It’s a big weekend on Bainbridge.
Technically, it’s sort of the start of the big Fourth of July holiday, and there is an appropriately American abundance of choices among the many ways to spend your free time. Here are our best bets:
Bainbridge Dance Center will present their 37th annual student performance showcase at Bainbridge Performing Arts through Saturday, June 30.
Featured in four performances, dancers aged 4 to 18 will perform short works choreographed by the BDC faculty that demonstrate student artistry and technical skill in ballet, modern, jazz and tap techniques. A celebrated island tradition since 1981, BDC’s annual performances showcase how young dancers develop over the course of their training.
Shows start at 7 p.m. Friday, plus Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m.
Tickets, $20 for adults and $16 for students, seniors, and military, may be purchased online at www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org, by phone at 206-842-8569 or in person at BPA (200 Madison Ave. North).
The 58th annual Bainbridge Island Rotary Auction & Rummage Sale returns to Woodward Middle School from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 30.
The “World’s Largest Garage Sale” again took over the rooms, hallways and grounds of Woodward this week as volunteers took in and sorted donations in preparation for the 2018 Bainbridge Island Rotary Auction & Rummage Sale. Efforts to be ready for the big day were in full swing, with volunteers galore taking in, sorting, stacking, cleaning and pricing a plethora of goodies — including more than 20 automobiles, several boats and one RV, a new record according to event officials.
The traditional tantalizing preview will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 29.
Then, the ribbon cutting and subsequent treasure hunting rush starts at 8 a.m. sharp Saturday, June 30.
Visit www.bainbridgerotaryauction.org for all the details.
Last year’s event set a record, raising more than $585,000, and officials expect this year to be even bigger and better.
Just in time for swimming season, the new Hidden Cove Dock is in place and already in use by islanders looking to take a short leap off a long pier.
The Bainbridge Island Parks Foundation and Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District will celebrate the new outdoor amenity at Hidden Cove Park with a special dedication celebration at 4 p.m. Saturday, June 30.
Light refreshments will be served, and guests are welcome to explore and enjoy the new overwater pier, ramp and dock floats in the park, located at 8588 Hidden Cove Road NE on Port Madison.
The dock is accessible for those with mobility challenges, and additional park improvements include an ADA trail approaching the dock and improved parking.
For more information on the project, visit www.biparks foundation.org.
A rally/fundraiser to support Kids In Need of Defense will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday as well.
The event — as part of a larger event consisting of many such gatherings, marches and protests around the country — will be held at Town Square (between city hall and Bainbridge Performing Arts, the location of the farmers market). T-shirts will be available, in return for donations. Search “KIND (kids in need of defense) Fundraiser” on Facebook to learn more.
In addition to collecting donations and spreading the word about KIND, Freeman said the rally will feature live music and a craft station, where attendees can write cards and letters to detained children and parents which will be personally delivered by select volunteers. At least one Spanish-speaking volunteer will be on hand to translate messages.
The event’s lineup also boasts several guest speakers, including Jay Stratton, of Stratton Immigration, to answer questions about family separation and the legal work being done to address it; Gillian Ehrlich, an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner certified in functional medicine to discus how trauma and inequality impacts health across generations for all involved; and Clarence Moriwaki, president of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community.
KIND provides lawyers to represent children during deportation proceedings and, if they are ultimately unable to stay in this country, assists in reintegrating them safely in their home countries, too.
The annual free Boaters Fair will once again take over the city dock in Waterfront Park from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, July 1.
Learn how to do knot-tying, watch a helicopter rescue demonstration, and meet the women of team “Sail Like A Girl” who competed in this year’s Race to Alaska, a 750-nautical mile race from Port Townsend to Ketchikan, Alaska.
Learn about the Bainbridge Island Police Department’s Marine Services Unit. Tour the 33-foot “Marine 8,” used for search-and-rescue missions, vessel assistance and environmental response, and also check out “Marine 11” — an 18-foot vessel that is often used for boating safety checks, boater education and enforcement of “No-Wake Zones” around Bainbridge Island;
Meet Grant Winther, who started Boater’s Fair nearly 20 years ago when he and his comrades at the USCG Auxiliary Flotilla 4-8 started the event to teach people about boating safety;
Come aboard and celebrate FELICITY ANN — a 23-foot wooden boat previously owned by the first woman to make a solo Atlantic crossing in 1953. The newly-restored vessel is now homeported in Port Hadlock and is on a “Victory Lap” this summer in the Salish Sea with an all-women crew.
Visit www.bainbridgewa.gov/boatersfair to learn more.
The Bainbridge Blab is your one-stop spot to get the 411 on all things 98110. From South Beach to Agate Passage, Battle Point to Rolling Bay, we’ve got the straight skinny on Bainbridge Island: the latest chatter, babble and burble. News, too. Have a tip or a comment for the Blab? Email us at editor@bainbridgereview.com.
