BY KATY SHANER
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
May 11, 2016
Welcome to the weekend on Whidbey. “What’s Happening” includes many weekend events starting Thursday and running through Sunday. “What’s Happening” is a collaborative information guide project between the Visitor Information Kiosk and Whidbey Life Magazine.
THURSDAY, MAY 12
“PROOF” BY DAVID AUBURN 7 p.m. at the Whidbey Children’s Theater. Thursday, May 12 is opening night and the show runs through Sunday, May 22. Catherine has spent years caring for her brilliant but unstable father, Robert. When he dies she has more than grief to deal with: there’s her estranged sister, Claire, and Hal, a former student of her father who hopes to find valuable work in the 103 notebooks that Robert left behind. And a further problem: how much of her father’s madness (or genius) will Catherine inherit? This Pulitzer Prize-winning play opened at the Donmar Warehouse in 2001.
Whidbey Childrens Theater, 723 Camano Ave., Langley • Recommended Ages 13+ for language and mature situations • Adults: $16 / Youth: $8 • Purchase Tickets Online: http://wctmagic.org/calendar/2016/5/12/proof-by-david-auburn
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WICA! 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Whidbey Island Center for the Arts community open house. In celebration of WICA’s 20th anniversary, the entire community is invited to take a stroll down memory lane during an open house this Thursday evening. Refreshments, light hors d’oeuvres, libations, and birthday cake will be served as guests view pictures, posters, costumes and props, and other memorabilia representing 20 years of our shared experiences in the arts. The Open House is free and open to the public. Whidbey Island Center of the Arts, 565 Camano Ave., Langley www.wicaonline.org
THE NATURAL AND CULTURAL WONDERS OF DECEPTION PASS 7 p.m. Located at the Coupeville Recreation Hall. Presented by Park Manager Jack Hartt. Since the turn of the last century Deception Pass State Park has been transformed from rugged federal land donated to the State to one of the most-visited state parks in Washington. From sand dunes to old growth forests – freshwater lakes to beaches on the Salish Sea – an abundance of wildlife including 174 species of birds. Explore some of the natural and cultural history of the park – how it came to be and the challenges we face as we head into the future. Preceding the 7:30 program, scholarship winners will be introduced and annual officer elections will be held.
The public is welcome to attend this free event • Coupeville Recreation Hall, 901 NW Alexander St., Coupeville • Whidbey Audubon: www.whidbeyaudubon.org
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: BOOK DISCUSSION 6:30 p.m. Located at the Langley Library. It is satisfying to see someone get their just desserts. Many novels explore this theme. Join the delicious discussion to talk about your favorite novels where characters get their due. “Let Them Eat Cake” by Gesine Bullock-Prado is our featured cookbook. Just desserts will be served! Langley Library, 104 Second St., Langley • 360-221-4383
BEACH LITTER PICKUP VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY Ft. Casey State Park • 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Open to all adults 18 and older (sorry, no minors). Please contact Stinger to learn about opportunities available to youth. Contact Stinger prior to attending a beach cleanup to let him know to expect you, preferably at least two days before. This will insure that, if there is an emergency change or cancellation in the schedule, he can then notify you. Bags, gloves, and other equipment will be provided. Wear appropriate clothing for the weather and footwear for walking over sand, cobble, and driftwood. Schedule can change due to adverse weather conditions. A one-day volunteer park access pass is available for volunteers who do not have a Washington State Parks Discovery Pass. For a map or more information about any of these cleanup locations, contact: Stinger Anderson, Community Litter Cleanup Program Coordinator • stinger.anderson@wsu.edu • 360-240-5558 (office) • 360-941-3171 (cell)
BILLY THE CELLOIST 11 a.m. Live and strung at UBCC. A good time is likely to be had by all, but especially Billy. Useless Bay Coffee Company, 121 Second Street, Langley • 360-221-4515 • www.uselessbaycoffee.com/
FRIDAY, MAY 13
