Here’s our weekly round-up of events from October 24 – 30 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 to 45-minute programs designed especially for you and your young child.
Tuesday, October 25
Young Toddlers (12 – 24 months) – 10:30 – 11:00 am
Toddlers (2 – 3 years) – 11:30 am – Noon
Thursday, October 27
Infants (0 – 12 months) – 10:30 – 11 am
Preschoolers (3 – 6 years) – 1 – 1:30 pm
Trunk Show at Island Books
Tuesday, October 25, 7 – 9 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE
Join us for a festive evening of shopping and sharing on Tuesday, October 25th. We’ll be featuring exclusive products from Newgate, Graf & Lantz, and Elk – watches, bags, and other accessories that aren’t normally available in our store. You can take advantage of special deals and have a glass of wine to celebrate your good fortune.
Learn more >>
End of Life Discussion Series: The Legacies We Leave For Others
Tuesday, October 25, 7 – 9 pm
Congregational Church on Mercer Island, 4545 Island Crest Way
Everyone should make a will! We welcome Janet Somers, who is in legal practice on Mercer Island, and Henriette Klauser, author of Writing on Both Sides of the Brain and With Pen in Hand, the Healing Power of Writing. Janet will bring us the list of questions to be answered in preparing a will for the dispersal of our physical assets. Henriette will enable us to explore the ethical and spiritual legacy we want to leave for those we love and the practical ways we can reach out through writing.
College for Everyone: How to Find the Best Option for the “B” Student
KCLS Life After High School Series
Tuesday, October 25, 7 – 9 pm
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE
Do you worry that you or your high school student might not have high enough grades or test scores to get into college? Never fear! There are many options to consider. This workshop will evaluate college rankings and clarify how to find the best fit school. Both students and parents welcome. Presented by Debbie Schatzman, OnRamp College Counseling. Registration not required.
Storybook Corner
Wednesday, October 26, 10:30 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 >>
MIPC Fall Festival
Wednesday, October 26, 5:30 – 7 pm
Mercer Island Presbyterian Church
Cost: Free
Mercer Island Presbyterian Church invites you to join in the fun our annual Fall Festival. Activities include: trunk & treat, dinner, costume parade (Kids and Adults!), bouncy house, games, and more! Please bring a donation for the children’s ministry’s annual Thanksgiving Mission Project. Our goal is to provide full Thanksgiving meals to the families at First Place School of Seattle. Items needed include: 40 turkey roasting pans; 40 boxes of mashed potatoes; 40 boxes of stuffing; 40 cans of gravy; 40 cans of yams; 40 cans of cranberry sauce; 40 cans of veggies; 40 boxes of Bisquick; and 40 paper bags to contain items. Money donations also welcome.
Silent Movie Night & Halloween Event at Emmanuel
Wednesday October 26th, 6 pm
Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 4400 86th Ave SE
We will be featuring the short comedic silent film, “The Haunted House,” with Buster Keaton. The evening will include “spooky” organ music, an all-ages costume contest, Halloween candy, and fresh popcorn. The suggested donation is $10/person or $25/family. All donations will benefit Emmanuel’s music program.
Questions & more info >>
I’ve Never Been This Age Before
KCLS Everyone’s Talking About It Series
Wednesday, October 26, 7 – 8:30 pm
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE
If you’re over 50, what does it mean to “act your age?” And why should we? Join Dori Gillam of the NW Center for Creative Aging in a fun 75-minute workshop as we consider how to ‘own our age’; learn an “aging well” formula; and how to craft our individual legacy around aging. Ages 50+. Registration required. Sponsored by Friends of the Mercer Island Library.
Open Book Club: Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
Thursday, October 27, 7:30 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE
Barack Obama made an intriguing and unexpected announcement when he told People magazine he liked Fates and Furies more than anything else he’d read in 2015. He wasn’t the only one with a passion for Lauren Groff’s bestseller. Fates and Furies is about much more than the summary on the book jacket–the two points of view in a marriage. It’s about love, revenge, and the deeper impact of our most intimate relationships.
Learn more >>
Youth Theater Northwest presents Pirate’s Booty
October 22 – 30; Saturdays, 10 am and 2 pm; Sundays, Noon and 2 pm
Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 4400 86th Ave SE
Cost: $10 per child; Parents and babes in arms are free!
Kids: Skittle me timbers! Who will help us save Halloween? The Pirate Queen of the Seven Seas has begun collecting Halloween candy as treasure. Without candy, Halloween is in danger of being canceled forever. The pirate crew needs your help to save Halloween by convincing the pirate queen to return the candy. Climb aboard The Jolly Rancher and help save the day!
Parents/Caregivers: Celebrate the Halloween season by bringing theater magic to the enchanting and sprawling campus of Emmanuel Episcopal Church. In contrast to a traditional haunted house, this Halloween activity is a non-scary, 30-minute guided adventure specifically created for the most imaginative tots, preschoolers, and early elementary age children. Best for ages 3-8
Learn more & buy tickets >>
MIPA’s Halloween Party
Saturday, October 29, 10 am – Noon
Mercer Island Community & Event Center, 8236 SE 24th St
Cost: $3 per child for MIPA members, $5 per child for non-members
Fairies and Storm Troopers (and everything in between) are invited to the Mercer Island Preschool Association’s annual Halloween Party, a fun, non-spooky event designed for preschoolers and all children ages 1 to 6. Fun Halloween-themed crafts, games, and activities, and of course, tricks and treats! Parents are invited to bring children dressed up in costume.
