Here’s our weekly round-up of events from October 9 – 15 on Mercer Island:

Fall 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-minute programs designed especially for you and your young child.

Tuesday October 10 
Young Toddlers (12 – 24 months) – 10:30 – 11 am
Toddlers (2 – 3 years) – 11:30 am – Noon

Thursday October 12
Infants (0 – 12 months) – 10:30 – 11 am
Preschoolers (3 – 6 years) – 1 – 1:30 pm

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Community Coffee Hour
Wednesday, October 11 & Friday, October 13, 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, October 11, 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, October 11, 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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Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
Wednesday, October 11, Noon – 1 pm
Mercer Island Community & Event Center, 8236 SE 24th Street

For October’s MI Chamber of Commerce Membership Luncheon, City of Mercer Island representatives will speak about the City’s projected financial status for 2017 – 2019. 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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Mercer Island School District New Family Welcome Event
Wednesday, October 11, 6 to 8 pm
Islander Middle School Commons, 7447 84th Ave SE

Families new to the Mercer Island School District this year are invited to a special welcome event in the commons of Islander Middle School. At the event families will be able to meet members of the Mercer Island School Board, Superintendent Donna Colosky, and other key school district leaders. Also, many Island community organizations, including PTA, youth sports, and youth activities will be in attendance to offer information about their services.  Several parents who are serving as new parent ambassadors, including some who also serve on the District’s Diversity Advisory Committee, will be there to help families learn about the MISD or direct them to the resources they may need. No RSVP is necessary and children are welcome. Pizza and beverages will be provided.

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Tabletop Thursdays
Thursday, October 12, 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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Plant Positive Plate Tour with a NSM Nutritionist
Saturday, October 14, 10 – 11 am
New Seasons Market, 2755 77th Avenue Southeast

Eating a variety of nutrient-dense foods maximizes the health benefits of your plant-based diet. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or an omnivore, join us as we navigate nutritious options. This event is free, but registration is required.
Learn more >>

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Restoration Event – Planting Event!
Saturday, October 14, 10 am – 2 pm
Ellis Pond, 90th Ave SE & SE 47th Street
Meet: south entrance on 90th Ave SE, north of SE 47th Street

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. This event will be all about planting!

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Pick A Pic: The Great Photo GIVE-AWAY!
Saturday, October 14, 10 am – 5 pm
Sunday, October 15, 1 – 4:30 pm
Mercer Island Library, 4400 88th Ave SE

The Mercer Island Historical Society, in cooperation with the Mercer Island Library and the Mercer Island Reporter, is making available hundreds of black-and-white photos that were used in the production of the Mercer Island Reporter newspaper from the 1970s to about 2000.

Was your child in a photo for Circus McGurkus? Did you have young athletes who were in the paper for a sport? Were you in a group shot with your club or scout troop? Was your neighbor featured in a cooking column or lifestyle article? If you or a loved one had your picture in the newspaper back then, come look for it during the Library’s two-day photo extravaganza. Take home your piece of history – for free. First come, first served.

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PJ Story Time with Nancy Stewart
Saturday, October 14, 6 – 6:30 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE

PJ Storytime is back! This month’s storyteller and musical guest is Nancy Stewart. Geared especially for children ages 3 and up; refreshments will be served.
Learn more >>

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Sephardic Day at the J
Sunday, October 15, 11 am – 2 pm (free concert at 1:30 pm)
SJCC, 3801 East Mercer Way

Celebrate and share the Sephardic community’s unique heritage, language, food, and cultural pride. This all-ages event will have cooking demonstrations, Sephardic bingo, an art exhibit, craft projects for kids, games, food for sale, and more.

Headlining this family-friendly celebration of Sephardic culture is the Isramerica House Band, who will be performing at 1:30 pm. Isramerica House Band is a hip, young, cutting-edge group of Israeli and Jewish American vocalists who performs everything from classic Israeli tunes and ethnic mizrahi (Middle Eastern Jewish) music to Broadway hits and American pop songs. You can also check out the art exhibit “Shalom! Sefarad: El Florecimiento de la Vida Sefardí en Seattle,” all about the hard-working Sephardic immigrants from the Ottoman Empire who came to Seattle to build new lives for their families.

This event is free and open to all, but please RSVP online!
Learn more >>

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Sarah Law, Author of Pittsburgh’s Point Breeze
Sunday, October 15, 3 – 4:30 pm
Island Books, 3014 78th Ave SE

Meet author Sarah Law and hear all about her book, Pittsburgh’s Point Breeze, based on this historical neighborhood. Named for the famous early-19th-century Point Breeze Hotel that stood at the corner of what is now Fifth and Penn Avenues, Point Breeze has been home to some of the wealthiest families in Pittsburgh and the country, such as Carnegie, Westinghouse, Frick, Mellon, and Thaw. Many of these prestigious estates were later razed and divided to become smaller residential lots, and in later years, the Point Breeze neighborhood became the home of several well-known authors, professional athletes, and everyone’s favorite neighbor, Mr. Rogers.
Learn more >>

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SJCC Service Event: Dinner at Our House
Sunday, October 15, 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 >>