What's happening in Maple Valley
Maple Valley is hosting City of Maple Valley Pride in the Park on June 4, 2026, as part of a comprehensive statewide Pride Month celebration. The event is listed among dozens of LGBTQ+ gatherings happening across Washington throughout June, July, and August. For details and to RSVP, visit the city’s community events page.
The Maple Valley Arts Festival is seeking volunteers for event setup, artist assistance, hospitality, and other activities. Whether you can spare a few hours or multiple days, organizers welcome your help to support the arts and strengthen community connections. High school students can earn community service hours while participating in this beloved local event. Sign up through the volunteer link provided to join the team.
Maple Valley’s Arts Festival returns Saturday and Sunday, June 13 & 14, with free juried and saloon art exhibits, textile displays, and children’s and youth exhibits. The festival features live dance and music performances plus an MV Idol Jr. performance following the parade. Artists are invited to participate in this community celebration of local creativity.
Maple Valley Days returns to Lake Wilderness Park June 10–12. The community celebration kicks off Friday, June 10 from 4–8 PM, continues Saturday, June 11 from 10 AM–8 PM, and wraps up Sunday, June 12 from 10 AM–5 PM. It’s a great weekend to get outdoors and celebrate our town with neighbors and friends.
The Maple Valley Creative Arts Council is calling for artists to apply for the Maple Valley Days Arts Festival, happening June 12–14, 2026, at Lake Wilderness Lodge. This juried event welcomes painters, photographers, sculptors, ceramicists, jewelers, and other artisans, with a new dedicated Textile Exhibition this year. Selected artists get displayed booths, sales opportunities, and two complimentary tickets to a VIP Opening Gala on Friday where awards will be announced. Applications are now open at mvcac.clubexpress.com, with space filling quickly.
The Maple Valley Historical Society is offering commemorative tiles for the Memory Walkway. Community members interested in purchasing a tile can contact the Historical Society directly for details and ordering information.
Tahoma High School seniors have several key dates ahead: Senior Awards at the PAC on May 28 at 6 p.m., Senior Sunset & Movie Night on June 6, and their last day June 11 with optional elementary grad walk and checkout at 12:20 p.m. Graduation rehearsal is June 15 at 9 a.m. at the THS gym, with commencement at 7 p.m. at ShoWare Center in Kent.
Tahoma High School’s PTA is seeking community support for the 2026 Grad Night celebration, a safe and sober event for graduating seniors. The class has about 60 days until graduation. Supporters can sponsor the event, donate items from an Amazon wishlist, make monetary donations, or participate in local fundraisers including 10% nights at House & Hazel in April and a 25% proceeds day at MOD Pizza on Friday, April 24, 2026. Sponsorships close May 1, 2026.
Sound Transit’s Board adopted a revised $57.5 billion ST3 plan on May 28, addressing a $34.5 billion shortfall from the 2016 voter-approved project. The plan prioritizes the regional spine from Tacoma to Everett, with the 16-mile Everett Link Extension (costing $9.5 billion) targeted to open between 2037 and 2041. Lynnwood’s David Parshall and Snohomish County leaders championed expanded regional connectivity beyond King County, while debates over Ballard Link timing and scope highlighted ongoing tensions about project delivery.
King County’s Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) is implementing new oversight protocols following a 2025 audit that flagged 19 of 36 youth program contracts for potential issues. The King County Office of the Ombuds released a report in May citing $446,000 in possible fund misuse, though no fraud has been confirmed. DCHS has adopted nine new policies, created provider trainings, established an anti-fraud protocol, and is hiring additional compliance staff to strengthen accountability over the $1.8 billion it distributes annually.
South County Fire Board postponed its bond vote decision to June 9 after commissioners requested more community outreach and options before asking voters to fund fire station repairs. While the board agrees the stations need fixes, commissioners weren’t ready to move forward immediately, signaling a desire for broader discussion with residents on the funding approach.
The King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) faces serious scrutiny after an April forensic audit revealed a $45 million deficit with $13 million in unaccounted or overspent funds. Seattle and King County officials have set an August 1 deadline to decide whether to dissolve or reform the agency, which manages $65 million in federal grants serving 4,500 households. Service providers worry hasty dissolution could jeopardize federal funding and disrupt critical systems like intake and case management.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide drought emergency in April due to unusually warm winter weather cutting snowpack to roughly half of normal levels. State officials warn of increased wildfire risk and urge residents to conserve water through early summer, though the Seattle-Tacoma area is not expected to face water supply issues. This marks the fourth statewide drought emergency since 2015.
Taylor Creek Church in Maple Valley offers an inspirational message about overcoming fear and worry through faith. The church, located at 21110 244th Ave. S.E., invites the community to Sunday School at 9:00 AM and Worship at 10:15 AM. For more information, call 425-432-0634 or visit taylorcreekchurch.org.
King County officials are warning residents about increased drowning hazards on local rivers this summer following December’s flooding. The advisory from the county executive’s office urges caution around rivers like the Green River, which flows through our area. After heavy flooding earlier this winter, river conditions remain unpredictable—a good reminder to keep an eye on kids and pets near the water this season.
Seattle City Council voted 9-0 Tuesday to give Mayor Katie Wilson until August 1 to recommend whether to restructure, dissolve, or continue the King County Regional Homelessness Authority. The decision follows an April audit finding $13 million in mismanaged taxpayer funds and a $45 million deficit at the agency created in 2019. The troubled KCRHA will present a corrective action plan to council on June 5.
ORCA is launching a promotional 3-Day Puget Pass from June 1 through August 31, 2026, offering unlimited regional transit for $18 adults and $6 for seniors and disabled riders. The pass covers three consecutive days of travel on most Puget Sound transit services and is designed to help residents and visitors navigate major summer events, including the World Cup in Seattle. Maple Valley residents can purchase passes online, through the myORCA app, or at vending machines.
Black Diamond is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its Historical Museum this Saturday, June 6th, from 10 am to 3 pm with a ribbon-cutting and new underground coal mine exhibit. The free community event at the 1886 railroad depot (32627 Railroad Avenue) marks a milestone for the museum while honoring the region’s coal mining heritage that shaped south King County’s growth in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Sound Transit’s appointed board voted last Thursday to delay or cut billions in regional transit projects, including shortening the Ballard line at Seattle Center and postponing South King County extensions to 2050. The 18-member board—appointed rather than directly elected—includes King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello, and other county and city officials who control transit decisions affecting the three-county region, including Maple Valley residents who depend on regional transit planning.
Sound Transit’s board voted down the Ballard light rail extension yesterday due to a $35 billion budget gap, though the agency kept other regional lines intact including service to Federal Way, Tacoma, Lynnwood, and Everett. King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci was the only dissenting vote besides Seattle Councilmember Dan Strauss, citing this as the fourth realignment of the ST3 plan voters approved. The board required transit staff to present a timeline for eventually reaching Ballard by August 1.