A huge thank you, once again, to our incredible volunteers and the team at Ace Hardware, as well as our partners at the City of Anacortes Parks Department and Channel View Farms for making our town beautiful. The extraordinary planter arrangements were designed by Carole Star and Sally at Ace Hardware before Mother's Day, and … Continue reading 2026 Gardening Recap: Downtown is Blooming once again!
A Fresher, Cleaner Downtown
If you’ve strolled down Commercial Avenue lately, you may have noticed something missing — those old, abandoned newspaper boxes that had been sitting empty for years. Thanks to a recent cleanup effort, our sidewalks look better than ever! Before-and-after photos tell the story best, but the difference is night and day. Where there used to … Continue reading A Fresher, Cleaner Downtown
Downtown is Blooming, Thanks to You!
Downtown Anacortes is in full bloom—and it’s all thanks to an incredible team effort! With the last hanging basket now in place, we're excited to share that the 2025 downtown spring planting is complete, bringing vibrant color and joy to our community for the whole summer season. Over four work days, 35 volunteers came together … Continue reading Downtown is Blooming, Thanks to You!
A Fresh Start for Downtown’s Planters
Yesterday was a beautiful spring day downtown—and the perfect setting for some seriously hard work. Sixteen amazing volunteers, including students from the high school robotics team came out to clean out all 35 sidewalk planters, tackling everything from clearing compacted soil to removing stubborn yew shrubs. It was no easy task, but the crew powered … Continue reading A Fresh Start for Downtown’s Planters
The History of the Downtown Planter Project
By Downtown Anacortes AllianceOriginally written by Beth Smith, March 5, 2022 | Updated May 2025 About 2002, a conversation over breakfast sparked an idea that would grow into one of downtown Anacortes’s most beloved beautification projects. A friend invited Beth Smith to join a new effort to brighten up Commercial Avenue with sidewalk planters. After … Continue reading The History of the Downtown Planter Project