There’s no shortage things to do this holiday weekend — and that’s not an April Fool’s Day prank.
Seriously, there really is no dearth of fun to be had here on Bainbridge in the next few days.
First, though, is some serious fare.
The Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community will mark the 76th anniversary of the forced removal of Japanese Americans from Bainbridge during World War II on Friday, March 30, with a groundbreaking ceremony of the Exclusion Departure Deck and unveiling of several new National Park Service exhibits at the memorial site.
The commemoration will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the memorial (4192 Eagle Harbor Drive), with the actual groundbreaking set to start at 11 a.m.
National Park Service representatives will be on-site to present and answer questions about their new outdoor interpretive exhibits, recently installed at the memorial site.
Related exhibits will be on display at the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum, offering free admission from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 30, the permanent “For the sake of the children” display.
And at 7 p.m. at BIMA, artist and author Mayumi Tsutakawa presents “The Pine and the Cherry: Japanese Americans in Washington.”
Then, on stage at Bainbridge Performing Arts: BPA’s Theatre School’s Winter Showcase will feature two plays for the price of one.
Younger students are showcased in the annual “Bainbridge to Broadway” student musical revue, and students from BPA’s Teen Intensive program will perform Tom Stoppard’s now-classic “Fifteen Minute Hamlet.”
In Bainbridge to Broadway, stranded time travelers with a gift for song are oppressed by an evil king who makes them wear fashions from decades they hate. Will this tragically time-travelled troupe of hippies from the ’60s and dancers from the ’80s manage to overthrow the tyrant and let their own freak flags unfurl?
Next up, take a deep dive into Shakespeare and Tom Stoppard’s “Fifteen Minute Hamlet,” as the teen students pair renaissance dance steps with their performance.
BPA Theatre School’s Winter Showcase appears at 7 p.m. Friday, March 30.
Tickets, $10 for adults and $5 for seniors, youth, students, military, and teachers, may be purchased online at www.bainbridgeperformingarts.org, by phone at 206-842-8569 or in person at BPA (200 Madison Ave. North).
Next, on Saturday, let the hunt begin!
The Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District will return the annual springtime mEGGa Hunt to Battle Point Park from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 31.
This egg hunt goes beyond the ordinary with live entertainment, crafts, games, balloon clowns, face painting and, of course, egg hunts. Over 7,000 eggs and 80 prize eggs will be scattered about the various hunting grounds, with special by-age start times arranged in the various staging areas.
The 2018 hunt times are:
Ages 0-2: 9:30 a.m.
Ages 3-5: 10 a.m.
Grades K-2: 10:30 a.m.
Grades 3-5: 11 a.m.
Officials ask that guests please enter Battle Point Park from the west side, off of Battle Point Road.
The event happens rain or shine.
No dogs are allowed.
Also on Saturday is another hotly anticipated return: the farmers market.
The mayor’s ceremonial cheese toss, free pony cart rides and live music from popular island band Stolen Glory are among the highlights of opening day of the 2018 season of Bainbridge Island Farmers Market, set to return to Winslow from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 31 in Town Square, between city hall and Bainbridge Performing Arts.
As always, the market will have an abundance of locally grown produce, plants, flowers, eggs, honey and wine, as well as artisan crafts, including wearables and jewelry, art glass, woodcraft, metalcraft and garden art, paintings, pastries, pottery, and hot food items from more than 35 vendors.
The Ace Hardware-Rosie Creek Carriage will be offering free pony cart rides beginning at 9 a.m. Special events, such as the popular zucchini race in September and tomato tasting in August, are also expected to return to the market this year.
For more information, visit www.bainbridgefarmersmarket.comd.
Later, on stage at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art: Jherek Bischoff and friends.
As part of the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art’s ongoing Momentum Festival, island musician Jherek Bischoff will headline a special Space Craft concert event at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 31 at BIMA (550 Winslow Way East).
A renowned musician, composer and Bainbridge Island native, Bischoff will present contemporary chamber works in a special evening of songs inspired by the sea, with commentary on how living aboard a sailboat in Eagle Harbor shaped his career in music.
Called a “pop polymath” by The New York Times, the tunesmith’s recent collaborators include playwright Robert Wilson and music icon David Byrne.
Joining Bischoff are Heather Bentley and Alina To on violin, Alex Guy on viola and Maria Scherer Wilson on cello.
Tickets, $19 for BIMA members and $24 for nonmembers, can be purchased at www.biartmuseum.org.
Visit www.spacecraftpresents.org/buytickets/2018/3/31/jherek-bischoff-by-land-and-by-sea to learn more.
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