The 2024 Salmon Days Festival was a hit! A weekend filled with activities and vendors to celebrate the return of the Issaquah salmon. Many IHS students attended Salmon Days, and the school hosted some activities and booths. Dance and band performed in the Salmon Days parade on Saturday, and Issaquah Robotics hosted a booth on Sunday. According to Senior Audrey Beaver, “Salmon Days is a fun way to hang out with friends and shop.”
Salmon days seemed to go well for band, with freshman flutist Bhuvi Sooraj and freshman trumpeter Sophia Haley both reporting engaged crowds. Sooraj said “They were clapping and singing along with us.” These reactions showed the crowd enjoyed all the songs the band played, but Haley said she believed “Shut up and Dance With Me”, and “Counting Stars” had the best reaction from the crowd. When asked which school had the best band between Liberty, Issaquah, Sammamish, and Hazen highline, both Sooraj and Haley agreed that Issaquah held that title. Haley said she believes Issaquah has the best drumline and had good unity, which made for a great performance. The band members were dedicated, as they arrived at the school at 7:45, then they walked down to Confluence Park at 9:15 where they practiced until 10:15.
The Issaquah High Dance Team also had a very successful performance in the new and extended Salmon Days parade. Even with the longer route, Issaquah dance was able to flawlessly perform three sets of choreography to the IHS Marching Band. The dance team reported that they had an amazing time, and everything went smoothly. Senior Maansi Bhargava, a dance team captain, said that the performance was “Very organized and a lot of fun.” Senior Annelise Guerrero, an officer on the dance team, heartwarmingly said that her favorite part was “Being
able to put smiles on little kids’ faces.” The Issaquah Dance Team has shown unmatched dedication to their sport and the Issaquah Community by partaking in the Salmon Days Festival.
Salmon Days was also a very important time to showcase IHS’s Robotics Team. During the Festival, the robotics club hosted a station to practice wiring, an information booth to inform the public on club information, and a station for showing off their robots. Sophomore Sophia Bauer adds, “We took wires, and we took battery packs, and we taught kids how to make circuits. We taught kids how electricity works, how the current flows, how to manage ions, and the difference between positive and negative charges.” While the Salmon Days Festival centered around celebrating salmon and having fun, the IHS Robotics Team was able to provide something educational and enjoyable to children.
While members of our school were able to find the Salmon Days weekend enjoyable, reviews on the internet also provide further perspectives on the Salmon Days experience. According to some online Google reviews, a person gave Salmon Days a one-star review since, “If you don’t welcome people attending and put no parking everywhere. Don’t host the event. Just cancel it.” Another person instead gave Salmon Days a three-star review because, “Wonderful selection but only 3 stars because they do not supply chairs ANYWHERE to rest! Not even by the food section. I left when I could have shopped more because I was exhausted!” While some people did not have the best experience during the weekend celebration, others had positive feedback. According to Yelp, “We missed the parade, but we were able to see jumping salmon and learn about salmon hatchery from the expert volunteers. We also enjoyed looking around and saw different vendors. It was a nice experience for first timer.” Although the reactions towards Salmon Days were mixed, it is clear to see that some things are not suited for everyone. However, to make sure more people have a good experience, feedback should be
heard. If you have never been to Salmon Days, make sure to keep an eye out for the 2025 date on a IssaquahChamber website, and come support IHS and local shops in Issaquah.