THE RURAL CHARACTERS VARIETY SHOW 7:30 p.m. Located at WICA. Enjoy The Rural Characters as they host a variety show featuring many of the artists who have graced the stage over two decades, including: Sing!Chronicity (the very first performers at WICA!), Whidbey Island Dance Theatre, Saratoga Chamber Players, The Heggeness Valley Boys, WOW! Stories, Troy Chapman, Judith Adams, Theatre skits, Drew Christie Animation. All Seats $22 • Tickets by phone: 360-221-8268 • Online: tickets@wicaonline.org • Whidbey Island Center of the Arts 565, Camano Ave., Langley • www.wicaonline.org
STEWARDSHIP VOLUNTEERS NEEDED 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Join us for Hammons Preserve Blackberry Bonanza with the Whidbey Camano Land Trust. Would you like to help steward the land and restore habitat? We have volunteer opportunities coming up on our nature preserves, and we need your help. The Land Trust provides tools, snacks, and drinks. All you need to bring is a pair of work gloves and be ready for outdoor fun with fellow volunteers. To sign up online: www.wclt.org/events • By phone contact Kyle at: 360-222-3310 • Email: kyle@wclt.org
PETE 7 – 9 p.m. Located at Bayview Hall. Admission is free. Donations for the band are highly encouraged. There will be a charge for beer, wine, and sodas. Brought to you by Goosefoot and Bayview Hall. Bayview Hall, 5642 Bayview Road, Langley • For questions contact: 360-321-4145 • info@goosefoot.org
OTT & MURPHY WINES – RUSTY FENDER AND THE MELODY WRANGLERS 7 p.m. Alt-Country and Americana.“There will be dancin’ in the street”. Contributions for the music gratefully accepted. Reservations are recommended. Ott & Murphy Winery Tasting Room, 204 First St., Langley • 360-221-7131
THE LANGLEY 2ND STREET MARKET 2 – 6 p.m. Every Friday through September 30. Our European-style market includes several local produce and flower farmers local soap makers, artists, jewelers, baked goods, food by Dorcas of Lesedi Farm, and numerous local musicians. For more information or to inquire about being a vendor, contact Ben at: secondstreetmarket@whidbey.com
“PROOF” BY DAVID AUBURN – WHIDBEY CHILDREN’S THEATER 7 p.m. (See Thursday, May 12 for more information.)
OPEN MIC NIGHT 6 – 8:30 p.m. Blooms Winery Tasting Room at the Bayview Corner. Open Mic Night is the second and fourth Friday of each month. The Open Mics Night, hosted by Ron Eaton, provide an opportunity in a casual and intimate setting for musicians to perform live and play a song or two and perhaps join in with fellow musicians on stage, or for a poet to recite some of their verse. Anyone interested in being included in the evening’s talent showcase can call the tasting room at 360-321-0515 for more details. Drop-ins are accepted as time allows.
Special Friday night food menu includes Blooms regular menu, our Friday Flatbread special and a few additional choices with wonderful award-winning Blooms wines by the glass or bottle, as well as craft brews by Foggy Noggin and Boundary Bay, and non-alcoholic choices! Blooms Winery Taste for Wine & Art, 5603 Bayview Road, Langley. www.bloomswinery.com • www.tasteforwinewhidbey.com • 360-321-0515
SATURDAY, MAY 14
SAVOR SPRING FOOD AND WINE TOUR 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Four wineries and a distillery on Whidbey Island open their tasting rooms to present the annual Savor Spring Food, Wine and Spirits Tour. This tour includes not only tastes of wine and spirits – many of them new releases for spring – but each venue will also feature a food vendor that will have samples of locally made and grown foods, creating a true taste of Whidbey Island. Participating wineries and distillery are:
Comforts of Whidbey/Gordons – 4361 Witter Road, Langley
Spoiled Dog Winery/ Roaming Radish 5881 Maxwelton Road, Clinton
Whidbey Island Distillery/ Prima Bistro 3466 Craw Road, Langley
Blooms Winery’s Tasting Room/ Glass Alley Café / Sundance Bakery 5603 Bayview Road, Langley
Holmes Harbor Cellars/ Mile Post 19 4591 Honeymoon Bay Road, Freeland
The tickets for the tour are $20 in advance, available at the participating tasting rooms or online at: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2498855 • Tickets are also available at the door for $25. Although the tour hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., some winery tasting rooms will be open later. For more information on the tour, visit the Whidbey Island Vintners Association website at: www.whidbeyislandvintners.org, or call Blooms Winery tasting room at: 360-321-0515.
