Run, Don’t Walk, to the 2011 Roslyn Crawl
13 Sep 2011 2 Comments
in Events Tags: Music, Rock, Roslyn Crawl, WA
On Friday Sept 30th and Saturday Oct 1st, Roslyn will be overtaken by music in the form of the Second Annual Roslyn Crawl. The Crawl will feature 35 bands in six venues and is an excellent opportunity for music lovers to experience Roslyn while enjoying some great entertainment. The participating venues include the Brick Saloon, The Pastime, Marko’s Tavern, The Eagles Club, Stonehouse 101, and the Vintage Vine. All six locations are within a couple blocks of each other, so you actually could crawl from place to place if absolutely necessary.
The bands cover the entire musical spectrum – ranging from blues to folk, from rock to hip-hop, from pop to country, and everything else on the outskirts and in-between. See the entire line up here.
Tickets are $20 for Friday night, $30 for Saturday, or $40 for the entire weekend. Get your tickets before they sell out at Brown Paper Tickets. If last year’s crawl is any indication, lodging in the area is going to fill up fast, so lock in a place to stay while you can!
Roslyn Prepares for 125 Year Anniversary Celebration
31 Aug 2011 Leave a Comment
in Events Tags: Coal Miner Days, Festival, Labor Day Weekend, Parade, Roslyn, WA
- Commemorative Wooden Nickel: Available at Roslyn area businesses
This Labor Day Weekend, Roslyn will celebrate its 12th Annual Coal Miner Days Festival.  This year is extra special because Roslyn is also celebrating the city’s 125th Anniversary.  The annual event pays tribute to those miners (and their families) who forged Roslyn’s rich history. Over the course of the weekend, the city will host festivities that include music, vendors, a beer garden, food, games, a soap box derby, a logging show, and more! It all builds up to the Heritage Ceremony, King Coal Crowning, and Grand Parade on Sunday. Come out to Roslyn to share in the memories and celebrate the days when coal was king! More information on activities and timing can be found here.
Tina-Marie leads the artistic effort to liven up Roslyn storefronts for the celebration.
Stan the Man with the White Van
29 Aug 2011 1 Comment
in Inside Roslyn, Videos Tags: Designated Driver, Roslyn, Stan, Stan the Man, WA
It seems like anywhere you go in Roslyn, you can’t avoid hearing the name, “Stan the Man“. Perhaps it’s when someone has had one to many to drink and asks the barkeep to dial up Stan the Man. Or, when the community is holding an event that features music, and Stan the Man is called on to pull it together. Maybe it’s when you’re attending one of Roslyn or Cle Elum’s many open mic nights, where Stan the Man and his instruments take center stage. Whatever the case, you are sure to hear his name if you stick around long enough. As such, it was a real treat for us to catch up with him at Roslyn’s Sunday Market to find out more about his weekend designated driver services and his passion for music. If you wish to contact him, find him on Facebook, or just roll into one of Roslyn’s bars on a weekend and say “dial up Stan the Man!”
The Roslyn Cemetery is Alive with History
21 Aug 2011 4 Comments
in Inside Roslyn Tags: Roslyn, Roslyn Cemetery, WA
The Roslyn Cemetery is actually 27 separate cemeteries bundled together in the wooded Roslyn hillside. Nearly 5000 graves represent 24 different nationalities that used to live in the town (many worked in the coal mines). For the most part, the cemeteries are separated into fraternal organizations that represent particular ethnic groups. Because of the diversity represented in the cemeteries, visitors will notice a lot of variation in how the graves are marked. Some are adorned with metal crosses, while others are marked with intricately carved (albeit weathered) stone work. The arrangement of the plots are also interesting in that most face East, but the Polish cemetery faces North. The reason for the North facing layout of the Polish cemetary is not entirely clear, though some feel it was so the headstones would face the Church where they worshiped.
The cemetery is also a stark reminder of the hardships and tragedies experienced by those early founders of Roslyn. Graves memorialize two of the most deadly mine explosions in Washington State, which occurred in Roslyn in 1892 and 1909. Baby and children’s graves provide a sense of the high infant mortality rate faced in those tough times; and impacts of epidemics like 1918’s Spanish Flu are also evidenced by the high death rates in those periods.
The Roslyn Cemetary Beneficial Association (RCBA) offers a downloadable walking tour on their website. The RCBA is a nonprofit organization that focuses financial and community resources toward preserving the cemetery and donations are encouraged. The Roslyn Cemetery Commission also manages restoration projects, and more information on their activities can be found here. Additional images from the cemetery can be found on the Why Roslyn Facebook Page.
The Runner Stumbles
03 Aug 2011 1 Comment
in Just for Fun Tags: Dick Van Dyke, Roslyn, The Runner Stumbles, WA
Most people remember when the world knew Roslyn as Cicely, Alaska – the fictional town that was the setting for the television show Northern Exposure. However, few may remember when Roslyn was Solona, Michigan – the home of a conflicted priest named Father Rivard and an energetic, young nun named Sister Rita. In the 1979 film, The Runner Stumbles, Dick Van Dyke plays a priest accused of murdering a new nun in his parish. Told largely through flashbacks, the Immaculate Conception Church on North B St. is where much of the story unfolds, and Roslyn is the backdrop for the film’s many outdoor scenes.
