Here’s our weekly round-up of events from February 5 – 11 on Mercer Island:

Winter Story Times at the Library
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE

Join the Mercer Island Children’s Librarian for stories, songs, rhymes, and fun in these 30-minute programs designed especially for you and your young child.

Tuesday February 6
Young Toddlers (12 – 24 months) – 10:30 – 11 am
Toddlers (2 – 3 years) – 11:30 am – Noon

Thursday February 8
Infants (0 – 12 months) – 10:30 – 11 am
Preschoolers (3 – 6 years) – 1 – 1:30 pm

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Angst: Film, Discussion, & Resource Fair
Tuesday, February 6, 6:30 – 9 pm
MIHS Performing Arts Center, 9100 SE 42nd Street

Sponsored by Mercer Island Library, MI Parent Edge, MIYFS, and MISD, join them for a screening of the Indieflix film Angst – Breaking the Stigma Around Anxiety. Children and young adults offer intimate, honest, and accessible perspectives on suffering from and managing anxiety. Experts highlight research and offer tools and resources that provide hope. This event is for parents and caregivers with students of all ages, and students in grades 5 – 12 are allowed to attend. There will be a discussion and Q&A post-screening, with professional counselors on hand.

Adults – you can continue the discussion at the Mercer Island Library on February 13, 6:30pm, with counselors from Mercer Island Youth & Family Services.

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MIYFS Foundation Annual Breakfast
Wednesday, February 7, 7 – 8:30 am
Mercer Island Community & Event Center, 8236 SE 24th Street

Celebrate and support Mercer Island Youth and Family Services (MIYFS) at its biggest fundraising event of the year, the MIYFS Foundation Annual Breakfast. Last year’s breakfast brought together almost 600 guests. Attendees will hear from MIYFS representatives as well as local Islanders about the impact of MIYFS on their lives and the well-being of the community. There is no charge to attend the breakfast but there is a suggested minimum donation of $250 per person. Registration online
Learn more >>

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Shop and Dine Local to Support MIYFS
Wednesday, February 7 & Thursday, February 8, all day
Various locations

MIYFS is encouraging everyone to “Shop and Dine Local” to help raise funds for MIYFS programs and services. On Wednesday, February 7th and Thursday, February 8th, the Mercer Island businesses listed below will donate 10% of proceeds to MIYFS Foundation. Visit our recent feature post on this event for the complete list!
Learn more >>

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Community Coffee Hour
Wednesday, February 7 & Friday, February 9, 9 – 10 am
Mercer Island Community & Event Center, 8236 SE 24th Street

Join Mercer Island Parks & Recreation for Community Coffee Hour every Wednesday and Friday! This is a free program for kids, teens, adults, seniors, and families. Enjoy a hot cup of coffee in a fun and engaging atmosphere with people from the community.

For more information, call MICEC at 206-275-7909 or email at [email protected].

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Storybook Corner
Wednesday, February 7, 10:30 – 11 am
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE

Bring your little ones in to enjoy popular picture books read by our staff or special guests.
Learn more >>

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Kaleidoscope Play & Learn
Wednesday, February 7, 10:30 am – Noon
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE

Have fun singing songs, telling stories, reading books, creating art, and playing. Kaleidoscope Play & Learn is in English. Ages 5 years and younger with caregiver. Sponsored by the Friends of the Mercer Island Library.

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Downsize to the Right-size
Wednesday, February 7, 1 – 2 pm
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE

Catherine Arendt, downsizing expert and Aljoya’s At Your Service Manager, works with families from start to finish as they transition from their homes to retirement communities. She presents “Downsize to the Right-Size” workshops to help you plan your project. Learn tips and techniques to sort through your home and identify what you would like to keep and how to disperse the rest. Attendees will receive a Downsize Guidebook along with other resources.

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Wine Wednesdays @ Caruccio’s
Wednesday, February 7, 5 – 9 pm
Caruccio’s, 2441 76th Ave SE, Suite 100

Purchase your wine by the glass from a rotating selection of wines. Each glass includes delicious appetizers served buffet-style. No need to purchase tickets for Wine Wednesday.
Learn more >>

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Singing Circle with Panim Hadashot
Wednesday, February 7, 7 – 8:30 pm
SJCC, 3801 E Mercer Way

Find your voice and joy at our weekly song sessions. SJCC is partnering with Panim Hadashot:New Faces and Rabbi Dov Gartenberg to bring their singing circle to the J. Every week will feature singing, teaching, and storytelling, culminating in a Shabbat dinner and music session on Friday, February 23.
Learn more >>

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Tabletop Thursdays
Thursday, February 8, 4 – 7 pm
Mercer Island Community & Event Center, 8236 SE 24th Street

Drop by for an afternoon of board games, video games, playing pool or ping-pong, and hanging out. There’s a huge selection of games, and the staff is always up to taking on a new competitor. Games include: Codenames, Mission Red Planet, Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride, Connect 4, Monopoly, and more. Free for ages 7 – 14.