PENN COVE WATER FESTIVAL 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Located at the Historic Front Street in Coupeville. Celebrating our Native American heritage this one-day freefamily festival features tribal canoe races, Native American arts and crafts, demonstrations, story-telling, music and dance performances, educational displays, food, and youth activities.. For full info: www.penncovewaterfestival.com
EARTH SCIENCES FOR KIDS AT EBEY’S LANDING 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Whidbey Camano Land Trust. The dramatic beauty of our Island’s beaches and bluffs is something to enjoy and cherish. But have you ever wondered what made them? The rocks, sand, and living organisms are full of clues. Join the Whidbey Camano Land to explore the effects of wind, rain, waves and sun on our island shores. This is a family-friendly tour aimed at elementary and middle school kids aged 10-13. Each child must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The event is free, but space is limited! To sign up visit our website: www.wclt.org/events • By phone contact Kyle at: 360-222-3310 • By email: kyle@wclt.org
SPRING SHRED EVENT – SOROPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL OF SOUTH WHIDBEY ISLAND AND COASTAL COMMUNITY BANK 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Time to clean out your file cabinets, garages, and storage rooms. Securely dispose of your personal and financial records. Minimum donation $5.00: bankers box or grocery bag. $10.00: oversized box or garbage bag. All proceeds benefit Soroptimist International of South Whidbey Island’s Grants and Scholarships Program. Licensed and Bonded SECURE Shredding Company. Contact: Tara Long www.coastalbank.com
BUILDING HOPE TOGETHER – SOUTH WHIDBEY HOMELESS COALITION 4 – 7 p.m. St. Augustine’s Church in-the-Woods. Enjoy an evening of fun music, good food, and a celebration of the work of the South Whidbey Homeless Coalition, whose mission is to help make homelessness a brief and rare experience on South Whidbey. BBQ chicken dinner, no-host bar, live music and silent auction. Tickets are $25. To purchase tickets or make a donation call: Victoria Ritts at 206-992-4054, Linda Rush at 509-859-3070 • St. Augustine’s Church in-the-Woods, 5217 Honeymoon Bay Road, Freeland
THE RURAL CHARACTERS VARIETY SHOW 7:30 p.m. WICA (See Friday, May 13 for additional information.)
“PROOF” BY DAVID AUBURN – WHIDBEY CHILDREN’S THEATER 7 p.m. (See Thursday, May 12 for more information.)
SUNDAY, MAY 15
“MOSTLY FEATHERS” – WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY OF GOVINDA ROSLING 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Artist’s Reception at the UUCWI Gallery. Govinda photographs mostly birds, working with a variety of lenses that enable zoomed shots, some through blinds, some by sitting and letting the birds come to her. She focuses on aspects of their life in each photograph – their quirkiness, intensity of foraging, their place in the world. “Mostly Feathers” will continue on display throughout the months of May and June. UUCWI, 20103 State Route 525 (approximately two miles north of Freeland on the west side of the highway) • www.uucwi.org/
THE HOT CLUB OF TROY 12 – 2 p.m. Sunday, May 15. Playing lively swing music with a romantic French flair. Useless Bay Coffee Company 121 Second St., Langley (360) 221-4515
19TH ANNUAL HEDGEBROOK WOMEN PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL 4 p.m. WICA. $5 suggested ticket donation. New works by Kristiana Rae Colón, Virginia Grise, Dawn Renee Jones, Madhuri Shekar and Regina Taylor. Hedgebrook partners with regional theatres across the country with strong track records of commissioning and producing new works by women playwrights. This year’s festival partners include Denver Center Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Seattle Repertory Theatre and Southern Rep Theatre. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit: www.hedgebrook.org/hwpf-dl Whidbey Island Center for the Arts 565 Camano Avenue, Langley.
