BASIN EVENTS: June 6-13
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 months, 1 week AGO
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | June 5, 2026 3:45 AM
COLUMBIA BASIN — The sun is shining, flowers are blooming and the Basin is bubbling with fun things to do. Here are a few suggestions.
June 6
Quincy Farmers Market Opening Day
Fresh produce, baked goods, crafts and more, plus live entertainment, kids’ games and a scavenger hunt. 9 a.m. at Lauzier Park, 1600 13th Ave. SW, Quincy. Info: [email protected].
Free Family Saturday: Garden Stone Cookie Decorating
Participants will decorate cookies to look like a garden stone. Mix a little Oreo with a little white frosting, and you have your “concrete” base. Add some M&M's and/or Starburst as your “mosaic” tiles, and you have a cute, tasty treat. Supplies provided until they run out. 12 p.m. at the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center, 401 S. Balsam St. Info: 509-764-3830.
June 7
Hands on the Mural
Kids are invited to come put their handprints on the mural, and make it look like a full meadow of wildflowers. Hosted by Its Arty Time. 3-6 p.m. at the Old Hotel Art Gallery, 343 Larch St., Othello. Info: 509-793-8424.
June 8
Summer Bash at the Lighthouse
Celebrate the end of the school year with hot dogs and chips, Italian soda and lemonade, raffles and family-friendly activities. 3:30 p.m. at Lighthouse Community Center, 705 E. Juniper St., Othello. Info: lighthousecc.one.
June 10
Senior Picnic
Enjoy lunch, live music and prize giveaways and meet local businesses that offer senior services. A shuttle from the parking lot to the event will be provided. Free to seniors 55 and older, $5 for family members and caregivers. Hosted by the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. with lunch served at 12 p.m. at Grant County Fairgrounds, 3953 Airway Drive NE, Moses Lake. Info: www.moseslake.com.
June 11
Lind Field Day
Tour the ongoing research projects at the Washington State University Lind Dryland Research Station. Hosted lunch and ice cream social. Free and open to the public. 8:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m. at 781 E. Experiment Station Road, Lind. Info and directions: lindstation.wsu.edu.
Sip & Chat
ArtsWA and the Moses Lake Creative District invite the community to talk arts, culture, and bold visions for the future, followed by live music. Event is free to the public. There will be a no-host bar. 6:30 p.m. at Moore Brewing Co., 302 W. Broadway, Moses Lake. Info: 509-707-0192.
June 12-13
Sage-N-Sun
Celebrate America’s 250th birthday in the Ephrata sunshine. Live music, parade, 3-on-3 basketball tournament, family activities and more. Hosted by Ephrata Chamber of Commerce. Info: www.ephratachamber.org.
Lind Combine Demolition Derby
Watch farm equipment battle it out in the arena. Car and truck races, parades, barbecue and beer garden, as well as the renowned combine demo derby. Lind Lions Club Arena, 2709 E. Second St., Lind. Info: www.lindcombinederby.com.
June 12-14
Rastelli Circus
Thrilling stunts, laughs, and jaw-dropping talent perfect for the whole family, 6:30 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday at Grant County Fairgrounds, 3953 Airway Drive NE, Moses Lake. Info: RastelliCircus.com.
June 13
Little Big Show
Car show with vendors, food and more. 8 a.m. in downtown Wilson Creek. Info: www.thelittlebigshow.com.
‘The Sugar Kingdom’: A Dance Show’
Lollipops, Jolly Ranchers, gummy bears, and more will take the stage to tell the story of beloved magic dance shoes. Presented by Royalty Dance Studio. 3 and 6 p.m. at Quincy High School Performing Arts Center, 403 Jackrabbit St. NE. Info: 253-888-5665 or royaltydancestudio.com.
This weekend at the movies:
Fairchild Cinemas: Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act (NR); Backrooms (R); Masters of the Universe (PG-13); Michael (PG-13); Obsession (R); Passenger (R); Scary Movie 6 (R); Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (PG-13); The Breadwinner (PG). See www.fairchildcinemas.com for show times.
The Showhouse: The Backrooms (R); Scary Movie 6 (R); Disclosure Day (PG-13); Masters of the Universe (PG-13) See othelloshowhouse.com for show times.
Ritz Theater: Closed for Lind Combine Derby. See www.facebook.com/RitzvilleRitz for updates.
Watch farm equipment battle it out June 12-13 at the Lind Combine Derby.ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Endless battle
Noxious Weed Control Board works to keep invasive plants under control
MOSES LAKE — Some of the nastiest plants in Grant County were the topic of a class led by Jay Johnson, a consultant with the Grant County Noxious Weed Control Board, Tuesday. The Noxious Weed Control Board, as its name would suggest, is tasked with keeping weeds under control in Grant County. That’s not a small job; the board’s website lists 129 species of noxious weeds that are found around Grant County. A noxious weed is defined as an invasive, non-native plant that threatens agricultural crops, local ecosystems or fish and wildlife habitat, according to the Noxious Weed Control Board. Washington state law requires that these weeds be identified and their spread kept to a minimum, if not completely eradicated. “We’re one of those agencies a lot of people don’t really understand,” Johnson said. “We’re a county office and … our funding is tax-based assessment. When you get your tax bill and you look down at all the expenses that you pay for, there we are.”
BASIN EVENTS: Oct. 16-24
COLUMBIA BASIN — Whether you feel like shopping, crafting, learning or seeing a show, there’s something happening for you this week in the Basin. Oct. 16 ‘My Family (Mi Familia)’ screening Spanning three generations, “My Family (Mi Familia)” is a heartfelt drama that follows the Sánchez family as they build their lives in East Los Angeles. Through love, hardship, triumph, and sacrifice, the film explores the immigrant experience, the strength of family bonds, and the traditions that connect one generation to the next. Lowrider show and taco truck before the screening. Sponsored by Columbia Basin Allied Arts, EDUBS C/S and the Moses Lake Creative District. $12 per person. Doors open at 6 p.m., film begins at 7 p.m. at the Moses Lake Civic Center Auditorium, 401 S. Balsam St. Tickets and info: www.cba-arts.org.
Moses Lake author encourages women to look beyond church culture norms
MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake author’s book, “A Christian Woman Striving to Live Her Faith in a Man-Controlled World,” takes aim at the role to which many churches relegate the female half of their congregations. “It’s to encourage women in the faith,” Linda Curran said. “A lot of churches say, ‘Teach Sunday school, do this, do that, but don’t (evangelize.)’" In her book, Curran recounts a time when she moved to a new community and joined a church there. She was surprised to learn that, as a new female member, she had been automatically assigned church cleaning duties. When she questioned it, she wrote, she was met with condescension and her objections were brushed aside. In other churches, she said, women who were capable of teaching were relegated to “women’s ministry.”