Welcome to Squirrel Fest, the Pacific Northwest’s original celebration of Longview’s famous squirrel bridges and the community that made them an international curiosity.
Join us on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at Lower Columbia College and discover why thousands of visitors return every year for a celebration that’s proudly, undeniably, and wonderfully NUTS!
As the first festival of its kind on the West Coast and in the Mount St. Helens region, Squirrel Fest has become one of Cowlitz County’s most anticipated annual traditions. Every year, more than 5,000 guests from across Washington and neighboring states gather to celebrate the city’s beloved furry residents while enjoying a day filled with entertainment, food, family activities, and hometown pride.
Longview is known around the world for its iconic squirrel bridges, built to help squirrels safely cross busy streets near the Civic Center. These unique bridges have become a symbol of our community’s creativity, character, and sense of community. Squirrel Fest celebrates that spirit by bringing people together for a day that is, quite simply, delightfully nutty.
Squirrel Fest 2026 takes place on Saturday, August 22, 2026, on the beautiful campus of Lower Columbia College in Longview, Washington. The move to the college campus allows the festival to grow with expanded activities, additional vendor spaces, more entertainment, improved parking, and exciting new experiences for festival guests.
There’s Something for Everyone!
Whether you’re coming for the entertainment, shopping, food, or family fun, Squirrel Fest has something for every age. Festival highlights include:
- Local artisan, craft, nonprofit, and commercial vendors
- Delicious food vendors serving a variety of festival favorites
- Live music and entertainment throughout the day
- Children’s inflatables, games, face painting, bubbles, and hands-on activities
- Community exhibits and interactive experiences
- The world-famous Squirrel Bridge Tours
- And plenty of surprises that will have the whole family going NUTS!
Our mission is simple: Celebrate everything that makes Longview and Cowlitz County an incredible place to live, work, and visit while creating lasting memories for families and visitors.
Squirrel Fest began as the vision of a local community group known as The Sandbaggers, who wanted to create a fun, family-friendly festival celebrating one of Longview’s most unique landmarks—the famous squirrel bridges. Their dream was to build an event that would be just “nutty” enough to become a community tradition.
As attendance and community support continued to grow, the Rotary Club of Longview assumed leadership of the festival in 2019, ensuring that Squirrel Fest would continue to expand while remaining true to its original mission of bringing people together through fun, community spirit, and hometown pride.
Today, Squirrel Fest is proudly presented by the Rotary Club of Longview and supported by an incredible team of volunteers, community organizations, sponsors, performers, and local businesses. Every year the festival grows with more attractions, more entertainment, more family activities, and more opportunities to showcase the very best of Longview and Cowlitz County.
We’re proud of our quirky history, our famous squirrel bridges, and the welcoming community that makes this event possible. Whether you’re visiting for the first time or returning as one of our many annual guests, we invite you to experience one of Southwest Washington’s most unique festivals.
