Here’s our weekly round-up of events from September 11 – 17 on Mercer Island:

Mediterranean Diet with a NSM Nutritionist 
Tuesday, September 12, 6 – 7 pm
New Seasons Market, 2755 77th Ave SE

Known for their longevity, people living in the Mediterranean region must be doing something right. Many scientists attribute their vigor to what’s in their kitchens – an array of simple, wholesome ingredients, and of course, extra virgin olive oil. Come learn the benefits of this eating style and how to emulate it in your home. This event is free and registration is required.

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Music Night with Grant Dermody & Forrest Gibson
Tuesday, September 12, 6:30 – 8 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE

Playing together in the Improbabillies, they’ve transported thousands with their modern acoustic blues. They’ll be back at Island Books for another Music Night — enjoy while you browse, mingle, and relax.
Learn more >>

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Community Coffee Hour
Wednesday, September 13 & Friday, September 15, 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, September 13, 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, September 13, 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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Healthy in a Hurry with a New Seasons Market Nutritionist 
Wednesday, September 13, Noon – 12:30 pm
New Seasons Market, 2755 77th Ave SE

Learn how to stock your pantry (and freezer) to keep you from making a dinnertime dash to the store or calling in a takeout order. We’ll discuss must-have ingredients for making tasty meals in a snap. This event is free, but registration is required.

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Spray Paint Art Class
Wednesday, September 13, 7 pm
SJCC, 3801 E Mercer Way

Be inspired by the Artists 4 Israel street art exhibit and create a unique and colorful spray paint art piece! This class is for ages 16+ and costs $30.

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Random House Autumn Showcase
Wednesday, September 13, 7 – 9 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE

Veteran Penguin Random House sales representatives David Glenn and Katie Mehan will be at Island Books to discuss their current favorite reading group picks. They’ll have some prizes to give away, and Island Books will have some drinks to toast the winners. Whether you’re picking for your book club, pondering future gifts, or just looking for recommendations from the best in the biz, you won’t want to miss it.
Learn more >>

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Friends of the Mercer Island Library Book Sale
Thursday – Sunday | September 14 – 17
During Library Open Hours
Mercer Island Library,  4400 88th Ave SE

This is the big one — the Annual Fall Book Sale hosted by the Friends of MI Library! There will be thousands of books from art to science, Seuss to Patterson, history to cooking, and DVDs to board books. Members only can shop on Wednesday Sept. 13th from 5 – 9 pm.

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Senior Luncheon: Oktoberfest and Root Beer Garden
Thursday, September 14, Noon
Mercer Island Community & Event Center, 8236 SE 24th Street

Enjoy a frosty root beer float along with your traditional Oktoberfest lunch! We might even dance a polka or two. For ages 65+. Luncheon costs $5.50. Registration required and transportation will be available. Call (206) 275-7609 to reserve your spot and a ride on the bus.

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Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
Thursday, September 14, Noon – 1 pm
Mercer Island Community & Event Center, 8236 SE 24th Street

For September’s MI Chamber of Commerce Membership Luncheon, the speakers will be this year’s Mercer Island City Council candidates: Benson Wong, Joy Langley, Mark Coen, Salime Nice, and Tom Acker. Luncheon cost is $15 for members and $20 for non-members and members without reservations. Make your reservations online or over the phone.
Learn more >>

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Tabletop Thursdays
Thursday, September 14, 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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Margaret Combs, Author of Hazard: A Sister’s Flight from Family and a Broken Boy
Thursday, September 14, 6:30 – 8 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE

Island Books welcomes award-winning journalist Margaret Combs to talk about her book, Hazard: A Sister’s Flight from Family and a Broken Boy. Hazard is a poignant, unflinching memoir of the emotional intricacies of growing up with a severely disabled sibling. Margaret Combs shows how her Southern Baptist family coped with lived reality of autism in an era of ignorance and shame, the 1950s through the 1970s, and shares her own tragedy and anguish of being torn between helping her brother and yearning for her own life.
Learn more >>

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“The Art of Colored Pencil” Artist Reception
Thursday, September 14, 6:30 – 8 pm
Mercer Island Community & Event Center, 8236 SE 24th Street

The Mercer Island Arts Council is pleased to present the Colored Pencil Society of America, Seattle Chapter, Member Show: “The Art of Colored Pencil.” The show runs from September 11 through October 27, 2017 in the MICEC Gallery. Meet the artists and enjoy refreshments and entertainment at this special reception.

