Lavender Hill Farm

Lavender Hill Farm’s 19th season opens on Thursday, June 20, and will run until July 28. The farm offers “you-cut” lavender and precut organic lavender bunches and wreaths, and is stocked with lavender essential oil, soap, sachets, garden hats, and other lavender products. Activities abound: watch farm workers distill oil, play a game of corn hole, and sip a dry lavender soda. There is no admission charge and the whole family, as well as dogs on leashes, are welcome.

The farm is located at 10425 SW 238th St, in Burton, and is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Sunday. Find out more at lavenderhillvashon.com or call 206-463-2322.

Senior Center events

Maria Metler, of Vashon Nature Center, will give a talk at 1 p.m. Friday, June 21, at the Senior Center. Her talk, “Bring the Beach to You,” will focus on marine mammals found in the waters and shorelines around Vashon Island. Metler will bring in a collection of marine mammal artifacts and share information and stories from the field. All ages are welcome.

A field trip to Vashon’s 15th annual Low Tide Celebration will take place starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 22. Be chauffeured to Pt. Robinson Park for this free family-friendly event. Call 206-463-5173 to find out more and sign up.

Get artsy and enjoy festive mocktails at the Senior Center from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, June 28, at a Pride-themed painting session guided by Collin V.

King County Library and Vashon Senior Center Book Group will meet at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 26, at Vashon Library. The topic will be “Dreams.” For book selections contact librarian Sam Harris at 206-463-2069 or stop by the library.

Scavenger Hunt

The Vashon Park District is hosting an animal scavenger hunt at Point Robinson Park through Sunday, June 23. Kids of all ages can participate by following trails and using an animal checklist available near Vashon’s favorite troll, Oscar the Bird King. Scavenger hunters can search for informational pictures of animals native to Vashon-Maury, such as bears, cougars, raccoons, and more. Each animal on the checklist has a QR code that offers additional information. This self-guided adventure is free to the public.

Woodworking classes

Vashon MakerSpace is offering a series of 3-hour workshops in June and July on the use of the woodworking router. Learn a variety of techniques and setups for using this most versatile tool. For more information, visit the “Events and Classes” page at vashonmakerspace.org.

Low Tide Celebration

The 16th Annual Low Tide Celebration will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 22, at Point Robinson Lighthouse. This family-friendly event celebrates the Maury Island Aquatic Reserve. The tide will be at its lowest, -3.08 feet at 11:57 a.m.

Enjoy guided beach tours led by the Vashon Nature Center and explore informative and interactive booths that teach about life in Puget Sound. There will be a children’s booth and activities.

A complimentary shuttle bus will be available along Point Robinson Road to help transport attendees. Food will be available to purchase from Ilyad’s Syrian Grill. Admission is free.

Health insurance

Miguel Urquiza, representative of King County Public Health, will help low-income islanders sign up for health insurance, food stamps, and ORCA Lift discounted transportation cards from 12-3 p.m. Saturday, June 22, at Vashon Library. See if you are eligible for the Apple Health Expansion, which provides health insurance coverage to people without a Social Security number.

If Saturday is not convenient, contact Urquiza at 206-477-6965, 206-491-3761, or miguel.urquiza@kingcounty.gov.

Fix-It Cafe

Vashon’s Fix-It Cafe will take place from 10-2 p.m. Saturday, June 22, at the Vashon Eagles Club. Bring lamps, small appliances, jewelry, mending, furniture, vacuums, fans, toys, and more, to get those items back in service. Advance registration is required — sign up at vashonfixit.com and you will receive a drop-off time for your item. Or sign up at the link above to join the team of volunteer fixers.

Picnics in the Park

Vashon Food Bank’s Picnics in the Park is back for a 10th summer. This year, the 10-week program runs from Monday, June 24, through Friday, Aug.30, on Mondays through Fridays.

Lunch will be served every weekday at Ober Park from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., then at Burton Area Recreation Center (BARC) from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m.

The program aims to provide free, nutritious meals and activities for children of all ages during the summer months when kids don’t have access to school meals. While the target population for the program is the 23 percent of island youth who qualify for free and reduced-priced school lunches, it provides free lunches for all Vashon youth without proof of need.

For more information, visit vashonfoodbank.org or call the office at 206-463-6332. To volunteer for Picnics in the Park, contact Leslie, at volmanager@vashonfoodbank.org.

Brown Briefly

The 11th annual Stupid Bike Night on Vashon is coming up. Join The Brown Briefly crew Craig Beles, Amy Drayer, Bruce Haulman, Kevin Jones, and Truman O’Brien, at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 25, on the Voice of Vashon, 101.9 FM, streaming live at voiceofvashon.org and on the VoV mobile app. The show’s guests will be Emily Burns and Jim Farrell, two of the organizers of this quintessential “Keep Vashon Weird” event.

Water District 19

A special commissioners’ meeting for Water District 19 will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 25, at 17630 100th Ave SW, to discuss the ongoing conversations about the district’s current and future allocation process.

Master Gardeners

Bring your gardening questions, plant samples, and/or plant photos to the Vashon Master Gardeners, stationed in front of Ace Hardware every Saturday, May through August, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and first Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Contact Vashon Master Gardeners, WSU Extension, at mgvashon@gmail.com for more information.

Walk in the woods

Learn more about Island Center Forest at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 29, in the third installment of the Walk in the Woods series, which will include a conversation with Paul Fischer, the King County forester responsible for Island Center Forest. Walkers should meet in the parking lot off of Cemetery Road at 10 a.m. For more information, contact David Warren at 206-295-6670 or VashonForests@gmail.com. (See commentary, page 6.)

Grief Ritual

A monthly community grief ritual is held on the first Sunday of every month, from 1-3 p.m. at the Tree of Life Wellness Center at 17331 Vashon Highway; with donations accepted. July’s first Sunday of the month is July 7. Islanders are invited to share and witness, either in silence or out loud, grief for loved ones, pets, relationships, the climate, and wars. Questions? Call Susan Pitiger at 206-818-4232 or Brad Davis at 206 799-7235 or Colleen Carrette at 206 351-7769.