Smile Across America: On Sept. 26, a day of bagpipes, hands-on nature activities and good company brought an estimated 1,585 people to the Nisqually Watershed Festival near Olympia, Washington.
The annual gathering filled Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge with neighbors exploring the river basin they share. Refuge visitor services manager Julia Pinnix gave the estimate in a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recap published Oct. 2. This was the gathering’s 37th year.
A welcome that carried across the watershed
The day opened with bagpipes and a blessing from the Nisqually Canoe Family, then moved into a full schedule of music, learning and family activities. The Nisqually River Council’s festival program listed the Olympia Highlanders, the Nisqually Indian Tribe Canoe Family, local musicians, nature walks, and a K–5 poster contest themed around the watershed’s native birds.
Children could climb inside FIN, a 25-foot model salmon, make fish prints on T-shirts and decorate windsocks and bird-beak masks. At exhibit tables, local groups invited visitors into conversations about water quality, native plants, wildlife and the river’s health. The Nisqually River Council also highlighted salmon and shark anatomy programs, a Reptile Man appearance and an afternoon falconry presentation.
Four buses helped neighbors reach the celebration
Getting to the festival was part of the community effort. Organizers hired four school buses to carry visitors from Hawks Prairie Park and Ride to the refuge. In the amphitheater, about 130 people at a time gathered for salmon and dogfish shark dissections. Families also browsed the visitor center, local nature books and food stands, with live music from Olympia band Vendredi’s Bag providing a soundtrack through lunch.
The welcome was made possible by a broad host committee that included the Nisqually Indian Tribe, Tacoma Power, the Nisqually River Council and River Foundation, the Nisqually River Education Project, Nisqually Reach Nature Center, Friends of Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge Complex and the refuge itself. At least 70 volunteers helped the event run smoothly, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service.
For a festival built around a watershed, the day offered a friendly reminder that a river connects more than places: it links people, wildlife, plants and the work of caring for a shared home. The 38th Nisqually Watershed Festival is scheduled for Sept. 25, 2027. Those who would like to help can contact the refuge at [email protected].
Sources: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s post-event report and the Nisqually River Council’s 2026 festival page and schedule.
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