Seattle Center Festál continues with Irish Festival Seattle

Seattle Center

Seattle Center Festál continues with Irish Festival Seattle, one of the longestrunning festivals within the Festál series. Presented by the Irish Heritage Club, this free public festival takes place Saturday and Sunday at the neighbor recommended her because she was organized, detail-oriented and known among her friends for having the “cleanest counters in town.” at retirement was never meant to last, however. Not long a er he passed in 2013, Franklin High School started planning its 50-year reunion. Friends reached out to ask is year’s festival will celebrate and feature literary accomplishments from Ireland, including honoring for help, and McQuiston was grateful for the opportunity to stay busy and reawaken her passion for building community. Since then, most of McQuiston’s projects have been closer to home and with the people and organizations that she loves most. About ve years ago, she began working on the Reimagine Magnolia Village beauti cation project to raise money to add tables, chairs and other visual improvements to Magnolia’s village streetscape. She is so invested in it that she has even referred to it as the culmination of her life’s work.

Since she was only working part time at the time, McQuiston decided to help out. Her attention to detail and highly organized events changed the way the school ran their fundraiser.

Soon enough, her daughter advanced to Holy Names High School, and McQuiston got to work upgrading its annual fundraiser as well. It was around this time that she launched her own business to plan events and improve fundraising e orts for her clients. McQuiston said it was always a very rewarding experience and that she really enjoyed the work.

When her husband grew ill, she retired from her fundraising work to care for him full time.

Seattle Center Armory. e festival will feature live musical performances, genealogy workshops, children’s activities, step-dancing and Irish and Celtic cra goods.

Reimagine Magnolia Village beauti cation project

Jason ibeaux, the executive director for the Magnolia Chamber of Commerce, said he had been daydreaming about doing something to spruce up the village area and committed to it during a community meeting.

“I thought we could do better for Magnolia, and I just needed the people that would be willing to do the work with me,” those who have won the Nobel Prize in Literature. 2023 marks the 100th anniversary of Irish poet, dramatist and prose writer W.B. Yeats winning this prize, and he will be honored along with other writers such as George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney. ibeaux said.

McQuiston was one of the rst people to whom he reached out, and he said she was the absolute perfect person for this project. She started work by talking with friends, neighbors and community members and eventually formed a team. She o en used the Starbucks on McGraw as an uno cial o ce. One morning, she found herself talking to resident Don Gillmore as he tried to enjoy a cup of co ee. Gillmore, an architect, also happens to be the project manager for the Building Excellence Capitol Levy for Seattle Public Schools. McQuiston put his talent and expertise as a member of the beauti cation committee to help design the project, create construction drawings and coordinating the permits and work with city department.

“Cheryl has a way with people and her dedication and fundraising blow me away,” Gillmore said. “We had tried to do something about a decade ago but could not nd a way to make it work.”

Gillmore said the most amazing part has been

Emmet at Irish Guy, a popular Northwest Irish folk singer, is new to this year’s musical lineup. In addition, returning is CAVORT, Seattle’s premier Irish band, which has entertained audiences since 2015 with their hearty pub songs and vigorous instrumentals. Carrigaline seeing the teamwork to get fund raise and complete the di erent phases of the village project: “neighbors, city, grants, permitting, everybody working together.”

Ann Goos, chamber member and communications consultant, has acted as McQuiston’s right hand throughout this process and has found a lot of joy in it. She described the team as dedicated and talented.

“I’ve never been engaged in something more ful lling because of the camaraderie that Cheryl created,” Goos said.

She said McQuiston’s leadership and ability to nd talent is rare and delightful. She also called out McQuiston’s e orts to expand the team with an eye for the future.

As this project heads into its nal installments, McQuiston has put a lot of thought into who will manage the necessary repairs and upgrades in the future. She is thankful for the involvement of the younger members of the team, Julie Bennett and Vixen owner Corean Napolitano, and is currently looking for ways to include more community members so that the project will remain successful for future generations.

Celtic Band also returns with traditional instruments, such as the bodhran, uillean pipes and ddle. Step-dancing troupes such as Haley Prendergast, Comerford, Cladach, Carol Henderson, Fire and Ice, Gra on Street and Tara Academy round out the entertainment.

McQuiston said leading the Reimagine Magnolia Village streetscape beauti cation project has been a rewarding experience and exciting to see what’s happened to the community. She has noticed more people in the Village and a real sense of neighborhood pride.

For more information about the Reimagine Magnolia Village beauti cation project, visit www. discovermagnolia.org or magnoliabeauti cation. com/.