Robot Servers in Redmond? + Earth Day Movie Night & Best Diner

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!📰 Earth Day Family Movie Night (Tonight) Tonight, Thursday, April 23 from 5:30 to 7:30pm, the Redmond Community Center at Marymoor Village is hosting a free Earth Day movie night for families. They’re setting up a casual, all-ages movie with popcorn, so it’s an easy “show up and hang out” kind of thing. Kids need to be with an adult, but otherwise there’s nothing complicated about it. If you’re looking for something simple to do tonight that doesn’t cost anything, this is about as easy as it gets.🎵 Live Music at SoulFood Coffee House Friday, April 24 from 6:00 to 8:00pm, SoulFood Coffee House has live music with a band called Paper Moon. Yeah, we don’t have a genre breakdown here, but honestly that’s kind of the point with SoulFood. You go for the low-key vibe, grab a drink, and see what happens. It’s one of those easy nights where you don’t need a full plan. If you want something chill after work that isn’t a big production, this fits.🎭 Last Chance to See Kodachrome This Weekend Kodachrome runs Friday through Sunday, April 24 to 26 at SecondStory Repertory, and this is literally the only weekend to catch it. Shows are Friday and Saturday at 7:00pm and Sunday at 2:00pm, with tickets around $25. It’s a small-town story about love, relationships, and how people change over time, told through a local photographer’s lens. If you’ve been meaning to see something at SecondStory, this is your window.🎤 Stand-Up Comedy Night at Samā Cellars Friday, April 24 at 7:00pm, Samā Cellars is hosting a stand-up comedy night with Jaci Terjeson and Ricci Armani. Doors open at 6:30pm, so you’ve got time to grab a glass of wine before the show starts. One of the comics has opened for SNL’s Tim Meadows, so it’s not just an open mic situation. It’s a smaller, more intimate setup compared to big comedy clubs, which usually makes for a better night anyway. If you want something different than the usual dinner plans, this is a solid switch-up.🚗 Exotics Car Show at Redmond Town Center Saturday, April 25 from 9:00 to 11:00am, the Exotics Car Show is back at Redmond Town Center with a lineup of rare and high-end cars. This is one of those things where you can just wander through, check out cars you’ll probably never own, and still have a good time. It’s free, super casual, and works whether you’re into cars or just want something to do Saturday morning. Get there earlier if you want the best selection.📚 Independent Bookstore Day at Brick & Mortar Books Saturday, April 25 from 10:00am to 8:00pm, Brick & Mortar Books is celebrating Independent Bookstore Day with special promos and their “Blind Date with a Book” setup. Basically, you pick a wrapped book based on a few clues and see what you end up with. They’ll also have exclusive merch and other small surprises throughout the day. If you’ve been meaning to stop in there anyway, this is a good excuse.🌱 Garden Science for Kids at the Library Saturday, April 25 from 11:30am to 12:30pm at the Redmond Library, kids can learn how flowers attract pollinators with the Master Gardeners. Each kid gets a take-home kit, so it’s not just sitting and listening. It’s designed for ages 5 to 12, and you don’t need to register, but supplies are limited to the first 25 kids. If your kid likes hands-on stuff, this one’s worth getting there on time for.🚲 Bicycle Bling: Redmond Rolling into Spring So here’s something kind of cool… Redmond is leaning even harder into its whole “bicycle capital” thing this spring. There’s been a push to improve bike lanes, add better connections between trails, and make it easier to actually ride between neighborhoods without dealing with sketchy gaps. You’ll probably start noticing more riders out now that the weather’s turning too. If you’ve been thinking about dusting off your bike, this is kind of your sign.🕰️ Redmond History Minute Okay, 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.Why did Redmond incorporate as a city in 1912?A) Build a school B) Tax the saloons to build a water system C) Get a railroad stop D) Keep Seattle from annexing themAnswer revealed at the bottom of this newsletter.🔮 Redmond Rumor Mill Rumor has it a seafood boil restaurant with robot servers (yes, robot servers) is looking at space near the light rail station. The concept's been blowing up in Seattle with multiple new spots opening this year, and now it sounds like the Eastside might be next. What we don’t know yet is which exact brand this is or how far along things are. Would you actually go somewhere a robot brings your seafood?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 Diner in Redmond Alright, 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 diner in Redmond.📻 Don't Miss the Podcast If you enjoyed this newsletter, 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 Answer The answer is B – Tax the saloons to build a water systemMost of Redmond's buildings were wooden, and there was no public water system, so fires kept wiping out entire blocks. Residents incorporated so they could tax the thriving saloons and finally build a proper water system. Fire basically forced the city into existence. Also… those saloons must have been doing very well.