Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the Chamber’s 5K

The March 19 race is USATF certified, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a brisk job with your friends.

By Ray Miller-Still • March 8, 2022 3:00 pm
Tags:
The Enumclaw Chamber’s annual St. Paddy’s 5K race is March 19 — make sure you wear green! Pictured is the 2019 event, which was the last time the Chamber organized the in-person race. Photo by Ray Miller-Still
The Enumclaw Chamber’s annual St. Paddy’s 5K race is March 19 — make sure you wear green! Pictured is the 2019 event, which was the last time the Chamber organized the in-person race. Photo by Ray Miller-Still

CORRECTION: The photo caption of the print article noted the 5K race is this weekend. This is incorrect — the race is March 19.

With COVID-19 activity seemingly winding down, the Enumclaw Chamber of Commerce is excited to kick off its event season with the annual St. Paddy’s Day 5K.

This is the first time the 5K has been organized to be in-person in two years.

“When the pandemic, the big shutdown, happened in March 2020, that was literally weeks before our 2020 5K,” said Chamber Events Director Kerry Solmonsen. “We actually ended up cancelling the… event days before. I remember sitting in my office, agonizing, and saying, ‘Should we do it anyway?’ It was so early on, we didn’t really know, right? It was a really tough decision, and people were so, so sad.”

Then, in 2021, the Chamber attempted to put together a virtual 5K event, where participants would run a 5K wherever they pleased and send in their race times to a central website.

“We hoped that would be a good option, but sadly, it wasn’t well received,” Solmonsen continued. “Enumclaw, we want to get together.”

With this event being in-person, then, Solmonsen is hoping the turnout will be similar to the 2019 event, which broke the Chamber’s participation record.

“We’re really excited to be back in-person, and back out with our community members,” Solmonsen said.

The 5K is on Saturday, March 19, and, like always, is being hosted at the Enumclaw Expo Center. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., followed by the Kid’s Dash at 9, and the longer race at 9:30.

While the 5K is a USA Track and Field (USATF) certified course, that “shouldn’t be a deterrent for anyone who’s like me, [who] just want to walk and talk with my friends and wear green, silly clothes,” Solmonsen said, adding that participants are also encouraged to bring (and dress up) their young children and leashed pets.

Preregistration for the event closed today (March 9); registering before the day of the race is $45, and signing up on March 19 is $50.

You can register at https://www.databarevents.com/events/form/3576.

Officially, participation apparel (a.k.a. racing shirts) were only guaranteed to runners who signed up before Feb. 20, but Solmonsen said she normally over-orders, though “you might not get the size you want.”

UPCOMING CHAMBER EVENTS

With so many activities having been cancelled or turned into virtual events these last two years, “we sure are ready to hit the ground running in 2022,” Solmonsen said.

The next event is going to be a large one — a 120th anniversary celebration of the Enumclaw Chamber, to be held on April 19 (the same day as the monthly April membership meeting).

“We are the oldest Chamber west of the Mississippi,” Solmonsen said. “How about that?”

Event details are still soidifying, but Solmonsen is looking for any sort of photos that can compare Enumclaw’s historical business scene to what the city has to offer today, as well as secure a few high-profile, long-time business owners to speak.

Then, on May 14, is the ever-popular BINGO on Cole event. Unlike events past, however, this BINGO session — held from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. — will not be able to allow minors to play, due to new Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board rules.

Tickets for the event are bought by the table, which seats up to six people (tickets are not sold at the event). Tickets are $95, and come with 24 BINGO cards, six daubers, and six drink tickets, as well as a charcuterie board and kettle corn for snacks.

Tickets can be bought at www.enumclawchamber.com/events/bingo-on-cole-october-2nd-j5bm2.

Come June 11 is the Spring Beer Walk from 5 to 9 p.m. You can buy tickets ($45) online at www.enumclawchamber.com/events/spring-beer-walk or on the day at the event (ticket sales will begin at 4 p.m.). Tickets include a glass, beer passport, and 10 tasting tickets (with additional tickets also available for purchase). Tastings begin at 5 and go through until 8 p.m.

Rounding out the summer is the annual Independence Day Parade on July 4. For those looking to participate in the parade (email info@enumclawchamber.com for a form), the deadline to enter is June 13; entries attempting to register after that date will be charged a $35 late fee and will be placed at the end of the parade.

Tags: