Revisiting 2020: the 7th Annual Marko’s Variety Show – Virtual Edition

A holiday throwback: For six years, Marko’s Place held an in-person variety show near Christmas time to celebrate the holidays and friends. In  2020, Roslyn wasn’t going to let COVID get in the way of tradition. The 7th Annual Marko’s Variety show was held virtually, with emcee Roslyn Love hosting the event alone from the otherwise empty gathering place.  A variety of acts were submitted, and on the evening of Wednesday, December 23rd, many joined online to watch and share time with each other through a virtual celebration.  Merry Christmas and enjoy the show. 

WhyRoslyn Insider Picks

Roslyn is certainly not limited on things to do, see, eat and drink. Still, we thought it would be fun to share some of our favorite picks – which we believe everyone should try at least once.

  1. Red Bird Cafe – The Corned Beet Reuben: This unique, vegetarian sandwich at the Red Bird Café will not disappoint. Brined and sliced beets, Kraut, Swiss cheese and 1000 Island dressing on Rye bread makes a marvelous meat free Reuben that will satisfy anyone.
  2. Red Bird Cafe – Bird’s Nest Stacker: Have you ever had an “Egg in the Basket” or a “Toad in the Hole”? These are colloquial names for an egg fried in a hole within a slice of bread. Red Bird Cafe - StackerDelicious in its own right, but now imagine two of these serving as the toast on a breakfast sandwich consisting of ham, bacon, and Havarti cheese. Hidden to the side of the menu, this dish is a fantastic way for any egg and meat lover to start their day.
  3. The Roslyn Theatre – The Loge: Many folks already know the building with the Marlon Brando mural is the Roslyn Theatre. It’s a great little theater with a modern digital projector and a fantastic sound system. Likewise, there is no better way to watch a movie at the Roslyn Theater than from seats in the Loge. The Loge is a small balcony area, perhaps about 15 total seats, that gives you a great vantage point for watching the film. Call ahead and reserve seats, because Loge seating goes quickly.
  4. The Roslyn Theatre – Popcorn with “Gravy”: We’ve all had popcorn at the movies, but the Roslyn Theatre serves popcorn reimagined. The “gravy” we recommend consists of butter and brewer’s yeast. Add a touch of salt, and you will have a tub of popcorn that keeps you content regardless of what movie you’ve chosen to see.
  5. Carek’s – Landjager: Around here, you hear a lot about Owen’s Meats. That said, if you’re in the mood for some delicious German style landjager, Carek’s in Roslyn has you covered. It’s available for purchase by the pound, and you can’t go wrong with either the traditional or Jalapeno flavor.
  6. Mama Valones: Bagna Cauda: Okay, we are cheating a bit to include a recommendation from Cle Elum, but this dish is too great to pass up. The Bagna Cauda is a traditional Italian dish centered around a simmering dip of oil, butter and garlic. The dip is heated at your table on a portable burner, and you are given a wide assortment of vegetables to cook up in the delicious garlic and oil stew (think fondue). Cabbage, artichoke hearts, olives, baby corn, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini typically come in the appetizer. The Bagna Cauda dinner also includes meat options. Either are a fun and tasty dish to share with everyone at the table.
  7. The Village Pizza – Honey on your Pie: We’ll be honest, you can’t go wrong with any pizza from Village Pizza. They are all made with care and love and they never miss a opportunity to delight. However, many fail to notice the honey bottles sitting amongst the condiments on the table. Before a visit to Village Pizza, we never would have considered dipping pizza crust in honey, but it’s encouraged here, and it’s fantastic.
  8. Basecamp – Breakfast Sandwich: This is a traditional breakfast sandwich that includes thick country ham on a kaiser roll. The thing that makes this menu item stand out above other traditional breakfast sandwiches is the hand crafted Beecher’s cheddar cheese that tops it.
  9. Roslyn Brewery – IPL & Root Beer: Everybody knows and loves the Brookside and Roslyn Lagers that are available at the brewery and in stores. One might not know that the brewery often has options which are not available in stores. Often, the India Pale Lager is available on tap. It has the hoppiness of an IPA with the light, refreshing, body of a lager. The #9 Root Beer, also only available at the brewery, is another local favorite. Stop into the brewery to enjoy either of these, but be advised the tasting room is for ages 21 and over, so bring a growler if you want to grab some root beer for the road.

These are just some picks that we feel should be on any visitor’s bucket list.  Did we miss some of your favorites?  Be sure to let us know in the comments!

Labor Day Weekend Fun in Roslyn

Labor Day Weekend is one of the busiest weekends of the year in upper Kittitas County. On Saturday, the two day High Country Log Show starts at 1pm, providing a weekend of entertaining logging competitions and fun for the entire family.  The Heritage Club will be holding the traditional Coal Miners Crowning of King Coal at the Miners’ Memorial in Roslyn on Sunday at 10am, just before the annual parade at noon.  While in town, be sure to explore the great downtown shops (including those in the historic NWI building) take in some music at The Roslyn Yard, and browse the popular Sunday Farmers Market! Come for a day or come for the weekend, you’ll be glad you did!

