Snohomish County Placemakers

Ari Glass and Leah Everett are two working artists with a passion for public art. They worked on the latest project from the Snohomish County Arts Commission: five giant painted buoys created as part of a countywide scavenger hunt. Today we talk to them about the importance of public art, paying artists a fair wage, and how public infrastructure can be both functional and aesthetic! (You don’t hav...

The Everett Fan Zone is about to pop off. 💥🎉 What can you expect when you attend the biggest multi-day waterfront party of summer? Boxcar Park has everything you need to celebrate global soccer festivities and, of course, watch the big games on an even bigger screen. We chat with Tammy Dunn (Snohomish County Sports Commission), Julio Cortes (City of Everett), and Cat Soper (Port of Everett) abou...

You know him. You love him. His soothing, NPR-friendly tenor voice puts into a trance and you wake up at a sidewalk café outside the Sorbonne eating a croissant… Rick Steves! Our favorite world-travelling Edmonds resident graciously joins us today to celebrate our 50th (!!!) episode of the Placemakers podcast. This is a super special episode for us, and we hope that you enjoy it, too. Discover Sno...

Archaeology: can you dig it? Or will it dig you… 🤯 This week we catch up with the county’s archaeologist Gretchen Kaehler to talk about the buried stories of the Pacific Northwest. She may not carry a bull whip or wear a leather jacket, but Gretchen still has adventures in cataloguing and identifying unearthed relics from Snohomish County. In this episode Gretchen busts some myths around her prof...

We recently had the privilege of being guests on the Destination Marketing Podcast to talk about our work in tourism. It was fun to be on the other side of the microphone as interviewees and talk about what we do! We hope you enjoy this special episode as we chat it up with Adam from DMP.

Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, a Colombian-born former professional soccer player, was among the core group of players that kicked off Seattle’s success in Major League Soccer. ⚽️ Today he calls Snohomish County home and has been tapped to be the World Cup ambassador for the Seattle area. We caught up with Hurtado to talk about his story and what the big soccer tournament will look like for the PNW region...

What’s it like to represent your country on the world stage? How do you go from the ice rinks of Snohomish County to the Olympic Village at Milano Cortina, Italy? Today we talk to the only 2026 Olympic athlete from our neck of the woods – Luc Violette! It’s an inspiring talk that will have you dusting off your ice skates AND booking a trip to Snohomish County, WA. Curl ‘em if you got ‘em… and go t...

RV Out West is a great podcast hosted by Brooks Smothers, an Everett-based regional traveler. You should definitely listen to his show and get inspired to roam the PNW. And when you roam, come to Snohomish County! In this episode, Richard and Nick learn about the world of RVing and Brooks advises us on how to get started RVing, what the heck a “gray tank” is, and where the best places are to camp...

Today we are joined by the Sports Commission’s all-star lineup, which includes: · Executive Director Tammy Dunn · Sports Events Manager Nathan Caferro · Sports Development Coordinator Landyn Olson · Marketing Content Coordinator Taras McCurdie This mighty team punches above its weight – helping to put Snohomish County on the map with some of the best competitions and events in the region. We talk...

Happy New Year! Enjoy this minisode is a one-off convo. 🙏 Last month we held a tourism roundtable, inviting folks from around Snohomish County to share their tourism-related experiences in 2025. As part of this meeting, Nick and Richard hosted a panel with representatives from different sectors. On the panel: ⚽️Anthony Sardon, Snohomish United FC 🤳Marlie and Anthony Love, Traveling While Black...

2025 was a big year! In this year-end recap episode we break down what we loved about this year, what’s new, and what’s next in the world of Snohomish County Tourism.

Ken Coman is a man of many talents. Besides owning a froyo shop in Snohomish, he serves as the president of the Historic Downtown Snohomish Association. Also he knows a boatload (pun intended) about the sinking of the Titanic. In fact, we can guarantee that Top It Yogurt Shoppe is the only Titanic-themed yogurt shop in the world. Top that! In this episode, we cover a lot of topics and tie them tog...

Meet the unsung heroes behind some of the most beautiful places that Snohomish County has to offer. Snohomish County Park rangers do it all — everything from trail building, to crabbing enforcement, to picking up trash and curating a welcoming environment. 🦀🏕️🚲 If you've ever shown up to a pristine park, don't take it for granted! 🦅 Today we talk to Rachel White and Taylor Mason about how they...

