Picnics in the Park(s)
Picnics in the Park(s), now in its 10th year, returns beginning Tuesday, June 20, and will run through Friday, Aug. 25. The program will serve nutritious lunches and host engaging activities for youth across the island.
Lunch will be available every weekday throughout the summer at Ober Park, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and at BARC, from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. Collaborative efforts with partner agencies such as Vashon Parks District and Vashon Youth & Family Services will also ensure the provision of lunches for children enrolled in their summer programs.
Want to help? Opportunities are available for food preparation at Vashon United Methodist Church or lunch distribution at the parks. To participate, contact Program Coordinator Sam Dawson at sam@vashonfoodbank.org.
4-H Horse Show back
Vashon Rock Riders 4-H Horse Show will take place starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 24, at Paradise Ridge Equestrian Park. It’s the first time the local 4-H horse club has put on a show since before the pandemic and will include young riders as well as adult riders, who will be judged in various performance classes. Lunch concessions will be served by organizers from Guide Dogs for the Blind, of Vashon.
The Vashon Rock Riders is a 4-H club located on Vashon, under the direction of Joe Cunningham from Bay Breeze Farm. The Vashon Rock Riders are a group of 11 kids ranging in age from 8 to 16. For more information, visit online.
Get active to improve ferries
Attend Washington State Ferries (WSF) Vashon Advisory Committee’s next public meeting, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 28, to strategize how islanders can best encourage WSF to immediately develop, at minimum, a revised two-boat schedule that can effectively serve the Triange Route until three-boat service is resumed. The meeting will take place at the Land Trust Building, and via Zoom. Email vashonvac@gmail.com to receive a link to the online meeting.
Zen Jam
A night of music will benefit Puget Sound Zen Center, from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 8, at the Zen Center at 18005 Vashon Hwy SW. The music lineup will include local music icons Kat Eggleston, Daryl Redeker, Gus Reeves and Eva Cain. Cain just graduated from Vashon High School and wowed with her rendition of the National Anthem both at the graduation and at Vashon’s annual Memorial Day event at Vashon Cemetery. This summer, she’ll leave Vashon to attend a nine-month music program in Norway, and then attend St. Olaf College, in Minnesota, on a music scholarship. Both Eggleston and Redeker have been her music teachers on Vashon. Get advance tickets to the benefit at pszc.org.
Front-row seats to the parade
Vashon Presbyterian Church is offering limited parking and front lawn chairs for the Strawberry Festival parade on July 15, by reservation only. There is no fee, but donations will be accepted. Reservations may be made by sending an e-mail to Bob Spangler at rwspang@centurytel.net, indicating how many parking spots and seats are requested.
