Return of the Salmon runs Saturday in Sultan

The fourth annual Return of the Salmon Celebration will take place 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, in Sultan's Osprey Park, 801 First St. The event celebrates the salmon that return to the Sultan River each year to spawn and recognizes and honor Sultan's namesake, Chief John T'seul-Ted.

The celebration will be held at the Osprey Park basketball courts and will feature tours of the riverside trails through Osprey Park, and the nearby Sultan High School salmon hatchery. The celebration will include children's activities, a native welcoming ceremony, horse-drawn covered wagon rides, live music, Indian tacos, huckleberry shortcake, vendors, master cedar weaving demonstrations, fry-bread and storytelling.

The Return of the Salmon Celebration is a collaborative effort, made possible through a partnership between the Return of the Salmon's volunteer committee, the Tulalip Tribes, the Sky Valley Chamber of Commerce, Volunteers of America, the Snohomish County Public Utility District (PUD) and the city of Sultan.

During the Sultan City Council meeting on Thursday, Sept. 24, Sultan Mayor Carolyn Eslick will proclaim Saturday, Sept. 26, as "A day of remembrance for Chief T'seul-Ted, and a day celebrating the return of the salmon.GÇ¥

This year's event is significant because it's an odd-numbered year.

"After two years at sea, the pink salmon that left their birth river in Sultan as small fingerlings are back as adults to spawn in great numbers, continuing the circle of life,GÇ¥ according to a Return of the Salmon Committee news release.

The event also includes the second annual 5K Salmon Run and 1-Mile Fast Walk through Osprey Park. The entry fee for the run is $20 through Sept. 15 and $30 after that. The 1-mile fun walk registration fee is $15. Registration is available from 9:15-9:55 a.m. before the event at the Sultan Visitors Information Center, 320 Main St. To register online, go to www.skyvalleychamber.com.