SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake Chamber of Commerce released its event schedule for 2026, including a new event this year: the Lantern Festival. Chamber President Karen Woodhouse said this addition gives the community something to do year-round.

“I’ve been wanting to do something in the winter for the last three years, and this year I finally talked to the (Soap Lake Natural Spa & Resort) and got them on board,” said Woodhouse.

The Lantern Festival will be held the evening of Feb. 21 and is loosely inspired by Chinese New Year celebrations. She said the event will feature decorated paper lanterns with LED lights and a dragon prop that will be taken on a small parade through the area.

Along with the parade, the festival will have music, decorations, food such as moon cakes and chicken skewers and a dance performance.

“Mostly it’s just to have stuff lit up and really pretty,” said Woodhouse. “Something fun to do for the kids.”

The Chamber plans to host its usual events throughout the year as well, with an Earth Day community cleanup in April, the Sandblaster Open golf tournament in May, 3-on-3 basketball in June, the Suds & Sun Fourth of July celebration and the Moonlight Paddle in August. The year will conclude with the Shop About Fall shopping crawl in October, Shop Small Saturday in November and Winterfest in December.

Woodhouse said this year’s Suds & Sun festival will be the grandest one they’ve planned yet in celebration of the 250th birthday of the country.

“Each year we just try to be a little bit bigger and because it’s the 250th anniversary, we are going to try to outdo ourselves,” she said. “We already have a person for the parade committee ... we figured since it is such a big celebration this year, we want to make sure we have everything lined up in plenty of time.”

With the addition of the Lantern Festival, the Chamber now hosts an event nine months out of the year. She said that the main goal is to ensure that there is always something to look forward to celebrating in the community.

2026 Events in Soap Lake:

Feb. 21, Lantern Festival

Apr. 25, Earth Day

May 16, Sandblaster Open

June 6, 3-on-3 Basketball

July 4, Suds & Sun

Aug. 29, Moonlight Paddle

Oct. 17, Shop About

Nov. 28, Shop Small Saturday

Dec. 5, Winterfest

    A line of classic cars in the hot summer sun during the previous year’s Suds & Sun celebration. Chamber president Karen Woodhouse said this year’s event will be the biggest yet in honor of the country’s 250th birthday this July.