What’s on the wishlist

    The Port has publicly described the Millwright Phase 2 retail mix as family-entertainment-style retail, with specific concepts named in planning conversations including:

    • A movie theater — the kind of anchor Everett has been thin on since the closure of older downtown screens. Whether that’s a multiplex format or a smaller boutique theater isn’t yet specified, but the floorplate at Millwright supports either.
    • Miniature golf — likely indoor or partially-indoor given the Everett rain calendar, leaning into the date-night and family-outing market.
    • Arcade and bowling — both commonly bundled in modern entertainment retail concepts (think Pinstripes or Bowlero in larger markets, or smaller independent operators in mid-size cities like ours).
    • Small shops, gyms, and salons — the day-to-day service retail layer that an apartment cluster of this size needs to function.

    That’s the menu. None of it is signed yet — the Port and Lincoln have not announced specific tenants for Phase 2 retail as of late April 2026 — but the program direction is set, and that direction tells you a lot about how the next five years on the waterfront are going to look.

    Why the entertainment-retail pivot makes sense

    Here’s the math the Port is working with. By the time Phase 2 opens, the immediate Waterfront Place neighborhood will have:

    • The 266 existing apartments at the Sawyer and Carling (currently 95% occupied)
    • The 300+ new units breaking ground in Millwright Phase 2
    • Two existing hotels
    • 1.6+ million annual visitors based on 2024 numbers
    • 14 existing food and beverage venues with five more opening in 2025-2026

    That’s a lot of people who already eat here. What they don’t have within walking distance is somewhere to go after dinner that isn’t another bar. The entertainment-retail pivot answers that gap directly. It also pulls in a market the Port hasn’t aggressively chased yet — families with kids old enough to want their own thing — and it gives apartment residents a reason to stay on the waterfront on a Saturday afternoon instead of driving to Lynnwood or Alderwood for a movie.

    The math also works for retail tenants. Ground-floor entertainment concepts need foot traffic and parking. Waterfront Place provides both: 1.6M annual visitors, free public parking through the lots and garages, and a captive resident population growing toward 600+ units within a five-minute walk. That’s a stronger pre-opening pitch than most ground-floor retail in suburban Snohomish County can offer.

    How the Port is staging the buildout

    The current sequencing on Millwright Phase 2 is roughly:

    • 2025-2026: Office pre-leasing campaign with Lincoln Property Company. Targeting up to 120,000 sq. ft. of Class-A space across up to three buildings.
    • 2026: 300+ apartment units breaking ground.
    • 2027-2028: Office and apartment delivery. Vertical construction across the Millwright site.
    • Mid-2029 target: Retail phase completion — including the family-entertainment tenants the Port is now pursuing.

    The retail trails the office and residential delivery on purpose. You don’t open a movie theater into an empty district. You open it once the residents are moved in, the office workers are filling the cafes at lunch, and the foot-traffic baseline is established. Mid-2029 lines up roughly with the Sawyer/Carling stabilizing fully and the new 300+ units hitting their first turnover cycle.

    Where this fits in Everett’s bigger entertainment-retail picture

    Everett doesn’t have a lot of entertainment retail right now. The closest comparable concepts are scattered: Round1 at Alderwood Mall, the AMC at Alderwood, a couple of bowling centers, the venues that anchor the Mill Creek and Lynnwood ends of the county. Within Everett city limits, the nearest movie theater operating today is the Stanwood Cinemas/Galaxy chain reach, plus the historic Everett Theatre downtown for a different kind of programming.

    What that means is Millwright’s family-entertainment vision doesn’t have to fight an existing concentration in the immediate area. It can fill a real gap. The downtown stadium project, if it moves forward, will pull additional event-night traffic to the same general district. The Eclipse Mill Park signature park project will add green-space programming in the same corridor. Combine those and you start to see the outlines of an actual entertainment district — waterfront restaurants, ballpark, family-entertainment retail, signature park — within a 15-minute walk of each other.

    That’s the bet. It’s a long bet — mid-2029 is three years out — but the supporting pieces are stacking up.

    What could change this

    Three things to watch:

    1. Office pre-leasing momentum. If Lincoln signs anchor office tenants ahead of schedule, the entire Millwright timeline pulls forward and retail gets in faster. If office pre-leasing stalls, the retail phase slides right.

    2. The downtown stadium decision. The April 29 City Council vote on the additional $10.6M design funding will tell us a lot about whether the stadium becomes the second anchor of the entertainment district or gets restructured. Either way, it shapes the foot-traffic math the retail tenants will run.

    3. Tenant economics. Modern entertainment retail concepts — especially anchor formats like movie theaters and full bowling centers — have been navigating real headwinds nationally. A signed deal with a national anchor would meaningfully de-risk the timeline. A series of smaller independent operators is also possible and would shape the district differently.

