Light rail arrives in South Snohomish County this Friday, Aug. 30, and the My Neighborhood News Network will be part of celebrations scheduled for 4-8 p.m. that day at both the Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace stations. Look for our booth at both locations, where we will be asking people to leave a short message about light rail service — which we will compile into a video.

At the Lynnwood Station, we will share our booth with MNNN partner Se Habla Media, which will be reporting on the event.

Prior to the celebrations, there will be speeches by elected officials and a ribbon cutting at Lynnwood City Center Station from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Friday, after which riders can start boarding trains.

Here are specific plans for the 4-8 p.m. station celebrations in Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace:

Grand opening of the Lynnwood City Center Station, 20100 48th Ave. W., Lynnwood: There will be live music, a dozen food trucks, cultural performances, a night market of arts and crafts, a community resource fair with 60 public agencies and nonprofits, and many fun activities for kids of all ages. Take photos with Mariner Moose, Kraken Buoy, and AquaSox Webbly. Watch a Lion Dance and an Ethiopian coffee ceremony. Jump in a bounce house and play cornhole and video games. Purchase handmade goods from local makers. Learn about future development happening in Lynnwood.  The event is hosted by the Lynnwood Chamber of Commerce and Snohomish County Transportation Coalition, and sponsored by Sound Transit. The Edmonds-based Asian Service Center is hosting the Cultural Stage, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County will help manage the Family Fun Zone with multiple interactive games and activities.​​

Light rail opening festival in Mountlake Terrace, 6001 236th St. S.W., Mountlake Terrace: The Mountlake Terrace Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a night market that will feature 100-plus local vendors, one main stage with live musical performances, buskers scattered throughout the festival footprint, food trucks, local artists, outdoor seating, and a kids zone with family-friendly games and activities. Among the featured businesses is Double DD Meats, the Seattle area’s oldest premium meat market, founded in 1955, just one year after the City of Mountlake Terrace was incorporated. It boasts over 3,000 hot sauces, marinades, and barbecue sauces — the largest brick and mortar collection in the U.S. And there’s also Sweet Alchemy — a small batch, organic and locally sourced ice creameries in the Pacific Northwest. They are a one-time Gold and three-time Silver medal winner at the Los Angeles International Dairy Awards. Plus there will be a live interactive mural by Stephanie Morales, bringing the community together through an interactive mural that celebrates the journey and destinations accessible through the new light rail system.

Station celebrations are also planned at the Shoreline North Station at 185th and the Shoreline South Station at 148th. Learn more here.

After the ribbon cutting, 1 Line trains will run every 8 minutes during peak and 10 mins midday and on weekends between Lynnwood City Center Station and Angle Lake. Late night and early morning service is every 12-15 minutes.

The easiest way to pay for your ride is with an ORCA card, which you can purchase at a ticket machine. You can also buy one-way, return or all day rail tickets. Ticket machines accept cash and credit/debit cards such as Visa or MasterCard. Or buy a ticket on your phone with the Transit GO ticket app.

Learn more about fares, payment methods and more here.

Finally, if you missed our eight-part series on what light rail will bring to Snohomish County, you can read that here.