Remember when youth sports used to be, you know... fun? Sports can feel so competitive these days. Luckily, the Snohomish Sports Dome is fostering a place that is community-centered and centered around sportsmanship. We caught up with owner Jamie Bialek to talk about Snohomish as a big-time soccer destination and what the forthcoming global soccer games in Seattle could mean for small businesses i...

Another week in October, another farm! This week we visit reindeer, yaks, donkeys, and highland cattle at Luckie Farms. Owners Scott and Tara encourage us to follow our dreams (whatever they may be) and perhaps invest in farmland. A “moo”-ving experience, to be sure. Are you looking for more seasonal farm fun? Be sure to check out our social media feed @discoversnoco or visit discoversnohomishcoun...

Craven Farm is not the type of place to scare yourself silly. Rather, it’s a family-friendly autumn wonderland that’s been making heartfelt memories since 1983. Kimi and Brian Chadwick lovingly curate all of the seasonal festivities on their farm at the foot of Lord Hill in Snohomish, Washington. Join us as we send out a live dis-PATCH (get it?) from down on the farm. Web: discoversnohomishcounty....

Soccer—the world’s game—is exploding in the U.S., with the 2026 World Cup bringing six matches just miles from Snohomish County. Right in the middle of the action, Snohomish is home to a new pre-professional club: the Snohomish United. Fresh off its inaugural USL2 season, the team is led by Anthony Sardon, longtime coach, former Seattle U assistant, national champion, and hall of famer. Today we’r...

We’re back from summer break! And we’re telling stories from Everett’s past. We talk about fingers getting cut off, union riots, Rosie the Riveters, and the only building in the world that can fit all of Disneyland inside (take a guess). If you like what you hear, be sure to visit our website for more Everett-related content and travel ideas – www.seattlenorthcountry.com And be sure to follow us o...

Remember how we said we were taking the summer off? Oops – bonus episode with our friend Nigel! You’re welcome. 🫠 There are people in life who do one thing really really well. They find their niche early, lock into their path, and flourish in their chosen lane. Other folks find that they’re good at several things. Jacks of all trades. Swiss army knives, so to speak. Nigel Lindsey is such a renais...

Context is everything. Once, the Washington Territory was seen as untamed wilderness—at least through the eyes of European settlers. With a pioneer mindset, they arrived ready to conquer nature and build civilization. But the land was never as wild as they believed. Indigenous tribes had long managed the forests and rivers of what we now call Washington State. The arrival of settlers brought more...

Our guest today is Rachel Gardner, a creative, entrepreneur, vinyl record collector, and Edmonds, WA arts enthusiast. Rachel owns the city’s only record shop, Musicology Co., which opened in 2024. So, what makes Rachel unique? In addition to playing bass guitar in a couple local bands and running the only woman-owned record shop in Snohomish County and only one of five in the entire state of Washi...

When you think of the word “home,” what comes to mind? Home can be a person or people, a feeling, a memory. Home is a state of mind, and it’s rooted in giving us a sense of comfort, security, and belonging. Wil Johnson, Snohomish County’s Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, has made it his mission to help people feel at home in SnoCo. As head honcho of the county’s Office of Social Jus...

The premise of this episode is pretty simple: what if the answer to our current and future climate crisis is 200 years old and naturally sequesters carbon? We've got that here. Let's take a field trip with John Moon from the Department of Natural Resources.

This week on the podcast, we’re diving into the sounds that shape our seaside towns—featuring none other than Ryan Crowther, aka “RC.” Around here, RC isn’t just a familiar face—he’s the connector, one degree away from nearly everyone in the county. Best known for founding the Everett Music Initiative (EMI) , RC has helped turn Everett into a vibrant music hub. From iconic events like Rock the Boa...

First and foremost, Gregr is a person. For over 15 years, Greg Shishman has been cracking wise and spinning the top hits in alternative music for Seattle’s Alt Rock station, 107.7 The End. He's lived in Snohomish County while reaching millions of listeners through the airwaves. Gregr is a wealth of knowledge on all things music, and he spent lots of time chatting it up with some of the biggest...