International Knit in Public Day is celebrated on the second Saturday in June. The holiday is celebrated to showcase knitting as an enjoyable activity to partake in for all ages. This day encourages knitters to knit together in public spaces. Our Ballard Knitters meet at a very public place, Old Stove Gardens, on the second Tuesday of each month and during every session someone wanders over to ask about it or is so excited to see others doing what they love. Worldwide Knit in Public Day was founded in 2005 by Danielle Landes and remains the world’s largest knitting event. We’re still considering where to celebrate this year. If you have ideas or suggestions email us!
TeachingKnitting in PUBlic!Knitting in Parks3 Min Challenge at the Festival
Tuesday, May 12, 2026 is our regular monthly meet up. Join us from 7:00-9:00 pm at Old Stove Brewing Garden (1550 NW 49th Street 98107). Drop in, swing by, stay the whole time, it’s up to you. We can chat about the Spring Beer Hop (good times), we can see how you are doing with your 26 in 26 challenge ( Henrietta thinks she is going slow), or just come by to drop off or pick up yarn. We look forward to seeing new faces and our knitting & crocheting regulars!
Seattle City Council memberDan Strauss will host a Community Meeting on the Future of Ballard Light Rail on Monday, May 11th with representatives from Sound Transit.
Meeting Information
The meeting will be at 6 p.m. on May 11 at the National Nordic Museum (2655 NW Market St, Seattle, WA 98107). It will be a chance for community members to hear from Sound Transit and elected leaders and share their thoughts on the future of the Ballard Link Extension.
Last month, Sound Transit announced it is considering reducing the Ballard Link Extension to help address its long-term financial challenges. Sound Transit has presented three cost-cutting options to its Board of Directors – all three options would stop light rail short of Ballard.
Councilmember Strauss, who also serves as a Sound Transit Board Member, has called the plans unacceptable. He urged Sound Transit to keep its promises to voters who approved the Ballard Light Rail Extension a decade ago and have been paying for it since.
The Sound Transit Board of Directors is expected to vote on whether to adopt one of the cost-cutting options as soon as May 28.
Last Saturday over 100 people(many new to SB), 6 dogs, 30 volunteers from our various projects, and 7 breweries participated in this year’s annual Spring Beer Hop. There were also 11 lucky winners of our raffle which included electric bike rental from Electric Folding Bikes NW, Dingo Dollars for beer/food at Kiss Cafe, a handmade Camp McGowan cribbage board made of maple with padauk inlays and danish oil finish, FC Ballard or Salmon Bay FC game tickets, and many other fun items. It was a lovely day, filled with community, collaboration and celebration!
Beer Hoppers at RooftopNot a Bunny but SO Cute!Check-in for the HopHoppers Learning About Our Bakery Gleaning Project from Volunteers at Urban FamilyHappy Hoppers Enjoying the Deck at Obec’s
First we would like to thank our community partners for sponsoring this event. Kiss Cafe has been a Ballard beer lovers and neighborhood favorite for over 19 years. If you have visited this Cafe nestled in between the Nordic Museum and the Chittenden Locks you know they have delicious soups, sandwiches and one of the largest selections of beers/ciders/wine/NA beverages. They are also home to the “Ballard Drinking Team”, where you enjoy 100 different beers in one year and earn a personalized pint glass, team #, and the associated bragging rights. If you enjoyed this years breweries you can enjoy them all at KISS Cafe. This is a wonderful spot to pick up sandwiches and drinks to take to the Locks, Golden Gardens, or other beautiful near by outdoor spaces. Interested in learning more about craft beer? Join “Beer School” each Wednesday at 4:15pm.
Bears Like Beer!Edible Garden Tour Volunteers Greeting Hoppers at Fair Isle Brewing
Our friends at Electric Folding Bikes Northwest on Leary near the Ballard Bridge and not far from the Burke-Gilman Trail, are celebrating 30 years of service & sales here in the neighborhood. This is a great place to purchase or rent electric bikes, folding bikes and more. Their talented and friendly service team works on all types of bikes. This is a great place to find anything from bike parts to children’s bike accessories and much more.
FC Ballard has been our home team since 2022 and Salmon Bay FC had their inaugural season last year. These teams the whole community can rally behind. Thank you for supporting our event and helping others grow connection here in Ballard. Limback’s Lumber has been here in Ballard for over 96 years! A family owned business now in its third generation, this is the place for quality products and friendly service. Shop local!
Remember, without unique independently owned small businesses Ballard wouldn’t be the wonderful place it is to live, work, and play! Please support these local gems and keep our local economy healthy and resilient. When we support each other great things grow!
Mark your calendars! Our 2nd Game & Puzzle Exchange of 2026 is happening Saturday, May 2 from 3–4:30pm at the Ballard Library. Bring a gently‑used board game, card game, or puzzle—and take home something new-to-you! This casual, drop‑in swap is fun, free, and sustainable for all ages. Please remember: it’s a swap, not a donation site. No RSVP needed—just swing by and join the fun! Questions? Contact Ashlee
Exchange Games You’ve Already Played for Something New to You!Who Got Game? You Got Game!
