HGuide oliday
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San Juan County 2019
A supplement to the Islands’ Sounder, Islands’ Weekly and Journal of the San Juans
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HOLIDAY GUIDE • 2019
Shopping local By Courtney Oldwyn
This holiday season, as you’re brainstorming and buying gifts for loved ones, keep in mind that you can also give to your back to your community by shopping locally. The islands are home to many local, independently owned boutique clothing shops, fun and funky art studios, bookstores and other shops that count on local holiday shoppers to boost their winter sales. An average of 48 percent of purchases made at local, independent businesses are recirculated locally, compared
to just 14 percent of purchases made at chain stores, according to the American Independent Business Alliance. That means three times more per dollar spent at small, local businesses is put back into our local economy than the same dollar spent at larger, chain stores. The percentage rises even more when compared to online shopping at retailers such as Amazon. com. Online shopping is a necessity at times for most islanders with the restraints on available merchandise here in the islands, not to men-
HOLIDAY GUIDE • 2019
tion the expense and inconvenience of ferry travel during the winter months. Some money is funneled back into the local economy though even when online shopping in the form of state sales tax. As of 2018, items bought online, even from an out of state retailer, must pay the Washington state sales tax. When shipped to a local island address, San Juan County receives that sales tax income. In addition, you can shop at smile. amazon.com and 0.5% of the price of eligible products will be donated to a charitable organization of your choice, including those in the San Juan Islands. Shopping in your com-
munity isn’t just helpful to the local economy, it can also present loved ones with unique gifts not found at the bigger, chain stores. One of a kind items like jewelry or art, made by any of the many island artisans, are one of a kind gifts that won’t be found anywhere else. Food items like locally made sea salts, chocolates, candies, cheeses and cured meats also make great gifts. For out of town friends and family who visit often, gift certificates to local restaurants, shops or outings like whale watch trips, sea kayaking or zip lining are fun, adventurous gifts that also support See SHOP LOCAL, Page 11
Visit Orcas Island’s premier cannabis shop!
Open daily
Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wide variety of products 1533 Mt. Baker Rd. (lot just past the brewery)
#(360) 622-5097
ORCASISLANDCANNABIS@GMAIL.COM *WARNING* For purchase and use by adults 21+ only. It is illegal to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of marijuana. This product may be habit farming. Keep out of reach of children.
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HOLIDAY GUIDE • 2019
San Juan Islands Christmas Bird Count Submitted by Barbara Jensen
The San Juan Islands Christmas Bird Count is a wonderful way to celebrate the coming of a new year. This is also a chance to connect with fellow birders, experience winter's splendor, and introduce newcomers to the magical world of birding. It is open to birders of all skill levels. Join island bird enthusiasts on Dec. 14 in this annual tradition. In 1900 ornithologist Frank Chapman along with other conservationists were disturbed at the slaughter of birds in the annual holiday event called the "side hunt". The team that shot the most birds and other small animals was the winner. As a protest, Chapman organized 27 friends in 25 locations on Christmas Day, 1900 to count live animals instead of shooting them. This became an annual event called the Audubon Christmas Bird Count spon-
sored by the National Audubon Society. The CBC is now the longest-running citizen science survey in the world, providing critical data on population trends. An astounding 72,000 volunteer bird counters in more than 2,500 locations across the Western Hemisphere now participate and you can too. Today’s Count - Each Audubon chapter chooses a 24-hour time period from the middle of December to early January for their count. The area covered is a 15-mile wide circle of about 177 square miles. San Juan Islands Audubon created its circle in 1987 and is centered at the University of Washington Labs in Friday Harbor. It includes parts of San Juan, Orcas, Lopez and Shaw. Teams divide the area into units to survey by car, foot and boat. Some people monitor their own backyard, neighborhood or bird feeder. Bird populations are indicators of the overall health of our environment. As the long-database continues to grow it is possible to monitor the abundance and distribution patterns of wintering bird populations and is critical to understanding how birds are responding to a changing climate. Some birders take a little rest during the count. To track trends of your favorite birds and other info about the count go to https://www.audubon.org/ conservation/science/christmas-bird-count. San Juan Islands Christmas Bird Count is Saturday, Dec. 14. For more information, contact Barbara Jensen at 360-378-3068 or email skylark@rockisland.com.
American Legion Auxiliary’s Annual
HOLIDAY BAZAAR
We have gifts for everyone on your list!
Saturday, December 7, 2019 10-3 at the Legion Hall
Soup Bistro • Raffle • Bake Sale • Craft Vendors
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HOLIDAY GUIDE • 2019
Holiday fairs and bazaars ORCAS Holiday Silent Art Auction
Are you looking for holiday gifts for loved ones? Maybe you’re looking for a new piece of art to hang on your living room wall? From Thursday, Nov. 7 through Saturday, Dec. 14, Orcas Senior Center will host a holiday silent art auction. Bidding will end on Saturday, Dec. 14 from at 1 p.m., along with a fun holiday celebration that will include homemade treats and cider.
Not everyone will be warm and cozy this winter. Please round up your bill or make a donation to Project PAL.
Children’s Holiday Market
The seventh annual Children’s Market will be held on Saturday, Nov. 30 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Orcas Island Library. Local kids age five to 18 years, will be selling original, hand-made items priced from 25 cents to $10. Past items included greeting cards; drawings; hand-carved wooden toys; felted soaps; beaded accessories; baked goods; painted rocks; seashells and beach glass art; sewn items; and other one-of-a kind treasures. Interested youth vendors should contact Rachel Bishop at rachelbishop@yahoo.com, or complete a sign-up sheet at the library by Tuesday, Nov. 26. Reserve a small table or a share of a table for a $5 fee or a large table for $10. All fees go to support the Friends of the Orcas Island Library.
Holiday bazaar
American Legion Auxiliary Unit No. 93 will hold its annual Holiday Bazaar on Saturday, Dec. 7, at the post facility, located at 793 Crescent Beach Dr., from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Peruse items from local vendors. The auxiliary will have their bake sale: homemade candies, cookies, cakes, pies and their popular freshly made horseradish! The Soup Bistro will feature two delicious homemade soups. Tickets will be on sale for the famous baskets. The drawing for the baskets will be at 3 p.m. You do not have to be present to win.
Contribute online
www.opalco.com/PAL or call
(360) 376-3500
It’s the co-op way.
Artisan’s Faire
A longtime island style holiday tradition, the Artisan’s Faire will return to the Odd Fellows Hall for its 30th year the first weekend in December.The fair will run on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday, Dec. 8 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. See FAIRS AND BAZAARS, Page 6
It’s islanders helping islanders during the heating season.
