Here’s our weekly round-up of events from August 7 – 13 on Mercer Island:

Born in the Deep Woods Show
Monday, August 7, 7 – 8 pm
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE

This free family-friendly program presented by Red Yarn is open to all ages. The critters need your help to fix up an old log cabin in the woods. From burrows to bird nests, the animals work together while you sing, stomp, play and dance along. Registration is not required, but space is limited.

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Game Night at Island Books 
Tuesday, August 8, 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE

Island Books will be sharing some of their favorite games that they already know how to play, and they will supply the tables and chairs, open copies of the games ready for action, and an experienced coach to guide you. You might even find a drink or a snack within easy reach. If you want to buy a game to take home, all the better. For this session they’ll be featuring Ticket to Ride, a family-friendly game of train travel and card collection, and a few other games for younger kids.
Learn more >>

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Community Coffee Hour
Wednesday, August 9 & Friday, August 11, 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, August 9, 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, August 9, 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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Fusing Plastic Science Workshop
Wednesday, August 9, 1:30 – 3 pm
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE

Presented KidsQuest Children’s Museum, this event is open to kids ages 10 – 18. How can you use recycled plastic to create new, unique flexible objects? Using heat, the materials can be transformed into wallets, beads, and more. All supplies provided. Please register online or call the library.

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Reading Party in the Park
Wednesday, August 9, 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Luther Burbank Park, 2040 84th Ave SE

Hosted by the Mercer Island Library and sponsored by the KCLS and MI Parks & Recreation, come out and enjoy a fun reading party with the community. Bring your own blanket or lawn chair and favorite summer read, and listen to soothing music that compliments the reading experience! Reading parties are a great way to share your love of reading in a relaxing, fun atmosphere. Local DJs will share ambient, downtempo, neo-classical, and relaxing cinematic sounds to add a unique dimension to reading in the park.

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Tabletop Thursdays
Thursday, August 10, 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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Paddle with the J 
Thursday, August 10, 5:30 – 7:30 pm
SJCC, 3801 East Mercer Way

Meet at the Herzl waterfront (across the street from the J) to spend an evening on the water! We’ll get out the J’s kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards and enjoy some sunshine, get exercise, and meet new friends. Each trip is two hours. There will be a lifeguard on duty. This activity is $10 for SJCC members and $15 for guests.

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Mostly Music in the Park 
Thursday, August 10, 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 Woodland West, a bluegrass/rock/zydeco band!

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SJFF “Best of Fest” Encore: The Woman’s Balcony
Thursday, August 10, 7:30 pm
SJCC, 3801 East Mercer Way

A close-knit Sephardic congregation fractures along gender lines in this rousing battle-of-the-sexes comedy. There will also be a showing of Wig Shop, a short starring Emily Mortimer as an Orthodox Jewish woman whose life is changed by hairdresser’s secret. Both were film favorites at the 2017 Seattle Jewish Film Festival.  Tickets cost $12 for non-members and $8 for J members, seniors, students, and youth.
Learn more >>

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Youth Theatre Northwest presents Go, Dog, Go! 
Friday, August 11 & Sunday, August 12, 7:30 pm
Emmanuel Church Courtyard, 4400 86th Ave SE

P.D. Eastman’s classic children’s book comes to life on stage through physical comedy, silly dances, music, and great energy.  Just like the book, this play has the ability to generate fun, learning, adventure, and surprise with a minimum of text. Go, Dog, Go! honors the joyous simplicity of the world around us and never stops from the moment it starts.
Learn more >>

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No Sugar Challenge: Sugar Swap Out with a NSM Nutritionist
Saturday, August 12, 10 – 11 am
New Seasons Market, 2755 77th Ave SE

Challenge yourself this month by eating no sugar! Join the NSM nutritionist for a series of classes focused on resetting your relationship with sugar, where they’ll give you the tools you’ll need to develop a naturally sweet relationship with food. This class is free, but registration is required.
Learn more >>

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Restoration Event
Saturday, August 12, 10 am – 2 pm
Wildwood Park, 87th Avenue SE
Meet: West entrance on 86th Ave SE

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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Camp Burbank Community Campout 
Saturday, August 12 & Sunday, August 13, noon
Luther Burbank Park Meadow, 2040 84th Ave SE

Camp Burbank’s Community Campout is a great way to “get away from it all” and still be close to home. The Mercer Island Parks and Rec does all the hard work, and all you are responsible for is bringing a tent, personal items, and sleeping bags! Activities will include fishing, beach play, swimming, volleyball and more, all in beautiful Luther Burbank Park! Campsite, dinner, smores, snacks, drinks and Sunday morning breakfast provided. Children must register with an adult. Meet us in the meadow.

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Mercer Island Farmers Market
Sunday, August 13, 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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“Cyclemates Bikes” Sculpture Unveiling 
Sunday, August 13, 1 – 3 pm
76th Ave SE & SE 24th Street

The sculpture honors the 24-year legacy of Cyclemates, the junior-high and middle-school students who, led by their teacher Fran Call, bicycled on long-distance summer adventures around the West and across the country, between 1969 and 1993. The unveiling will take place at the sculpture site located just east of 76th Ave SE along Sunset Highway and north of Aljoya Retirement Community. The festivities will include refreshments. The sculpture and its future maintenance is a gift to the city entirely paid for by private donations and coordinated through the Mercer Island Arts Council.

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Tu B’Av Garden Tea Party
Sunday, August 13, 2 – 4 pm
SJCC, 3801 East Mercer Way

Join the ones you love for tea, sandwiches, and dessert in the Kesher Community Garden. Together, we’ll celebrate the Jewish day of love, Tu B’Av. Taste the garden in every bite!
Learn more >>