It’s officially summer and school is out, so it’s time to get outside and enjoy the beautiful summer weather on Mercer Island! Here’s a round-up of 9 awesome Mercer Island summer events you won’t want to miss:
Mercer Island Farmers Market
Sundays, June 4th – October 8th, 10 am – 3 pm + a special Harvest Market on November 20th
No market July 9 (Mercer Island Summer Celebration) or August 6 (SeaFair Blue Angels Air Show)
Come and experience the fun of the Farmers Market during some of the best weather of the year. The market features beautiful produce, sustainably caught fish, pasture-raised meats, flowers, artisan and read-to-eat foods, and so much more. It’s also all about building community, and the market features the following programs:
- Children’s Table – Volunteers offer activities every market day to enhance children’s understanding of food, gardening, and nature.
- Master Gardeners offer advice and consultation to gardeners on every market day.
- Music is offered every Sunday market, adding a fun, entertaining element to the farmers market.
- Tastings are offered several times a month during the season to educate the community about farmers market products and promote healthy cooking and eating.
Check out the complete calendar of special events, and families with young children should save the date for the highly anticipated Caspar Babypants Concert at the Market on August 27th.
Learn more >>
Shakespeare in the Park
Performances Thursday – Sunday in July & August, starting July 6th
Luther Burbank Park Amphitheater, 2040 84th Avenue SE
Sponsored by The Mercer Island Arts Council, Wooden O brings Shakespeare plays to life, engaging audiences of all ages, in the beautiful, outdoor setting of Luther Burbank Park. This year, Wooden O will feature Much Ado about Nothing and Pericles.
Much Ado About Nothing Synopsis: Shakespeare’s screwball comedy features the bantering of two of his cleverest characters. For Beatrice and Benedick, love is a game of wits played with guarded hearts, yet everyone can see they’re meant for each other. Newly engaged Hero and Claudio conspire to trick the pair into admitting their affections and falling for each other. But schemes are afoot to ruin everyone’s happiness through dire accusations. Will love win out in the end?
Pericles Synopsis: Set sail on the high seas for a summer adventure. Prince Pericles romances maidens, gets chased from port to port, finds his true love, and then loses her and his infant daughter in the storm-tossed sea. With only the stars and his heart as a guide, Pericles charts one man’s epic lifetime voyage to reunite with the family he thought he had lost forever.
Learn more >>
Mercer Island Summer Celebration!
This year’s theme is Out of this World!
Saturday & Sunday, July 8th & 9th
Mercerdale Park, 77th Avenue SE and SE 32nd Street
Mercer Island’s only community-wide festival draws crowds between 20,000 and 30,000 over the festival weekend. Held annually on the second full weekend in July and boasting a new theme each year, this year’s theme is Out of this World!
The festival consists of many events: a parade, car show, fireworks, children’s rides, art/craft vendors, food vendors, musical entertainment, Swedish Pancake Breakfast, and boat rides around the Island. New this year is the Skateboard Event, Sk8te the Rock!
Sk8te the Rock 2017
Sunday, July 9th, 1 – 3 pm
Mercerdale Skate Park, 77th Avenue SE and SE 32nd Street
Mercer Island Parks & Recreation is partnering with Bellevue Parks & Recreation for a new skate event as a part of Summer Celebration.
“Sk8te the Rock” will be on Sunday, July 9th, at 1 pm at the skate park in Mercerdale Park. Contestants can choose from three age divisions and will have 60 seconds to skate their best run. There will be giveaways, demos, and prizes for winners of each age division. There will also be guest appearances, music, and much more. Entry fee costs $10. Register online and don’t forget to wear a helmet. Parents or guardians will need to sign a waiver for participants under 18.
Photo Credit: Joe Ross and the Birdwatchers
Mostly Music in the Park
Thursdays in July and August, 7 – 8:30 pm
FREE!
Mercerdale Park, 77th Avenue SE and SE 32nd Street
Join us in Mercerdale Park in July and August for the Mercer Island Arts Council’s annual summer concert series. Concerts feature various bands and artists from around the region performing a wide variety of music. If you would like to support the concerts to ensure they continue, please consider making a donation.
Mostly Music in the Park 2017 Schedule:
- July 20: Good Co – Electro swing
- July 27: Chris Staples – Alt/ Indie Songwriter
- August 3: Joe Ross and the Birdwatchers – New Orleans style honky-tonk
- August 10: Woodland West – Bluegrass/rock/zydeco blend
- August 17: Evening Bell – Americana
- August 24: Lemolo – Dream-pop
Movies in the Park!
Saturdays, July 22 and August 19, 8:30 – 10 pm
Mercerdale Park, 77th Avenue SE and SE 32nd Street
Join us for another great year of free family movies shown on a giant inflatable screen in Mercerdale Park. Flashlights, warm blankets, and chairs are encouraged. During inclement weather, movies will be cancelled, so please call the Mercer Island Community & Event Center at 206-275-7609 to confirm showings on bad weather days. Fun activities and crafts related to the movie will begin an hour before show time. Refreshments sold on site, and these events are sponsored by Mercer Island FC.
- July 22: The NeverEnding Story
- August 19: Finding Dory
National Night Out 2017
Tuesday, August 1, 5 – 8 pm
Sculpture Park, 7800 block of Sunset Highway
Downtown Mercer Island residents are invited to join City officials and the Police Department for a free hot-dog cookout at Sculpture Park, as well as other fun events, on the annual National Night Out.
National Night Out is a community-police awareness-raising event held across the United States annually on the first Tuesday of August. The event is designed to increase crime prevention awareness, to generate support for family emergency preparedness and to strengthen neighborhood spirit and community partnerships. Island residents also encouraged to host an event in their own neighborhood – whether a block party or simply a backyard cookout.
Seafair Weekend – Boeing Seafair Airshow
Friday, August 4th – Sunday, August 6th
The best spots to watch on Mercer Island: Landings on 60th Ave, Park on the Lid, Groveland Park, I-90 floating bridge!
Dubbed as an unofficial Seattle holiday, Seafair Weekend culminates with one of the most impressive air shows in the country: the Boeing Seafair Air Show. Don’t miss your favorite aircraft flying high in the sky over Genesee Park and Lake Washington during Seafair Weekend. Attendees won’t mistake the familiar roar of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels ripping through the air as they return for yet another heart-pounding performance in our great city.
Camp Burbank Community Campout
Saturday & Sunday, August 12th & 13th, 12 pm – 12 pm
Luther Burbank Park Meadow, 2040 84th Ave SE
Camp Burbank’s Community Campout is a great way to “get away from it all” and still be close to home. Hosted by Mercer Island’s Parks and Recreation department, they do all the hard work for you, like cooking, cleaning, and coming up with fun things to do, so you can enjoy the outdoors and focusing on having fun! You will need to bring your tent, personal items, and sleeping bags. Activities will include fishing, beach play, swimming, volleyball, and more – all in beautiful Luther Burbank Park. The campsite, Saturday night dinner, s’mores, snacks, drinks, and Sunday morning breakfast os provided. Children must register with an adult. Call 206-275-7609 to register.
