Here are Inside Bainbridge recommendations for the weekend of December 13-15, 2013:
1. BASE: Changing Business for Good
When: Friday, 5:30-7 p.m.
Where: Bainbridge Library, 1270 Madison Avenue North
Why: Jeff Mendelsohn is the founder of New Leaf Paper. You get to hear him talk about how he has taken on the challenge of making a sustainable business out of one of the stinkiest.
RSVP at bi-change.eventbrite.com.
2. Museum Playtime with Santa
When: Saturday, 11 a.m.-12 p.m., and 2-3 p.m.
Where: Kids Discovery Museum, 301 Ravine Lane NE
Why: Santa has a part-time job at KiDiMu, apparently, and he’ll be there this weekend working as a docent. He really knows how to play. Hanging with the big man is free with admission.
3. Radical Home Ec: Soap with Fruits and Herbs
When: Saturday, 11 a.m -12 p.m.
Where: Bainbridge Library, 1270 Madison Avenue North
Why: Soap = gift, plain and simple. Learn how to enhance plain soap and turn it into a checkmark off your list.
4. Bainbridge Vineyards Reopens Its Doors
When: Saturday and Sunday, 5-7 p.m.
Where: Bainbridge Vineyards, 8989 Day Road East
Why: New wine, redone tasting room. They’ve just bottled over 800 cases of the stuff and it’s ready for sampling and a truly local gift. Read more here.
5. Visiting Vet: Plush Pet Clinic
When: Saturday, 1:30-2 p.m.
Where: Kids Discovery Museum, 301 Ravine Lane NE.
Why: Dr. Lisa Barfield is donating some of her time to well-check exams of plush animals. Get those critters all fixed up for the holidays. Don’t have insurance? No problem. The exam is free with admission or membership.
6. Dining at Downton: Trial by Fork
When: Saturday, 2-3 p.m.
Where: Bainbridge Library, 1270 Madison Avenue North
Why: Imagine the snooty tea-snorting crowd of Downton Abbey tackling a 12-course dinner. Food historian Tames Alan does the play by play.
7. Bainbridge Chorale Young Singers Concert
When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
Where: Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church, 11042 Sunrise Dr. NE
Why: Enjoy this shortish family concert with the Bainbridge Chorale Young Singers. The longer, older version happens at 7:30.
Adults: $15; seniors (age 62+): $10; students, military, teachers: $10; children 13 and under: free when accompanied by a paying adult and $5 per additional child. Get tickets here.
8. Planetarium Show “Climbing the Cosmic Distance Ladder”
When: Saturday, 7-9 p.m.
Where: Richie Observatory at Battle Point Park, 11299 Arrow Point Drive NE.
Why: Just how do astronomers justify claiming to know distances way out in space where they’ve never been? Believe it or not, they’re not just faking it. They have their methods, and Astronomer Steve Ruhl will let you in on their secrets.
$2.
9. Bainbridge Chorale Holiday Concert
When: Saturday, 7:30-9 p.m., and Sunday 3-4:30 p.m.
Where: Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church, 11042 Sunrise Dr. NE
Why: Since 1971, the Bainbridge Chorale has been putting on a holiday concert. See how many syllables they put in Vivaldi’s (not Laura Branigan’s) Gloria. Carols and other winter tunes will be followed by the world premiere of Tides of Peace, commissioned by the Chorale and written by award-winning composer John Muehleisen.
Adults: $23; seniors (age 62+): $20; students, military, teachers: $15; children under 13: $5. Get tickets here.
10. Archery
When: Sunday, 12-2 p.m.
Where: Bainbridge Island Sportsmen’s Club Archery Range, 8203 Sportsman Club Rd NE.
Why: Practice shooting the murderous, fanged monkeys in Catching Fire.
11. The Curious Courtship of Crabs
When: Sunday, 1:30-3 p.m.
Where: IslandWood, 4450 Blakely Ave NE .
Why: Find out what desperate male fiddler crabs will do to catch the attention of those clawed ladies. Hint: It’s a lot like what the males of another, more familiar species will do. Dr. John Christy from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute has spent over 30 years studying the science of sexual selection for these charismatic crabs and he’ll share what he knows.
$5. For more info., contact Christina Doherty at (206) 855-4384 or christinad@islandwood.org
12. EduCulture SLOW Foodshed to Table Dinner
When: Sunday, 4-7 p.m.
Where: Filipino-American Community Hall, 7566 NE High School Road
Why: Five courses of locally grown farm-style food prepared by The Food Shed. All the funds collected will directly benefit EduCulture’s work with local schools in 2014. Entertainment included. The food includes housemade crackers, local cheeses, fruit and krauts, salad (quinoa with winter greens, toasted nuts, roasted beets and vinaigrette), soup (roasted pumpkin, red pepper, and coconut) served with chicken curry empanadas, and roasted, spiced goat with roasted root vegetables, chutney, and polenta. Dessert is ginger bread with poached pears and cinnamon molasses whipped cream.
$65. To reserve a place for you and your friends or family, please call (206) 780-5797 or e-mail admin@EduCultureProject.org. Seating is Limited.
13. The Economic Outlook for 2014
When: Sunday, 5:30-7 p.m.
Where: Congregation Kol Shalom, 9010 Miller Rd.
Why: Lewis Mandell, Professor Emeritus and former Business Dean at the SUNY, Buffalo, explains the widened gap between the very rich and everyone else.
Wine bottles photo by Sarah Lane.