Tonight is the Ridgefield Chamber R-Biz networking event. 5-7pm at 3 Peaks Public House and Taproom. 24415 NE 10th Ave, Ridgefield. This event is $5 for Chamber members and $10 for non-members.

Be sure to join the Ridgefield Main Street group this Thursday, June 21 at 8:30 am, for our community meeting at the Sportsman’s Steakhouse & Saloon, 121 N. Main. If you are a local business owner, make sure you are there to learn some important information in growing your business.

If you own a local business or are considering starting one, you face a lot of important and difficult questions. Fortunately, your local government can help you find the answers to these questions. Through the City of Ridgefield’s partnership with Buxton, the leader in consumer analytics, you can access local reports to guide your business strategy and tools for marketing success. Join us to learn more about how to leverage Buxton’s resources for your business.

Speaker for this session will be Cheyenne Robinson, Account Executive with Buxton. Cheyenne manages client relationships throughout the U.S. She provides ongoing support and strategic recommendations for her clients throughout their economic development growth. She graduated from Tyler Junior College with a degree in public relations and advertising and completed continuing studies in public relations at the University of Texas at Austin.

The City of Ridgefield’s 1st Annual Multicultural Festival will be September 1st, 2018 in downtown Ridgefield. With the aim of celebrating cultures at home and around the world, the festival will include live performances from the Taiko Drum group Takohachi, Portland Lee’s Association Lion Dance Team, Master Oh’s Taekwondo team and the Ke Kukui Foundation Hula Dancers. There will be cooking classes of Filipino, French, Nigerian and Scandinavian cuisines and many activities for children. Gerardo Calderon of Grupo Condor will teach a workshop about the musical instruments of the world and the Ora Nui Tahitian Dance Troupe will teach a Tahitian dance workshop. Attendees will also have opportunities to learn about and experience Ridgefield history and its own unique culture.

“As Ridgefield is one of the fastest growing cities in the state, we felt the time was now to create a festival that honors the many cultures of Southwest Washington and Ridgefield and brings people together,” said Jessica Kipp, Community Relations Specialist for the City of Ridgefield. There will be plenty of activities for all ages with food trucks selling a variety of cuisines, vendors, information booths and a genealogy discovery area.

Performances and festival activities are free to the public. Although some classes require registration and payment of a small fee. For updates on the event schedule and participating vendors please see: https://ridgefieldwa.us/event/multicultural-festival/

The Multicultural Festival is a part of the Ridgefield’s First Saturday events which have successfully been bringing the community together for the past three years. The First Saturday events are a collaborative effort between many downtown merchants, the City of Ridgefield, the Ridgefield Art Association, Ridgefield School District and the Farmer’s Market.

Join Ridgefield Neighbors Food Project – Building Community.  Sharing Food. One Green Bag at a Time.

In summer 2017, Clark County neighbors started Clark County’s first neighborhood-based food donation program to help folks who struggle with hunger. Clark Neighbors Food Project (CNFP) is a revolutionary way to collect food: It’s a donor drive, not a food drive. Instead of asking for one-time contributions of food, Neighborhood Coordinators enlist their neighbors to become long-term Food Donors to provide sustainable food supply for local food pantries. The concept is simple: “Neighbors want to help…we make it easy!”  (We pattern it after similar efforts in Portland, Olympia, Ashland and cities across the country — see http://clarkfoodproject.com/).  Ridgefield Neighbors Food Project began in January of 2018.

It’s amazingly simple. You get a reusable green Neighbor Food Project bag to store food in. Every two months a Neighborhood Coordinator picks up your full Green Bag, leaves an empty Green Bag, and takes all the bags to a site where volunteers box the food. All food collected in Ridgefield goes to Neighbors Helping Neighbors and the Family Resource Center at Ridgefield Schools. Food donors will receive an email reminder so you don’t forget the pickup date. That’s all there is to it.

How much food will people donate? We suggest food donors buy one extra nonperishable food item per week when you go to the market, but it’s really up to you. Some folks will donate a lot, some a little. The amount is not important — as long as you’re participating the Ridgefield Neighbors Food Project will be a success.

Neighbors Want to Help, We Make it Easy!  And that’s our secret: we don’t just help hungry neighbors who receive food—we build connections with neighbors who donate —a true sense of community: the feeling of belonging, of making a difference and on top of that, it’s fun!  Tip for parents: A rewarding activity is to volunteer as a family to give neighbors green bags and pick up food donations. Instill values of fun community service and positive neighborly relationships!

We are currently seeking Neighborhood Coordinators to sign up food donors in Ridgefield neighborhoods.   Contact Bill Baumann at ridgefieldfoodproject@gmail.com.

Pickup Days – 2ND SATURDAY of EVEN months

In 2018 it’s:  Feb 10, Apr 14, Jun 9, Aug 11, Oct 13, Dec 8

Come to 3Peaks Public House and Taproom this Thursday and part of your bill will be donated to the Library. This is the third year they’ve helped the library, and it’s always fun. Food and drink purchased inside the building count toward the donation.

There will also be a donation jar and people to talk about the new library.

3Peaks is at 24415 NNE 10th.

Are you looking for a bargain?

Ridgefield Mini Storage is hosting a garage sale on Saturday, June 9th from 9am to 4pm, and invites you to participate. Multiple vendors will be on hand – you may find that treasure you’ve been looking for.

All proceeds benefit the Ridgefield School District.

Ridgefield Mini Storage is at 7555 South Union Ridge Parkway, www.ridgefieldministorage.com