Edmonds has always been more than a city. It’s a community stitched together by moments. As 2025 comes to a close, looking back reveals a year filled with festivals, creativity, generosity, and neighborly spirit that remind us why we love where we live.

Arts, waterfront, and celebration

The Edmonds Center for the Arts continued to be a hub, hosting concerts, plays, and performances that brought national talent and local voices together. The Edmonds Arts Festival once again transformed downtown into a gallery without walls, showcasing painters, sculptors, and photographers while raising funds for arts education.

The Port of Edmonds lit up the marina with its annual Holiday Night at the Marina, complete with festive boats, live music, and hot cider. Whale watching tours and waterfront concerts drew visitors from across the region, reinforcing Edmonds’ reputation as Puget Sound’s most welcoming shoreline. And the Christmas Ship Festival brought illuminated flotillas to the fishing pier, a tradition that continues to enchant families.

Philanthropy and community care

2025 was also a banner year for giving in Edmonds. The Edmonds Waterfront Center hosted its annual gala, where neighbors came together to support more than a hundred community programs. The Cascadia Art Museum celebrated its 10‑year anniversary with a glamorous gala, ensuring the legacy of Northwest art continues to inspire future generations.

And the Edmonds Food Bank broke records with its Empty Bowl fundraiser, followed by a major grant that pushed its capital campaign forward. Together, these efforts reflect Edmonds’ deep commitment to service, culture, and care.

The City’s Parks & Recreation department hosted family‑friendly gatherings, outdoor movie nights, and cultural celebrations that made Edmonds’ green spaces feel like extensions of our living rooms. And neighbors rallied around the Waterfront Center, Rotary, the Food Bank, and countless nonprofits, proving once again that service is at the heart of this town.

Neighborhoods and belonging

Beyond downtown, Edmonds’ neighborhoods continued to grow together in 2025, weaving a stronger sense of unity across the city. From Seaview to Five Corners, from the Bowl to Hwy 99, residents found ways to connect through block parties, park gatherings, and shared traditions.

This year reminded us that Edmonds is more than a collection of districts – it’s a unified place to live, where each neighborhood adds its own character to the whole.

What ties all these threads together is the sense of belonging. Whether sipping cocoa at the marina, strolling through the arts festival, or gathering in a neighborhood park, Edmonds residents showed that community isn’t just about events – it’s about connection.

2025 reminded us that Edmonds thrives when we gather, celebrate, and support one another. It’s a place where porch lights, parks, and performances all shine a little brighter because they’re shared.

As we step into 2026, Edmonds carries forward the joy of a year well‑lived. The events may change, but the heartbeat remains the same: A community that lights up together.