Castle Rock Community Development Alliance

09/08/2026

Come join the fun and talk to local businesses and organizations that make Castle Rock ''Rock!''

🗓️Please join us for an evening of business showcasing & meeting business owners from the Greater Castle Rock Area🗓️

08/09/2026

It's long, but worth the read. Castle Rock gets it! and we are grateful for our family-owned businesses that have invested their lives in Castle Rock's future.

"Castle Rock is OPEN for Business! "

Every city obsesses about outsiders.

Tourists. New businesses. Outside investment. The next big employer. The national chain that will finally put them on the map.

Meanwhile the people who already live there, who already pay taxes, who already chose this place and are raising their kids here, get nothing.

It’s backwards.

Residents don’t need much. They want to be able to take a walk without being mowed down by a car. They want safe places for their kids to play. They want a friend on the block and a coffee shop worth lingering in. They want a downtown that makes them feel something when they walk through it.

They want to feel proud of where they live.

That pride isn’t a soft or secondary goal. It’s the foundation of everything else. Proud residents maintain their properties. They support local businesses. They show their town off to friends and family. They fight for their community when it matters. They stay.

And when people stay, when they’re genuinely connected to and proud of the place they call home, that is when the real investment happens. Not because someone chased it, but because they built something worth being part of.

Stop chasing outsiders.

Take care of the people already here and give them something to feel good about.

In the immortal word of Stephen Stills, “Love the one you’re with.”

07/07/2026

Hope to see you there! See Castle Rock Blooms post below for details..

Come Celebrate Castle Rock! The Annual Community Potluck is July 17th at the gorgeous North County Recreation Association Youth Sports Complex & Event Venue. Families and friends will have an opportunity to meet and greet our America in Bloom in Bloom Advisors and hear what they thought of our tiny town. See Flyer for details. You can message us here if you have questions.

See you there!

06/01/2026

It's True. Castle Rock has it right. "Create Quality of Place and Economic Development will follow." DV

Thank you Castle Rock leadership for getting the ball rolling all those years ago. 2002.. Castle Rock Comprehensive Plan, 2005 the resulting Castle Rock Strategic Marketing Plan and then the implementation of that plan beginning in 2011 which created the Castle Rock Community Development Alliance (CRCDA).

The vision and the work continues. This tiny town ROCKS!

All can be found and read in full on the city website: https://www.ci.castle-rock.wa.us/

The Simplest Economic Development Strategy You’re Ignoring

There is no mystery to why certain streets thrive and others don’t. People are drawn to beautiful places. Not complicated, not controversial, just true.

When a street is irresistible, foot traffic follows. When foot traffic follows, shop owners notice. When shop owners notice, they compete for space on that street. When they compete for space, rents rise, buildings appreciate, and the surrounding neighborhood becomes more desirable. The homeowners nearby benefit. The tax base strengthens. The community grows.

This is not a theory. This is how value is created.

The public sector’s role in this chain is straightforward: invest in a high-quality public realm and enforce your building codes. That’s it. You don’t need another survey telling you that residents prefer to live in beautiful places. They do. Everyone does. Act on that.

Cities that understand this stop treating aesthetics as a luxury and start treating them as infrastructure. Because that’s exactly what they are, the infrastructure that makes every other investment work harder.

Make your streets irresistible. The private sector will do the rest.

04/17/2026

Young person seeking summer employment? Or connecting with a company in a field they have been hoping to pursue as a career? The opportunities are there. Come see what all these prospective employees have to offer. It is an exciting day.

Castle Rock is OPEN for Business!

04/14/2026

Welcome! So happy for your re-opening on the 18th! Build Quality of Place with plants and flowers.

"Castle Rock is OPEN for Business!"

We’re excited to announce that Castle Rock Nursery is reopening this weekend - April 18th!

Join us for a soft opening as we begin a new chapter for the nursery. New items and plants will be arriving every week, so there will always be something fresh to discover!

See you this weekend! 🌱

03/22/2026

Local to Castle Rock resort that has just what you need for an early spring 'stay-close-to-home-mini-vacation'. Come see for yourself. Like their page and enjoy the views.

"Castle Rock is OPEN for Business!"

This is the view from Silver Lake Resort. No filter needed. Come see it for yourself and make your friends jealous.

03/22/2026

Stating a small business or just need a boost? This is for you! contact Monica and sign up.

"Castle Rock is OPEN for Business!"

No Cost Training on business planning and small business support by the CWCOG at the Woodland Library. Receive a Small Business Toolkit Workbook to journal for the journey. A business specialist will walk you through the steps to open and run your own business.

03/17/2026

Yesterday evening at the CRCDA Annual meeting businesses, community organizations and city officials came together to share what was happening, to learn about CRCDA and its committees and network to 'get to know each other' as Annual Meeting Chairperson and board member Ben Trigsted announce.

Snacks and refreshments and announcements of the 2026 board as well as presentations by CRCDA committees, (Action Teams); Admin, Marketing, Economic Environment, Quality of Life, (School Gardens) , Tourism/Events ; Committees Blooms, Street Art/Halloween Jamboree, Festival of Lights, our hosts Castle Rock Axe House and Event Center Bryan and Adea Anderson,, (THANK YOU SO MUCH! -- great spaces BTW- check it out!), CTE Teacher and Castle Rock FBLA Advisor Robin Palmer of Castle Rock High School, Home of the Rockets and Greater Castle Rock Chamber of Commerce President Kari Murfitt. It was an evening packed with activity, blooming prizes and good cookies! (baked by board member Ellen!!!)

Need some guidelines for starting and sustaining a new business? Contact Monica at Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Council of Governments. Support of the Castle Rock library is always appreciated as it it totally supported by volunteer efforts. Join and/or contribute to the non-profit Friends of the Castle Rock Library

All came together to share and hear how the Non-Profit Community Development Alliance has grown since 2012 and continues to work to make Castle Rock... well.. ROCK!

Take a look at the FB offerings by these CRCDA committees. Businesses please tag your business! Thank you for coming!!! You will see why Castle Rock is a growing, supportive community in which to LIVE, WORK, PLAY and SHOP!

"Castle Rock is OPEN for Business!"

Castle Rock Blooms, Castle Rock Festival of Lights, Castle Rock WA Blooming Generations Garden; Castle Rock, WA, Rocket Garden - CRMS, Street Art - Castle Rock, WA