    The bottom line for Everett

    The Millwright Phase 2 retail vision is one of the more interesting development bets currently on the table for Everett. It’s not a guarantee — none of the named concepts are signed, and the timeline runs into 2029. But the Port is signaling clearly where they want this to go, and that signal matters because it’s directional information for everyone else: prospective office tenants, restaurant operators looking at the last Fisherman’s Harbor parcels, residential developers eyeing parcels north and south of Millwright, and small-business owners thinking about whether the waterfront is where they want their next location.

    Three years from now, if all of this lands, walking Waterfront Place on a Saturday night could mean dinner at Tapped Public House, a movie at the Millwright theater, a round of mini-golf, and a beer at Sound to Summit before heading home to a Sawyer apartment. That’s a different city than the one we have today.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What kind of retail is planned for Millwright District Phase 2?
    Family-entertainment-style retail, with specific concepts including a movie theater, miniature golf, an arcade, bowling, plus smaller shops, gyms, and salons.

    When will Millwright District Phase 2 retail open?
    The Port has indicated mid-2029 as the target for retail phase completion, behind the office and residential delivery scheduled for 2027-2028.

    Have any specific retail tenants been announced?
    Not as of late April 2026. The Port and Lincoln Property Company have described the retail vision and program direction publicly, but no signed tenants have been named for Phase 2 retail.

    How much office space is in Millwright Phase 2?
    Up to 120,000 square feet of Class-A office space across up to three interconnected buildings. Suites range from 5,000 sq. ft. up to the full 120,000 sq. ft. Pre-leasing is being run by Lincoln Property Company.

    How many apartments will Phase 2 add?
    300+ new residential units, which will join the existing 266 units at the Sawyer and Carling — bringing total Waterfront Place housing close to 600 units when Phase 2 stabilizes.

    How does this compare to Phase 1 at Fisherman’s Harbor?
    Phase 1 led with dining — Restaurant Row now hosts Fisherman Jack’s, South Fork Baking Company, Rustic Cork, The Net Shed, Tapped Public House, with Marina Azul and Menchie’s opening soon. Phase 2 is leaning toward entertainment retail rather than additional restaurants, on the theory that the dining base has been established and residents now need somewhere to go after dinner.

    Where is Millwright District located?
    Just north of Fisherman’s Harbor at the Port of Everett’s Waterfront Place. It’s part of the same 65+ acre waterfront redevelopment, walking distance from Boxcar Park and the Central Marina esplanade.

  • Port of Everett Sculpture: The Story of the Bowen Bronze

    Port of Everett Sculpture: The Story of the Bowen Bronze

    What is the new bronze sculpture at the Port of Everett? A bronze figure of a young girl looking out over the marina, installed in late 2025 along the Central Marina esplanade between Pacific Rim Plaza and Boxcar Park. Sultan-based artist Kevin Pettelle created the piece, inspired by a 1940s photograph of Kathy Reinell Bowen — daughter of Reinell Boats founder Edward Reinell — taken by her father between what were then Pier 1 and Pier 2 of the Everett boat harbor.

    If you’ve walked the Central Marina esplanade at the Port of Everett anytime in the last few months, you’ve probably already met her. A small bronze figure in a plaid jacket and saddle shoes, looking past the slips toward what is now a working international Seaport. She doesn’t have a plaque calling her by name, but she has one — and the story behind her is one of the more quietly remarkable pieces of public art the Port has installed.

    We’ve been spending a lot of time on the waterfront chasing what’s coming next — the Sawyer and Carling at 95 percent occupancy, the steakhouse pitch for the last Restaurant Row parcel, Marina Azul almost open, the next phase of Millwright office space pre-leasing. It’s easy in that mode to walk right past the things that are already finished. The Bowen bronze is one of them. And it’s worth a stop.

    Who is the girl in the bronze?

    Her name is Kathy Reinell Bowen. The original photograph was taken in the 1940s by her father, Edward Reinell, founder of Reinell Boats — one of the boat-building names woven into Everett’s mid-century maritime history. In the photo she’s about four or five years old, standing at the edge of the small Everett boat harbor that sat between what was then Pier 1 and Pier 2. The pose is unposed in the way good family photos are: she’s just looking out at the water, the way a kid does when grownups are talking and the boats are more interesting.

    The photograph hung at the Everett Yacht Club for years. According to Historic Everett, a former classmate of Bowen’s spotted it on the wall, recognized her, and that’s how the Port and the artist were eventually able to put a name to the picture. That’s the kind of detail that makes this piece land differently than most public art commissions. It isn’t a generic bronze of a generic kid. It’s a real person, identified by the people who knew her, immortalized at a place her family helped build.

    The artist: Kevin Pettelle, Sultan, WA

    The sculpture was created by Kevin Pettelle, a bronze artist based in Sultan, Washington — about an hour east of Everett up the Skykomish Valley. Pettelle has done figurative bronze work across the Pacific Northwest for decades, and the Bowen piece is among the last bronze sculptures he says he plans to make in his career. That detail alone makes the installation feel less like another city beautification line item and more like a closing chapter from a working artist who chose to spend it on Everett.