It has been over thirty years since that movie was first released and it has never been published on DVD, however, it can be found playing on very rare occasion at the Roslyn movie theater.
Rails to Ales Serves Up a Tasty Evening in South Cle-Elum
11 Jul 2011 1 Comment
in Events, Nearby Places Tags: Beer, Brewfest, Cle Elum, Rails to Ales, WA
On Saturday, July 9th, the 4th Annual Rails to Ales Brewfest took place at the Train Depot in South Cle Elum. In total, 18 breweries, two hard cider makers, and a winery turned out to represent. Being a fan of hoppy beers, my favorites tended to be IPAs (Georgetown Brewing’s Lucille, Diamond Knot’s IPA, and the Snoqualmie Wildcat to name a few). 
There were some interesting discoveries for me as well (like the Dark Cherry Stout from Horse Heaven Hills Brewery out of Prosser). Of course, the Roslyn Brewing Company was also representing their lagers (but I didn’t get a taste because I had spent the hour before having pints at the brewery!). The Best in Show designation, decided by people’s choice ballots, went to Manny’s Pale Ale from Georgetown Brewing.
Musical acts included Bump Kitchen, Jumpin’ Johnny and Mr. E Band. Additionally, Maverick’s Steakhouse and Casino sponsored a dunk tank that beckoned volunteers from the crowd to be dunkers or dunkies. Food service was provided by vendors including 2R Bar & Bistro, Glondo’s Sausages, The BBQ Schacht, Rustic Root Catering, and Suncadia. As the sun began to set, we were feeling the effects of our festive afternoon, so it was nice to roll back into Roslyn via the free shuttle service provided by the brewfest.
The Run to Roslyn Car Show Stops Down at Runje Field
10 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
in Events, Inside Roslyn Tags: Classic Cars, Run to Roslyn, WA
The 29th annual Run to Roslyn Car Show took place this weekend at Runje Field. Twenty-nine years ago, a handful of guys pooled some money together to promote the first show. Now, all these years later, it has become a tradition that enthusiasts of classic cars look forward to each summer.
Over 200 cars arrived Saturday morning for the show that ran from 8am to 4pm. The event included BBQ, raffles, trophies, give-aways, a poker walk, and plenty of golden oldies to listen to as you checked out the cars from days-gone-by. All that (and no charge for admission) made for a great time in Roslyn on a sunny day in July!
The Cle-Elum Telephone Museum Connects You to History
04 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment
in Nearby Places Tags: Cle Elum, Telephone Museum, WA, Washington
There is a very good chance that you are currently reading this article on an iPhone or similar smart phone. From that standpoint, it’s hard to believe how much things have changed since the first phone was patented in 1876. It has been 135 years since that patent, by Alexander Graham Bell, but the history of the phone is frozen in time at the Cle Elum Telephone Museum.
Inside the museum (located at 221 East First Street in Cle Elum) you’ll see the evolution of 
telecommunications told through generations of phones and back-end switchboards ranging from 1901 to 1970. Though it’s a fairly small space, it is the oldest complete telephone Museum West of the Mississippi. This is particularly relevant because the museum is in the space that was once the Cle Elum Manual Exchange – the home of the last operating telephone switchboard West of the Mississippi – which connected its last call on September 18, 1966.
In addition to the telephone displays, the museum also features a collection of coal mining artifacts and displays from Cle Elum’s historical bank. The museum is operated by the Northern Kittitas County Historical Society. While there is no cost to visit; donations are appreciated.
Tie-Dyed and Gone to Heaven
30 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment
in Inside Roslyn Tags: Roslyn, Roslyn Rags, Tye-die, WA, Washington
If you’ve got tie-dye vision lately – you’re not alone. That’s because a new tie-dye and screen printing shop called Roslyn Rags just opened in the historic NWI building in downtown Roslyn.
As you enter the shop, you are greeted by a rush of color reflecting from the brightly patterned apparel and tapestries hanging on the walls.  In fact, there is even a couch and chair positioned against the South wall in case you’d like to sit and enjoy it for a spell. The store has some fun screen printed tees (like the shirt that says, “I survived a Roslyn cougar attack” and has claw marks on the back); but mostly, the store is packed with tie-dye apparel including men’s boxers, women’s panties, hats, bags, bandanas, shirts, and more (even their business card is tie-dyed fabric)!
If you’re in to tie-dye, this is the place to stock up. If you’re curious how tie-dye patterns are made, check out a video the Alley Kat team posted on YouTube.
Sunday Market Season Begins In Roslyn
20 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment
in Events, Inside Roslyn Tags: farmers market, Roslyn, Sunday Market, WA, Washington
The Sunday Market kicked off the year on June 19th in the heart of downtown Roslyn. The event was well represented by farmers, growers, bakers, and artisans – and many members of the community (and tourists) showed up to enjoy the day. Wendy and I listened to some of the musical entertainment, and then treated ourselves to a breakfast croissant and some fresh baked bagels. There was also plenty of scrumptious produce, dairy and meat products on hand. I was too full to indulge in a Casa De Blanca Tamale, but they looked delicious, so it’s definitely on my checklist for next weekend. The Market will take place every Sunday through September 11th and a complete list of vendors can be found here.
