The Soap Lake Creative District (SLCD), located in the City of Soap Lake and along the shores of the Soap Lake, is a small, rural community with a history as a healing destination. Indigenous people have known of Soap Lake’s soda waters for centuries; they dug roots and built steam huts along the lakeshore, and called truces amid battles to bathe themselves and their horses. They named this natural spa Smokiam. The area now draws individuals seeking a distinctive environment – basalt coulees carved by Ice Age Floods, big skies, and the unique qualities of the lake. Known as “your cure for the ordinary,” the Soap Lake Creative District is developing into a community hub of emerging creative energy.
What you will find in Soap Lake:
- Masquers Theater, one of the oldest community theaters in Washington State.
- The Calling the Healing Waters sculpture and sundial designed and created by David Govedere (1950 – 2021) and Keith Powell.
- Two public beaches, Smokiam Park and West Beach, where visitors can experience the lake’s healing meromictic waters and mud.
- Locally owned cafes and restaurants.
- A vibrant community center and Soap Lake Library where there is something fun and creative to do nearly every week.
Soap Lake’s Creative District aims to bring together artists, businesses, local organizations, and city government to strengthen the city’s creative economy and honor the heritage and culture of the region.