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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260606T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260606T190000
DTSTAMP:20260501T090204
CREATED:20260311T200033Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260430T203034Z
UID:2517-1780747200-1780772400@www.downtownkentwa.com
SUMMARY:Kent Nerd Party 2026
DESCRIPTION:Geek Out at the Kent Nerd Party\, brought to you by The Game Shelf!  \nGet ready for the Kent Nerd Party\, where downtown Kent transforms into the ultimate haven for nerds! \nThe Nerd Party is a street-wide event with a cosplay contest\, Lego museum\, LARP games\, outdoor vendors\, and more. \nAll nerds are welcome—whether you love science fiction\, fantasy\, horror\, anime\, gaming\, or one of the other innumerable geeky pursuits! \n  \nGet your free tickets here  \n  \n \nKent Nerd Party 2026Discounted Hotel RatesSpecial Guests & SigningsLevel Up! Vocal Ensemble PerformanceCosplay ContestBeer & Cider GardenLego Museum by SeaLUGIndie Game Demos by Seattle IndiesKent Nerd Party T-shirtsLive Music by Cool Nerd MarkHallow Ian Horror HourBLAZE Robotics AcademyHawkwood’s TroupeCosplay RepairParticipating BusinessesProp PolicyVolunteeringLocation AccessibilityStay In The Loop\n \nDiscounted Hotel Rates\nBook your stay at BestWestern.com for 25% off when you use code “NERD” under “Promotional” when choosing rates. \nSpecial Guests & Signings\nMelanie Kohn\nMelanie Kohn was the voice of Lucy in Peanuts from 1974 to 1977! \nJeff Grubb \nJeff Grubb is a co-author of worlds such as the Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance. He has written novels for Star Wars\, Warcraft\, and Magic The Gathering. He was the writer of the Forgotten Realms from DC. He designed RPGs\, boardgames\, and computer games. \nStan! \n \nStan! has worked for Wizards of the Coast\, TSR Inc.\, Upper Deck Entertainment\, and has done the English adaptation for more than 100 manga volumes for Viz Media. He’s the author of novels\, short stories\, children’s books\, coloring books\, comic books\, and enough single-panel cartoons to wallpaper a small house. \n  \nDrew Huff \n \n \n \nDrew Huff is an author and cover artist known for his fast-paced\, action-driven fiction that blends horror\, science fiction\, and darkly comedic elements. His work is celebrated for unique concepts\, imaginative worlds\, and memorable characters\, often with a mix of body horror\, family drama\, and surreal twists. \n  \nKimberly Wheelock \nSpeculative and dark fiction author. Her recent book Wonderland is a post-apocalyptic thriller centered on a hiker trapped in Mount Rainier National Park after an extinction level pandemic. \nM.T. Zimmy\nAuthor of a YA superhero trilogy (The Apex Cycle) as well as half a YA portal fantasy duology (The Skalterra Duology) that will hopefully be a full duology by Nerd Party 2026.\n \n  \nHeather Greye \nScience Fiction Romance books. The Stroke of Midnight series (Midnight’s Pawn\, Midnight’s Captive\, Midnight’s Queen) are cyberpunk set in near-future Seattle The Fortune’s Favor series are spaceship set stories (Stolen Stars\, Stolen Chances (spring 2026)) \n  \nR.K. Devon \nWriter of a fantasy romance series debuting early 2025. You can also find her work in “The Tongue is Sharp: An Anthology of Feminine Rage”. \n  \n  \n\nArledge Comics \nSmall comic press with a new book coming out this spring titled Nezbrael’s Legacy\, which is a D&D flavored adventure graphic novel with big Greek myth vibes. \nTravis Corwin\nJD Davenport\nKasandra Davis\, Mockery and Vodka Presents\nWalsh Wettengle\nRayna L. Stiner\nSteffi Thomas \nFeatures\nLevel Up! Vocal Ensemble Performance\nLocated in 403 W Meeker St from 2:30PM to 3:30PM \nLevel Up! Vocal Ensemble is a community chamber choir that sings video game music. Their repertoire runs the gamut from 80’s platformers to modern MOBAs to JRPG classics. \nCosplay Contest\nLocated in 403 W Meeker St \nGrab your cape\, polish your armor\, and enter the Kent Nerd Party’s cosplay contest! Whether you’re ready to strut your stuff or get inspired by this year’s winners\, this is one event you won’t want to miss. \nCategories: \n\nAdult Cosplay (1 winner) – Prize $100\nChildren’s Cosplay (1 winner) – Prize $25\nHonorable Mention (1 winner)\n\nSign-up and judging 4PM-5PM (capped at 30 participants)\, participant