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HOLIDAY GUIDE • 2019
Fairs and Bazaars
Orcas Island
Continued from Page 5
If you are doing some holiday shopping, this will be the spot to find some of the finest unique handcrafted gifts and gourmet food items made on the island for everyone on your list. There will be delicious food served downstairs by Delmi and her team at “Cocina Latina.” All purchases will earn free raffle tickets for gift basket drawings at the end of the fair. Every vendor contributes something to these baskets, so they are truly special prizes. You need not be present at the drawing to win one of these deluxe baskets, but you do have to come shop at the fair. Each year the Artisan’s Faire spreads the holiday spirit a little further by making a donation to a local charitable cause. This year the fair is happy to announce that this donation will go to SAFE San Juans.
SAN JUAN Artisan’s Holiday Marketplace
Right after Thanksgiving, local nonprofit San Juan Island Artisans sponsor this annual event featuring the ‘best of the best’ creations by San Juan County artists at Friday Harbor Elementary School. The market will run Friday, Nov. 29 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Approximately 55 artists will sell their unique, hand-made arts and crafts this year — just in time for holiday gift-giving — offering a wide variety of items from soaps and lotions to jewelry; clothing; cards; paintings; island-made foods; scenic photography and much more. There will be snacks available by a local caterer to keep shoppers satisfied. This is a fundraiser for the Island Artisans Scholarship Fund.
Fairgrounds Flea and Craft Market
This staple flea market boasts over 50 regional vendors in the main building of the San Juan County Fairgrounds from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7. For the past decade, the market has given residents a garage-sale alternative during the winter for those “new-to-me” holiday gifts. Shop for unique locally made crafts; vintage items; housewares; decorations; clothing; handmade jewelry; and other flea market treasures. Vendors can apply online by going to www.sjcfair.org
Old-Fashioned Christmas Market
Step back in time. The popular, European-style,
Old-Fashioned Christmas Market will light up historic Brickworks again this year. Festivities will take place on Saturday, Dec. 14 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., promising something for everyone. There will be free activities for kids like balloon animals, crafts and horse rides. Local food vendors will ply visitors with tasty treats made with island grown ingredients, spiced hot chocolate and more. Artists will offer their handmade gifts and art. Carolers and musicians will play throughout the day, and Victorian Santa will rendezvous with market-goers. The market is produced by the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild, a community-based nonprofit dedicated to fostering a vibrant, resilient and sustainable local food system in San Juan County.
LOPEZ Union Cemetery’s Annual Wreath and Craft Sale
The ten-day holiday sale is back at the Lopez Union Cemetery workshop, this year running from Nov. 27 to Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Proceeds to benefit Lopez Union Cemetery and Center Church.
Preschool Holiday Bazaar
On Small Business Saturday in November, the Lopez Cooperative Preschool Holiday Bazaar celebrates its 40th year in the Lopez School Gym. Festivities begin on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 10 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. Here’s what you can expect from this year’s Preschool Holiday Bazaar: artisanal goods for sale by local and regional vendors, food trucks, live music, on-site childcare for vendors and shoppers, pictures with Santa, from which proceeds will support the PAL Play-and Learn program, holiday crafts handmade by the current preschool students, a cozy coffee lounge and bake sale, amazing raffle prizes, and an entertainment corner for kids. This festive event is the primary fundraiser for the Lopez Cooperative Preschool, with vendors donating 15 percent of their profits to the preschool. The Bazaar is still accepting vendor applications and raffle prize donations. Get in touch with this year’s Bazaar Coordinator, Samantha Olson with any questions or donations, at samantha.olson3040@gmail.com.
Holiday Craft Fair
On the first weekend of December, Lopez Islander Resort hosts an annual Holiday Craft fair. The sale is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both Dec. 7 and 8.
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HOLIDAY GUIDE • 2019
Orcas Island
Holiday concerts will delight Orcas Island audiences Olga Symphony and Friends
The Olga Symphony and Friends returns Thanksgiving weekend,
Friday and Saturday, Nov. 29 and 30. Gordon, Melinda, JP, and Anita will once more bring fine fashion and non-symphonic music, old favorites and new treasures, to the Orcas Center stage. As they are wont to do, and as the title implies, the symphony will be bringing some friends along for the musical ride. Former Symphony member Dave “Z” Zoeller will be joining in and adding to the fun, as will Orcas Island’s favorite boyband,
Brograss (Tashi and Kaj Litch). And what would an Olga Symphony and Friends concert be without the Hawaiian Nightingale, Mel Urbanozo? Fortunately, we don’t have to find out, because Mel will be there too! As always, all proceeds will benefit Orcas Center and other island charities.
Orcas Choral Society
The Orcas Choral Society will present “Comfort and Joy” on Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. at Orcas Cen-
Elegant amaryllis, sweetly scented paperwhites, one-of-a-kind gifts and floral arrangements
The 376-4580
Mon. – Sat., 10 – 5pm • Sun. 10 to 4pm 18 Haven Road, Suite 110 • Eastsound, WA 98245
ter. Songs include: “Ding, Dong! Merrily on High!” “Rise Up!” “Midwinter Song,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” “Here We Come A-Caroling,” “Make We Joy Now in This Fest,” “Silent Night” and many more. For tickets, visit www.orcascenter.org.
Community Band in concert
For most, the holidays evoke thoughts of tasty treats, fellowship with others and holiday music. There's no better way to get all three than by attending the annual Orcas Island Community Band concert on Dec. 14, 3 p.m. at Orcas Center. The band, comprised of all local musicians, performs traditional marches, classical selections and festive holiday songs. Special songs will inSee MUSIC ON ORCAS, Page 8
Emmanuel Episcopal Parish of Orcas Island welcomes you to the seasons of Advent & Christmas! Sunday, December 1 First Sunday of Advent Eucharist services every Sunday at 8am & 10am Sábado 7 de Diciembre Misa de Adviento en español a las 6 pm
Sunday, December 15 Advent Lessons and Carols at 7 pm
Wednesday, December 25th Christmas Day said Eucharist at noon
Tuesday, December 24 Christmas Eve early Eucharist at 5 pm
Friday, December 27th Yuletide Baroque Concert at 2 pm
Tuesday, December 24th Christmas Eve traditional candlelight Eucharist at 8 pm
(360) 376-2352 • 242 Main St. Eastsound, WA 98245
Sábado 4 de Enero Misa de Navidad en español a las 6pm
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HOLIDAY GUIDE • 2019
Orcas Island
Holiday traditions at Orcas Center bring a festive spirit to Orcas Island As the days grow shorter and nights get colder, Orcas Center helps keep holiday spirit alive through song, music, and dance! There are many traditional holiday concerts, films, and performances to choose from that are sure to keep the warm glow of the season burning bright. After you’ve stuffed yourself silly with a Thanksgiving feast, join The Olga Symphony (and Friends!) on Nov. 29 and 30, (tickets $5) for their annual fundraiser with music and guaranteed merriment benefiting the Orcas Center and other island charities. Our local musicians and vocalists will feature a range of holiday classics and beloved favorites sure to keep you in the festive spirit through the rest of the year! The Choral Society performs Dec.
