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

Vaccination clinics: Vashon Pharmacy staff and Vashon Medical Reserve Corps volunteers are administering COVID, flu and RSV vaccinations at Vashon Pharmacy with the assistance of VashonBePrepared and Vashon Community Emergency Response Team volunteers. Make appointments online now at vashonpharmacy.com. VashonBePrepared can assist those who are un- or under-insured, so there is no out-of-pocket cost for the shots. (See related article here.)

Zero Waste Vashon: The group’s Re-Use Committee will host a meeting from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9, at the Land Trust Building. The committee will discuss solutions for reducing building material waste and plans for 2026.

Veterans Day: Veterans Day, on Tuesday, Nov. 11, is a time to honor all who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. The Vashon Senior Center will celebrate one day early with lunch and festivities at 11:45 a.m. Monday, Nov. 10. All veterans eat free of charge. Make reservations by calling 206-463-5173.

On Tuesday, veterans’ groups and supporters will hang American flags along Vashon Highway, weather permitting. The Vashon Eagles will host a dinner that evening from 5 to 7 p.m. with a special menu, and all veterans eat free of charge. Find out more at vashoneagles3144.com.

Public Sector Heroes lectures:

Dr. Larry Hubbell, in conjunction with Vashon Indivisible, will present the final lecture in his “Finding Courage in Dark Times: Public Sector Heroes Remembered” series at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, in the Vashon High School Theater. The talk will focus on Eugene Debs, an American labor leader and five-time presidential candidate who advocated for workers’ rights and social justice in the early 20th century. There is no admission charge, but donations are welcome. Find out more at tinyurl.com/4bsnadee.

Indivisible Vashon: Join members of Indivisible Vashon from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12, at the Vashon Methodist Church for their last monthly meeting of 2025. The meeting will celebrate this year’s achievements and offer a look ahead to 2026, focusing on ways to become more involved in fighting authoritarianism and restoring democracy.

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 advocacy group working to improve ferry service, the forum will address topics including accountability and transparency by Washington State Ferries, as well as other issues affecting island residents such as housing, health care, education and public safety.

Some nonprofit groups have submitted questions in advance. Members of the audience will also be able to 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.

Green Tech night: The Vashon Nature Center, in collaboration with Vashon Theatre and Vashon Center for the Arts, will host a Green Tech Night from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18.

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 local artist Ela Lamblin about articulating the skeleton of “Singer,” a gray whale that washed ashore on Vashon last April. VNC staff will also share insights about gray whales and the project’s impact on the community.

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 is underway and 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 national partners Harvest Against Hunger and No Kid Hungry. 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.

Jingle Bash: This annual event to kick off the holiday season will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 29, at Vashon High School, and include more than 60 art, craft and specialty food vendors from throughout the Puget Sound region. Bring the whole family and enjoy live music by local musicians. Lunch will be served hot by Aeggy’s Food Truck & Iyad Syrian Grill, as well as coffee and specialty drinks from Sylvan Spirits. Photographer Yui Holbrook will take Santa Claus photos and musical guests will include the Collette Jones (Americana duo) from o11 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: Bill Swartz will give an architecture talk, “Building Stones Over Town,” about Seattle’s late 19th- and early 20th-century brick and stone buildings, at 1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7. At 4 p.m. the same day, printmaker Lynn McClain will demonstrate the tools, materials and process she uses in her art practice, followed by the opening of her exhibition from 5 to 7 p.m.

Veterans Day: Veterans are invited to eat for free at a special lunch at 11:45 a.m. Monday, Nov. 10.

Sing-along: Music Mends Minds, a weekly program hosted by Rich Osbourne, takes place at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11.

Art-making: Wacky Wednesday will take place at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12. Join Sam Harris, from Vashon’s King County Library, for crafts and art-making.

VASHON LIBRARY

Closure: Vashon Library will be closed on Veteran’s Day, Tuesday, Nov. 11.

How to Library series:Learn how to use your library account at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, with Sam Harris at Vashon Library. Find out more at tinyurl.com/2y7ca38t.

Writing workshop: Ages 8 and older can join a 300-word, family-friendly spooky story workshop, then share their work around a campfire from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12. Bring a finished story or start from scratch at the workshop. Find out more at tinyurl.com/yn788wwb.

Ukulele Jam: Ukulele jams for ages 9 and older will take place at 2 p.m. on Nov. 23 and Dec. 28. Both seasoned players and beginners are welcome to connect with others and learn new songs. Bring an instrument or check one out from the Vashon Music Intrument Library. A limited amount of instruments will be available for checkout at the jams. Space is limited, so register at 1.kcls.org/VashonLibraryEvents.

PUBLIC MEETINGS

Vashon-Maury Community Council: The council holds regular meetings on the third Thursday of the month. Visit v-mcc.org for more information and agendas.

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. However, the next regular meeting has been changed to the second Wednesday of the month, Nov. 12. The meeting will start at 6 p.m. in the district’s board room. 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. A public hearing of VHCD’s proposed 2026 budget and levy will take place at a special meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, at Vashon Presbyterian Church (17708 Vashon Hwy SW) and on Zoom (zoom.us/j/82699377083). The board will vote on the budget at a subsequent special meeting on Thursday, Nov. 13, at the same time and location. Visit vashonhealthcare.org.

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.

Correction: Previous online editions of this story included a photo caption that gave a wrong date and place for an upcoming legislative forum on Vashon. The caption detailed the original September date for the forum, which has now been rescheduled to take place at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Vashon High School Theater. We regret the error.