Here’s our weekly round-up of events from March 27 – April 2 on Mercer Island:
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, March 28
Young Toddlers (12 – 24 months) – 10:30 – 11 am
Toddlers (2 – 3 years) – 11:30 am – Noon
Thursday, March 30
Infants (0 – 12 months) – 10:30 – 11 am
Preschoolers (3 – 6 years) – 1 – 1:30 pm
Lauren Grodstein, Author of Our Short History
Tuesday, March 28, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE
Island Books is pleased to welcome Lauren Grodstein, author of a compelling new novel set on Mercer Island, Our Short History. With heart-wrenching poignancy, unexpected wit, and mordant humor, Lauren Grodstein has created an unforgettable story about parenthood, sacrifice, and life itself.
Learn more >>
Early Spring in the Edible Garden
Tuesday, March 28, 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE
Spring is here, and it’s time to get outside and start planting your garden! Join garden educator Lisa Taylor, author of Your Farm in the City: An Urban Dweller’s Guide to Growing Food and Raising Animals and the Maritime Northwest Garden Guide, in a lively session about how to grow your own edible garden. Learn about the ins and outs of spring planting and the varieties that thrive best in our climate.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Mercer Island Library, this event is part of the “Everyone’s Talking About It” program hosted through the King County Library System. Join in on conversations about lively, relevant topics in your community.
Community Coffee Hour
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.
Wednesday, March 29
9 – 10 am
Friday, March 31
9 -10 am
Contact MI Community & Event Customer Service for more information at [email protected] or 206-275-7609.
Storybook Corner
Wednesday, March 29, 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 >>
Kaleidoscope Play & Learn
Wednesday, March 29, 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.
Parent Edge & MI Forefront Team: Youth Suicide Prevention for Parents
Wednesday, March 29, 7 pm – 8:30 pm
Islander Middle School, 7447 84th Ave SE
Presented by Parent Edge and the MI Forefront Team, come and learn the evidence-based prevention strategies that you can use to help a youth in crisis stay safe and get support. Just like first aid and CPR, this is valuable knowledge for everyone to have in their toolkit to support a healthy family and community. This event is free to attend.
Open Book Club: The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
Thursday, March 30, 7:30 pm – 9 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE
At our upcoming Open Book Club meeting, we’ll discuss the novel The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald. A debut novel to charm all readers, TROBWR shows beyond all doubt that it’s books, along with love, that make the world go round. It’s the perfect cup of tea for any book lover and offers plenty of discussion topics, including that age-old question, “Can you judge a book by its cover?”
Island Book’s open book club meets on the last Thursday of every month at 7:30 pm. Our staff facilitator chooses both fiction and nonfiction titles. All are welcome to attend, and if you purchase your book here in the store, you’ll get a 10% discount.
Learn more >>
PTA Learning Series Lunch with Julie Underwood, Mercer Island City Manager
Friday, March 31, Noon
City Council Chambers, 9611 SE 36th St
Meet Julie Underwood, Mercer Island’s New City Manager (and MISD parent) for this special lunch-and-learn event. Julie will give an update on the I-90 light rail litigation, and we will discuss the $2 million Island Crest Park Renovation project that includes turfing and lighting of the south portion of the play fields. There will also be an opportunity to ask Julie about other city-related items. Email [email protected] with any questions.
Learn more >>
Seattle Jewish Film Festival: Film Screenings at SJCC
Friday, March 31 – Sunday, April 2
Stroum Jewish Community Center, 3801 East Mercer Way
The Seattle Jewish Film Festival is an annual and year-round international cinematic exploration and celebration of Jewish and Israeli life, culture, identity, complexity, diversity, and history for everyone.
During the Seattle Jewish Film Festival, there will be several films screened at the Stroum Jewish Community Center. Below are the films that will be shown at SJCC, along with their dates/times:
- Norman Lear: Friday, March 31, 1:30 pm
- Moos: Saturday, April 1, 7 pm
- Past Life: Saturday, April 1, 8:30 pm/9:30 pm
- Keep Quiet: Sunday, April 2, 1 pm
- On the Map: Sunday April 2, 3:30 pm
- *Big Sonia: Sunday, April 2, 6:40 pm (Closing Reception!)
General admission is $13. Discount tickets are $10 for SJCC members, students with valid ID, and seniors.
Classics on Film Winter Series
Friday, March 31, 7:30 – 9:30 pm
Aljoya – Theater, 2430 76th Ave SE
This week’s film is Gypsy (1962). The Mercer Island Arts Council, with support from The Mercer Island Sister City Association, present the Classics on Film Series. Screenings begin with an introduction by film historian Lance Rhoades and end with a Q&A session. Free and open to the public, with refreshments provided courtesy of Aljoya. All films are presented with English subtitles unless otherwise indicated.
Leap for Green Sustainability Fair
Saturday, April 1, 10 am – 2 pm
Mercer Island Community & Event Center, 8236 SE 24th St
Every year in April, the City of Mercer Island hosts Leap For Green Sustainable Family Fair to celebrate Earth Day and sustainability practices with family friendly activities and entertainment. Many of these exciting activities will focus on promoting positive environmental practices and raising general awareness about local sustainability resources. Come check out the live music and entertainment, food, arts & crafts, sustainable vendors, and so much more! The fair will take place indoors and outdoors, rain or shine.
Pebble & Mercer Island Presbyterian Church Easter Egg Hunt & Potluck Brunch
Saturday, April 1, 10 am – 11 am
Mercer Island Presbyterian Church, 3605 84th Ave SE
Come join us for some Easter fun! Food and games will be in the MIPC Gym, and Easter egg hunts will be available for toddlers, preschoolers, and kids in grades K – 5th. (Limit 10 eggs per child) Don’t forget to RSVP!
PJ Story Time with Meg Lippert and Nancy Stewart
Saturday, April 1, 6 – 6:30 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE
This month’s storyteller is Meg Lippert. Geared especially for children three and up; refreshments will be served. And don’t miss our special guest opener, musician and singer Nancy Stewart.
Learn more >>
Maria Frank Abrams Exhibition Opening & Art Afternoon
Sunday, April 2, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE
Renowned artist and Mercer Island resident, Maria Frank Abrams (1924-2013), survived brutal Nazi death camps during World War II. After liberation, she obtained a scholarship to study art at the University of Washington.
This year, Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah) falls on April 24th. For the month of April, Mercer Island Library celebrates Maria Frank Abrams’ art with a curated collection of her work in collaboration with Mr. Sydney Abrams and Mercer Island Visual Arts League (MIVAL).
Join us for refreshments and opening remarks at our Maria Frank Abrams Exhibition Opening. In the spirit of Maria’s passion for art, we will provide a variety of art demonstrations to celebrate the artist within us all.
Seattle Jewish Film Festival: Closing Night Film and Reception
Sunday, April 2, 6:40 pm – 9:30 pm
Stroum Jewish Community Center, 3801 East Mercer Way
Seattle Jewish Film Festival concludes their festival with the premiere of Big Sonia, a film by local filmmakers Todd Soliday and Leah Warshawski. Join us for a heart-warming evening, with special guests “Big” Sonia Warshawski herself (Leah’s grandmother) and family members, followed by a closing toast and reception with refreshments.
From Seattle Jewish Film Festival’s website, Big Sonia is “an unforgettable portrayal of a tiny woman with a large personality, making a big impact.”
