Happy 2018! Here’s our weekly round-up of events from January 1 – 7 on Mercer Island:

Community Coffee Hour
Wednesday, January 3 & Friday, January 5, 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, January 3, 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, January 3, 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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Wine Wednesdays @ Caruccio’s
Wednesday, January 3, 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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Tabletop Thursdays
Thursday, January 4, 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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MIVAL Opening Reception: Portals of Time
Thursday, January 4, 5 – 8 pm
MIVAL Gallery, Avellino Building, 2836 78th Ave SE

Join MIVAL for refreshments and meet the artists at the opening reception of their newest show, Portals of Time. This show will be at the gallery from January 4 – 28.
Learn more >>

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Improv at Mercer Island High School
Thursday, January 4, 7 pm
MIHS Performing Arts Center, 9100 SE 42nd Street

Improv students and improv club members join forces for an evening of improvisational comedy. This takes wit and guts, people! Don’t miss the fun!
Learn more >>

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Beginning Fly Tying Class 
Thursday, January 4, 7 pm
Evergreen Covenant Church, 3200 78th Ave SE

The Beginning Fly Tying Class is taught by members of the Washington Fly Fishing Club every Thursday evening. You will learn to tie 15 Northwest trout fly patterns and receive personal instructions on useful fly tying skills. Each student will be given online access to the WFFC Fly Tying Manual and a personal copy of a DVD showing close-ups of each fly as it is being tied. Complete fly tying tool/vise and extensive material kits for the 15 fly patterns are available for purchase at the first class session. You may provide your own, too. Learn more about pricing on the event page link below.
Learn more >>

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Opera Preview: Cosi Fan Tutte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Thursday, January 4, 7 – 8:30 pm
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE

Mozart’s Cosi Fan Tutte is the third and last of his collaborations with librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte (the other two collaborations were The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni). This free lecture, provided to increase enjoyment and appreciation of Seattle Opera productions, will feature speaker Norm Hollingshead, with recorded musical excerpts. Space is limited. First come, first seated. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Mercer Island Library.

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First Friday Art Walk
Friday, January 5

Come out for Mercer Island’s First Friday Art Walk. Art galleries on Mercer Island will be hosting their art walk events on the first Friday of the month (and some have free wine!).  Clarke + Clarke and SZ Gallery will be participating.

Clarke + Clarke Art + Artifacts
Hours: 4 – 7 pm
7605 SE 27th St Suite 105
Learn more >>

Suzanne Zahr / SZ Gallery
Hours: 5 – 8 pm
2441 76th Ave SE, Suite 160
Learn more >> 

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Group Show + A Millennium Falcon Cockpit Mural
Friday, January 5, 4 – 7 pm
Clarke + Clarke Art + Artifacts, 7605 SE 27th Street, Suite 105

Join Clarke + Clarke for bubbly and bonbons at their winter group show on First Friday. They have an amazing treat in store for collectors, the young, and the young at heart: an 8 x 6 ft mural painting of the Millennium Falcon Cockpit, an iconic image from Star Wars (1977) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980). The artists in the group show will illustrate the breadth of the gallery’s offerings throughout the years. Many different mediums, styles, and periods will be available, with several inspired pieces, unconventional materials, and unique techniques.
Learn more >>

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First Friday Art & Wine: Gitte Peters’ Nature’s Poetry
Friday, January 5, 5 – 8 pm
SZ Gallery, 2441 76th Ave SE, Suite 160

Join SZ Gallery for the opening reception of Gitte Peters’ exhibit, Nature’s Poetry. There will be small bites and wine! Born in Denmark to a family of artists and musicians, Gitte Peters sensed her gift early on and started the pursuit of her artistic journey in the early 90’s with great success in the second year of her debut — 36 exhibitions all sold out in one year. After spending the first decade in Denmark with hundreds of her paintings hanging in homes, galleries, banks, and companies, she decided to move to South of France, driven by her love for its beautiful nature and surroundings. For a special limited time only, her oil paintings will be featured at SZ Gallery for 30% off.
Learn more >>

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Play Chess at the Library!
Saturday, January 6, 10 am – Noon
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE

Open to all ages and families, come to the library for a morning of chess! Challenge yourself and others. Chess boards and other games will be provided. You’ll be able to play 10 minutes per game on the Big Board. Play games and have fun! There will be upcoming chess events each month.

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MIPA Preschool Fair
Saturday, January 6, 10 am – Noon
Island Park Elementary School, 5437 Island Crest Way

Looking for a preschool, enrichment program, or childcare on Mercer Island? Don’t miss MIPA’s 19th Annual Preschool Fair. Representatives from various programs on the island will be on-hand to answer your questions about their curriculum, enrollment, tuition, and program options. The fair is FREE and open to all interested parents and caregivers.
Learn more >>

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PJ Story Time with Simon Okelo and Nancy Stewart
Saturday, January 6, 6 – 6:30 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE

This month’s storyteller is Simon Okelo. Raised in the slums of Manyatta in Kisumu, Simon discovered his own potential in art and music. Simon is the Founder & Executive Director of One Vibe, a Seattle-based nonprofit that supports Kenyan youth through art and music programs.

Geared especially for children ages 3 and up; Nancy Stewart will be the musical guest! Refreshments will be served.
Learn more >>

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Stephen Tobolowsky’s My Adventures with God
Sunday, January 7, 4 pm
SJCC, 3801 East Mercer Way

The quintessential character actor Stephen Tobolowsky has appeared in more than 100 movies and 200 television shows, including unforgettable roles in Mississippi Burning, Groundhog Day, and TV shows Glee and Norman Lear’s recent revival of One Day at a Time. His serial radio podcast of autobiographical stories, The Toblowsky Files, has become a cult phenomenon and platform for his witty and introspective stories of life, love, triumph, catastrophe, and the entertainment industry. For this special event at SJCC, the legendary storyteller shares stories from his new book My Adventures with God. Books will be for sale at the event.
Learn more >>