Summer Outdoor Cinema in Roslyn

There’s nothing quite like Roslyn Summer nights, and now there is a great way to enjoy them!  From now until early October, Basecamp Book and Bites is hosting an outdoor cinema series in The Roslyn Yard.  Admission is free (though donations to the Roslyn Fire Department are a welcomed way to show your appreciation).  Movies will begin at sunset and food and beverages will be available for purchase.  Be sure to bring a blanket so you can relax with your family and enjoy the feature.  The full schedules can be found below:

  • June 23 – Northern Exposure Episode 1
  •   June 30 – Northern Exposure Episide 2
  •   July 7 – Northern Exposure Episide 3
  •   July 14 – Northern Exposure Episode 8
  •   July 21 – Toy Story
  •   July 28 – Northern Exposure Episode 5
  •   August 4 – Little Mermaid
  •   August 11 – Lion King
  •   August 18 – Up
  •   August 25 – Meet the Robinsons
  •   September 1 – Walle
  •   September 8 – Monster’s Inc.
  •   September 15 – Explorers
  •   September 22 – Incredibles
  •   September 29 – Goonies
  •   October 5 – How to Train Your Dragon

Enjoy Roslyn’s Student Art Walk!

Upper Kittitas County is brimming with talented, young artists, and Saturday, March 24th, is your chance to come out and experience their talent first hand.  Roslyn’s Annual Student Art Walk will feature hundreds of unique pieces of art on display in local businesses.   Students from pre-school through high school have been working hard to prepare pieces, and all will be on display.  The high school jazz bands will also be performing at Stonehouse 101 starting at 3:30pm.   And in Roslyn, art is not just a spectator sport. Artists young and old can make original art at “Try-It” stations located throughout town. So, bring the family and show your support of the arts while enjoying the works of aspiring local artists and musicians this Saturday between 2pm and 5pm.  You’ll be glad you did!

 

Heritage Distilling Co. Grand Opening

On November 18th, 2017, the long awaited Heritage Distilling Co. opened its doors in Roslyn.  Following is a brief video from the opening day event.

Roslyn Bar Wars 2017 Was Epic!

Bar Wars was another epic event this year – the biggest battle yet! Congratulations and thanks for all of the great participation, donations, and outstanding sportsmanship! For those that don’t know, Bar Wars is an annual water balloon war between the patios of Marko’s Place and the Roslyn Eagles. This year, the trophy went to Marko’s, but the real winners are the charities this event is designed to support. The event raised nearly $3000 to split between ARRF and the Roslyn Library.


As previously noted, the only word that accurately describes this year’s event is “epic!” All totalled, over 12,000 water balloons were thrown. Eagles came on strong early, barraging Marko’s with a torrent of balloons. Paired with the blaring Star Wars Soundtrack echoing out of the Eagles patio sound system, the 696 were truly laying down liquid terror from the sky. However, before long, Marko’s was able to push their way out into no-man’s land and fight from the alley (thanks largely to custom shields many participants made in advance of the battle). In addition to balloons and shields, there was also no shortage of super soakers, giant sling shots, and water buckets. Marko’s even had an archer (armed with a water balloon firing bow) laying down sniper fire from the neighboring Hideaway’s patio. Then, just as the mayhem seemed to reach its peak, insurgents joined in from the street with the full power of the Roslyn Fire Department. Both the Eagles and Marko’s had no choice but to endure the drenching wrath of the fire hoses – which many likened to being affronted by one of the dragons in Game of Thrones. Through it all, both sides battled fiercely until every Bar Wars T-Shirt worn by the Eagles and every superhero costume worn by many of the Marko’s fighters were soaked to the core. About 45 minutes after the battle began, referee Gus blew the horn to signal war time had once again transitioned back to peace.


Thanks also to everyone who went above and beyond to raise money ahead of the event as well. Raffle prizes and fund raising efforts supported by The Roslyn Candy Company, The Roslyn Grocery, Northwest Bicycle Improvement Company, Hope Gallery, Cicely’s Gift Shop, Roslyn Rags, Fused, Whole Pet, Jeb’s Pet Supply, the Eagles, The Roslyn Roadhouse and WhyRoslyn were all essential to the success of the event!  Congrats on a great Bar Wars, and see you all again in 2018!

The Roslyn Farmers Market Has Begun!

The Roslyn Farmers Market starts this weekend!  It runs from 10am to 2pm on Sunday, and will be open every Sunday until September 10th.  Be sure to swing by for music, arts and crafts, farm fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, tasty treats, activities and more.  Come for the market and stay for the day, there is plenty of fun to be had in Roslyn!

Woof it Up at the Canine Festival!

In July, Roslyn goes to the dogs with the city’s first ever Canine Festival! The main attraction of this dog gone day is the DockDog Competition. This will be the second time DockDogs have brought their competition to Roslyn to face off on a 40 foot dock looming over a 26,000 gallon pool that will be constructed in Runje Field. Owners and their dogs compete in three categories: Big Air, Extreme Vertical and Speed Retrieve. This year, first timers are even welcome to register and try out some dock diving. Between waves, you’ll have no lack of entertainment as you’re invited to visit the vendors or enjoy the beer garden. It’s going to be a great time for you and your furry friends, so come on out to Roslyn July 7, 8 and 9th.

Labor Day Weekend in Roslyn


Labor Day Weekend is one of the busiest weekends of the year in upper Kittitas County. On Saturday, the two day High Country Log Show starts at 1pm, providing a weekend of entertaining logging competitions and fun for the entire family. Saturday night, consider visiting the Roslyn, Ronald, Cle Elum Heritage Club’s All Nation’s Heritage Night celebration at Hawthorne Hall in the neighboring town of Ronald.  The event celebrates all nations and will feature live music, Glondo’s sausage, a dessert table, and even a raffle.  The Heritage ParadeClub will also be holding the traditional Coal Miners Crowning of King Coal at the Miners’ Memorial in Roslyn on Sunday at 10am, just before the annual parade at noon.  While in town, be sure to explore the great downtown shops (including those in the historic NWI building) take in some music at The Roslyn Yard,  and browse the popular Sunday Farmers Market! Come for a day or come for the weekend, either way, you’ll be glad you did!

 

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