Hey, its: Friday, October 17

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Orcas Today: October 17th-19th

Orcas Island Film Festival
October 15th-19th at Various Locations
Now in its 11th year, the Orcas Island Film Festival celebrates and promotes the art of cinema as a catalyst for connection, creativity, and cultural understanding. OIFF is dedicated to amplifying diverse voices, inspiring critical thought, and bringing communities together through the transformative power of storytelling.

Kids Storytime at the Orcas Island Library
October 17th from 11:00am-12:00pm
Join Jenny for storytime in our kids section!

Art with Carla at the Orcas Senior Center
Fridays from 1:00-3:00pm
Led by experienced artist Carla Stanley, this lighthearted class focuses on the creative process with a strong belief in your artistic potential, regardless of skill level. The class is $10 (or $8 for OSC members). Contact Carla at 360.317.5652 or onlyonorcas@gmail.com to secure your spot. Uncover your artistic potential and join creative Fridays at Orcas Senior Center!

Needlework Circle at The Orcas Senior Center
Fridays from 2:00-6:00pm
Join this weekly gathering for knitters, crocheters, embroiderers, and all needleworkers at Orcas Senior Center, every Friday at 2pm. Come hang out—no project required! Whether you haven’t knitted in years, want to learn to crochet, or just want to relax and chat, you’ll find a wonderful selection of donated yarn, needles, books, and plenty of friendly advice. For more information, contact Edy Hansen at edy@orcasseniors.org or 206.413.6167

Teen Event: Spooky Movie Fridays
October 17th from 4:00-5:45pm at the Orcas Library
Get in the Halloween spirit with a different spooky (but teen-friendly!) movie every Friday. Popcorn provided!

Orcas Island Fall Farmers Market
October 18th from 10:00am-2:00pm at the OISD Cafeteria
The 2025 Fall Farmers Market promises to be better than ever! Now through November, you can head over to the Orcas Island School Cafeteria every Saturday and support your favorite vendors, farmers, and food growers, and catch some amazing musical talent from the stage. Featuring live music by Summer Barbone.

Completely Arbortrary – Tree Podcast & Treevia
October 19th from 4:00-7:00pm at the Orcas Library
This weekly podcast is a scientific look at trees and how they affect and are affected by everything, hosted by master arborist and environmental educator Casey Clapp and his tree-curious friend and musical artist Alex Crowson. Each episode features a tree from around the world and a discussion about its unique position in culture, ecology, and history. These discussions can range from urban forestry and evolutionary biology to folk mythology and popular culture. The hard science is framed in plenty of silliness, with a casual tone, games and parody songs, and the titular arbitrary numerical rating of the tree at the end of each episode.

Get out and Hike

Mount Constitution Loop – Difficult

6.7 miles. 1,490 feet elevation gain and loss For a great exploratory trek across Mount Constitution’s steep eastern face try the Mount Constitution Loop trail. Park at Mountain Lake to commence a steep climb towards the crest of the mountain where the trail will join with the Little Summit to Mount Constitution Trail. Follow the route through wooded hills, with marvelous views of Lummi Island and the Salish Sea, towards the summit and stone tower lookout. Once at the summit, the trail crosses the parking lot and continues down to Twin Lakes, then running south for a shaded woodland hike through the park’s largely undisturbed wooded interior back to Mountain Lake. Ambitious hikers can continue on the Mountain Lake Loop Trail, or cut straight back to the camping area. Make sure to come well prepared for this long, invigorating hike through some of Moran State Park’s most variable and primal terrain.

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A Bite Of Orcas

Orcas Hotel Cafe – By Simon

Overview At Western Washington University, in Bellingham Washington, there is a section of sidewalk outside the Student Union building that the community calls ‘Vendor’s Row’. Local food vendors from around Bellingham –generally four per day and often the same folks –come and sell their food to hungry staff and students. The stand furthest on the left is an Indian vendor. They make an excellent Tikka Masala. Buttery, full of flavor, perfectly paired with seasonal veggies, and all of that for just $5. I remember their food fondly. I find that many times in life the advice “don’t judge a book by its cover” is just bad advice. From an exterior one can often see strong indications of what lay within, for good or bad. A fresh, shiny, and new appearance can convey strong feelings of modern elegance and class. Of being on the cutting edge. While a historic building, refit to be usable, can instill a sense of heritage, history, and charm. Using a historic building as the location for a restaurant is a decision that should be weighed heavily, and the proprietor should be willing to bend to the will of the beams, boards, and windowpanes amongst which they seek to find a home. Fashion experts may…

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