Is a Board Game Café Coming to Downtown Redmond? Plus March Muttness & Best Auto Shop in Redmond

Welcome to Best of Redmond! Redmond's twice-weekly newsletter and podcast about all the amazing things happening in Redmond for the next seven days!📰 Motley Zoo Needs Your Help — Tournament or NotMotley Zoo Animal Rescue just got knocked out of March Muttness, a national fundraising tournament for animal shelters. They lost their Second Chance bracket matchup against the Humane Society of El Paso, so they're out of the competition. But here's the thing — their donation page is still open and every dollar goes straight to the rescue. Motley Zoo is a legit 501(c)(3) based right here in the Redmond/Monroe area and they've placed thousands of animals in homes since 2009. If you want to throw them a few bucks, head to their page at app.tournaments.donorcharm.org/campaign/W5adr/total#about-bigamer-sec.👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Shrek Jr. Is Coming to Redmond and It Looks Like a BlastThe Redmond Academy of Theatre Arts is putting on Shrek The Musical Jr. starting this Friday, and it runs through the end of the month. If you've got kids, this is the one. It's got ogres, fairytale misfits, a wisecracking donkey, and the whole story about finding where you belong. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors. Shows run Friday through Sunday most weekends at 18001 NE 76th St, Suite 100. Doors open 30 minutes before curtain and seating is limited, so book ahead at the Redmond Academy website. Bonus: bring a non-perishable food item for Hopelink and get a $2 concession coupon.⚽ Free Event: Kick It With Reign FC Legend Lauren BarnesIf you're into women's sports or just want to hear a good story, this one's worth your Monday night. Former Reign FC captain Lauren Barnes is sitting down with Redmond Mayor Angela Birney on March 23 for a conversation about women's sports, part of the city's Fútbol for All Speaker Series. Barnes played for Reign FC from 2013 to 2025 before retiring. It's free, there are snacks, and they're doing prize drawings. The event runs 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Seattle Marriott Redmond, 7401 164th Avenue NE.🚲 Bicycle BlingThe Jerry Baker Memorial Velodrome at Marymoor Park is getting ready for its 2026 season, and if you've never been out there to watch — or ride — you're missing something genuinely weird and cool. It's the only velodrome in the entire state of Washington, which is a big part of why Redmond carries the title of Bicycle Capital. Track cycling has its own tight-knit community, its own physics, and honestly its own vocabulary. Keep an eye on the velodrome schedule as the season ramps up — it's free to watch and worth at least one visit if you've never seen what happens when a cyclist leans that hard into a banked turn.🎤 Karaoke Night at SoulFood CoffeeHouseSoulFood CoffeeHouse is doing karaoke this Friday, March 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. Come alone, bring friends, belt something embarrassing — all of it is welcome. It's at 15748 Redmond Way, which means you can walk over, do your thing, and be home by 8:30. No word on whether they judge you for picking a Celine Dion song, but our guess is they don't.🎨 Adult Art Club at the Redmond LibraryIf you've got a project you've been meaning to work on, the Redmond Library has a casual art club meeting on Sunday, March 22 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring whatever you're working on — painting, knitting, drawing, whatever counts as your thing — and just hang out with other people who are doing the same. No registration required, all arts and crafts welcome, adults only.🕰 Redmond History MinuteOkay, it's time for the Redmond History Minute, where we share an interesting piece of history, trivia, or tidbit about life in and around Redmond.In 2008, archaeologists discovered artifacts at the Bear Creek Site in Redmond dating back how far?A) 2,000 years B) 6,000 years C) 12,000 years D) Last TuesdayAnswer revealed at the bottom of this newsletter.🔮 Redmond Rumor MillSo we've been hearing something interesting floating around about downtown Redmond. Word is there's a high-end board game café concept — think private rooms, craft beer on tap, 500-plus games on the shelf — that's been eyeing a downtown location. Places like this have done really well in Capitol Hill, and if someone's actually looking at Redmond for this, that would be a pretty big deal for the downtown scene. Nothing confirmed yet. No lease signed, no name, no address. But it's being talked about. So here's our question: would you actually go? What kind of games would you want on the shelf?If you've got a guess or have heard something, head to our Facebook page at facebook.com/BestOfRedmond and drop it in the "Redmond Rumor Mill Guesses" post.🗳 Your Picks: Best Auto Shop in RedmondAlright, that's it for this week.Head on over to facebook.com/BestOfRedmond, find the post called "Your Picks," and drop your vote in the comments. We want to know who you think is the best Auto Shop in Redmond.📻 Don't Miss the NewsletterIf you enjoyed this podcast, you're gonna love the companion podcast. Find it at bestofredmond.com.We'll see you in the next one... or maybe before then, walking around Redmond.🎯 History Minute AnswerThe answer is C – 12,000 yearsDuring a stream restoration project in 2008, archaeologists found the Bear Creek Site with artifacts dating back over 12,000 years, making it one of the oldest known human habitation sites in the Pacific Northwest. Native Americans lived in the Redmond area for roughly 10,000 years before European settlers arrived.