Your guide to life on
Mercer Island, WA
Brought to you by The Sirianni Group
Here’s our weekly round-up of events from July 23 – 29 on Mercer Island:
Where’s Waldo? Community Event
Friday, July 6 – Tuesday, July 31
At participating locations on Mercer Island
Waldo, the iconic children’s book character, is back again this summer, and Island Books and other Mercer Island merchants are celebrating! Throughout the month of July, look for businesses on Mercer Island with the “Shop Local–Find Waldo” sticker on their windows. Hidden somewhere within them you’ll find a hidden Waldo or his friend Wenda. When you do, get your passport stamped for proof. Three stamps earn you a button and a discount coupon; a stamp from every participating business enters you in a drawing for the grand prize at the end of the month! Local institutions on the Waldo hunting trail include: Island Books, Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce, Banner Bank, Pagliacci Pizza, and Island Treats.
The Carry-a-Toon Show
Monday, July 23, 7 – 8 pm
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE
Presented by Chancy and Narly (Nancy Stewart and Charlie Williams), this family program is open to kids of all ages. Join two of the Pacific Northwest’s favorite performers for a musical montage of songs, sounds, and shenanigans. They will be pulling out all the stops, using their vocal and musical chords to bring you a memorable summer symphony of sounds!
ACT Practice Test
Tuesday, July 24, 10 am – 2 pm
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE
Take a FREE full-length ACT practice test offered by Revolution Prep. All practice exams include a detailed score report to help you determine the best plan of action to tackle standardize testing. In addition, each student can set up a free 30-minute review with Sharon Centala. During review sessions, Sharon will help students determine their strengths and weaknesses and develop a custom plan to help prepare for the official exam. Please register before July 17 by calling or emailing Sharon, 425.633.2257 or [email protected]
Stories at Dragon Park
Tuesday, July 24, Noon – 12:30 pm
Deane’s Children’s Park, 5701 Island Crest Way
This family program is open to kids of all ages. Bring your lunch to the park and enjoy stories while you munch!
Get Reel Active: Make Media that Matters to You!
Tuesday, July 24, 3:30 – 6 pm
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE
Presented by Reel Girls, this event is for tweens and teens. Are you a young leader who wants to make a difference in your community and beyond? Learn the importance of media literacy, and how to tell your story using a mobile device. Please register for this event.
Community Coffee Hour
Wednesday, July 25 & Friday, July 27, 9 – 10 am
Mercer Island Community & Event Center, 8236 SE 24th St
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].
Storybook Corner
Wednesday, July 25, 10:30 – 11 am
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE
Bring your little ones in to enjoy popular picture books read by Island Books’ staff or special guests.
Kaleidoscope Play & Learn
Wednesday, July 25, 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.
Tween Summer Book Club
Wednesday, July 25, 4 – 6 pm
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE
Stop by to chat with teen librarian, Carrie Bowman, and former IMS teacher, Mrs. Behnke, about books you are reading this summer. We can’t wait to hear about your favorites! We’ll share our summer reading treats and the famous cookie bar treats, too. Come get some ideas for your own reading—no need to share if you don’t want to. Drop by the meeting room any time during the event. Incoming 6th graders welcome!
Wine Wednesdays @ Caruccio’s
Wednesday, July 25, 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.
Summer Movies: COCO!
Thursday, July 26, 1 – 3 pm
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE
This family program is for ages 5 and older. Enjoy fun, family movies! This week, the movie is Coco. Registration is not required, but space is limited.
Tabletop Thursdays
Thursday, July 26, 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]
Poetry Reading by The Crest Learning Center’s Writing Class
Thursday, July 26, 4 – 6 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE
Come join Island Books for a poetry reading with students from the Crest Learning Center, led by their instuctor Michael Harper! Crest is a public MIHS program housed at Crest Learning Center specifically and carefully designed to offer a successful alternative pathway to graduation. All Crest graduates earn a diploma from Mercer Island High School. Most coursework is completed in class to support the individualized, project-based learning and supportive structure of the Crest Community students.