The Bolshoi Ballet/Contributed photo
The Nutcracker Ballet and other holiday classics are set to delight audiences at Orcas Center this holiday season.
7 and 8 (tickets $5-$18), and The Community Band takes the stage the following week on Dec. 14 (admission by donation). What holiday season would be complete without a viewing of these two classic tales: A Christmas Carol comes to Center Stage in a special presentation by The
Music on Orcas Continued from Page 7
clude a wonderful arrangement of "Silent Night" conducted by Karen Key Speck and a nifty melody of holiday songs called "Prelude to Christmas" directed by Jim Shaffer-Bauck. The audience will have an opportunity to sing songs of the season as well as join the band afterwards for a dessert party provided by the band as a gift to their audience. The band invites everyone, young and old, single or families to attend as the concert has something for everyone and brings seasonal joy every year. Admission by donation.
Chamber Music Festival’s ‘Leaves of Gold’
At 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19, the Music Room in the mansion at Rosario Resort will again be the setting for the 2019 Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival “Leaves of Gold” concert. OICMF Artistic Director Aloysia Friedmann, violin, and Artistic Advisor and pianist Jon Kimura Parker will be joined
San Juan Community Theatre Dec. 15 (tickets $15-$47). And, there will be a screening of The Nutcracker performed by The Bolshoi Ballet on Dec. 19, (tickets $12-$47). Crow Valley String Band will be the last concert of the year at Orcas Center on Dec. 20 and 21 (tickets $15-$47), and finally, the Magic Flute, presented by the Metropolitan Opera, rounds out the holiday offerings on Dec. 28 (tickets: $12-$47). Tickets for all of these shows and more are available at www.OrcasCenter.org, or by calling the Orcas Center box office at 360-376-2281 ext. 1.
by horn player William VerMeulen and violinist Sylvia VerMeulen, who have been enthusiastically received by past festival audiences. The concert will include works by J.S. Bach, Georg Philipp Telemann, Paul Basler, and John Williams, along with familiar holiday tunes. You won’t want to miss this early evening concert, which is followed by a lavish buffet dinner in the Mansion Dining Room. Rosario goes all out to set a warm, festive holiday atmosphere in the Mansion with twinkling lights and festoons of decorations amid the many colorful holiday trees. Tickets for the “Leaves of Gold” concert and post-concert dinner are $150, $75 of which is tax deductible to the extent allowable by the IRS. Contact the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival office at (360) 376-6636 or info@oicmf.org for tickets and more concert information.
Crow Valley String Band
Crow Valley String Band will be the last concert See ORCAS MUSIC, Page 11
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HOLIDAY GUIDE • 2019
‘GiveOrcas’ Holiday Catalog Who will be the 2019 ‘Flat Person,’ mascot and campaign cheerleader for the Orcas Island Community Foundation’s annual GiveOrcas Holiday Catalog? All community members are invited enter their guesses between Nov. 26 and Dec. 1 at www.oicf. us. All correct guesses will be entered to win $500 for one of the nonprofits listed in this year’s Holiday Catalog Campaign! We will reveal the newest member of our ‘flat family’ on Dec. 2, which also kicks off our three-week fundraising campaign for nonprofits serving Orcas. There will be several games throughout the campaign, in addition to appearances from the honorary “Flat Person.” Contact OICF with any questions at info@oicf.us or call 360-376-6423. And remember to donate during the first three weeks in December at www.giveorcas. org!
EVERY KID DESERVES A SMILE ON CHRISTMAS MORNING. The giving tree will be at your Island Market from 11/22 to Christmas Eve. Gifts need to be turned in by 12/16.
Orcas Island Community Band
Saturday, Dec. 14 at 3 p.m. at Orcas Center Admission by Donation • Dessert Party Afterward
Brought to you by the Orcas Community in partnership with
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HOLIDAY GUIDE • 2019
Orcas Island
The Giving Tree at Island Market A special part of the year begins when the Giving Tree goes up inside Island Market. Those festive tags adorning the branches offer everyone the chance to fulfill the seasonal hopes of local kids. Choose one or more tags to make a wish come true for youngsters from newborns to 18-year-olds. Be sure to sign the nearby registry so that organizers will know that every child’s tag has been chosen. Bring your wrapped or unwrapped gifts to the Orcas Community Resource Center located at 374 A North Beach Rd., along with the numbered stickers provided, by Dec. 16. Family needs extend beyond presents. Consider donations to the Giving Tree or the Orcas Resource Center to assist with essentials. Financial donations for food or gift cards for groceries are especially helpful. Children with letters to Santa can post them in the decorated Santa’s mailbox located inside Island Market near the Giving Tree. Each child will receive a personalized letter from Santa if the letters are dropped in the box before Dec. 22. Please include the child’s name, return address and a phone number.
Orcas
holiday events
Nov. 28
Dec. 6
• Eat, drink and give thanks. Thanksgiving dinner at 3 p.m. at the Orcas Community Church and Thanksgiving Harvest Buffet from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Rosario Resort.
• Eastsound Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting from 3 to 5 p.m. Sponsored by Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce.
Nov. 29 and 30 • The Olga Symphony (and Friends!): This annual fundraiser has music and guaranteed merriment benefiting the Orcas Center and other island charities, 7:30 p.m., Orcas Center.
Nov. 30 • The seventh annual Children’s Market will be held at the Orcas Island Library from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Local kids from 5-18, will be selling original, handmade items priced from 25 cents to $10.
Dec. 7 • Come visit Santa at the Deer Harbor dock when Santa's ship arrives from the North. After Santa arrives, he will go by firetruck to the Deer Harbor Community Club to meet with the children and give them a Christmas gift. Cookies, cider and hot drinks will be available. Don't miss the wonderful, warm atmosphere of the Community Club. For more information, call Judy Zorb at 376-4132. • The Friends of the Orcas Island Library will hold their annual Holiday Tea from noon to 3 p.m. with
coffee, tea and punch served along with cookies, and other treats. The annual Holiday Tea has been done as a "thank you" to the community for almost 60 years. • American Legion Auxiliary Unit No. 93 will hold its annual Holiday Bazaar at 793 Crescent Beach Dr., from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Peruse items from local vendors. The auxiliary will have their bake sale: homemade candies, cookies, cakes, pies and their popular freshly made horseradish! The Soup Bistro will feature two delicious homemade soups. Tickets will be on sale for the famous baskets.