showcase and winners announced 5:30PM. Must participate in showcase & be present to win. \n\n \nPhoto by @shorbophoto \n\nCosplay Contest Judge \nCostama is a local cosplayer with 13 years of experience. Her favorite thing in cosplay is the friends she’s made along the way\, but a very close second is the tips and tricks she loves learning and sharing with everyone! She’s an occasional competitor and judge\, most recently winning the Needlework category at ECCC 2024. Outside of cosplay\, she’s a Technical Artist in the games industry and spends her evenings playing Astro Bot\, rewatching the best movie ever made (1998’s Ever After)\, and weeping about embroidery. \n\n \nPhoto by @MagickShotStudios \n\nCosplay Contest MC \nLux’s cosplay journey may have began in 2009\, but it was 2013 when she decided to stand out above the crowd with her first lipsync as Powerline from The Goofy Movie. As a seasoned lip sync veteran\,  Lux has donned the title of performer\, MC\, and cosplay contest award winning competitor. \nAs a POC cosplayer with an invisible disability\, Lux strives to advocate and empower others that they can cosplay whomever they want. Regardless of what others say or what limitations one might have. \nBeer & Cider Garden\nLocated outside 202 W Gowe St from 12PM to 7PM \nAges 21 and up only! Have your ID ready. \nCard & tap-to-pay only–no cash accepted. \nEnjoy a refreshing beer or cider alongside food from the nearby food vendors! Beer provided by our sponsor Seapine Brewing Company and cider by our sponsor 2 Towns Ciderhouse. \nLego Museum by SeaLUG\nHosted by BigWu Fitness from 12PM to 7PM \nSeaLUG\, a group of Seattle-based Lego brick enthusiasts\, presents the Lego Museum! Their elaborate Lego creations\, which often take hundreds of hours to create\, will be on display for all to see. \nIndie Game Demos by Seattle Indies\nLocated in 207 1st Ave S from 12PM to 7PM \nKent Nerd Party T-shirts\nGrab a fabulous new shirt designed by local artist Gwendolyn Wood while supplies last at the KDP info booth located on Gowe St! \nLive Music by Cool Nerd Mark\nLocated in 1st Ave Plaza from 12PM to 7PM \nCool Nerd Mark is a singer-songwriter guitarist inspired by comic book heroes\, science fiction\, and old horror films. \nHallow Ian Horror Hour\n \nThe Hallow Ian Horror Hour is Seattle’s Scare-ity Show. Hallow Ian and the Graveyard Gang will be at Page Turner Books all day filming and recording a podcast! Come to view a screening of the show or be interviewed by Hallow Ian himself. \nBLAZE Robotics Academy\nCome check out the BLAZE Robotics booth where they’ll be featuring: \n\n“Drive-a-Robot” Station: An interactive area where attendees can get hands-on experience and try driving robots themselves.\nCompetition-Level Demos: Live maneuvers of our high-performance robots to showcase advanced engineering and programming\n3D Printing in Action: demonstrations of how they design and print custom parts for their machines\n\n    \n\n\nHawkwood’s Troupe\n\n\n\n\nCome to Rosebed Park for a unique opportunity to learn and experience Historical European Martial Arts!\n \n\n\n\n\nCosplay Repair\nPresented by Running Stitch Fabrics from 12PM to 7PM \nCosplay malfunction?  Not to worry! The team at Running Stitch Fabrics is here to save the day. Head into the store and ask for directions to the Cosplay Repair station–they’ll be happy to help! \nParticipating Businesses\nThe Game Shelf: Our presenting sponsor! \nBigWu Fitness: A workout facility in the heart of historic downtown Kent\, BigWu is hosting our Lego Museum. \nNWBG Activity Center: This event space is hosting our authors and some special guests. \nJurassic Ink Tattoo: This NEW tattoo shop in town is hosting our sensory room and offering themed flash tattoos. \nPage Turner Books: Nerd culture store offering sci-fi\, fantasy\, mystery\, movies\, video games\, comics\, manga\, anime\, and more. \nPied Piper Pub: This lively pub with shuffleboard\, darts\, and pool will be running a special menu of themed drinks. \nRetro Emporium: Vintage to modern pop culture shop specializing in vintage 80s/90s collectibles and retro-themed goods. \nRunning Stitch Fabrics: This destination for sewing and quilting supplies is providing our Cosplay Repair station. \nThai Chili Restaurant: Enjoy delicious Thai food at Thai Chili! \nProp Policy\nYou may not bring any