Author Event

Eva Papp, author of “Chasing the Wild Authentic: a Field Guide to the Practices, Boundaries, and North Star of Living Your Truth,” will give a free talk and sign books at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, at Open Space for Arts & Community.

Papp is a psychotherapist, field researcher in Siberia and the Peruvian Amazon, and self-described “authenticity evangelist.”

Find out more and RSVP at openspacevashon.com.

The Wardens

The Wardens are a Rocky Mountain-based trio who perform stories and songs that rise from the land they’ve protected for decades as Canadian national park wardens. With haunting three-part harmonies and chilling tales, the band’s mountain music blends folk, roots, and western styles. They’ll perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at Vashon Center for the Arts.

Find out more and get tickets at vashoncenterforthearts.org.

Comedy Night

The Seattle International Comedy Competition will have a finals week performance featuring five comics, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 27, at Vashon Theatre. Get tickets and find out more about the comedy night and everything else going on at the movie theater at vashontheatre.com.

Kathleen Edwards

Kathleen Edwards, a beloved Canadian figure in North American roots music, will perform with special guest John Roderick in concert at 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, at Open Space for Arts & Community.

Since making her debut with her 2002 album, “Failer,” Edwards has spent the 21st century swirling together her mix of alt-country, folk, and heartland rock and roll. She has earned more than a half-dozen Juno nominations, as well as Top 40 success on both sides of the Canadian/American border.

Find out more and get tickets at openspacevashon.com.

Celebrate Rebekah Kuzma’s life

On what would have been her 52nd birthday, islanders will gather to celebrate the life of Rebekah Kuzma, who died on Oct. 16. The celebration, including song, dance and poetry, will take place from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1, at Vashon Center for the Arts.

Kuzma, beloved on Vashon for her performances of Celtic, rock, folk, blues and sacred songs, was the co-founder of Saint Ophelia, an island alternative rock and folk band. Members of that band and Kuzma’s many other musical collaborators will perform at the Dec. 1 event.

Islanders are invited to come as they are, or better yet, dress to the nines to honor Rebekah’s love for fashion — perhaps incorporating owls or Yoda, two of her favorite creatures, into their ensembles.

Donations in memory of Kuzma to the Women in Balance Institute are welcomed, at womeninbalance.org/about-wib. To support the Kuzma family, donate at tinyurl.com/KuzmaFamily.

Gingerbread Contest

Calling all bakers for Vashon Center for the Arts’ fifth annual Holiday Gingerbread Contest. From whimsical cottages adorned with candy cane roofs to intricate castles covered in shimmering icing, this contest welcomes contributors of all ages and skill levels. Winners will receive prizes from Vashon Thriftway. Prize categories include Best Vashon Landmark, Best in Show, Most Traditional and Best Youth Design.

All entries must be delivered to VCA between 12-5 p.m. on Dec. 3-5. All creations must be edible, have a solid base for stability, and have the full names of their creators written and visible on their submissions.

Creations will be on display for public viewing and voting from 12-5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, from Dec. 6-20.

The Nutcracker

Vashon Center for Dance will present Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” — a cherichished holiday ballet for the entire island, at Vashon Center for the Arts. Performances will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Dec. 5 and 6; and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 7 and 8.

The ballet’s Saturday matinee is billed as “sensory-friendly,” with accommodations that will make it especially enjoyable for seniors, little ones and others with sensory needs. Get tickets to all shows and find out more at vashoncenterforthearts.org.

Artists’ Studio Tour

The Vashon Island Holiday Studio Tour, a beloved tradition on Vashon, will soon be presented by Vashon Island Visual Artists (ViVA). This year, the tour will feature 44 studios and galleries representing more than 150 artists who create work in a multitude of forms.

The tour, running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, Dec 7-8 and 13-14, is a chance to see Vashon’s vibrant community of artists in the places they create their art, and to shop for one-of-a-kind holiday gifts.

Start planning now by visiting vivartists.com for a map and full-color brochure for the tour.

World AIDS Day

Vashon World AIDS Day and The David Serko Project, in partnership with the Matthew Shepard Foundation and numerous island organizations, will commemorate World AIDS Day with multiple events on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 7-8.

At 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 7, Vashon Repertory Theatre will present the Cards and Letters Exhibit of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, made up of letters received by the Shepard family after Matthew Shepard’s death in 1998, in Laramie, Wyoming. Shepard was murdered at the age of 21 in a brutal act of anti-gay hate.

At 6:30 p.m. Take a Stand Theatre will present a staged reading of “The Laramie Project,” an acclaimed play that captures the reckoning with Matthew’s murder through broader themes of prejudice, accountability and community. Matthew’s father, Dennis Shepard, will address the audience before the performance, sharing insights into the work he and his wife, Judy Shepard, a 2024 Presidential Medal of Honor recipient, have undertaken in Matthew’s name to foster acceptance and combat hate. A panel discussion with local activists, faith leaders, and the media will take place following the performance.

At 1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 8, a screening of the Oscar-nominated documentary film, “How to Survive a Plague,” will take place at Vashon Theatre. The film recounts the the courageous efforts of AIDS activists who pushed the government and medical establishment to develop and approve life-saving HIV/AIDS treatments in the late 1980s and early 90s. A post-film panel discussion will focus on the role of art in activism, and its power to create change.

Panelists will include Peter Serko (author, playwright, and photographer), Dana Schuerholz (activist and photographer), and several other Vashon artist/activists.

This article has been corrected. Vashon Repertory Theatre will present the Cards and Letters Exhibit of the Matthew Shepard Foundation, instead than Not on Our Island, as was previously and incorrectly reporter.