• The Community Band will take Orcas Center stage at 3 p.m.
Dec. 7 - 8
Dec. 19
• Choral Society will perform holiday classics at Orcas Center on Dec. 7 at
7:30 p.m. and Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. • The 30th Annual Artisan’s Fair at Odd Fellows Hall Saturday, Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8.
Dec. 14 Dec. 15 • A special presentation of “A Christmas Carol” by The San Juan Community Theatre at Orcas Center at 3 p.m. • Advent Lessons and Carols at 7 p.m., Emmanuel Episcopal Church.
• A screening
of “The
See ORCAS EVENTS, Page 12
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HOLIDAY GUIDE • 2019
Orcas Island
Continued from Page 8
the year at Orcas Center on Dec. 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m. “Home for Christmas” is a blend of American Folk and traditional English Christmas music. The Crow Valley String Band will be hosting, play-
Shop local
Continued from Page 3 community businesses. Local business owners and independent artisans do try to make shopping in your own town easier during the holiday season. Arts and craft fairs pop up in most towns around the
ing both new and familiar tunes. Brograss will bring their brotherly harmonies to the stage with a bluegrass influence. Dave Zoeller will join the band bringing his lilting voice and guitar skills to the mix and Rob Eagle will join Kaj for a soulful guitar duet. Bringing an English feel to the evening, they will be joined by
islands and the farmers markets showcase locally made goods and foods. Many businesses extend their hours, offer Black Friday and Shop Local Saturday sales and participate in other local events. This year, give a gift to your local business owners and shop local!
ACCENT ACCESSORIES Antiques, Gifts, Jewelry, Orientalia, Persian Rugs
“Treasures of the Heart” Open 11-6 • Our House Building Eastsound • 376-4538
Island Artisans
Fo o
d!
Local Venders Crisanti Glass Jennifer Armstrong Mimosa Enterprises Makers Heart – Wearable Art Amabilia Valley High Seas Tuna Company Cynthia Burke Woodengoodies Lynnette Cabrrera By Chelo Keith Shaw Chatham Designs Lost Art Apothecary Spirit Boat San Juan Island Authors
Just Heavenly Fudge Sea 2 Sky Creations Butterfly Farm Creations Eat, Sleep, Make Art Kaleidoscope Artistry Art by Alison Engle Elizabeth Farr Federico Farms Jeanie Fodor Linda Francis Pamela Gillette Artist Phycophile David Halpren Leviathan West Designs Glenn Hendrick
band member Rachel’s Dad, Bob Bishop, who sang formerly with the D‘Oyly Carte Opera Company singing some seasonal favorites as well as Howard Barbour reading some well-loved Christmas Stories.Tiffany Loney will present dancing throughout the concert. Tickets at www.orcascenter. org.
41st
Holiday
Market
Friday, Nov. 29th 10am to 5pm Saturday, Nov. 30th 10am to 4pm @The Friday Harbor Elementary School
R Ba affl sk e et !
Orcas music
Betina Roza Glass Artistry by Angie Hysazu Venture Westside Revival Kari Koski Dena Royal Nature Nuts San Juan Island Sea Salt Lot 4 Studio Sea Starling Fine Girl Meets Dirt Metalwork Studio LoBue Retro Rose Designs Jessies Journals Wingnut Customs Jules Jewels Grace Seltser-Kelley Flora Arts Anchored by Design Wood Wood Maya’s Images San Juan Silk LLC Alisha Merrick Art Wind Water Rock Peace Island Herbals Peril Bay Boxcrafters Tush & Bush Sound Products Sally by the Sea Island Thyme Bodycare Paula West Pottery LLC Manya Pickard Silver Pamela Hoke-Nature Artist Lisa Lamoreaux Jewelry
Lo Ove ca r l A 60 rti sts !
wi Selfi th Sa es This year’s event generously sponsored by nta ! San Juan Bistro, Friday Harbor Freight, Browne’s Home Center, Vic’s Drive In, Maya’s Legacy Whale Watching
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HOLIDAY GUIDE • 2019
HOLIDAY GUIDE • 2019
Choral Society carolers warm Orcas spirits
High school holiday wreath fundraiser
Orcas Island
Submitted by Orcas Choral Society
This year, kick off your holidays with real, old-fashioned Christmas spirit as carolers from the Orcas Choral Society raise a joyful noise at
three free events. Catch the carolers at: • Orcas Library, 2 p.m., Friday, Nov. 29. • Island Market, 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 30. • Orcas Senior Center, 1 p.m., Monday, Dec. 2.
Orcas events
Caroling is just a warmup. The following weekend, the full 50-voice Orcas Choral Society sings its winter concert, “Comfort and Joy,” with fresh arrangements of old favorites, new tunes,
Dec. 25
ist Sylvia VerMeulen.
Dec. 20 - 21
Continued from Page 10
Nutcracker” performed by The Bolshoi Ballet at Orcas Center at 6:30 p.m. • Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival presents “Leaves of Gold” at 5:30 p.m. in the Music Room in the mansion at Rosario Resort. Violinist Aloysia Friedmann and pianist Jon Kimura Parker will be joined by horn player William VerMeulen and violin-
and audience singalongs. Concerts are at the Orcas Center: 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7, and 2 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 8. Tickets are $18, $5 students, at 360-376-2281 or orcascenter.org/.
• Crow Valley String Band at Orcas Center at 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 24
• Christmas Day Eucharist at noon, Emmanuel Episcopal Church.
Dec. 28
• Christmas Eve early Eucharist at 5 p.m., Emmanuel Episcopal Church.
• A screening of the “Magic Flute” presented by the Metropolitan Opera at Orcas Center.
Emmanuel Episcopal Church.
• Polar Bear Plunge at 11 a.m. at Cascade Lake. Sponsored by Orcas Island Rowing Association.