    The bronze itself is full of details you only catch on a second look. The buttons on her coat are stamped with the Port’s Waterfront Place logo. The patina on her scarf fans out in a pattern designed to mimic light moving across water. She’s wearing the same plaid jacket and saddle shoes from the photograph, in the same pose. Pettelle didn’t redraw the girl — he reached back into the original frame and pulled her out three-dimensionally.

    Where to find her

    The sculpture sits along the Central Marina esplanade, in the stretch between Pacific Rim Plaza and Boxcar Park. If you’re parking at Waterfront Place and walking south toward Boxcar, you’ll pass her on the water side of the path. The vista was deliberately chosen — she’s looking out across the marina toward the slips, not at the buildings behind her. The whole installation is essentially asking you to share her view for a minute.

    It’s an easy add to any waterfront walk. From the Bluewater Distilling end of Fisherman’s Harbor it’s about a five-minute stroll south along the esplanade. From Boxcar Park itself it’s even closer — head north along the water and you’ll be there in two or three minutes.

    How the piece fits the Port’s bigger public art push

    The Bowen bronze isn’t standing alone out there. The Port has been quietly building a public art collection along Waterfront Place for several years now — most visibly the illuminated orca installation that anchors the southern end of Boxcar Park, plus several smaller historical interpretation pieces and signage installations through Pacific Rim Plaza. The Port’s stated goal is to layer in art that connects the working maritime past to the redeveloped present without feeling like a museum tour.

    That layering matters for a place like Waterfront Place. This is a redevelopment of a working harbor — the Port still moves around 16 million tons of cargo a year, the marina is the largest public marina on the West Coast with 2,300 slips, and 1.6 million people visited the waterfront in 2024 alone. There’s real potential for the new restaurants, hotels, and apartments to flatten that history into background. The Bowen piece is a small but pointed counter to that — a reminder that the Reinell name and the boat-building families and the kids who grew up on these docks are part of why this place is worth redeveloping in the first place.

    Why this matters more than a typical public art install

    Most public art at master-planned developments is decorative. A nice piece, well-lit, photographed for the marketing site, mostly invisible to the people who live there after the first month. The Bowen bronze is doing something different. It’s connecting a specific local family — Reinell Boats, the photograph, the yacht club, the classmate who recognized her — to a specific physical spot on the redeveloped waterfront. That’s harder to walk past.

    It also pairs really well with the Port’s broader case for the waterfront, which is essentially: this place was always something to people. The redevelopment isn’t building a destination from scratch. It’s building a destination on top of a working harbor that already had stories, families, and kids who looked out at boats. The bronze makes that argument quietly and without a press release.

    What we’d like to see next

    One thing that’s still missing: signage. Right now there’s no plaque at the sculpture explaining who Bowen is, who Pettelle is, or what the original photograph was. People stop, look, take a picture, and walk on without the story. Adding a small interpretive sign — even just a QR code linking to the Port’s public art page — would multiply the value of the piece without changing it. The Port has done this well at other Waterfront Place installations and at Boxcar Park; this one deserves the same treatment.

    Beyond that, the Bowen bronze sets a real bar for what additional public art on the waterfront should look like. As Phase 2 of Waterfront Place opens up new public spaces around Eclipse Mill Park and the Millwright District, the Port has a chance to keep going in this direction — local families, real people, specific photographs, named artists. Not generic.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is the new Port of Everett bronze sculpture located?
    Along the Central Marina esplanade at Waterfront Place, between Pacific Rim Plaza and Boxcar Park. It’s on the water side of the walking path.

    Who is the girl depicted in the bronze?
    Kathy Reinell Bowen, daughter of Edward Reinell, founder of Reinell Boats. The original photograph was taken by her father in the 1940s when she was approximately 4-5 years old.

    Who created the sculpture?
    Sultan, WA-based bronze artist Kevin Pettelle. The Port of Everett commissioned the piece, and Pettelle has indicated it’s among the last bronze sculptures he plans to make in his career.

    When was the sculpture installed?
    Late 2025, with a public unveiling held in February 2026.

    Are there other public art pieces at the Port of Everett?
    Yes. The Port has been building a public art collection along Waterfront Place for several years, including the illuminated orca installation at Boxcar Park, historical interpretation pieces at Pacific Rim Plaza, and signage installations throughout the development.

    Is there a fee to see it?
    No. The esplanade is a public walkway. Free parking is available throughout Waterfront Place — see the Port’s 2026 visitor parking guide for current rates and locations.

    What was the original photograph?
    A 1940s candid taken by Edward Reinell of his daughter Kathy looking out over the small Everett boat harbor that sat between what were then Pier 1 and Pier 2. The photograph hung at the Everett Yacht Club for decades, where a classmate of Bowen’s eventually recognized her.