MALDEN, WA – The Pine Creek Community Restoration Long Term Recovery Organization (LTRO) will host its fifth annual Fall Festival on Saturday, September 13, 2025, from noon to 4 p.m., commemorating five years since the Babb Road Fire destroyed much of Malden and neighboring Pine City.
The free community event will take place at 119 W. Broadway Avenue in Malden and will feature a BBQ lunch, live music by Theresa Edwards and the Bobs, raffles, games, and a bike rodeo with complimentary repairs sponsored by Three Forks Bike. Lunch will be served at noon, and the public is invited to attend.
“This year marks the 5th anniversary of the fire,” said Christine Oakley, chair of the Pine Creek LTRO board. “Visitors will be able to tour our new Community Center, and kids of all ages can enjoy the new park equipment, pump track, and contests like corn hole, sack races, and a pie-eating competition”.
The festival highlights the progress made since the September 2020 Babb Road Fire, which destroyed most of the two towns. In the years since, residents have rebuilt homes and welcomed new neighbors. The community now features two new public buildings that house the fire station, post office, library, and event space. A trailhead park includes a playground, bike repair stations, outdoor restrooms with showers, and an amphitheater. The new community center is equipped with a commercial kitchen, and both facilities are connected with high-speed fiber internet.
“To say this journey has been easy is a gross understatement,” said Chandelle Frick, Pine Creek LTRO director. “It has taken showing up every day with grit, heart, and a shared vision”.
For questions about the festival, residents may contact Chandelle Frick at 509-939-6005. More information about the Pine Creek Community Restoration LTRO and the new community center is available at pinecreekcommunityrestoration.org .