• Candlelight Christmas Eve Service, 6 p.m. at the Community Church. • Christmas Eve Service at 8 p.m.,
Jan. 1
San Juan Island
Submitted by the Friday Harbor High School Senior Class of 2020/PTSA
The Friday Harbor High School Senior Class of 2020 and the Parent Teacher Student Alliance is now taking orders for their annual Holiday Wreath sale. Get your beautiful, aromatic, long-lasting, 24inch Northwest Noble Fir wreath with pinecones, berries, and a handmade bow in the color of your choice for only $25! These wreaths make great gifts for friends, family, neighbors and business associates. This is the largest fundraiser for the Class of 2020. Proceeds go directly towards paying for Grad Night: a memorable, safe and sane graduation celebration. Wreath orders may be placed with any Friday Harbor High School Senior Class member, or contact Floyd Bourne, bourneo@ gmail.com, 360-298-4471. This year our wreaths will NOT be available at the Island Artisan’s Holiday Fair but will be available at the Winter Craft & Flea Market on Dec. 7 at the County Fairgrounds. If you don’t need a wreath, but would still like to support the seniors, your donation would be greatly appreciated. Donation checks should be made payable to ‘FHHS PTSA’ with Grad Night 2020 in the memo line and mailed to Grad Night 2020 Committee, c/o Adrienne Bourne, 750 Harbor St., Friday Harbor, WA 98250. Any questions can be sent to FHGradNight@gmail.com. Thank you for your support!
CLASS OF
2020
Thanksgiving Sale r e t Af
November 29 thru December 3, 2019
KINGS MARINE CENTER SHOES, JACKETS, CLOTHING HATS & GLOVES
Santa Claus
will be here
Sat., Nov. 30 10 am to 1 pm Upstairs in Kings Marine
Pictures with Santa! Collecting food for food bank.
9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. DAILY
Storewide
30% off
Use our Elevator on the Corner!
5 DAYS ONLY
ALL FISHING
ON THE CORNER AT ...
TACKLE
JOE FRIDAY’S
RODS & REELS TOO! CAMPING GEAR MARINE SUPPLIES KAYAK ACCESSORIES BOOKS
EVERYTHING
40% OFF TEES & SWEATSHIRTS
LAYAWAY AVAILABLE
Sales Are Limited To Supply On Hand • First Come, First Served • 360-378-4593
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HOLIDAY GUIDE • 2019
San Juan Island
Soroptimists deliver Thanksgiving baskets By Heather Spaulding For years, members of Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor spent the Saturday before Thanksgiving delivering baskets overflowing with homemade food to islanders in need. “It is one of the activities Soroptimist members value because they have one to one interactions with community members and they feel like they are really doing something good,” Kathy Moss, who has been involved with the project since its early years, said. More than a decade ago, former Soroptimist President Laura Tuttle noticed how many islanders were using the local food bank. Some had physical or transportation issues, making leaving their house or getting to town difficult. Tuttle worked with Joyce Soble, who was the executive director of the Family Resource Center at the time, to create a list of people who would benefit from a gourmet Thanksgiving meal. The list iranged seniors who did not have nearby family and were struggling financially to families that were having a rough time. “My kitchen was a mess that first year,” Tuttle said with a laugh. Since then, Kings Market
has provided not only roasted chickens but also fresh fruit for the baskets at a discounted rate. Shortly after Tuttle and her helpers delivered baskets that first year, a man approached Soroptimist member Marie DiChristina in the grocery store while she was selling raffle tickets, Tuttle said. The man told DiCristina that the Soroptimists had made his day. According to Tuttle, the man explained to DiChristina that his wife had died, he had a limited income and felt he had little to live for. The basket not only provided him with food for the entire month but brought joy to the man’s life again. The second year, Soroptimists rallied around the program. With the
guidance of the Mullis Senior Center and the Joyce Soble Family Resource Center, the service organization has continued bringing baskets of gourmet Thanksgiving dinners with all the fixings to nearly 20 households annually. Soroptimist members include treats for family pets along with the humans of the house. Nearly everyone in the club contributes to the project, either by making or buying items, decorating and arranging the baskets or by taking a route for hand delivery. Where volunteers meet to work becomes filled with delicious aromas of home baked goods and bustling activity as baskets are readied and loaded into the cars.
“It’s like a party while we are getting everything organized,” Moss said, and those that are not delivering still participate in the action. It becomes an all hands on deck operation, food gets dropped off, carefully divided up, labeled and baskets sre adorned with ribbons and a name tag. For the first few years, these Soroptimists gatherings took place at a member’s house, but the last couple of years, Saint David’s Epsicipal Church has allowed the club to use its kitchen. Current President Diana Sibert holds the project close to her heart. For her, it is about connecting with community members. “I love meeting the people who receive them, from families with young children to our island elders,” Sibert said. “I’m not only bringing a delicious meal, but a conversation, sometimes a visit and good wishes from our club and community for a happy Thanksgiving. Past president Patty Brightman echoed Siberts comments, adding that, while delivering, “I have met a few very interesting people with wonderful stories to share.” Tuttle also noted that seeing the appreciative
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San Juan Island
faces answering the door is the most rewarding aspect of the project. Often, she said, it is clear the family has not had a good meal in a long time. “The smiles on the recipients’ faces,” Moss said when asked why giving at Thanksgiving so important.“They not only get dinner, but they get the company. It brings them in and makes them feel like part of the community again.” The Soroptimists will be delivering baskets this year on Nov. 23, the Saturday before Thanksgiving. For more information about the Thanksgiving baskets, visit www.sifri.org, or call the family resource center at 360-378-5246 or the Mullis Center at 360378-2677.
Happy Holidays from all of us at the Journal, Sounder & Weekly!
Don’t forget to write to Santa... Drop off letters to the Post Office or the Friday Harbor Trading Post.
We wish you a Happy Holiday Season and would like to say Thank you for shopping at our locally owned grocery store! The Staff & Management at Lopez Village Market
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HOLIDAY GUIDE • 2019
San Juan Island
Salish Sea Ballet presents ‘Nutcracker’
Mark Gardner/Contributed photo
Above: The 2018 “The Nutcracker” cast. In the front row is Ava Ayala, Sapphire Newsome, Simone Grifo, Lila Horn, Zea Angevine, Kate Douglas, Kaylee Staudt, Freyah Taylor, Liam Wilson and Anabelle Mountford. Back row is Jeanne Peihl (Artistic Director), Nick Peihl, Paul Barger, Kay Hodgson, Kailey Genther (Stage Manager), Ellie Lehman and Ela Angevine. Lila Horn played Clare in the 2018 production. By Heather Spaulding
The tiny dancing orcas are back for Salish Sea Ballet’s fourth annual “Nutcracker,” excerpts of which have been choreographed by Jeanne Peihl, the ballet troupe’s owner and director. “The story, in this rendition, takes place in the San Juans,” Peihl said, adding that the show has a lot of local flair paying tribute to island culture and traditions. This year, the Salish Sea’s production will be at 7 p.m. on Dec. 7 at Brickworks. Tickets are available online at http://www.salishsea-
ballet.com and are $25 for ages 11 and younger, and $30 for ages 12 and older. Each performance will be followed by a tea party that includes the opportunity to meet the dancers and have photos taken with them. Peihl noted that the after-party, and watching the interaction between the audience and the dancers is one of her favorite part of the ballet. Peihl has been dancing for as long as she can remember, taking ballet, jazz, tap and other genres of dance while she was in elementary
and high school. Once in college, she said, ballet became her focus. When Peihl and her husband moved to Friday Harbor in 2013 she said she noticed a niche that needed to be filled in the islands and opened the Salish Sea Ballet. It was only natural that a “The Nutcracker” performance become a part of her troupe, she added. The first ballet performance was an approximately 20-minute free dance for the LifeCare Center residents. Today, the productions last 45 minutes and usually sells out.
