Most people probably don’t realize that Issaquah is a royal monarchy. But, of course, the King and Queen of Issaquah rule the land, waving regally during ceremonies of state (like Salmon Days) and giving their blessing to new businesses which open in the boundaries of their kingdom.

It was a special meeting of the Link textIssaquah Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, as outgoing royals, King Brandon Lorrain and Queen Renée Walden, passed on the honor to 2010 King and Queen, Nathan Perea and Renee Zimmerman.

“The past year, as Queen of Issaquah, was a real blast,” Walden said. “It was great to be a part of all the different events around the city, and especially to see new businesses opening up. It shows that even in this tough economy, there are entrepreneurs out there with a vision.”

Perea and Zimmerman will act as the Issaquah Chamber’s official representatives at public events and celebrations, and host ribbon cuttings to welcome new businesses into the community.

Tuesday’s meeting of the chamber also saw the much-anticipated unveiling of the new Issaquah Salmon Days Festival logo.

Robin Spicer’s artwork has been a feature of the annual event for many years – her Salmon Days designs have won awards and accolades in the past, and this year’s work will again be a great visual representation of the event and what it means to Issaquah.

This year’s theme is “Something Up Our Leaves.”

For the latest on the festival, visit salmondays.org