Skip and Sip: an Irish dance class and social event for adults

5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. – “Skip” Irish Dance Class, Carroll-Henderson Studio, 6121 176th St. SW, Lynnwood

5:45 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. – After-class social, Edway Tap House, 22811 100th Ave. W., Edmonds

Sunday, August 18

No one is too old to try Irish dancing or rekindle an old passion for dancing! The Carroll-Henderson School of Irish Dancing is hosting a free Irish dance event for adults 21 and older to try or rediscover this vibrant dance form and meet others in the area. Starting in their studio, dancers enjoy a 30-minute open class learning “skipp” and other Irish dance moves in group and solo dancing. After the class, dancers head to the newly opened Edway Tap House for a friendly “tip off”!

When speaking to adult and young Irish dancers, the highlight of this dance form is the community it brings. This aspect has historical roots in the days when dancers and musicians would meet in social halls of Irish villages and towns for lively music and dance evenings or Ceol Agus Damhsa. The Skip and Sip builds on this strong social aspect of dancing, connecting individuals not only to the dance form but also to a community of Irish dance lovers or enthusiasts.

Do you need to have dance experience? No! Irish dance offers entry opportunities for all levels and this course is a perfect place to start. Do I have too much experience in Irish dancing? No. There is always something new to learn and a new community to get to know.

Don’t miss this Irish dancing event for adults. Register today.

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Korean fusion performance team Baekeui (百意) visits Seattle for the “Support 7” fundraiser

12 noon, Saturday, August 24, Edmonds Stillhouse Coffee, 558 Main St., Edmonds

4 p.m., Saturday, August 24, He Brews Coffee, 3101 184th St. SW #104, Lynnwood

Korean fusion performance team Baekeui (百意) will visit the Seattle area from August 23 to 25. Organized by Albero Entertainment, this visit will be Baekeui’s second appearance in Seattle following their first visit in 2022.

Their performance, after-party and fundraiser will support and promote Support 7, a nonprofit organization that has served southern Snohomish County for over 40 years. They work directly with local fire, police and emergency services to help victims, survivors and their families transition from crisis and trauma to hope and healing.

Further regional appearances:

6:30 p.m., Friday, August 23, WABA Korea Expo & FestIval, Magnuson Park Hangar 30, 6310 NE 74th St., Seattle

11 a.m., Sunday, August 25, Kirkland Urban Coffee Lounge, 9744 NE 119th Way, Kirkland

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“The Final Boss” – Original staged reading – Just one night

7 p.m., Sunday, August 25, Wade James Theatre, 950 Main St., Edmonds

The Edmonds Driftwood Players will host a free reading of The final boss by Alison Reeger Cook, directed by Diane Jamieson. The reading is part of the First Draft reading series, presented by the Edmonds Driftwood Players and Driftwood After Dark.

The final boss features Moonscar and Squeak, two great adventurers on a quest to find an ancient gate that will lead to their hearts’ greatest desires. The only catch? They can’t get through the gate without defeating the final boss. And the final boss is nowhere to be found. As they wait for their fate to unfold, the two companions uncover secrets that will test them in ways no battle, monster, or daring has ever done before, and make them question the nature of their world. Things only get more complicated when two new combatants find them, one of whom is Moonscar’s ex. Maybe this whole “quest to end all searches” isn’t as great as it’s being touted.

*Warning about content: some adult language, sword fights, discussions of violence and suicide

Admission is free but reservations are required; register here.

And as a reminder, individual tickets for the 66th season of EDP are now on sale. Book your ticket today!

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North Sound Church presents a free Vivaldi’s Four Seasons concert

7 p.m., Sunday, August 25, North Sound Church, 404 Bell St., Edmonds,

Experience the breathtaking beauty of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons as North Sound Church and the Northwest Strings Octet come together for an unforgettable performance. And the best part: admission is free!

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ECA announces free workshop series on dementia

10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., three Wednesdays, October 2, November 6 and December 4, Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 4th Ave. N., Edmonds

The Edmonds Center for the Arts is pleased to announce the return of its award-winning Dementia-Inclusive Series, which provides free creative and social enrichment for individuals with early memory loss and their caregivers, families and friends.

The series is a collaborative effort between senior support organizations, geriatric and dementia care professionals, and arts groups in the Puget Sound region. ECA’s goal is to create a place where community members with memory loss feel welcomed and valued, their creative contributions are honored, and care partners and loved ones can spend joyful, quality time together.

The 2024 Dementia-Inclusive Workshop Series: A Community Journey Through Art, Music, and Movement is presented by ECA in partnership with SilverKite Community Arts LLC. This series includes three free workshops scheduled from October to December 2024. The workshops will consist of a variety of activities including music making, movement, and visual arts.

Find out more and register here.

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The first Written in the North West Book Fair, with a local publisher shortlisted for the event’s Spruce Award

11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Saturday, November 23, Lynnwood Event Center, 3711 196th St. SW, Lynnwood

The inaugural Written in the NW Book Fair proudly presents shortlists for two awards: the Larch Award for younger readers and the Spruce Award for older teen and adult readers. The goal of each award is to celebrate the art of bookmaking and recognize literary achievements by authors from the states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Both traditionally published and independently published books were eligible.

In this first round, books were judged on the author’s voice, readability, genre expectations, cover design and whether the promise of the cover was fulfilled. The second round will be a more in-depth assessment, focusing on plot and characters, among other evaluation categories. By recognizing works for different audiences, the book fair underscores its commitment to promoting literature for readers of all ages and genres.

Shortlist for the Larch Award, in no particular order:

Blades & Ballet: Enemy of the Wind by Nathan Reese Maher (NRM Books, 2023)

The loudest silence by Sydney Langford (Holiday House, 2024)

Just like Click by Sandy Grubb (Fitzroy Books, 2024)

Princess Naomi helps a unicorn by Once Upon a Dance (Once Upon a Dance, 2021)

Home: A Story of Belonging by ND Byma (ND Byma, 2023)

Bert and Smudge are brothers by Colleen Stone (Brian Stone, 2023)

Shortlist for the Spruce Award, in no particular order:

Together in a broken world by Paul Michael Winters (NineStar Press, 2024)

Until my last day (second book of the Desert Hills trilogy) by Deborah Swenson (Nor-Mar Press, 2024)

The value of a ruby by Lya Badgley (Atmosphere Press, 2023)

Lying with dogs by Linda Caradine (Unsolicited Press, 2024)

From the files of September 11 by Jackson Anhalt (Rainbow Quartz Publishing, 2023)

Hatched: Dragon Farmer (Book One of the Hatched Series)by Caren Hahn (Seventy-second Press, 2022)

Edmonds-based Rainbow Quartz Publishing announced that its author Jackson Anhalt has been shortlisted for the prestigious Written in the Northwest’s Spruce Award.

The winners of the Larch and Spruce Awards will be announced at the opening ceremony of the inaugural Written in the NW Book Fair, taking place on November 23 at the Lynnwood Event Center. The event will feature over 80 authors signing their books, readings of various genres, an open mic and selfies with Krampus. For more information and tickets, visit www.writteninthenw.com.

— By Elizabeth Murray

Elizabeth Murray is a freelance writer who is grateful to call Edmonds home. When she’s not busy with her two children (and husband), she plays the ukulele. She can be reached at [email protected].