“The Nutcracker” was written by the Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It features a young girl named Clara and takes place at and following her family’s Christmas party. Clara is given a nutcracker as a Christmas gift by her wizard-like uncle at the party, which is then broken by one of the boys. Clara is upset and dreams the doll comes to life and is fighting an army of rats. After she saves him by killing the rat king with her shoe, the nutcracker turns into a prince and takes her to the land of sweets,
HOLIDAY GUIDE • 2019
San Juan Island
Mark Gardner/Contributed photo
Lila Horn played Clara in the 2018 production.
Peihl explained. Choreographer George Balanchine popularized the ballet in the United States, after his New York rendition in 1954. The story and music have now become an integral part of the Christmas tradition, to the point where “The Nutcracker” performances currently account for nearly half of ballet troupes ticket sales across the nation. The Sugar Plum Fairy will once again be played by Annabel Mountford. Two of Peihl’s students, Annabelle
Mountford and Lila Horn, immersed themselves in ballet last summer, she said. Horn by attending Pacific Northwest Ballet School in Bellevue, Washington, whileMountford headed to the Oregon Ballet Theatre in Portland. “They both came back much improved,” Peihl said. The intense workshops in which the two dancers participated, Peihl explained, are geared toward those who are interested in becoming professional dancers. It not only improves abil-
ity but gives students a taste of what a dancing career might feel like, she said. With Mountford’s increased training, Peihl added, the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy will be more challenging this year, with more turns and footwork. “These two girls have trained enough they could do the entire production,” Peihl said, noting that really all the kids are professional quality. “I could have professional dancers come up and join them, but we would need a larger venue.” Brickworks has been wonderful to the ballet troupe, Peihl noted, and the benefit is that the audience is immersed in the performance because of being on the same level as the dancers. “‘The Nutcracker’ is an outside commitment to their ballet,” Peihl said. The students have continued their regular ballet classes as well as the rehearsals, and Peihl said she has been impressed by their dedication. Auditions for the show occur each year around the first week of September, meaning by the time the “The Nutcracker” is performed, young dancers have already been practicing for over two months.
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At least four dancers have been in each of the performances, according to Peihl, and have developed strong friendships during the production. They assist one another with scenes and costume changes. “It is an incredible group of kids. They work really hard to make this happen,” Peihl said. For more information about “The Nutcracker,” or the Salish Sea Ballet, visit http://www.salishseaballet.com.
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San Juan Island
Gifts of the season from Island Stage Left Submitted by Island Stage Left
Island Stage Left offers islanders two holiday shows this year! Less than a week after our fall play, “The Children,” ends on Dec. 8, we will start presenting “Christmas Memories” and “Omnium Gatherum,” up to (and including) two shows on Christmas Eve. “They’re both such popular shows, we thought since we didn’t have a Christmas show last year perhaps we would give people a choice,” says ISL director Helen Machin-Smith. The two shows mix live music, stories and poetry, but in entirely different ways. Now is the time to catch them both! All performances will be at the Marie Boe Building, San Juan County Fairgrounds. “Christmas Memories,” takes the audience to a small town in Wales, and a child’s view of the winter world a hundred years ago. It incorporates parts of “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” with other stories and reminiscences. The writing of Dylan Thomas (performed by Daniel Mayes) sets the tone: “All the Christmases roll down toward the twotongued sea, and they stop at the rim of the ice-edged, fish-freezing
Contributed photo
Omnium Gatherum: Joely Louks, Daniel Mayes, Carol Hooper, Mark Mazzarella and Helen Machin-Smith.
waves, and I plunge my hands in the snow and bring out whatever I can find.” This year’s show brings Penelope Haskew’s delightful voice to join Daniel Mayes in glittering and nostalgic music interwoven with the Dylan Thomas story. “What I love most about this show is the way the language transports us – it’s colorful and evocative and unusual – and the music is a real voice from the past, from those days,” says MachinSmith. It’s guaranteed to send you home smiling — with the words still
humming in your head. (Shows December 14, 15, 19, 21 and 23) “Omnium Gatherum” is a different kettle of fish entirely! “From the ridiculous to the sublime,” MachinSmith called it. The name itself is a fanciful fake-Latin phrase that means “hodgepodge, pastiche, smorgasbord, farrago” – but this farrago is really a carefully planned mix of music, poetry, anecdotes and stories that gently, often comically, work their way into your heart. The show evolves: Machin-Smith is always looking for new piec-
es to add: “They have to work dramatically! I want a wide selection of materials, for all ages, religious or non-religious, totally inclusive. I like a balance of things that are nostalgic, things that make people think, and others that make people laugh. Unusual things that you don’t usually associate with a Christmas program,” she says. A disastrous Christmas cake monologue by an elderly lady in the UK was found on YouTube. Other pieces can include Kenneth Grahame or Maya Angelou by way of Garrison Keillor, a snippet of Harry Potter or the true story of the Christmas truce in the trenches during the first World War. This Christmas concoction is clever, comic and touching. (Shows December 18, 20, 22 and 24) All shows at 7:30 p.m., with the exception of Sunday shows at 4 p.m., and Dec. 24 shows at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Reservations required and available for Dec. 24 only, email stageleft@ centurytel.net. Free admission to all shows. Donations appreciated. For more information, call 360-378-5649 or visit www.islandstageleft. org.
