Happenings | Sept. 5 edition | Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber

Japan Festival

Join islanders at Mukai Farm & Garden from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7 for the organization’s annual Japan Festival.

The festival, at 18017 107th Ave SW, will feature Japanese food vendors, traditional bon dance, mochi pounding, lino print, kimono demos, an artisan market, and a kids’ village. There will be 15 community booths and festival workshops throughout.

The Vashon Island Growers Association (VIGA) will host a Spirit Garden to raise funds to restore and transform the historic Mukai Fruit Barreling Plant into a Food Hub for local farmers, and the festival finale will feature the renowned Japanese indie pop star Tomo Nakayama.

The festival’s grand opening starts at 11 a.m., followed by a Japanese swordsmanship display. The main stage will feature Troy Osaki’s poetry, the Kokon Taiko ensemble, Koto music by teen musicians, a workshop by Kokon Taiko, a community Bon Odori dance, and the concert by Nakayama. For more information including the festival’s schedule and menus of available food, visit mukaifarmandgarden.org/japan-festival.

Senior Center

At 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, Vashon Senior Center’s Photo Club members will present a slideshow and talk, and present their new exhibit at the Center. They’ll also be back for the show’s opening reception from 5-7 p.m. that evening.

Wild Walkers, a Senior Center group, will walk the Judd Creek Trail — a distance of about 1 mile — at around 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7. Meet at the Center to carpool at 10 a.m., or at 10:20 a.m. at the trailhead on SW 111th Ave SW (park on the street, not the parking lot at the north end of the street). The trail has a few tree root patches, and ups and downs, but is a popular trail with the Wild Walkers.

An autumn watercolor class will have its first session from 2-4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, at the Center. Bring paints and paper and learn how to paint from nature, architecture, landscapes, and skies.

For more information, call 206-463-5173.

Vashon Oneness Center

Every Monday from 5-6 p.m., members of the Vashon Oneness Center meet at the Vashon United Methodist church for meditation, Oneness Yoga, a wisdom lesson, and the shared blessing from the universe of grace, calm and connection. The group welcomes all ages, including children, and by donation. Occasionally, there’s free fruit just harvested for all to take home. On Sept. 23, there will be a special session on healing. Questions? Contact Amy Huggins, 206-851-7159

Garden Club meeting

The Vashon-Maury Island Garden Club will hold its monthly open meeting at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 9, at the Bethel Church gym, with a business meeting followed by guest speaker, Jennifer Williams, from Wild Dreams Farm, speaking to the importance of saving and harvesting seeds.

Brown Briefly

Hear from cast members of Vashon Opera’s upcoming production of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Otello,” who will join Brown Briefly radio hosts Truman O’Brien, Bruce Haulman, Craig Beles, Amy Drayer and Kevin Jones at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, on Voice of Vashon, 101.9FM. To find out more about “Otello” — to be staged on Friday, Sept. 20 and Sunday, Sept. 22, at Vashon Center for the Arts — visit vashonopera.org.

Granny’s grants

The fall granting season for Granny’s Attic is now underway — submissions for healthcare-related grants are due by 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11. For more information, email brian@vashongrannysattic.org.

Services Van

Washington’s DSHS Mobile Office will bring its services to the Vashon Food Bank’s parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 10030 SW 210th St. Apply inside the van for food, cash, and medical services. Islanders can also drop off paperwork, complete a case, make changes to an existing case, or request food stamps.

King County Cemetery District

King County Cemetery District’s next regular board meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11, in the District’s office, at 19631 Singer Rd. SW.

Water District 19

The next regular board meeting for Water District 19 is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11, in the district’s board room. This is a change from meetings typically held on Tuesdays, due to one board member being unavailable on that day of the week this month.

MakerSpace classes

Vashon MakerSpace will twice present a class on learning how to sew a carrying kit for favorite tools or paint brushes, using recycled fabric. Attend the two-hour class from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12, or Tuesday, Sept. 24, at MakerSpace, located next to Open Space for Arts & Community. The cost of the class is $40; students may bring a clothing item to use for the project. All skill levels are welcome. For more information and to sign up, visit vashonmakerspace.org.

Celebrate scouting

Celebrate 100 years of Vashon Island scouting from 3-5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Vashon Sportsmen’s Club. The Vashon community, scouting alumni, families and friends are invited to enjoy family-friendly games, a free chili feed, and 100 years of memorabilia from Troop 294 on Vashon. Reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and learn what makes scouting on Vashon so special.

Recycling event

The 2024 Vashon residential recycling event takes place this year at the K2 Building from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14. (The event will not take place, as it has in many past editions, at Vashon High School this year.) For more information, visit kingcounty.gov/recycling-events.

Health insurance

Miguel Urquiza, representative of King County Public Health, will help islanders sign up for health insurance, food stamps, and King County Metro’s reduced fare program from 12:30-3 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 18, at Vashon Library. This is for health insurance that will start the following month.

Are those dates not convenient? Contact Urquiza for help at 206-477-6965, 206-491-3761, or miguel.urquiza@kingcounty.gov.

Food Bank tour

The Vashon Food Bank has embarked on a journey to relocate to the Vashon United Methodist Church’s property, at 17928 Vashon Hwy SW. The project will result in a vastly improved food bank, as well as the creation of a community resource hub to better collaborate with other island social service agencies.

Islanders are invited to find out more about this vision in a series of tours of the current and future sites. The next tour will take place from 2-3:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20. Meet at the current Food Bank: 10030 SW 210th St, behind Sea Mar’s healthcare clinic on Sunrise Ridge. Emily Scott, the Food Bank’s executive director, will guide tour-goers and give updates and more details about the project. Be sure to bring water and weather-appropriate clothing.

RSVP to minta@vashonfoodbank.org or 206-930-9098.

Vaccination clinic

Vashon Pharmacy will begin high-volume vaccination clinics on Wednesday, Oct. 2. COVID, flu, and RSV vaccines will be available.

With support from volunteers at Vashon Medical Reserve Corps and VashonBePrepared, the vaccination program will run for six weeks. Vaccinations will take place in the pharmacy’s new clinical services area, which will provide more space and privacy.

Stay tuned for more details by visiting vashonpharmacy.com/covid-vaccine.

VIFR Open House

The staff and volunteers of Vashon Island Fire & Rescue for a family-friendly, fun-filled open house from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at Station 55, 10020 SW Bank Road. The event will include pancakes and coffee, Sparky the Fire Dog, a fire station bounce house, fire prevention exhibits, and fire truck tours.

Brown Briefly

Bruce Morser, whose historical installation, “Honoring Center,” graces the lobby of Vashon Center for the Arts, and who created large digital historic maps of the island in the Vashon Heritage Museum’s new permanent exhibit, will join Brown Briefly radio hosts Truman O’Brien, Bruce Haulman, Craig Beles, Amy Drayer and Kevin Jones at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24, on Voice of Vashon, 101.9FM. Morser will talk about his work as an artist and illustrator. Bruce will talk about his inspirations, his process, and how he has become one of the leading artists interpreting Vashon’s history.