Happenings features community, cultural and nonprofit events; notices are free and printed as space permits. Due to the volume of entries received, we edit submissions and cannot always confirm if a submission will run. Send submissions to editor@vashonbeachcomber.com; include the who, what, where and when. The deadline is noon Thursday for subsequent Thursday publication; The Beachcomber cannot guarantee late submissions will be included.

EVENTS

Legislative Forum: Vashon’s state legislative delegation — Sen. Emily Alvarado, Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon and newly elected Rep. Brianna Thomas — will speak at a forum at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Vashon High School Theater. Moderated by Craig Beles and hosted by Islanders for Ferry Action, the forum will address topics including accountability and transparency by Washington State Ferries, as well as other issues such as housing, health care, education and public safety. Some nonprofit groups have submitted questions in advance. Members of the audience may also submit questions before the forum begins.

End of life conversations: Four free sessions of “Traveling With Grief Through the Winter Months,” facilitated by island therapist Kenny Alton, will take place from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays, Nov. 13 and 20, and Dec. 11 and 18, at Women Hold the Key, 9822 SW Gorsuch Rd. The series, funded by Judith Neary and RJ’s Kids, is open to all genders. Sessions will focus on both sharing and witnessing grief, with Alton leading participants through questions such as, “What is your story of your grief, and what is the story behind the story? What is the gift of grief? How can we be present in the world with grief? What is the story you want to start telling?” Registration is requested, but drop-ins are welcome. To find out more, contact Susan Pitiger at 206-818-4232.

Bird walk: Jim Evans, an ecologist and board member for the Vashon Bird Alliance, will lead a bird walk at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 15. Meet at the Ober Park parking lot. Participants will then carpool to various sites on the island in search of overwintering birds. This three-hour walk is free and open to all.

Heritage Museum: The Vashon Heritage Museum will host a family day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15. Bring the kids for a scavenger hunt, crafts and time with the “Betty Olson Education Collection,” which is full of fun things for kids to use, incuding an old butter churn, a manual coffee grinder, and carding paddles. The museum is at 10105 Bank Road, two blocks west of the four-way intersection. Entrance is free.

Vashon Schools Foundation: The Vashon Schools Foundation will host its gala and auction on Saturday, Nov. 15, at Open Space for Arts & Community. Tickets are expected to sell out. The foundation’s online auction is also live, featuring local experiences and exclusive packages to support island students. Bidding closes at 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14. Learn more and purchase tickets at vashonschoolsfoundation.org.

Inclusion Island: Inclusion Island will host a harvest party at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16, at Vashon Lutheran Church, 18623 Vashon Hwy SW. The event invites adults with developmental disabilities, along with family and friends, to enjoy soup and connect with the community. For more information, email HersheyHousing@gmail.com

Vashon Nature Center: The Vashon Nature Center will host a Green Tech Night from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, at Vashon Theatre. The event, “From Sea to Sky: The Raising of a Whale,” will feature a film from the Hakai Institute on gray whale skeleton articulation and a talk by islander Ela Lamblin about articulating the skeleton of a gray whale that washed ashore on Vashon last April.

Food Bank tours: Attend tours of the current Vashon Food Bank site on Sunrise Ridge and its future site on Vashon United Methodist Church property at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, or 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4. Food Bank Director Emily Scott and board members will lead the tours. Each tour can accommodate 10 people. RSVPs are required; email minta@vashonfoodbank.org. Each tour begins at the current food bank at 10030 SW 210th St., behind the Sea Mar Clinic.

Hunger Strike Live: The Rotary Club of Vashon, along with the Vashon Senior Center, Vashon Food Bank, Vashon Youth and Family Services, Vashon HouseHold and the Vashon Eagles Club, is joining forces with island businesses and community organizations for the national Hunger Strike campaign — a movement to end systemic hunger in America.

Fundraising will culminate in Hunger Strike Live, a nationwide interactive trivia game show streamed on YouTube from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20. Islanders can gather at Vashon Theatre, the Vashon Eagles Club and other participating venues to play in real time using their phones or computers.

Half of all funds raised by Vashon teams will support the Vashon Food Bank and Senior Center food programs, with the rest benefiting Rotary’s national partners. Participants can form or join teams online and compete for prizes, including trips to Hawaii and Las Vegas. Find out more at hungerstrike.online/vashon and vashonrotaryclub.org.

Guide dogs: Vashon’s Guide Dogs for the Blind club will celebrate 25 years of raising puppies on the island from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, at McMurray Middle School, 9329 SW Cemetery Rd. All raisers, puppy sitters, handlers and their families are invited to attend for beverages and celebration cake.

Jingle Bash: Kick off the holiday season at this family-friendly event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, at Vashon High School. The fair includes more than 60 art, craft and specialty food vendors. Lunch will be served hot by Aeggy’s Food Truck and Iyad Syrian Grill, as well as coffee and specialty drinks from Sylvan Spirits. Photographer Yui Holbrook will take Santa Claus photos (book in advance at tinyurl.com/3b5pwyk2) and musical guests will include the Collette Jones (Americana duo) from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Pine & Shake (blues, jazz and jug and ragtime band) from 1-2:30 p.m. Find out more on Instagram at ilovevashon.

