Vashon Park District offers sweeping film series

Published 1:30 pm Wednesday, September 28, 2022

A free, six-part series of screenings of Ken Burns’ award-winning documentary, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” is scheduled for Thursday nights at Vashon Theatre, starting Sept. 29.

Sponsored by Vashon Park District, each screening starts at 6 p.m.

The first episode, “The Scripture of Nature,” focuses on the National Parks from 1851 to 1890. It was during this period that Congress created the first national park, Yellowstone, and John Muir, a national voice for preservation, learned of Yosemite Valley in California.

Six years in the making, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” originally aired on the Public Broadcasting System in 2009. The documentary, produced by Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan, won Emmys in 2010.

Elaine Ott-Rocheford, Vashon Park District Executive Director, sees this free series as not only a means of giving back to the community but also as a window to the great outdoors.

“We really want to encourage those who can travel, to get out into nature and experience our nation’s wonderful parks,” she said. “For those who cannot travel, this is an opportunity to get a big screen glimpse of those parks, including Washington’s own three National Parks: Mount Rainier National Park, Olympic National Park, and North Cascades National Park.”

All screenings are open to the public with no charge for admission. Vashon Theatre is located at 17723 Vashon Highway SW.

The series, with each screening taking place at 6 p.m., will roll out as follows: Sept. 29 – “The Scripture of Nature” (1851-1890); Oct. 6 – “The Last Refuge” (1890-1815); Oct. 13 — “The Empire of Grandeur” (1915 -1919); Oct. 20 — “Going Home” (1920-1933); Oct. 27 – “Great Nature” (1933-1945); and Nov. 3 — “The Morning of Creation” (1946-1980).

Send comments and questions to info@vashonparks.org. For more information about Vashon Park District, visit vashonparks.org or call 206-463-9602.