“FORAGING FOR EDIBLE FOOD” WITH KELSI FRANZEN – SLOW FOOD WHIDBEY ISLAND’S 1 – 4 p.m. May 15. Pacific Rim Institute. This unique three-part event, learn what wild plants can be combined as delicious and unique ingredients into your daily meals. Educator, farmer, and fifth generation Coupeville native Kelsi Franzen will engage all of your senses first on a hike, to learn how to identify some common edibles in several Pacific Northwest ecosystems, followed by a presentation on how to create meals inspired by and infused with Whidbey Island’s wild and cultivated foods.
Kelsi Franzen holds a Master’s in Education with an emphasis in Environmental Education and Non-Profit Administration from Western Washington University, in partnership with North Cascades Institute, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Education from Western Washington University.
Program cost will be $15 for a one-hour foraging tour on the Pacific Rim Institute grounds followed by a one-hour presentation in the auditorium for $10. There will be a one hour break between the two events to allow people to tour the Pacific Rim hoop houses and learn about their exciting plans for the future of PRI or just linger, chat and snack in the Auditorium building. Pacific Rim Institute, 180 Parker Road, Coupeville. Contact Kathy at kathy46@whidbey.com to sign up.
Important: Please note: The one-hour foraging tour at PRI is already full but we can put you on the waiting list.
SAVOR SPRING FOOD AND WINE TOUR 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. (See Friday, May 14 for more information).
TILTH MARKET 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. South Whidbey Tilth’s Farmers’ Market’s features local farm produce and plants, concessions and crafts. Island There’s lots of parking, clean restrooms, free WiFi and children’s play areas. SNAP cards are welcome. South Whidbey Tilth Farmers’ Market, 2812 Thompson Road, Langley • www.southwhidbeytilth.org/market.html
“PROOF” BY DAVID AUBURN – WHIDBEY CHILDREN’S THEATER 2 p.m. (See Thursday, May 12 for more information.)
OTT & MURPHY WINES – TROY CHAPMAN AND GARY WAY 3 – 5 p.m Conversations in jazz with guitar and piano. An afternoon of beautiful music, wine and view. No cover. Ott & Murphy Winery Tasting Room, 204 First Street, Langley • 360-221-7131.
SUNDAY MUSIC SERIES – RUSSELL CLEPPER 3 – 5 p.m. Enjoy Sunday afternoons all year long with live music at Blooms Winery Tasting Room at Bayview Corner Store. Russell Clepper will play some of his favorite original tunes. Russell has a wonderful style that captures your heart and moves your soul. No cover and no minimums but we ask you to please tip appropriately. Fabulous wines, good food and great music! Blooms Winery Taste for Wine & Art, 5603 Bayview Road, Langley • www.bloomswinery.com • www.tasteforwinewhidbey.com • 360-321-0515
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The Visitor Information Kiosk is funded by the Greater Freeland Area and Langley Chambers of Commerce and What’s Happening is prepared by Katy Shaner, Manager and Volunteer Coordinator. Contact Katy at ktshaner@whidbey.com.
Got an event you’d like to see on What’s Happening? Make sure to put it on the Whidbey Life Magazine Calendar at https://www.whidbeylifemagazine.org/submit-your-event/.
Since 2008, the Visitor Kiosk has welcomed over 22,000 visitors to Whidbey. The island offers a wealth of activities, places to stay, eateries, shopping and an abundance of the natural environment to enjoy and appreciate. Welcome and enjoy your visit. Do come back.
Event contributions from Katy Shaner, Whidbey Life Magazine, www.whidbeylifemagazine.org and drewslist drewslist@whidbey.com.
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