"Families will be encouraged to walk westbound on the north side of First Street and eastbound on the south side, following the direction of traffic."
That line is from the Historic Downtown Snohomish Association's guidance for First Street Trick or Treat on Saturday, Oct. 31. It runs from 3 to 5 p.m., two hours in total. Of all the October events downtown, Halloween has the most detailed walking guidance. It is not the hardest day of the month to drive through.
That day comes 20 days earlier. On Sunday, Oct. 11, the City's traffic control plan for the Snohomish River Run closes First Street between 2nd and Avenue D from 4:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. That is ten and a half hours, more than five times as long as the Halloween event.
The rest of October fits the same pattern. Each event after the race closes First Street for less time, and each one depends more on people moving on foot. Read in date order, the October calendar shows when you can drive downtown and when the street is set up for walking.
October on First Street, by the clock
| Date | Event | Window | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun., Oct. 11 | Snohomish River Run | 4:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Vehicle closures on First Street and Avenue D, with officers at trail crossings |
| Fri., Oct. 16 | Snohomish High School Serpentine | 10:45 to 11:15 a.m. | Delays along the parade route |
| Thu., Oct. 22 | Farmers market plus Snoho Art Walk | 3 to 8 p.m. combined | Market at Cedar and Pearl, then shops open late |
| Thu., Oct. 29 | Final farmers market of the season | 3 to 7 p.m. | Last Thursday market until next season |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | First Street Trick or Treat | 3 to 5 p.m. | One-way walking on each side of First Street |
October 11 is the day to plan your car around
The River Run starts and finishes at First Street and Avenue D, at 1301 First St. The course follows the Snohomish River through farmland. Start times are staggered across two hours:
- Marathon at 7:30 a.m.
- Half marathon at 8 a.m.
- 10K at 9 a.m.
- 5K at 9:30 a.m.
The last runners start at 9:30, but the long First Street closure begins five hours before the first one and lasts well into the afternoon. The traffic control plan the event producer filed with the City lists the closures and officer posts in detail:
- First Street between 2nd and Avenue D, closed 4:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- First Street between Avenue D and Lincoln, closed 7:15 to 10 a.m.
- Centennial Trail crossings at 3rd, 5th and 6th, closed 7:30 to 10:30 a.m.
- Officer-controlled intersections at 2nd and the Centennial Trail, Maple and Pine, and Maple and 10th, from 7:30 to 10 a.m.
- Avenue D between 2nd and Lowell-Snohomish River Road, closed 7:30 to 10 a.m.
- Avenue D between First and Lowell-Snohomish River Road, one lane coned off for runners from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
So the morning comes in three stages. Before 7:15, the only closure is the stretch of First from 2nd to Avenue D. Between 7:30 and 10, the closures spread to Avenue D, Maple Avenue and the trail crossings. After 10, most of those lift, but the core of First stays closed and one lane of Avenue D toward the river road stays coned until 1:30.
The Weekend Run/Walk Club also meets that Sunday at 10 a.m. at the Centennial Trail head at Maple Avenue and First Street, according to the City calendar. The trail crossings at 3rd, 5th and 6th reopen at 10:30. Anyone heading out on the trail from downtown that morning will have an easier time after that.
Lowell-Snohomish River Road had its own disruption this fall. The Snohomish County Tribune reported on Sept. 16, 2026, that WSDOT's SR 9 bridge work had kept the road fully closed since Aug. 17, and that the closure was extended through Wednesday, Sept. 30. WSDOT's SR 9 project page says traffic near SR 9 would switch to alternating directions starting Sept. 30. We haven't seen a later notice confirming that the switch happened. If your plans for race morning use that road, check WSDOT's project page before you leave.
October 16 shrinks the window to thirty minutes
Five days later, downtown is busy for a much shorter time. Snohomish High School's Serpentine is a homecoming parade that has run for more than 100 years. Students march from campus through downtown and back. The school lists the parade for Friday, Oct. 16, from 10:45 to 11:15 a.m. The City's approved permit covers 10 to 11:30 a.m. The route goes down Union Avenue, across First Street and up Avenue E.