Learn more >>
Restoration / Planting Event
Saturday, October 29, 11 am – 2 pm
Island Crest Park, 5800 Island Crest Way
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.
Radical Robots
Presented by the Pacific Science Center
Saturday, October 29, 10:30 – 11:30 am
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE
Get ready to have a swarm of adorable robots take over the library! Learn to use Kibo® the robot to develop and optimize programs and complete challenges while discovering the world of robotics and basic program design. Registration required.
Film & TV Star Joel McHale, Author of Thanks for the Money
Saturday, October 29, Noon
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE
Meet uber-celebrity and Mercer Island native Joel McHale at Island Books! Thanks for the Money is one part memoir, one part self-help guide, and (mostly) all book! Hilariously honest, endlessly entertaining, and filled with stories from Joel’s life and career – this book is a must-buy and a must-read. Within these pages, Joel opens up and overshares the unbelievable details of his journey to stardom! Plus, Joel reveals his insider secrets and teaches YOU how to become a celebrity – so that, upon completion of the book, you too can achieve, maintain, and exploit your own wealth and fame!
Learn more >>
Mercer Island Martial Arts Halloween Open House & MIYFS Food Drive
Saturday, October 29, Noon – 4 pm
Mercer Island Martial Arts
Drop-in for the Mercer Island Martial Arts annual Halloween Open House! The festivities include a bouncy house, costume contests, a martial arts demo from our demo team, candy, and prizes. Drop-in anytime! Stay for ten minutes or two hours. Parents/caregivers requested to attend the open house with their children. Admission to the party is 5 items for the Mercer Island Youth & Family Services Food Bank. The food bank is currently in need of the following items: Canned fruit and juices, pasta sauces, chicken and beef broth, rice products, canned tuna and meat products, hearty canned soups, peanut butter, jellies / jams, breakfast items, granola bars, boxed cereal and oatmeal, boxed cake and frosting mixes, and toiletries.
Mercer Island Martial Arts website >>
Parent’s Night Out: Halloween Party
Saturday, October 29, 5 – 10 pm
Mercer Island Community Center, 8236 SE 24th St
Cost: $20/child; $10/sibling
Drop your costumed kiddos off for a night of ghostly fun with the Parks & Recreation staff! Go get dinner, go shopping, enjoy some alone time – you deserve it! Your little ones will have a blast with our staff and will enjoy a pizza dinner, a movie, arts & crafts, and lots of games!
St. Monica Catholic School Trunk or Treat
Sunday, October 30, 5 – 6 pm
St. Monica’s upper parking lot, 4320 87th Ave SE
Trunk or Treat is a fun, safe way to celebrate Halloween. Participants of the event decorate their cars/trunks in the upper parking lot, and children walk from trunk to trunk to look at the decorations and receive candy and treats. This event provides a controlled and safe family environment for trick-or-treaters of all ages. Children – come dressed in costume, bring a bag to collect your goodies, and have a great time walking from car to car “trunk or treating!” Please leave weapon accessories at home. All are welcome to participate in this free event. Please make note that the upper parking lot will be reserved for participating cars only. The parking lot closes and “Trunk or Treating” begins at 5pm! The lot will remain closed until 6pm.
Sunday Monthly Dance – Halloween Theme!
Sunday, October 30, 7 – 10 pm
VFW Hall, 1836 72nd Ave SE
Come join in the dancing fun Halloween-style! It’s a great chance to practice all those moves we have been working on in our Thursday night classes. Beginner lesson starts at 7 pm and open dancing from 7:30 pm till 10 pm. We will play mainly swing music with some waltz, salsa and cha-cha mixed in. There will be group games and prizes for best costume and best overall dance couple. Water and punch will be provided. Please bring an appetizer to share. Family-friendly. Ages 13+. We hope to make this a monthly Sunday night thing! Cost: $15 per person (includes lesson and open dancing) or $12 per person dance only, without lesson.
Learn more >>
Sofia Rei
Sofia Rei Trio/Josh Deutsch’s Pannonia
Sunday, October 30, 8 pm (Happy hour 7 pm – cash bar)
Stroum Jewish Community Center, 3801 East Mercer Way
Cost: $25 | $20 SJCC members, seniors, students, youth
Spellbinding Argentine singer/composer Sofía Rei blends Latin American musical traditions and is deeply versed in jazz, electronica, and folklore. Called “a leading light of Latin Jazz” by The Village Voice, this in-demand vocalist has performed at Carnegie Hall with Bobby McFerrin, Geoffrey Keezer, and John Zorn. Josh Deutsch’s Pannonia, whose debut album was a 2014 Editor’s Pick by DownBeat Magazine, also performs. Co-presented with Earshot Jazz as part of the Earshot Jazz Festival (October 7-November 11).
Learn more >>