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San Juan Island
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Give the gift of giving this year Submitted by San Juan Island Community Foundation
With the holidays approaching, many turn inward to seek meaningful gifts and acts of kindness that capture the spirit of the season. One of the best ways to honor a loved one is to share the gift of philanthropy. Choosing a cause your family members, friends and neighbors care about most and contributing in their name is a thoughtful way to expand your giving twofold – by honoring the recipient and by making a meaningful difference in the lives of others. But philanthropy isn’t just about money. Contributing time and much-needed skills are also gifts! Children and teens can especially benefit from engaging in philanthropy. When generosity is a natural rhythm in your family, it becomes a theme throughout the year. Beyond home, it can further develop empathy, an essential social and emotional skill that will stay with children throughout their lives. San Juan Island thrives on generosity. As a community, we’re deeply rooted in a tradition of neighbors helping neighbors. From the local nonprofits working tirelessly every day to meet the needs of our c o m mu n i t y,
to the generous gifts of money, time and expertise by donors and volunteers, we’re creating a healthy community for all islanders. At the San Juan Island Community Foundation, we’re here with you and for you. Our work is guided by the shifting needs and opportunities of our island community. Watch for our letter the week of Thanksgiving to learn about the many ways we partner in service to San Juan Island. A poem by Alberto Rios perfectly captures the reasons we believe in the value of giving. May it also inspire you during this holiday season and all year long: When Giving is All We Have One river gives its journey to the next. We give because someone gave to us. We give because nobody gave to us. We give because giving has changed us. We give because giving could have changed us. We have been better for it, We have been wounded by it – Giving has many faces: it is loud and quiet, Big, though small, diamond in wood-nails. Its story is old, the plot worn and the pages too, But we read this book, anyway, over and again; Giving is, first and every time, hand to hand, Mine to yours, yours to mine. You gave me blue and I gave you yellow. Together we are simple green. You gave me What you did not have, and I gave you What I had to give – together, we made Something greater from the difference. Visit us at sjicf.org to learn more about your community foundation.
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San Juan Island
Community Thanksgiving Dinner celebrates 21st year with new hosts Submitted by Diana and Kevin Porter
We are happy to announce, like Mark Twain, the reports of there not being a San Juan Island Community Thanksgiving Dinner have been greatly exaggerated. We are excitedly preparing for the 21st annual free Community dinner. The turkeys are ordered, and volunteers are beginning to sign up. Each year, for 21 years, the San Juan Island community has gathered together for a day of Thanks and giving islanders an opportunity to come together as friends. The feast will be held again at the Mullis Center, where we serve dinner all afternoon, so come for great food anytime between noon and 5 p.m. Jim and Minnie Knych began the tradition in 1999 and built it into an event serving over 500 people utilizing the talents of over 120 volunteers. This year they have decided to retire
Contributed photo
Diana and Kevin Porter.
and spend some time with their family in Tennessee. Thank You, Jim and Minnie, for this wonderful legacy. Kevin and Diana Porter began volunteering with the Community Thanksgiving during the last two years it was held at the Grange. “The dinner was beginning to outgrow the facilities and our task was to keep much of the food warm at the Legion and carry it to the Grange when it was
needed,” according to the Kynches. The Mullis Center’s invitation to hold the festivities there was much welcomed. Each year at the Mullis Center, the Porters — long-time Islanders with six children who have much experience feeding a crowd — have managed the kitchen and created efficient systems to keep the food coming. Jim and Minnie soon began to hint that they may want to retire, and Kevin
and Diana should consider stepping up. When the Knychs decided to retire, we talked to a few other key volunteers and choose to continue the tradition. After a bit of a late start, we are well on our way; even so, none of this could be possible without the many volunteers who have made the event into what it is today. We could not accomplish this task without the wonderful help from so many people. If you would like to come and enjoy the delicious food, please join us. If you would also like to volunteer, we have a variety of opportunities. Bring a baked pie, roast a turkey or come for an hour and serve or help in the kitchen. We even have some dedicated volunteer spots for those who would like to stay and help all day. Visit our website to learn more and to volunteer: islandthanksgiving.weebly.com.
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San Juan Island
San Juan Nov. 28 • Turkey Trot 5K run sponsored by the San Juan Fitness Club. Registration at 8 a.m., run begins at 9 a.m, at the Friday Harbor Suites on Price Street. The run benefits the Friday Harbor Food Bank and Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor. The fee for adults is $5 plus two cans of food (pet food is accepted) and 16 and under is $2 plus two cans of food. For more information, call 360-378-4449. • Community Dinner, noon-5 at the Mullis Center. For more than two decades, this local tradition has brought islanders together to connect, share laughs and feast on traditional Thanksgiving fare. Bring a pie to share if you wish. For more information visit https://www.facebook. com/SJICommunityThanksgiving/
Nov. 29-30 Art Market, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., Nov. 29, and 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., Nov. 30, at Friday Harbor Elementary School. Local artists will be selling their creations - from jewelry; skin products; photos, paintings; food items; and more. A local caterer will provide refreshments. This is a fundraiser for the Island Artisans Scholarship Fund. For more information, visit the Island Artisian Facebook page or contact Jana Meridith at 360-3175746.
Nov.30
holiday events • “Treats & Crafts” at The Whale Museum 3-4 p.m. Kids and adults alike will delight at our holiday decorations while enjoying a variety of delicious treats and drinks. Guests can also spend some time at the craft table making a simple holiday decoration to take home. Enjoy the spirit and creativity of the season here at The Whale Museum! Free and open to the public!
Dec. 7-8 • Nutcracker Saturday, 7 p.m. Sunday 2 p.m. Brickworks. General Admission is $30, and ages 11 and under $25. This will be the 4th annual rendition of the Christmas classic performed by the Salish Sea Ballet, with unique choreography that honors island history and culture, A tea party, holiday gift boutique, and photo opportunities with dancers will follow the performance. For more information visit http://www. salishseaballet.com/friday-harbor-nutcracker/
Dec. 12 • “Indulge” Event, 5-7 p.m. The Whale Museum Shoppers can partake in a variety of treats and libations while taking advantage of sweet sales and deals in the Museum store. This “grown-up” oriented event gives adults the opportunity to get their holiday shopping done free of interruptions from kids, grandkids, and other potential gift recipients. Pick up that perfect gift for someone special while indulging in holiday cheer at The Whale Museum! Free and open to the public!
• Island Lights Festival, 5 p.m. on Spring Street between First Street and Front Street, islanders will gather, enjoy caroling while sipping some hot chocolate and coffee while waiting for Santa to arrive to light the tree. Afterward, the crowd will head to Brickworks for pictures with Santa, crafts with Island Rec and local harvest soups and spiced local apple cider for sale. For more details please contact the Chamber of Commerce call 360-378-5240 or email becki@sanjuanisland.org.
Dec. 14
Dec. 7
• San Juan Singers, “Christmas in our Hearts,” Saturday, 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, 2 p.m., at the San Juan Island Community Theatre. This local group will be performing a number of traditional Christmas tunes for the season. Admission is $20 before Dec. 6 and $22 thereafter with $5 limited availability tickets for students at the door.
