Holiday Bonfire

KNA Holiday Bonfire

Every December we hold the annual KNA Holiday Bonfire to Coulon Park’s north picnic shelter. Join us this year on December 9, 2023, for this years event! We will provide hot cocoa, cider, s’mores, and fun holiday music. This is a free event sponsored by the Kennydale Neighborhood Association.

Here is a write-up of the event from 2021 from Leah Battin, former KNA Board Member:
This year it was held on a Thursday to take advantage of the Renton School District’s late start Friday. We had a great turnout with people of all ages joining us for hot cocoa, cider, s’mores, and fun holiday music. This is a free event sponsored by our neighborhood association. Here’s what our neighbors are saying:

“My favorite part of the bonfire was the marshmallows!” Drake, a two-year Kennydale resident who is currently attending pre-school.

“We look forward to the KNA bonfire every year. This year was an especially fun time with the kids having a blast making s’mores, drinking yummy caramel hot chocolate, and running around with friends. It’s also fun for the adults to hang out and catch up with friends and meet new neighbors.” Kimberly, Kennydale resident for over 40 years.

“This is such a fun event to organize! Our family came to the bonfire for the first time in 2009, and we’ve been meeting friends here every year since. It’s a great tradition and it was so much fun getting to plan this year. We added a few new fun touches (caramel syrup, whip cream, and sprinkles!) while being mindful of everyone’s safety.”

Leah, 2021 Kennydale Board Member, and Resident for 17 years

Here are the highlights from the 2018 event!
Our annual event was held on the evening of December 11th, at the Coulon Park north picnic shelter. Throughout the evening, over 50 people dropped by at one time or another, to enjoy the fire, hot beverages, and s’mores (most of which were prepared and eagerly consumed by the many kids in attendance)! For anyone who has driven by Coulon Park during December evenings without stopping, the lighted trees, landscaping and buildings are definitely worth the time it takes to walk around the decorated part of the park...and many of the folks who were at the bonfire took advantage of the mostly un-rainy weather to do just that!

Special thanks to our KNA Board member, Janice Dougherty, for chairing this event every year, to her husband Jim for his fire-building expertise, and to one of our new Board members, Leah Battin, for assembling at least 100 “s’mores kits” so that the kids could get right to the important work of roasting and eating!

Thanks also to our co-host for this event, the City of Renton Neighborhood Program, and to the City of Renton Parks Dept. for the marvelous lighting displays that get better and better each year!