real\, functional weapons to the Kent Nerd Party\, including (but not limited to) firearms\, bb or pellet guns\, or blades (swords\, axes\, daggers\, etc). Prop weapons are permitted if they are not sharp or otherwise capable of causing harm. Toy guns are permitted if they have an orange tip on the barrel and do not look like real weapons. \nAny prop weapons must be brought to the info booth\, where they’ll be checked for adherence to policy and peace bonded (marked with tape to show they are approved props). \nIf props violate this policy\, you will be asked to return them to your vehicle or home. \nBy attending the Kent Nerd Party\, you agree to these terms. \nVolunteering\nVolunteers make the Kent Nerd Party possible. Meet awesome people\, get a free KNP t-shirt\, and experience the event from a new angle. Volunteer! Sign up here.\nLocation \nWhile vendors will be located on 1st Ave S\, W Gowe St\, and 2nd Ave S\, the Kent Nerd Party is happening all over downtown Kent. Maps and more information to be announced closer to the event! \nAccessibility\nKent Nerd Party is welcoming to people of all abilities. For any accessibility-related questions\, please email us at kdpadmin@kentdowntown.org. We will do our very best to help you have an epic experience. We encourage all feedback and suggestions in order to improve your experience. \nThank you to our sponsors for making this event possible! \n                            
URL:https://www.downtownkentwa.com/event/kent-nerd-party-2026/
LOCATION:Page Turner Books\, 215 1st Ave S.\, Kent\, WA\, 98032\, United States
CATEGORIES:Beer garden,Community,Family-Friendly,Marketplaces,Volunteering Opportunity
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DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260815T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20260815T190000
DTSTAMP:20260501T090204
CREATED:20251222T205125Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260421T183320Z
UID:2598-1786798800-1786820400@www.downtownkentwa.com
SUMMARY:Cajun & Creole Fest
DESCRIPTION:Get ready for a bayou-style celebration without leaving the Northwest! Historic downtown Kent will come alive with the sounds\, flavors\, and flair of Louisiana for a day packed with music\, food\, and fun. \nTap your feet to live Cajun and Zydeco bands\, enjoy bold Southern-inspired eats\, browse unique vendors and artists\, and kick back in the beer and wine garden while the kids enjoy hands-on activities. From the rhythms to the recipes\, this event brings a lively taste of Cajun and Creole culture to the heart of the city. \nJoin us for this FREE\, all-ages festival at Burlington Green Park in downtown Kent. \nPlease RSVP for FREE tickets  \nWhat to bring\nNew Orleans-style costumes are encouraged! Bring folding chairs and blankets to spread out on the grass while you enjoy the music–and don’t forget your sunscreen. \nCODE OF CONDUCT \n\nDUE TO THE GROWTH AND SIZE OF THE EVENT\, WE KINDLY ASK YOU TO ACKNOWLEDGE:\n\nTreat fellow event participants with respect\nNo pets; service animals are allowed\nNo pop-up canopies or tents\nNo outside alcohol (as per liquor control rules—please help us stay compliant!)\nNo unpermitted vending\n\n\n\nMusic line up\nAll the way from Sunset\, Louisiana\, Grammy Award winning Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble will headline this year’s festival.  If they can’t get you jammin’ then no one can! \nWe’re thrilled to welcome Zydeco Lowdown back to the stage\, bringing their signature high energy performance.    The popular Second Line Parade will come alive with the America First Corp Band\, whose unmatched energy and spirit will lead the crowd into the streets for another unforgettable parade. \n \nVolunteer\nYou can help bring Cajun & Creole Fest ’26 to life! \n  \nKeep Cajun & Creole Fest Free!\nIf you like this event free and want to keep it that way\, please consider a donation!   \nLearn more about Creole culture at the Creole Heritage Center website. \nArtists & Vendors: Apply here!  \nTHANK YOU TO OUR VALUED PARTNERS & SPONSORS:\n                      \n  \n 
URL:https://www.downtownkentwa.com/event/cajun-creole-fest-2/
LOCATION:Burlington Green Park\, 201 E. Meeker Street\, Kent\, WA\, 98032
CATEGORIES:Beer garden,Community,Family-Friendly,Wine & Spirits Tasting
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