The care-free days of summer may be numbered, but there’s still fun waiting at King County Parks

Don’t look now, but Labor Day and the unofficial end of summer is near. If you need help squeezing out just a little more fun before September, look no further than King County Parks – Your Big Backyard.

Marymoor Park

The Concerts at Marymoor
Purchase tickets at the Marymoor Office during business hours (9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday), call 206-205-3661 or e-mail marymoorpark@kingcounty.gov. A fee of $8 per ticket supports maintenance and operations of King County Parks. Tickets can also be purchased through ticketmaster.com.

Aug. 28 – 7 p.m.
Tickets are $35 and $49.50; $5 parking fee
Willie Nelson
American music icons don’t get any bigger than Willie Nelson. His career spans more than four decades, and his musical repertoire is even broader. From Country to pop, reggae to rock, Willie Nelson has done it all. Oh, and he’s also appeared in more than two dozen films, won a dozen Grammys and numerous other awards, and supported everything from alternative fuel production to saving American farmers.

Aug. 30 – 7 p.m.
Tickets are $49.50 and $80.50; $5 parking fee
Sheryl Crow with special guest James Blunt
Nine-time Grammy winner Sheryl Crow got her start singing commercials for local businesses in St. Louis, then as a back-up singer for Michael Jackson during his “Bad” tour. Her first album, “Tuesday Night Music Club,” netted her an armload of awards, and Crow has been a solid presence at the top of the pop world ever since. Opening for Crow is James Blunt, a British pop singer whose single, “You’re Beautiful,” swept across Europe and the U.S.

Other upcoming shows include: The Backstreet Boys on Sept. 6, G. Love and Special Sauce with the John Butler Trio on Sept. 7, Michael Franti and Spearhead on Sept. 12, and 107.7 The End’s Endfest on Sept. 13, featuring Bad Religion, Presidents of the USA, Atreyu, The Faint, Everlast, Ting Tings and The Airborne Toxic Event.

Sign up as a volunteer on the Marymoor Recycling Crew and you’ll help promote recycling and composting at the shows. Recycling Crew volunteers teach concert-goers about sorting their recyclable cups and compostable food scraps and help keep the Marymoor concert venue free of litter.

In exchange for their work to safeguard the environment, Recycling Crew volunteers receive free entry and parking to the shows at which they volunteer. Shift hours vary depending on show times. Training will be provided on site. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, and service learning credit is available.

Details are available by contacting Marymoor Park, at 206-205-3661, or marymoorpark@kingcounty.gov. Include your name, contact information, telephone number, and how you heard about volunteering, and identify the shows for which you are interested in volunteering.

Movies@Marymoor
Aug. 27 – seating opens at 7 p.m., movie begins at dusk
Admission is free, but a donation of $5 for individuals and $15 for families is suggested. Proceeds support King County Parks.
Viewer’s Choice Movie – “The Wedding Singer”

“The Wedding Singer” is the outdoor movie series finale for 2008, having been selected through a vote of attendees at previous movie nights. Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore star in this romantic comedy about a man and a woman who were ready to marry the wrong people, until they discovered each other. Films are shown on a 30-foot by 50-foot inflatable screen, with high-quality sound supplied by Epic Events at Marymoor Park’s MacNair Field. The movie series is dog-friendly. People with dogs are asked to sit at the far end of the seating area and must keep them on a leash and under control at all times. Owners must clean up after their pets.

Tolt-MacDonald Park

Labor Day camping!
It’s not too soon to plan activities for the long Labor Day weekend. Why not make King County Parks part of your plans? Check out the camping opportunities at Tolt-MacDonald Park along the beautiful Snoqualmie River near Carnation. Seventeen tent camping sites, seven RV camping sites and six beautiful yurts are available for rent at this 574-acre park at the confluence of the Tolt and Snoqualmie rivers. Visit http://www.metrokc.gov/parks/parks/camping.html, or call 206-205-5434 for details.

King County Parks - Your Big Backyard - offers more than 25,000 acres of parks and natural lands, including such regional treasures as Marymoor Park and Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park, 175 miles of regional trails, plus pools and a world-class aquatic center. By cultivating strong relationships with non-profit, corporate and community partners, King County Parks enhances park amenities while reducing costs. Learn more at http://www.kingcounty.gov/parks/.

Related Information

King County Parks – Your Big Backyard

Recreation and Leisure Opportunities