Artists’ Reception: Puget Sound Sumi Artists
Thursday, July 26, 6:30 – 8 pm
Mercer Island Community Center Gallery, 8236 SE 24th St
The “Peace, Love, and Nature” exhibit runs from July 23 until September 7 at The Mercer Gallery. Experience sumi, the Japanese style of black ink painting, through works by the Puget Sound Sumi Artists Association.
Woodland: The Story of the Animals and People of Woodland Park Zoo with Former Zoo Curator John Bierlein
Thursday, July 26, 7 – 8 pm
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE
Follow the history of Woodland Park Zoo from its beginnings nearly 120 years ago as a private estate, carved from the wilderness to promote real estate development in the Phinney Ridge and Green Lake neighborhoods of Seattle.
Mostly Music in the Park
Thursday, July 26, 7 – 8:30 pm
Mercerdale Park, 77th Avenue SE & SE 32nd Street
Mostly Music in the Park is Mercer Island Arts Council’s annual summer concert series in Mercerdale Park. Concerts feature various bands and artists from around the region performing a wide variety of music. This week’s featured group is Scott Lindenmuth Group, a Jazz/Funkadelic band!
Shakespeare in the Park:
The Merry Wives of Windsor & King Lear
Thursday – Saturday, July 26 – 28, 7 pm
Luther Burbank Park, 2040 84th Ave SE
Seattle Shakespeare Company will be performing free shows in Luther Burbank Park, family-friendly and open to the public! Bring a blanket or a chair and come watch an all-ages friendly performance of The Merry Wives of Windsor or King Lear. Read descriptions of each show on their website.
The Merry Wives of Windsor:
King Lear:
Open Book Club: The Dead Zone by Stephen King
Thursday, July 26, 7:30 – 9 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE
In July, Island Books’ Open Book Club will read and discuss The Dead Zone by Stephen King. First published in 1979, King’s seventh novel and #1 New York Times bestseller is unlike any of his other books (no horror or gore–just psychological suspense!) and eerily relevant today.
Island Book’s open book club meets the last Thursday of every month. Their staff facilitator chooses both fiction and nonfiction titles. All are welcome to attend, and if you purchase your book in the store you’ll always get a 10% discount.
Summer Spice Shuk (Outdoor Market)
Friday, July 27, 3 – 6 pm market, 6 – 8 pm dinner
SJCC, 3801 East Mercer Way
Come to SJCC’s outdoor market and spice up your Shabbat with locally grown spices from Cyrus Saffron, personal tea blends with Sholom Tea, Henna Tattoos by Suchi, fresh authentic pita and labneh from a local Druze chef, Shabbat songs with Rabbi Aaron and Neil Weinstein (4:30-5:30 pm), and special food and drinks (including wine and beer). After the shuk, purchase dinner from the vendors for a Shabbat picnic in the Kesher Community Garden. Please RSVP!
Annual Ninja Overnight Party at Mercer Island Martial Arts
Friday – Saturday, July 27 – 28, 6 pm – 9 am
Mercer Island Martial Arts, 2630 77th Ave SE
Kids spend the night with their martial arts friends, use glow in the dark weapons, play games, do martial arts, and more. This is a really fun night and always sells out. Children must be 6 years or older to participate in this event. Kids will receive dinner, snacks, and breakfast.
Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse
Friday, July 20 – Sunday, July 29
7 pm on Fridays & Saturdays, 11 am on Wednesdays – Sundays (excluding Fridays)
Emmanuel Episcopal Church Courtyard, 4400 86th Ave SE or Rotary Park, 4350 88th Ave SE
Youth Theatre Northwest is excited to launch its 35th summer season with a theatrical adaptation of the classic children’s picture book by Kevin Henkes. Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, as adapted by Kevin Kling, brings the rambunctious and lovable mouse Lilly to vibrant life. Directed by Rachel Carlson, the production is delightfully staged outdoors, transforming the courtyard of the Emmanuel Episcopal Church and Rotary Park into a magical world where mice dance, go to school, anguish over siblings, and even accessorize.