• Fair Flea Market, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The San Juan County Fairgrounds biggest Flea & Craft Market of the year! Whether you plan to be a vendor or shop for unique gifts, there’s something for everyone.The PTSA will be selling wreaths at this event to benefit Grad night 2020 as well- for more information about the wreaths email FHGradNight@gmail.com. For questions about the Flea Market please contact the office at: 360.378.4310 or info@sjcfair.org
• Old Fashion Holiday Market, Brickworks 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Experience a European-style Christmas Market at Brickworks, complete with local food and produce vendors, live holiday music, a spirits garden, and activities for kids and adults. For more information, contact Steph Coffey at info@ fhbrickworks.com or call 360-378-0095.
Dec. 14-15
• San Juan Islands Christmas Bird Count, Join local bird enthusiasts for a winter outdoor adventure See SJI EVENTS, Page 24
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HOLIDAY GUIDE • 2019
Lopez Island
Lopez Preschool Holiday Bazaar Submitted by the Lopez Cooperative Preschool
The Lopez Cooperative Preschool is excited to announce the date for it’s 40th annual Holiday Bazaar. Mark your calendars for Saturday, Nov. 30, from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. at the Lopez School Gym. The Bazaar is an annual local-shopping tradition that kicks off the holiday season, and always takes place on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Here’s what you can expect from this year’s Preschool Holiday Bazaar: artisanal goods for sale by local and regional
Barbara Pickering Karlena Pickering Jennifer Turunen Bill Johnson 360.468.5055
Contributed photo
vendors, food trucks, live music, on-site childcare for vendors and shoppers, pictures with Santa (proceeds from this support the PAL Play-andLearn program), holiday crafts handmade by the current preschool students for sale, a cozy coffee lounge and bake sale, amazing raffle prizes, and an entertainment corner for kids with hands-on activities. And of course, plenty of holiday cheer! This festive event on Small Business Saturday is the primary fundraiser for the Lopez Cooperative Preschool, and the proceeds support operating costs, scholarships to families in need, and classroom enrichment programs and materials. Vendors who sell their unique, often handmade, and/or locally
sourced goods donate 15 percent of their profits to the preschool. Additionally, other Bazaar offerings — including the highly coveted raffle prizes and the homemade baked goods table — contribute 100 percent of their sales. The Holiday Bazaar is a win-win situation: Lopezians and visitors have the opportunity to get holiday shopping done early, while supporting local artists, farmers and businesses, and helping to sustain an essential Island institution. The value of early childhood education and support cannot be overstated. The emotional, social and physical development of young children has a direct effect on their overall development, and on the adult they will become. Invest-
ing in institutions that support young children is so important to an individual child, and to the community as a whole. Community members can support the preschool by participating in the Holiday Bazaar in a number of ways: by shopping there on Nov. 30, and telling friends and family to do the same; by hosting a vendor table, and selling high-quality goods, which generates funds for the preschool; by donating raffle prizes, which generate tickets sales that support the preschool; or by volunteering as a Bazaar helper, which is an opportunity that is especially good for teens seeking to fulfill their community service requirements.
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Lopez holiday events Nov. 29
Dec. 14
• Lopez Village Holiday Lighting and Gathering 4:30 p.m. in Village Park. Complimentary holiday treats and beverages, bonfires to keep warm, winter caroling, Santa at the Plaza and lights go on at 5:15 p.m.
• Little Winter Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Sunnyfield Farm.
Nov. 27-Dec. 7 • Lopez Union Cemetery’s annual wreath and craft sale, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. a the cemetery workshop. Proceeds to benefit Lopez Union Cemetery and Center Church.
Nov. 30 • Preschool Holiday Bazaar, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Lopez School gym to benefit Lopez Children’s Center. • Eleventh Annual Jingle Bell Dinner. 6 p.m., at Lopez Center. Adults only. Tickets $75 in advance. Benefits Lopez Island Hospice and Home Support.
Dec. 13 • Lopez Artist Guild Opening Show. 5 p.m. at Lopez Center. Free.
• Christmas Tea, 2 p.m. at the Lopez Island Community Church, free admission. Bring wrapped baked goods for Family Resource’s “Spirit of Giving” Baskets. For more info: Sheri Nansen at snansen@gmail.com. • “A Christmas Carol,” 7:30 p.m. at Lopez Center. Adapted and directed by Nathan Kessler-Jeffrey from San Juan Community Theater. Tickets $15 for adults and $8 for youth in advance or at the door, available online at https://www.lopezcenter.org/goto. php?page=tickets or Lopez Center Office, Paper Scissors on the Rock and Lopez Bookshop.
Dec. 22 • SeaMuse Winter Solstice concert and album release, 7 p.m. at Lopez Center. Tickets in advance are $15 for adults and $6 for youth, available online at https://www.lopezcenter.org/goto.php?page=tickets.
Happys! Holiday G
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HOLIDAY GUIDE • 2019
Winterfest begins with the Island Lights Festival Submitted by the SJI Chamber of Commerce
The San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the Island Lights Festival on Nov. 30! This kickoff event for the Friday Harbor Winterfest is on a Saturday this year so more families are able to attend! Once again the Chamber is partnering with Island Rec and the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild. It will be a fun filled evening when all start gathering at 5 p.m. on Spring Street between First and Front streets to await the arrival of Santa. We will have caroling while sipping hot chocolate or coffee and waiting for Santa to arrive to light the tree. Once the tree is lit we will have some more caroling before heading up to Brickworks for more fun. Upon arriving at Brickworks one will find pictures with Santa, crafts with Island Rec and local harvest soups and spiced local apple cider for sale. For more details, contact the Chamber of Commerce 360-378-5240, becki@sanjuanisland.org.
SJI events
Continued from Page 21 counting birds. To register or find out more information, contact Barbara Jensen at 360-378-3068, or email skylark@rockisland.com
Dec. 19 • A Cappella Christmas Carols, 6:30-8 p.m. at the San Juan Island Grange. The Island Chordsmen Plus (Barbershop Harmony Society member) and Sound Vibrations. This event is open to the public and free of charge (donations accepted).
Dec. 19-22 • Charles Dickens, 7:30 p.m., Thursday-Sunday, with additional 2 p.m. matinees Saturday and Sunday. San Juan Island Community Theatre. Adults $23, students
$12, students rush at the door only $5. Thursdays are pay what you can. Adapted and directed by Nathan Kessler-Jeffrey. It’s Christmas Eve in 1843, and tight-fisted Ebenezer Scrooge, played by Brad Fincher, is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future in this classic story of redemption and hope.
Dec. 31 • New Year’s Eve, 7-9 p.m. at Brickworks. Countdown till 2020 at this free family event. Crafts and games galore as well as an array of other family activities. Sponsored by Island Rec.
Jan. 1 • Island Rec Run Walk Splash, the fifth annual 5K starts off at 10 a.m. Registration is $10 for ages 16 and older. 15 and younger are free. The route starts and ends at Jackson Beach.