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Restoration Event
Saturday, September 16, 9 am – 3 pm
Gallagher Hill Open Space, 3701 SE Gallagher Hill Rd
Meet: City Hall parking lot, 9611 SE 36th St

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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Joyce Maynard, Author of The Best of Us
Saturday, September 16, 6 – 8 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE

We’re happy to welcome bestselling author and journalist Joyce Maynard to Island Books to celebrate the publication of her new memoir, The Best of Us. In 2011, when she was in her late fifties, Joyce met the first true partner she had ever known. Charting the course through their whirlwind romance, a marriage cut short by tragedy, and Joyce’s return to singleness on new terms, The Best of Us is a heart-wrenching, ultimately life-affirming reflection on coming to understand true love through the experience of great loss.
Learn more >>

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Music Around the World
Saturday, September 16, 7 pm
Mercer Island Presbyterian Church, 3605 84th Avenue SE

The MIPC Concert Series is excited to have the Russian Chamber Music Foundation of Seattle in concert on September 16th at 7:00 PM in the church sanctuary. The program will include vocalists, violin/cello duets, instrumental trios, and piano music by young prodigies.
Learn more >>

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Mercer Island Youth Lacrosse Clinic
Sunday, September 17, 9 – 10 am

Aubrey Davis Park (Field C), I-90 & West Mercer Way (adjacent entrance to I-90)
Mercer Island Lacrosse Club and Mercer Island Girls’ Lacrosse are teaming up for a fun lacrosse clinic, open to boys in grades K – 4th, and girls in grades 1st – 4th (must be a resident of Mercer Island). This clinic is a great way to learn about the game of lacrosse and decide whether it’s a good fit for your child. All new K – 4th boys will receive a FREE lacrosse stick for participating in the clinic. Girls grades 1st – 4th receive a FREE lacrosse stick by attending the clinic and signing up for fall ball. Registration is then available onsite for an entire fall season of fun lacrosse games and learning the basics.
Learn more >>

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Living Strong with Crohn’s & Colitis
Sunday, September 17, 10 am – 3:30 pm
SJCC, 3801 E Mercer Way

Take control of your disease and find the support for a healthier, happier life. The Northwest Chapter of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation in partnership with the SJCC present a FREE, day-long workshop about Crohn’s & Colitis. Presenters include Dr. David Suskind (Seattle Children’s Hospital), Dr. Tim Zisman (UW Medicine), and Dr. Elisa Boden (Virginia Mason Medical Center). The day includes expert panels and lectures by inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) specialists, yoga classes and cooking demonstrations, and opportunities to talk with presenters and other patients and families. Free lunch is also provided. Plus, there will be a special track for kids and teens!
Learn more >>

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Mercer Island Farmers Market
Sunday, September 17, 10 am – 3 pm
Mercerdale Park, North End, 77th Ave SE & SE 32nd Street

Celebrating their 10th season, the Mercer Island Farmers Market is open every Sunday from June – October! Enjoy the sunshine and check out the freshest fruits and vegetables of the season, as well as locally made food and drinks, local artisan crafts, and fun activities for the whole family. Visit the website for weekly updates and special events.
Learn more >>

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SJCC Service Event: Dinner at Our House
Sunday, September 17, 5 – 7 pm
SJCC, 3801 E Mercer Way

Do you like to cook? How about helping those in need? SJCC is partnering with YouthCare, an organization working to fight homelessness among Seattle teens, to cook dinners in the SJCC kitchen. Dinner will then be delivered to YouthCare’s Jackson Street facility to be served that evening. Please join us for a couple hours to help battle food insecurity among homeless teens!
Learn more >>