The school tells drivers to expect delays on Avenue D, Union Street, 1st Street, 2nd Street and 5th Street. The school asks families, alumni and neighbors to line the route in red and white. A weekday errand downtown that late morning is easy to reschedule by an hour.
The last two Thursdays move downtown into the evening
On the last two Thursdays of the month, the street isn't closed. Instead, downtown stays busy longer than usual.
The Snohomish Farmers Market runs Thursdays from 3 to 7 p.m. at Cedar and Pearl, with 105 Cedar Ave. as its navigation address. The market's website lists the 2026 season as May 7 through Oct. 29. It also notes that October hours may be reduced or adjusted. The City calendar shows an approved market on each Thursday this month: Oct. 8, 15, 22 and 29.
On Oct. 22, the Snoho Art Walk runs from 5 to 8 p.m. Participating shops, venues, studios and galleries stay open late. The market and the Art Walk overlap from 5 to 7. With both, downtown has organized activity from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m., five hours on a weeknight.
The Art Walk has no official organizer or curator. The Snohomish Art Community keeps the event information and map at snohoart.com and describes the Art Walk as a grassroots effort. Its current list of rotating art includes Arts of Snohomish Gallery, Avenue D Gallery, Little Shop of Light, Snohomish Exchange, St. John's and Studio 606. The group says the venue list and map may not be updated until the week of the event, sometimes the day of. Check it that afternoon.
A week later, on Oct. 29, the market holds its last scheduled Thursday of the season. The market's Sept. 24 vendor listing included Grain Artisan Bakery, Hayton Farms Berries and Greenwood Cider Company. That listing covers a single September week. It doesn't confirm who will be there for the final market, so if there's a vendor you want one more time before spring, check with them directly.
October 31 comes with walking directions
The month ends with the shortest window and the most detailed walking plan. First Street Trick or Treat runs Saturday, Oct. 31, from 3 to 5 p.m. downtown. HDSA says the City is coordinating with the Snohomish Police Department, Fire District 4 and the Snohomish Lions Club.
The 2026 plan has three parts:
- Police will be stationed at key intersections to manage traffic.
- Crosswalks: some will be closed temporarily to improve flow and visibility.
- Lions Club volunteers will be stationed throughout downtown to help keep pedestrians moving.
The walking direction matters most. Each side of First Street moves one way, the same as car traffic. If you start on the north side, you head west. Walking back east means crossing to the south side. HDSA doesn't say which crosswalks will close, so plan your crossing point once you're there instead of counting on a particular corner.
The one-way plan isn't new. HDSA's 2025 page used the same directions, along with police at intersections, closed crosswalks and Lions Club volunteers. The 2025 notice also closed Cedar Avenue to vehicles between First and Pearl and named the Carnegie Building as a family meeting point. Neither detail appears on the 2026 page, so don't count on either one this year unless HDSA adds it. The 2025 page also listed two different end times, 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. The 2026 page says 3 to 5 p.m.
Reading the month as a driver and as a walker
Side by side, the five dates show a clear progression. On Oct. 11, First Street is closed to cars for most of the daylight hours, and the City's plan lists eight separate street segments, crossings and officer posts. On Oct. 16, the parade takes about thirty minutes on a weekday morning. On Oct. 22 and 29, nothing closes, but downtown stays busy into the evening. On Oct. 31, cars matter less than the direction you walk on each side of the street.
For driving, Sunday the 11th needs the most planning, especially between 7:30 and 10 a.m., when Avenue D, Maple Avenue and the trail crossings are all affected. For walking, Saturday the 31st has the most specific rules, and they take effect at 3 p.m.
If you're thinking about selling near First Street or Avenue D and want to time showings and open houses around a calendar like this one, I'm glad to work through the dates with you. Jennifer Schultz is happy to talk through your timing. Let's Connect.