Since the performances are outdoors, audience members are encouraged to bring a blanket or fold-up chair and a basket of delicious goodies for this unique outdoor production. Please see the website or our My MI Summer Fun Guide for more details on the location for each date.
MICA Community Visioning Session
Saturday, July 28, 9:30 – 11:30 am
Mercer Island Community & Event Center, 8236 SE 24th St
MICA wants to hear what you would like to see in a space for the arts on Mercer Island. This community visioning session will be a 2-hour session conducted as a series of small group discussions so that all attendees are given an opportunity to share their unique points of view. Each small group discussion will be between 5 – 10 participants. They will be co-moderated by the MICA team and their community input partner, Phinney Bischoff. To take part, please register through MICA’s website by visiting the link below.
Splash, Squish, Splatter: Feeling Our Way Through the Five Senses
Saturday, July 28, 10 am – Noon
Bright Horizons at Mercer Island, 9555 SE 36th St
Roll up your sleeves and join Bright Horizons for a fun-filled morning of sensory discovery with this FREE family event. We’ll be splashing, squishing, and splattering our way through a morning of hands-on activities, sure to engage and delight even the youngest of explorers. Please dress in clothes you don’t mind getting messy and consider bringing a change of clothes for your commute home. Sensory activities include mud painting, scented water, sensory foot walk, ice findings, sand creatures, music and dance, bubbles, easel painting, sidewalk chalk, and more! Please RSVP through the website.
Multicultural Rock Stories from Around the World
Saturday, July 28, 1 – 2 pm
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE
Presented by Cindy Arnold of Live Paint!, this event is for ages 3 and older. Listen to music and multicultural rock stories from around the world! You’ll not only hear well-loved tales like Stone Soup and The Stone Cutter, but you will also get to decorate a small rock to take home.
Movies in the Park: Moana
Saturday, July 28, 8:30 – 10 pm
Mercerdale Park, 77th Avenue SE and SE 32nd Street
Join the City of Mercer Island for another great year of movies in Mercerdale. Free family movies are shown on a giant inflatable screen in Mercerdale Park. Participants should bring blankets, lawn chairs, and flashlights. Movies are canceled during inclement weather, 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. Flashlights, warm blankets, and chairs are encouraged. Refreshments sold on site.
Mercer Island Farmers Market
Sunday, July 29, 10 am – 3 pm
Mercerdale Park, North End, 77th Ave SE & SE 32nd Street
The Mercer Island Farmers Market is open every Sunday from June – October. Say hello to your favorite vendors and kick the season off with us. Enjoy the sunshine and check out the freshest fruits and vegetables of the season, as well as locally made food and drinks, artisan crafts, and fun activities for the whole family. Visit the website for weekly updates and special events.
Fly High Kite Event
Sunday, July 29, 1 – 3 pm, and 2:15 – 4:15 pm
Studio 904, 3041 78th Ave SE
Join Studio 904 Hair Design and Great Winds Kite Company for a fun afternoon hand-building, decorating and then flying your own kite. This event costs $20 (includes all supplies) and proceeds will benefit the Mercer Island Youth and Family Services Children’s Mental Health Program. Please call 206-232-3393 to reserve your spot, as space is limited.
Cookout with the Seattle 7
Sunday, July 29, 4 – 6 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE
The remarkable Seattle7Writers are coming to Island Books! They are a nonprofit collective of Pacific Northwest authors whose mission is to support literacy and the literary arts in the community, and to create connections between writers, readers, independent booksellers, and libraries. Garth Stein will be on hand as the grill master with other S7W members serving up drinks and other sides. The first 50 customers to shop in the store that day will receive a Seattle7Writers tote, and you can also enter a raffle for a bag of signed books by the Seattle7. Stop by for a hot dog, meet authors, and pick up summer reads!
During the event, 20% of all book sales will benefit Team Read, a nonprofit organization that pairs struggling young readers with trained teen reading coaches for one-on-one tutoring after school and during the summer.
Brought to you by The Sirianni Group