Sustainable Ballard’s, Free Letters Home project provides cards, stamps and writing materials at Ballard Food Bank on Tuesdays from 11-1pm. The last time Sue was volunteering with FLH she had a number of folks at the BFB requesting postcards. These clients relayed that they were very happy and appreciative of the SB project’s Team, who issue cards and stamps with open arms and in a welcoming way.
One person selected a beautiful PNW postcard. He completed the card, added a stamp and mailed it at BFB postal nook. This client said that he was so happy to use our service which enabled him to communicate with his Mother and stay connected to his Family.
Client Writing to his MotherGot Postcards?
Communication, Connection, and Community are not always easy. We attempt to provide access to our neighbors through this meaningful Sustainable Ballard project. Also, we send our gratitude to those who have donated cards, stamps and writing materials to us. Without your generosity we wouldn’t be as successful at keeping people connected with their loved ones. If you would like to donate stamps, post cards, Mother’s Day, Graduation, Summer Solstice or Father’s Day cards please email us!
As plants are starting to grow and gardens are starting to get planted, the Edible Garden Tour is ramping up too!
Save the date for this year’s tour on Saturday, June 27th, 10 am – 3 pm, in southeast Ballard.
Edible Garden Tour Attendees Strolling Southeast Ballard is Full of Fantastic Food Gardens
If you have a garden in the area (between 65th and 45th, 15th and 3rd) and would like to be a stop on the tour, get in touch with Alyssa (mailto:alyssa.joy.pittman@gmail.com). After we find gardens, we’ll have plenty of work to do promoting the tour and helping the hosts prepare – sign up to volunteer (link: https://forms.gle/nxHq9BdboSPSA5y6A).
The Plus Size Clothing Swap hosted its first event on Sunday April 19th, with 18 attendees and over 100 clothing items donated. Folks spent the afternoon mingling and trying on clothes, and 69 donated pieces went home with a new owner! The remaining clothing items will either find a new home at an upcoming Swap, or be donated to the SMART clothing bank or Ballard Mutual Aid. Many thanks to Sunset Hill Community Hall for sharing their excellent space for the afternoon! Those interested in hearing more about the next Swap can reach out to Project Lead Clare.
The gleaning team collected 1190lbs of produce last month. Our volunteers have been gleaning and sorting lots of spring produce like leafy greens, radishes, apples, herbs, and more. Summer is our busiest time so in the next few months we’re anticipating loads of 400-800 pounds of produce each weekend. If you would like to join our team, feel free to EMAIL US!.
The gleaning program, part of Sustainable Ballard, is an opportunity for volunteers to donate their time to the community by collecting donated food from vendors at the Ballard Farmers Market and bringing it to the Ballard Food Bank. Last year, we collected over 31,000 pounds of food for the Food Bank! Gleaning is a great way to connect with other volunteers, vendors, and the farmers market staff, all while helping to ensure that our neighbors have access to fresh, local produce.
We’re looking for folks who want to get involved to meet at Stoup in Ballard on April 4th at 12pm. If anyone in sustainable Ballard wants to work on this advocacy come to this meet up to find out more. See other ways to get involved below.
Stand with Seattle Subway to make your voices heard at the Sound Transit Board Meeting this Thursday! Three ways to take action below!
Ten years ago a clear majority of voters approved ST3 to build rail to Ballard, West Seattle, Everett, Tacoma, Issaquah, and Kirkland. Since then we’ve gladly been paying hundreds, even thousands of dollars a year in taxes and fees to build this rail network.
We do that because we know expanding the light rail system is essential for our region’s future.
Ten years ago a clear majority of voters approved ST3 to build rail to Ballard, West Seattle, Everett, Tacoma, Issaquah, and Kirkland. Since then we’ve gladly been paying hundreds, even thousands of dollars a year in taxes and fees to build this rail network.
We do that because we know expanding the light rail system is essential for our region’s future.
But now that future is under threat. Rather than explore ways to bring costs down and find new funding in order to deliver the rail expansion that voters approved, the Sound Transit board last week signaled their intention to give up. They’re considering abandoning rail to Ballard entirely, and further delaying the other rail projects we approved ten years ago.
We can’t let that happen. It’s more urgent now than ever before that we build all of the ST3 projects. The climate crisis is getting worse. Gas prices are soaring as global instability grows. Our passenger rail projects need to keep pace with newly expanding urban housing.
Better options exist that will drastically reduce costs, improve the Link Light Rail system, and preserve the scope of ST3. We want to help Sound Transit explore these options in order to build the system we approved, in the timeframe that was promised.
Polling shows that light rail expansion is extremely popular. The public doesn’t want Sound Transit to abandon its promises. We want them to deliver the new rail lines we approved and have been paying for through our taxes for years.
