Here’s our weekly round-up of events from September 4 – 10 on Mercer Island:

Anti-Inflammatory Diet Essentials with a New Seasons Market Nutritionist 
Tuesday, September 5, 6 – 7 pm
New Seasons Market, 2755 77th Ave SE

Uncontrolled inflammation lurks at the core of many chronic disorders. Learn the key concepts of an anti-inflammatory diet, and how to incorporate them into your daily fare. This event is free, but registration is required.

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Community Coffee Hour
Wednesday, September 6 & Friday, September 8, 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 6, 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 6, 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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Budget-Friendly Foods Tour with New Seasons Market Nutritionist 
Wednesday, September 6, Noon – 12:30 pm
New Seasons Market, 2755 77th Ave SE

Looking for a few strategies to stretch your food dollar? Join us for a budget-friendly tour of the store, addressing affordable super foods, shopping the bulk bins, and planning well to prevent food waste. You’ll leave with plenty of new ideas – and dollars to spare. This event is free, but registration is required.

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An Evening with Alan Alda
Wednesday, September 6, 6 pm
Herzl-Ner Tamid, 3700 E Mercer Way

Alan Alda, beloved Emmy-winning TV star of M*A*S*H, discusses his latest book, which draws on his 40-year career as an actor, director, best-selling author, storyteller, and science advocate. The VIP event begins at 6 pm VIP event and the author talk starts at 7 pm.
Learn more >>

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Tabletop Thursdays
Thursday, September 7, 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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Sunrise, Sunset: Opening Reception
Thursday, September 7, 5 – 8 pm
MIVAL Gallery, Avellino Building, 2836 78th Avenue SE

The opening reception for MIVAL’s newest show, “Sunrise, Sunset,” will be on September 7th starting at 5 pm. See the newest art pieces from 30 MIVAL members and shop for local art by Mercer Island residents. “Sunrise, Sunset” will be at MIVAL from September 7th to October 1st.
Learn more >>

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James Crowley, Author of Monsterland
Thursday, September 7, 6:30 – 8 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Avenue SE

Island Books is pleased to welcome author James Crowley, who will be discussing his new middle-grade book, Monsterland. Get into the Halloween spirit with Monsterland, the story of a boy named Charlie who heads off into the woods to escape bullies, only to find himself in a mysterious place where werewolves live among trolls and goblins — along with a kid he thinks is his cousin, who he hasn’t seen in a while. Accompanied by a hulking monster chaperone, Charlie’s determined to find out just what happened to his cousin, and sets off to explore the secrets hiding in this uncharted territory.
Learn more >>

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Artists 4 Israel: Mural Exhibit 
September 7 – 15 | Various Times
SJCC, 3801 East Mercer Way

This fall, the J is hosting an edgy exhibit of murals from Artists 4 Israel, an arts-based humanitarian organization and advocacy group that creates art in Israeli communities. More than 1,000 artists from 21 countries have embellished everything from bomb shelters to orphanages, creating 800 pieces of art. This September, prints of 30 of these stunning murals will be on display at the SJCC. In addition to the exhibit, there will be a variety of activities and events for the community to engage, discuss, and create together. Made possible in part with funding from the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, StandWithUs, Israeli American Council, and the Newman Family Foundation.

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Summer Shuk
Friday, September 8, 3 – 6 pm
SJCC, 3801 East Mercer Way

Celebrate Shabbat at our open-air market. Vendors will have produce, baked goods, flowers, wine, and more. Read more about the vendors on SJCC’s website!

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Family Night Hoedown
Friday, September 8, 5:30 – 8 pm
Mercer Island Community & Event Center, 8236 SE 24th Street

Round up the whole family for a good ol’ fashioned hoedown. Dust off your dancing shoes for square dancing lessons, dress up in your favorite checkered shirts for the photo booth, enjoy some BBQ grub, and tap your toes to live country music. This FREE event is a great opportunity for everybody in the family to get out and have some fun. On MIRecConnect, the course number is 17537, or call 206.275.7609 to register by September 8th.
Learn more >>

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4th Annual Art Uncorked
Friday, September 8, 6 – 9 pm
Town Center, between 78th Avenue SE and Sunset Blvd

Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce, City of Mercer Island, Mercer Island Visual Arts League, and Mercer Island businesses present an evening of wine-tasting, art music and food in the Mercer Island Outdoor Sculpture Park. Mercer Island has an engaging, ever changing, energetic community and September is the perfect time to celebrate Fall. With our new event layout, it welcomes families to enjoy and explore Art Alley, Seattle food trucks, and live music. A portion of the evening’s proceeds go to support Mercer Island Youth & Family Services and Mercer Island High School scholarships. You may purchase tickets in advance online, or purchase them at the event.
Learn more >>

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ShiShi Israeli Shabbat Dinner
Friday, September 8, 6 – 9 pm
SJCC, 3801 East Mercer Way

Enjoy delicious Israeli food and explore the Artists 4 Israel exhibit. Hear from Craig Dershowitz, Executive Director of Artists 4 Israel, and kids will create a community art project together. There will also be a performance, and we’ll dance and sing as a community. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for children.

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Healthy in a Hurry with a New Seasons Market Nutritionist 
Saturday, September 9, 10 – 10:30 am
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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Shabbat Unplugged: Family Tie-Dye Class
Saturday, September 9, 10 am – Noon
SJCC, 3801 East Mercer Way

Be inspired by the colorful Artists 4 Israel exhibit with making your own tie-dye creations. There will be a white t-shirt waiting for you. This event is $6 for kids and $10 for adults.
Learn more >>

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Mercer Island Farmers Market
Sunday, September 10, 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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MIHS Boys Water Polo Car Wash Fundraiser
Sunday, September 10, Noon – 3 pm
Mercer Island Storage Court, south end, 8501 SE 68th Street

The MIHS Boys Water Polo car wash is a long-running Islander tradition and the sole fundraiser for the season. The team is completely self-funded and must raise money to help fund the water polo season. Since water polo is considered a “club” sport at the high school rather than a “Varsity” sport, the team is not eligible for monetary support from the school district. The annual car wash benefits the entire team by offsetting pool fees, supplementing tournament travel, buying equipment, funding coaches and providing scholarship support. Tickets are just $10 and are a tax deductible donation. This event will happen RAIN OR SHINE! Advance tickets are available by contacting any MIHS Boys Water Polo athlete, and are also available on the day of the event.
Learn more >>

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Girl Scouts New Troop Formation Event
Sunday, September 10, 3:30 – 4:30 pm
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE

New Girl Scout troops are forming now on Mercer Island. If your daughter would like to join a troop, learn more at our New Troop Formation Event! At this adults-only event, you’ll learn about the Girl Scout Leadership Model (Discover, Connect, Take Action), how you can support your daughter and her troop, and then we’ll form new troops. More information at the web link above or contact Andrea Larson, MI Girl Scout Service Unit Manager at [email protected].

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Dori Jones Yang, Author of The Forbidden Temptation of Baseball
Sunday, September 10, 4 – 6 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Avenue SE

Join Island Books to celebrate the publication of The Forbidden Temptation of Baseball, the latest fiction from Dori Jones Yang, a Seattle-area writer with extensive experience making personal connections across boundaries of culture and time. Geared for middle-grade readers but also appealing to adults, this event will be fun for the whole family. The Forbidden Temptation of Baseball is a lively, poignant, and nuanced novel based on a little-known episode from history, when 120 boys were sent to New England by the Emperor of China in the 1870s. This story dramatizes both the rigid expectations and the wrenching alienation felt by many foreign children in America today and richly captures that tension between love and hate that is culture shock.
Learn more >>

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Free Film & Panel: FIGHTING FOR BEAUTY: HEALING INK
Sunday, September 10, 6 pm
SJCC, 3801 East Mercer Way

Artists 4 Israel brings the world’s most talented tattoo artists to Israel to cover the scars of those affects by terror attacks or war, helping survivors reclaim their bodies and begin healing both socially and emotionally. This powerful documentary explores one of the many ways the organization is fighting war with beauty. Panel about Jews and tattoos will follow the film. This free film showing is part of a week-long exhibit of artwork from the Artists 4 Israel program. The exhibit is open to the public and runs September 7 – 15.
Learn more >>