Everette, Washington
Everett is the county seat and largest city. The county is a portion of the Seattle metro region, which also comprises the counties of King and Pierce to the south. It is located 25 miles north of Seattle and is considered to be a major city in the metropolitan area and the Puget Sound region, located 25 miles north of Seattle. Everett is the state's seventh-most populous city. The community is mainly located on a peninsula at the mouth of the Snohomish River, along Port Gardner Bay. A winter settlement called Hibulb was built near the river's mouth by the Snohomish people on the Port Gardner Peninsula. In the 1860s, loggers and homesteaders began to arrive in the area, but it wasn't until 1890 that ideas for a city were created. Everett is a key employment center in Snohomish County, but it has also evolved into a Seattle bedroom city in recent decades.
Downtown Everett is defined as the area north of Pacific Avenue, east of West Marine View Drive, south of Everett Avenue, and west of Broadway. There are city and county government offices, as well as high-rise office buildings, hotels, and residential buildings. The Angel of the Winds Arena, on the west side of Broadway, anchors a small historic area on Hewitt Avenue.
Everett has an oceanic climate similar to the rest of the Puget Sound lowlands, with mild year-round temperatures affected by marine air masses.
Everett is known as a "primarily blue-collar city," but it also has a thriving regional art scene with galleries, community theatre, music, and artwork. Five prominent performing arts facilities in the city showcase a variety of organizations and touring events. The Everett Theatre, which was partially rebuilt after a fire in December 1923, rebuilt as a triplex theatre in 1979, shuttered in 1989, and restored to its former state beginning in 2000, is the last surviving theatre from that era. The regional Village Theatre performs in Issaquah and in the Everett Performing Arts Center, which is also home to the Everett Chorale and opened in 1993. KidStage, a venue for young performers, debuted at the Village Theatre. The Everett Philharmonic Orchestra performs at Everett High School's Civic Auditorium. The Everett Cultural Arts Commission oversees the city's public art program. Because of its relative cost and government incentives, the Everett area has drawn artists and musicians from Seattle.
The city has a number of yearly events and festivals, most of which take place during the summer months. The city's waterfront features an annual procession and fireworks show on July 4th. Since 1977, Everett has held an annual downtown sausage and street festival in September. In the 1990s, the Cruzin' to Colby classic automobile event, the Sorticulture garden festival, and the Fresh Paint art show were all founded in February, followed by the Cruzin' to Colby classic automobile event in May, the Sorticulture garden festival in June, and the Fresh Paint art show in August. The city's largest annual summer event, the Salty Sea Days, began in 1970 and includes a parade, hydroplane racing, a classic car show, and other attractions. The Everett Farmers Market, founded in 1994, is open on Sundays from May to October and features 200vendors and 5,000 visitors.