By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
The 2026 Rainier Beach Walk the Block Party will once again bring the community together on Saturday, May 30, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Rainier Beach Community Center. The annual celebration highlights the neighborhood’s culture, creativity, and strong sense of community through live entertainment, local vendors, interactive art, inspiring speakers, and family-friendly activities.
Hosted by the Rainier Beach Action Coalition, the free public event is more than a celebration. In recognition of Small Business Month, Walk the Block supports local entrepreneurs and small businesses during challenging economic times while helping promote economic opportunity and reduce displacement pressures in Rainier Beach.
“Thinking about displacement, I think it is important that we continue to invest in our local businesses first. That means providing support where needed, just thinking about grants and technical assistance for small businesses, home ownership support, like workforce development, all of those things,” said Jarquita Brown, RBAC Development Manager. “We need to be providing resources that would get them access to capital for all of our local entrepreneurs.”
For many small business owners, those resources remain especially important as they continue navigating economic uncertainty and barriers to growth.
Makayla Miles, RBAC Economic Development Specialist, said she frequently hears concerns from business owners, including challenges connecting and communicating with property owners and attracting consistent customer traffic.
“I would say a big one is just concerns with the property owners making sure that the property is up to code. I feel like that’s really a big challenge for them to connect with their landlords,” said Miles. “For our inner beach businesses, getting good foot traffic to our small businesses, because some of them are a little out of the way, is another issue. We are really encouraging people to visit this event to see the small businesses in the area and be able to highlight them.”
To help address those challenges, the event will connect entrepreneurs with organizations providing access to funding opportunities, technical assistance, and strategies for securing commercial spaces to support growth and expansion.
RBAC is also highlighting this year’s Marketplace Plaza, which will bring small businesses and community organizations together in one space, creating opportunities for residents to discover, connect with, and support local entrepreneurs.
“The Marketplace plaza will highlight all of our vendors in one location. It is a great opportunity for community members and just people walking by to introduce themselves to small businesses,” said Miles. “We are also encouraging small businesses to provide discounts so some community members will be able to support them during the event, and hopefully that support will continue after the event.”
In addition to the Marketplace Plaza, the event will feature live performances on the main stage and a Kids Zone with activities designed for children and families.
Miles said direct outreach remains one of the most important ways RBAC supports local businesses.
“The support is critical because they don’t know what or where the resources are. It is important that we go out and connect with the small business owners by doing our site visits as well,” said Miles. “We can connect them to whatever resources they may need, so we serve as that bridge from the community to those resources.”
All proceeds from the event will support funding for the Rainier Beach Business District at RBAC, which provides free guidance, resources, mentorship, and funding support for local entrepreneurs, with a focus on at-risk and minority-owned businesses across Washington state.
Brown hopes attendees leave the Walk the Block Party feeling more connected to Rainier Beach and with a deeper understanding that local businesses and neighbors remain the foundation of the community.
“I also want people to be inspired and walk away knowing about all of the local businesses that will be there,” said Brown. “There are going to be so many amazing things happening that day, and I want everyone to just have fun, feel connected, and learn about everything that Rainier Beach has to offer.”