Free community dinners: Free community dinners are served Mondays through Fridays from 5 to 5:30 p.m. at Vashon Presbyterian Church, 17708 Vashon Hwy SW, hosted by the Interfaith Council to Prevent Homelessness.

SENIOR CENTER

Enjoy a hot lunch at noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and the following activities throughout the week at the Vashon Senior Center, 10004 SW Bank Road, unless noted otherwise.

Talks: Join Vashon Heritage Museum’s Bruce Haulman and special guest Mike Sudduth for a history talk at 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14. Following the talk, receive a “song bath” from members of the Vashon Threshold Choir from 2 to 3 p.m. Bill Woog, of Northwest Insurance, will give a talk on how to make the best decisions for 2026 Medicare needs at 1 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17.

Field Trip: Go to Seattle’s Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture on Thursday, Nov. 20. A bus will depart the Senior Center at 8:30 a.m., arriving at the museum at about 10 a.m. Cost for members is $30, nonmembers $45. Participants need to be comfortable walking and standing for extended periods of time on uneven surfaces. We will have lunch at the museum’s cafe; bring money. Must preregister by calling 206-463-5173.

VASHON LIBRARY

King County Resource Assistance: At 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, the King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) Resource Access Team can provide assistance with employment support, emergency financial assistance, transportation services, shelter, housing, food assistance, and disability services. Registration not required.

Film: From Sea to Shining Sea: Katharine Lee Bates and the Story of America the Beautiful will have a screening at 2 p. . Sunday, Nov. 16. Join director John de Graaf to view and discuss his new documentary about the woman behind the beloved poem and song, “America the Beautiful.” Written by Katharine Lee Bates in 1893, the poem reflects the America she experienced and still remains strongly relevant today. Registration not required.

Hora de Cuentos en Español/Spanish Story Time: Enjoy stories, music, movement and rhymes, followed by a play session, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. For ages newsborn to 6, accompanied by an adult. Registration not required. Se habla esponol.

King County Public Health Department: From 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, get assistance with health insurance, King County Metro reduced fare programs and EBT cards. Se habla espanol.Drop in during available hours or contact Miguel Urquiza at 206.477.6965, 206.491.3761 or miguel.urqiza@kingcounty.gov.

WOMEN HOLD THE KEY

Women Hold the Key will host UC Berkeley historian and author Dr. Bonnie J. Morris for a weekend of talks celebrating women’s contributions to culture and history. An award-winning scholar and author of 19 books, Dr. Morris is a leading voice in women’s and lesbian cultural history whose work has influenced national conversations on feminist and queer archives.

Taking center stage: UC Berkeley historian and author Dr. Bonnie J. Morris will present Taking Center Stage: Women Making History on Their Own Terms at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, at Women Hold the Key, 9822 SW Gorsuch Rd. The talk will highlight trailblazing women in sports, music and business whose stories have shaped history, followed by a Q&A and book signing. Tickets: womenholdthekey.com/herstory2025.

Sappho’s supper: Join Sappho’s Supper at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, for an intimate fundraising dinner featuring a harvest feast by chef Karen Biondo, readings and conversation with Dr. Bonnie J. Morris. Seating is limited. Contact director@womenholdthekey.com for details and availability.

Archiving Herstory 101: Dr. Bonnie J. Morris will lead Archiving Herstory 101 at 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 16, at Women Hold the Key, 9822 SW Gorsuch Rd. The participatory workshop will explore how women’s stories, artifacts and memories can be preserved for future generations. Tickets: womenholdthekey.com/herstory2025.

PUBLIC MEETINGS

Vashon-Maury Community Council: The council holds regular meetings on the third Thursday of the month. The annual meeting of the council members and the community will take place from 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 20, at Lewis Hall, 23905 Vashon Highway SW (Behind Burton Community Church) and on Zoom. Highlights will include a social mixer at 6:30 p.m followed by a panel discussion on food insecurity on Vashon and the council’s annual meeting. Find out more at v-mcc.org.

Water District 19: Usually holds regular board meetings on the second Tuesday of the month at the district’s board room at 17630 100th Ave SW. Visit water19.com.

Vashon Health Care District: Holds regular meetings the fourth Thursday of the month at Vashon Presbyterian Church, 17708 Vashon Hwy SW, and on Zoom. The board will vote on the district’s 2026 budget at a 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13. Visit vashonhealthcare.org for more information.

Vashon Island School District: The board holds regular meetings on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month, at Chautauqua Elementary School, Room 302, 9309 SW Cemetery Road. At 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, a firm hired by the district to search for the district’s next superintendent will present a leadership profile report. All meetings are recorded and posted online at youtube.com/@visdpublicmeetings6034/videos. Visit vashonsd.org.

Vashon Island Fire & Rescue: VIFR’s board typically meets on the fourth Wednesday evening of each month. Visit vifr.org.

King County Cemetery District #1: Meetings are typically held at 1 p.m. on the second Wednesday of every month, at the cemetery office at 19631 Singer Rd SW. Visit vashoncemetery.org.