Ingalls Creek Enrichment Center to host open house showcasing new building and community programs

PESHASTIN – Ingalls Creek Enrichment Center in Peshastin is inviting the public to an open house on Sunday, September 14, from 1-4 p.m. The event offers a unique opportunity for community members to explore the center’s scenic facilities, learn about its diverse programming, and meet the staff behind its mission.

“We offer a combination of specialized programs, and then we offer our space for others to rent out,” said Andrew B. Funka, director of Program Development at the center. 

“We rent out to church groups, youth groups, family reunions, weddings, and we recently hosted the Native Plant Society’s Botany Washington Week up here, which was a great time,” he said.

The center boasts a large lodge with a commercial kitchen, dining room, and meeting space, as well as bunk rooms and two apartments. 

“We also have what we call the Woodland Chalet, a log cabin that’s like a family home,” he said. “It has two large bedrooms, a loft, and it’s just a beautiful place that families can come and stay.”

Additional amenities include a large outdoor pavilion, an amphitheater, and the brand new Anna’s Teahouse, which will be dedicated on September 13 in memory of one of the center’s founders, Anna Walter.

“The Teahouse is a relatively small structure, but extremely nice,” he said. “It has a fireplace, comfortable seating, and outdoor areas. It’s a facility that can be used for small group meetings, intimate weddings, or receptions—especially with the outdoor overflow area.”

Ingalls Creek Enrichment Center offers a variety of programs, primarily geared toward adults. 

“We have a retreat series called Aging Well, aimed at people over 65 and either entering into or already in retirement. These are opportunities to gather together and learn from each other about the aging process,” Funka said. 

“We also offer something called Living Well for people in their 50s, who are in that transition period of life,” he said. “It’s a time of lots of different changes, and we offer a retreat series for people in that age group to come together and look at how one lives well in that period of life.”

Other offerings include a men’s retreat, a women’s weekend, and a popular day camp for children in July. This year, the center partnered with a German theologian, Icicle Ridge Winery, and chef Sean Niles to host a retreat called “Taste and See,” focused on experiencing the goodness of life and God through food and wine.

“The open house is an opportunity to come and see our facilities and find out a little bit more about the kinds of programs we offer, but also because we do rent out our facilities, it’s an opportunity to meet our staff and maybe see what the possibilities are,” Funka said. “We’re also looking for people that would be interested in partnering with us in programming.”

For more information about Ingalls Creek Enrichment Center and its programs, visit www.ingallscreek.org. The open house is free and open to all.

Quinn Propst: 206-923-8706 or quinn@ward.media