Arts Briefs | Dec. 4 edition | Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber

Elf

Vashon Park District will present “Elf,” the classic Christmas film, at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, at Vashon Theatre. Admission is by donation, with all proceeds benefiting Vashon High School Class of 2026.

The Nutcracker

The cherished holiday ballet will be performed at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Dec. 4 and 5, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 6 and 7, at Vashon Center for the Arts. The matinee on Dec. 6 is sensory-friendly. The performance features student dancers from VCA’s dance program as well as guest performers from other programs. Get tickets and find out more at vashoncenterforthearts.org. Reserved seats are free for ages 18 and younger (ages 12 and younger must be accompanied by an adult).

“Our Town” at VHS

During the first two weekends in December, Vashon High School’s theater program will present Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” as its first production of the current school year.

Described by Edward Albee as “the greatest American play ever written,” “Our Town” presents the small town of Grover’s Corners in three acts: “Daily Life,” “Love and Marriage” and “Death and Eternity.” Narrated by a stage manager and performed with minimal props and sets, the play depicts the simple daily lives of the Webb and Gibbs families as their children fall in love, marry and eventually — in one of the most famous scenes in American theater — die.

Performances are set for 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Dec. 5, 6, 12 and 13. A 2 p.m. matinee featuring understudies in some of the main roles will be held Sunday, Dec. 7. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased online in advance at tinyurl.com/5n72wwrt.

Holiday Studio Tour

Plan to attend Vashon Island Visual Artists’ annual Holiday Studio Tour, featuring 40 studios and galleries representing more than 150 artists on the tour. Running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Dec. 6-7 and 13-14, the tour is a chance to see Vashon’s vibrant community of artists in the places where they create their art and to shop for one-of-a-kind holiday gifts. Pick up a brochure with a map of the tour at local businesses, or visit vivartists.com for an online map and more information.

Keltoi

Seattle’s acclaimed Scottish Gaelic band Keltoi will perform on Friday, Dec. 5, at the Church of the Holy Spirit, 15420 Vashon Hwy SW. The show opens at 6:30 p.m. with a performance by piper John Dally and singer-songwriter Kat Eggleston, with Keltoi playing at 7 p.m. The band plays Irish, Scottish and Cape Breton music, with songs in English and Gaelic played on bagpipes, flutes, fiddles and other instruments. There is a $20 suggested donation.

Masters of folk music

Kat Eggleston and Barton Carroll will share the stage in a special concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, at Snapdragon’s Black Cat Cabaret. The evening of songwriters in the round — a format in which the two masters of folk music will take turns playing their songs — is being presented by islander Martin Feveyear, a nationally known record producer, performer and music curator. There is a $20 cover charge for the concert.

Carroll, a Seattle-based musician and recording artist is celebrated for his sharp songwriting and evocative storytelling, blending folk and Americana genres. Eggleston is a theater-maker, internationally-known songwriter and masterful player of folk, Celtic and Americana music.

Seasonal songs

Get in the holiday spirit with an afternoon concert of Christmas songs by Jessica Lynn Witty and Christine Patterson, presented by Debra Heesch, at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, at Snapdragon Bakery & Café. Both soulful singers, they’ll play toe-tapping seasonal favorites for all ages to enjoy and sing along with.

Witty, an internationally touring artist, moved to the U.S. from Denmark in 2010. She has opened for national acts such as Diamond Rio, Dustin Lynch, Keith Anderson, and Trace Adkins, and played legendary stages such as the Gorge Amphitheater and the Oregon Jamboree. Locally and beyond, Patterson is perhaps best known for leading the Northwest band, Delilah Pearl & The Mantarays.

Ray Pfortner talk

Beloved island photographer Ray Pfortner will present a talk about his work for the Vashon Bird Alliance (VBA) on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. at the Vashon Maury Island Land Trust Building. To purchase/donate to acquire Ray’s beautiful art cards or the hot-off-the-press VBA 2026 calendar, featuring nineteen island photographers, please arrive early.

Magical Strings

Magical Strings, founded by Northwest masters of Celtic music Philip and Pam Boulding, will bring Celtic harp, hammered dulcimer, accordion, concertina and more to a concert at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, at Vashon Havurah, 15401 Westside Hwy SW.

The Bouldings founded Magical Strings in 1978 and have performed throughout the U.S. and beyond. They have toured for more than 45 years, collaborated with notable artists including Dan Fogelberg and Keola Beamer, and recorded 22 albums on four labels. Notably, the couple has built their own line of Celtic harps and hammered dulcimers for an international clientele. They also run the School of Magical Strings and host the Magic Hill Summer Harp Camp at their 5-acre home overlooking the Puget Sound.

Their performances include storytelling, poetry and energetic arrangements of Celtic music along with their own compositions, intertwining Celtic roots with classical and world music influences.

The concert is part of an ongoing series hosted by local button accordion virtuoso John Whelan and his wife, Janet Strolle. Like other shows presented in the series, there will be a music session after the concert, with harp players welcome. There is a requested donation of $25 at the door. Reserve seats by emailing janstrolle@comcast.net or calling 206-228-0730.

Festive Queens

Debra Heesch will present a Holiday Drag Show at Snapdragon on Saturday, Dec. 13, bringing a glitter-filled evening of festive cheer and glamorous performances to the island. The night kicks off with a social hour at 5 p.m. — sip, mingle and ease into the holiday spirit before the spotlight turns to the main event. The drag show begins at 6 p.m., featuring queens Sativa, Athena, and Brandi Marxxx, each bringing their own inimitable brand of show-stopping talent to the stage. Their show will feature plenty of laughter and memorable moments to brighten the season. Buy tickets, $20, at HolidayDragShow.BrownPaperTickets.com.

Portage Fill

Portage Fill, Vashon’s venerable big band, will perform its annual holiday concert at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, at Vashon Theatre. The show will include seasonal songs and other music from the swing era, played with skill and sung with soul by some of Vashon’s finest musicians.

Get in the holiday spirit with an afternoon concert of Christmas songs by Jessica Lynn Witty and Christine Patterson on Dec. 7, at Snapdragon Bakery & Café. (Courtesy Photos)