The Vashon Library was teeming with teens at 7 p.m. on the last Saturday in June. They polished their Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution skills while snacking on Red Vines, updated their Facebook accounts online and drank soda or enjoyed a lively battle of Magic cards.
A free family outdoor movie, presented by the Vashon Theatre and Vashon Film Society, will kick off Strawberry Festival fun at 9:15 p.m. Thursday, July 10. “Strictly Ballroom,” the colorful, kitschy Australian crowd-pleaser about a boy, a dream and a dance competition, will be shown on an outdoor screen at the theater.
Islanders can take a whirlwind musical trip around the world this summer by attending Vashon Allied Arts’ annual World Music and Dance Festival.
This year’s festival, scheduled from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 9, at Camp Burton’s outdoor amphitheater, will include taiko drumming, Brazilian music, reggae/roots groove and music and dance from Ghana and West Africa.
Karen Eliasen, owner of Vashon Island Music, watched ukuleles fly out of her store for several months before she realized she was seeing a phenomenon.
“Then, one day I was talking to my instrument distributor, and he told me that we were selling more ukuleles than anywhere except Hawaii,” Eliasen recalled with a laugh. “It’s crazy.”
Now Eliasen is inviting all those ukulele owners to come back to the store’s studio from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 19, to take advantage of a two-hour workshop, “Pop Goes the Ukulele,” led by acclaimed Seattle musician Mike Bristow.
Drama Dock is gearing up to present Oscar Wilde’s elegant farce, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” with performances scheduled for the last two weekends of July at Vashon High School Theater.
The 23rd annual Vashon Allied Arts Community Quilt is a tribute to the postcard-perfect views of Vashon Island.
The annual Strawberry Festival — with its parades, carnival, music and more — is right around the corner, set for July 11 through 13.
Two Islanders will share the artistic bounty of their epic trek through Africa when Vashon Community Care Center presents “On Safari with Kendra and Lynn,” an exhibition opening from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 3.
Two Wall Gallery will present a retrospective of prints from one of its curators, Greg Wessel, opening with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, July 3. The artist will be in attendance.
Vashon College, responding to Islanders’ growing interest in local foods and mounting concerns about oil prices, will offer a new lecture series focused on local food production, featuring talks by some of the Island’s most well-known farmers and food specialists.
Paul Shapiro, the Islander who last year brought “Twelfth Night” to the Village Green, is directing another outdoor drama production that again promises to be a crowd-pleaser.
More than 30 artists will be in Ober Park again this year, for the sixth year in a row, showing and selling their work. Many will open their booths Friday evening while there is music in the park, but all will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Fun Run and Walk