Five Bellevue institutions and leaders were honored by the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, which announced its 2026 Regional Awards Gala winners on Wednesday, June 24.

KidsQuest Children's Museum took Nonprofit of the Year as it prepares for a major expansion into the former Bellevue Arts Museum building downtown. The museum purchased the Steven Holl-designed structure for $5 million.

CEO Putter Bert has said KidsQuest hopes to open there by 2029, a move requiring an additional $60 million in renovations. The museum currently serves about 200,000 visitors a year; the new space could push that past 350,000.

King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci won Public Official of the Year. First elected to the Bellevue City Council in 2004, Balducci later served as mayor before joining the County Council in 2015.

She played a central role in advancing the East Link light rail extension through legal challenges and contentious routing decisions. "You don't need a gavel to have a microphone," Balducci said earlier this year after being removed as chair of Sound Transit's System Expansion Committee.

Bellden Cafe earned the People's Choice Business award. The community cafe faced a temporary closure earlier in 2026 following equipment failures but has since reopened. It is also developing a Tea & Dinner Workforce Development program, a training initiative it funded through a Kickstarter campaign.

Snowflake Lane, the nightly holiday parade along Bellevue Way presented by The Bellevue Collection and the Kemper Freeman family, was named Signature Experience of the Year. The event drew an estimated 350,000 to 400,000 visitors during its 21st season last winter. Its 2023 season generated $41 million in economic activity for the city, according to the Chamber Board.

Kevin Wallace, CEO of Wallace Properties and founder of The Bellevue Foundation, rounded out the list as Chamber Member of the Year. A Bellevue native, Wallace served on the City Council for nearly a decade, where he worked on light rail negotiations and passage of a Fire Facilities Levy. His firm focuses on transit-oriented mixed-use development across the Eastside.

The Chamber's awards program dates back to 1990. Nominees were submitted by the public and reviewed by the Chamber's Board of Directors before a final vote. The date of the gala ceremony itself has not been announced.