Here’s our weekly round-up of events from September 24 – 30 on Mercer Island:
Community Coffee Hour
Wednesday, September 26 & Friday, September 28, 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, September 26, 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.
Senior Lunch & Film: Ushpizin (The Guests)
Wednesday, September 26, 11:30 am lunch; 12:30 pm film
SJCC, 3801 East Mercer Way
Free film screening and optional $8 lunch. A couple’s faith is tested by the Sukkot tradition to welcome guests when secular and Ultra-Orthodox worlds collide at this tense and humorous dinner. Unbeknownst to the struggling devout hosts, their guests have just escaped prison and are hiding from the police. The couple is challenged to take a stance when the guests have overstayed their welcome. Inspiring, heartwarming, and uplifting, this critically-acclaimed film has universal appeal. Co-sponsored with Herzl-Ner Tamid Daytimers.
Wine Wednesdays at Caruccio’s
Wednesday, September 26, 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.
Friends of the Mercer Island Library Book Sale
Thursday – Sunday | September 27 – 30
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 September 26th from 5 – 9 pm.
Osher at the J: A House Divided – Polarized America and Seeking a Common Purpose
Thursday, September 27, Noon
SJCC, 3801 East Mercer Way
This talk is presented by David Domke. Nearly 250 years in, the American “experiment” continues to challenge us with questions around race, technological advancement, and social services and engagement. With tensions rising around us, how do we move forward constructively, intelligently, and compassionately from where we are today?
This lunch-and-learn series, part of the J’s new partnership with the UW Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, is geared toward adults age 50+. Please bring your own lunch. Lunch is from Noon – 12:30 pm and the talk begins at 12:30 pm.
Tabletop Thursdays
Thursday, September 27, 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]
Thursday Food & Film Night at Caruccio’s
Thursday, September 27, 5 – 9 pm
Caruccio’s, 2441 76th Ave SE, Suite 100
This week’s film is Life is Beautiful. Watch featured movies projected on Caruccio’s big screen with subtitles and soft audio. Enjoy your wine by the glass along with complimentary appetizers inspired by the classic or foreign film of the evening.
Open Book Club: Killers of the Flower Moon by David Granni
Thursday, September 27, 7:30 – 9 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE
In September, Island Books’ Open Book Club will read and discuss Killers of the Flower Moon by David Granni. In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe. Suddenly, disaster strikes as members of the Osage community are killed off, requiring the newly-formed FBI to enter the situation to try to solve a horrible conspiracy.
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.
Family Sukkot Celebration
Friday, September 28, 6 pm
SJCC, 3801 East Mercer Way
Join SJCC for a family Shabbat Sukkot dinner filled with Israeli-style dishes, music, and dancing! Plus, make decorations for the sukkah! Adult tickets are $10; kids ages 4 & up are $8.
Family Movie Night: Coco!
Friday, September 28, 6 – 9 pm
Mercer Island Community & Event Center, 8236 SE 24th Street
Join the Mercer Island Parks & Recreation department for Family Movie Night to watch Coco! They’ll provide the big screen, movie snacks, and themed crafts & activities. Limited seating available, so bring your own lawn chairs and blankets to cozy up front! Games and activities start at 6 pm and the movie will begin at 7 pm. Please register in advance for this FREE indoor event at (206) 275-7609.
Restoration Event
Saturday, September 29, 10 am – 2 pm
Mercerdale Hillside Park, 3009 77th Ave SE
Meet: corner of 76th Ave SE & SE 37nd Pl
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.
Fresh Hop Fest
Saturday & Sunday, September 29 & 30, 11 am – 7pm
New Seasons Market, 2755 77th Ave SE
New Seasons Market will be hosting their first free Fresh Hop Fest. They’ll pour 4 – 6 fresh hop beers, featuring New Seasons Market’s Partner Brands exclusives from Hopworks Urban Brewing and Gigantic Brewing, as well as Pacific Northwest favorites, such as Fremont Brewing, Double Mountain Brewery, and Elysian Brewing. With nearly 50 fresh and local hop beers available, come try these seasonal flavors from local brewers while you shop!
Mercer Island Farmers Market
Sunday, September 30, 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.
Easy Weeknight Dinners – Mexican Fiesta
Sunday, September 30, 1 – 3:30 pm
Caruccio’s, 2441 76th Ave SE, Suite 100
Come learn how to mix up your weeknight dinner menu with simple Mexican flavors and spices. In this class, you’ll prepare an entire meal everyone will love. (As a bonus, you can discover a unique way to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey!). In this interactive, hands-on demo, you’ll spend time cooking with Tracy, along with discussing and planning for easy meals to mix it up. Learn how to plan efficiently and use the freshest of ingredients to make your life easier. You’ll create three entrees, each with packed with vibrancy and health: Turkey Enchiladas AND Jackfruit Enchiladas, Gallo Pinto, and Avocado and Hearts of Palm Salad.
Robert Spalding, Author of Monumental Seattle
Sunday, September 30, 4:30 – 6:30 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE
Island Books is pleased to welcome Robert Spalding, author of Monumental Seattle, to Island Books. Robert lived in Seattle for fifteen years and has always been fascinated about the city’s history. Beginning with the 1899 installation of a stolen Tlingit totem pole at Pioneer Square and stretching to Safeco Field’s 2017 Ken Griffey Jr. sculpture, Seattle offers an impressive abundance of public monuments, statues, busts, and plaques. Whether they evoke curiosity and deeper interaction or elicit only a fleeting glance, the stories behind them are worth preserving. Monumental Seattle traces the history of these works, exploring their deeper meaning and the context surrounding their creation. It discusses how changing societal values affect public memorials and includes an appendix listing the type, year, location, and artist for sixty, and whether each still exists.