For more information, call MICEC at 206-275-7909 or email at [email protected].

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Author/Journalist Bonnie Rochman: The Gene Machine
Thursday, February 8, 7:30 pm
SJCC, 3801 E Mercer Way

How is science changing reproduction and the experience of parenting? Award-winning Seattle journalist Bonnie Rochman is a former health and parenting columnist for Time Magazine. She discusses her new book THE GENE MACHINE: HOW GENETIC TECHNOLOGIES ARE CHANGING THE WAY WE HAVE KIDS—AND THE KIDS WE HAVE. This important book was named one of Amazon’s Top 20 Science Picks of 2017. Rochman tells the dramatic saga of the development of screening for Jewish genetic diseases, including the evolution of Tay-Sachs screening. Books will be for sale and signing at the event.
Learn more >>

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Youth Theatre Northwest presents Chaos Theory 
Friday, February 9 & Saturday, February 10, 7 pm
Parish Hall Theatre at Emmanuel Church, 4400 86th Ave SE

Imagine attending a show that has no script and hasn’t been rehearsed. What can you expect? An evening of unrepentant comedy and gut-busting laughter. Youth Theatre’s improvisational comedy troupe Chaos Theory will take suggestions from the audience to create razor-sharp, hysterical moments of unforgettable theatre. Come ready to play and leave laughing. Best for ages 9+.

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Restoration Event
Saturday, February 10, 10 am – 2 pm
Pioneer Park, Island Crest Way & 68th Street
Meet: at the kiosk on the corner of Island Crest Way & 68th Street

Each year, Mercer Island citizens donate hundreds of hours of their time to maintain the community’s parks and open spaces: picking up litter, planting trees, cutting down ivy, painting over graffiti, or repairing trails.

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Wild Fermented Sauerkraut with Meghan Hintz, LMP
Saturday, February 10, 10 am – noon
New Seasons Market, 2755 77th Avenue SE

Learn to safely and easily make your own raw fermented sauerkraut! Teeming with probiotics, sauerkraut improves digestion, boosts immune function, and increases energy levels. This popular class includes a demonstration, recipes—and delicious samples! This event is free, but registration is required.
Learn more >>

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Foxtrot: Special Advance Screening
Saturday, February 10, 8 pm
SJCC, 3801 E Mercer Way

Get an advance look at Israeli film FOXTROT, winner of eight Ophir Awards (the Israeli Oscars), including best picture and best director. Michael (Lior Ashkenazi) and Dafna cope with the death of their son in the line of duty. Unfathomable twists rival their son’s surreal military experience in this brilliantly constructed exploration of grief and fate. This screening is followed by a community conversation. Concessions, including beer/wine for sale (21+ w/ID).
Learn more >>

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Youth Theatre Northwest presents The Kamishibai Project Workshop
Sunday, February 11, 1 – 5 pm
Parish Hall Theatre at Emmanuel Church, 4400 86th Ave SE

YTN has received a special grant to bring Tatsuo Kawakami and Takamitsu Terukina, two famous Kamishibai artists from the Marguerite Family Troupe in Japan to work with YTN’s Through The Looking Glass and What Alice Found There cast in a special residency during the month of February. Because of its unique opportunity, YTN is hosting workshops with the artists.

For anyone over 4th grade (adults too!), participate in this FREE Sunday Workshop with the Japanese artists to learn about how Kamishibai is done. These will be drop in workshops where you can take just one, two or all three! To sign up contact Stephanie Bull at (206) 232-4145 ext.100 or [email protected].

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Get Ready for Valentine’s Day Matinee: The Age of Love
Sunday, February 11, 2 pm
SJCC, 3801 E Mercer Way

The announcement of a first-of-its-kind speed dating event exclusively for 70- to 90-year-olds spurs a diverse group of seniors to take stock of their aging bodies and still-hopeful hearts in this playful and poignant documentary. Get ready for Valentine’s Day by attending this screening at SJCC!
Learn more >>

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Chief Seattle and the Town That Took His Name
Sunday, February 11, 3 – 4 pm
Aljoya Mercer Island, 2430 76th Ave SE

Many know that the city of Seattle was named after a prominent Suquamish and Duwamish chief. But there hasn’t been a thorough account of Chief Seattle and his times—until now. Join us to hear historian David Buerge share stories from his latest book, Chief Seattle and the Town That Took His Name: The Change of Worlds for the Native People and Settlers on Puget Sound. Buerge spent 20 years researching this book, drawing on oral histories from Duwamish, Suquamish, Muckleshoot and other tribe members, and he mined historical records, newspaper reporting, and pioneer diaries. He’ll share details of how Chief Seattle advocated for peace during a time of tremendous flux, and how his influence resonates to this day. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Mercer Island Library in partnership with the Mercer Island Historical Society. Island Books will have books for sale at the event.