Greetings! I am writing to keep you informed about the accessibility planning process at San Juan Island National Historical Park. Our Self-Evaluation Transition Plan is still available for comment until the end of September 2021 at this link. We also will be hosting an open house to explain the planning process and answer questions from  Continue Reading

Sailing Club will be back on the water at Jackson Beach soon! Middle- and high-school students with and without sailing experience are invited to come sail one- and two-person sailboats on Griffin Bay. The SJI Sailing Foundation will be launching two new RS Fevas – super fun to sail two-handed boats — the first boats  Continue Reading

With changing weather conditions, as of Friday September 10, 2021, the San Juan County Fire Districts are allowing recreational fires including charcoal, wood burning, and recreational campfires. Permit Burning is still banned and not allowed until further notice. If you have a recreational fire, always remain present and have water available. When you are finished,  Continue Reading

The recently formed Camas Club launches a website https://camas.club created for and by islanders to connect with other backyard habitat enthusiasts. It is a place where native habitat aficionados can ask questions, share resources, organize seed swaps, and more. By exchanging information about aspects such as restoration techniques, lessons learned, trusted sources of native plant  Continue Reading

Dateline: Friday Harbor, WA – Friday Harbor Film Festival is now scheduling feature documentaries and short films to be shown during the Livestream Festival October 14-17 and the On-Demand Festival October 18-24.  While FHFF has many excellent submissions, there is room for more.  The final date for submissions is September 20. If you are an  Continue Reading

Enjoyment Guaranteed at Art For Fun at SJIMA Art for Fun is a great way to celebrate a birthday, share a date night, create team building,  just enjoy a night out on your own or try your hand at making art. The two-hour, fun-filled art party takes place in a relaxed, interactive atmosphere.   Budding artists follow  Continue Reading

Please accept our sincere appreciation for all County residents who participated in and enjoyed the 2021 Virtual Fair. Your Willingness, Flexibility and Creativity during these unique times is why the San Juan County Fair was a success! We are especially grateful to all our Superintendents and Volunteers who dedicated much time & energy in order  Continue Reading

The Salish Seeds Project’s popular, twice-annual wildflower sale is happening soon. Reserve plants online September 10 – 17, and pick them up on Saturday, October 2 at locations on Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan islands. All plants are produced locally by the Salish Seeds Project, a joint program of the San Juan County Land Bank  Continue Reading

San Juan Island Garden Club Meeting – September 7, 2021 at 1:00 We are excited to see you at the first meeting of the year on Tuesday, September 7 at 1:00. We will have the meeting outdoors at the Historical Society. No refreshments will be served but please feel free to bring your own beverage  Continue Reading

FRIDAY HARBOR, WA. – Labor Day weekend is approaching, the last hurrah for many summer boaters before buckling down for the fall. As scores of vessels take to local waterways over the holiday, it’s an important time to stay vigilant and keep safe on the water. San Juan County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship calls on  Continue Reading

In the SJ Update mailbag today we have a Heads Up from Barnaby Zall about the RHNA Annual Picnic… After careful consideration, on Saturday, August 21, the Board of Directors of the Roche Harbor Neighborhood Association voted unanimously to cancel its 2021 Labor Day Isthmus Potluck Picnic, originally scheduled for Sept. 4.   RHNA is a  Continue Reading

Dateline: Friday Harbor, WA Due to safety concerns, Friday Harbor Film Festival will present a scheduled livestream festival in mid-October, showing a program of feature documentaries and short films over 11 days, October 14 – 24 at FHFF.ORG.  The festival will be divided into two sections: Livestream Festival will open with a special free live  Continue Reading

Please join us at the San Juan Islands Sculpture Park to see “Sarah Tops”, a juvenile triceratops, made of drift wood by Joe Treat, as well as new sculptures by Roger Small, Keith Keyser and James Burgess. The poppies are blooming, the weather is fine and the Sculpture Park is a safe outdoor adventure for  Continue Reading

San Juan County Virtual Fair “Lettuce Entertain Ewe” August 18th-21st  is uploaded and ready for you to view!  What does this year provide?  Exhibits, Demos, Vendors and lots of entertainment! A quick reminder that the Fair is what participants and volunteers make it with their time, effort and creativity.  Without the participation and support of  Continue Reading

Trail Times is a continuing series of articles introducing the Old Military Road Trail (OMRT), a proposed 18-21 mile cross-island non-motorized multi-use trail linking English Camp and American Camp and honoring the original Old Military Road. As the summer’s heat wanes, here’s a fun easy hike to get you out there. This approximately mile-and-a-half long  Continue Reading

This Wednesday, August 18th, you’re invited to join Phil Green at the San Juan Island’s Sculpture Park for a morning of birdwatching, from 8:00 to 10:00 am. Dress appropriately and don’t forget your binoculars!

San Juan Community Theatre will finally be open to the public this fall. In addition to touring artist performances and the fall musical, Mamma Mia, SJCT will also be hosting multiple classes for all ages throughout the fall season. Regular classes are available for ages three and older.  SJCT will also be hosting Drama Club Nights for families, middle school students, and adults.  Continue Reading

Please excuse our dust while your Conservation Land Bank completes maintenance on the Zylstra Lake Preserve dam. Friday, August 5th, the Preserve will be closed to public access to complete a siphon installation.

San Juan Islands Sculpture Park, an independent 501 (c)(3) non-profit, will be accepting sculpture submissions this summer. All sculptors are welcome to submit works using the guidelines below between June 6th and Aug 11th, 2021. We do not require any biographical material with your submission. Sculptures will be selected on the merits of the art  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Fairgrounds San Juan County Fairgrounds is hosting a variety of in-person activities this August leading up to and during the county’s virtual fair. Saturday, Aug. 14: 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Fair market and plant sale. 6-9 p.m., the Fair Summer Music Series in partnership with Going Left Music presents The Black Tones  Continue Reading

From San Juan County Parks and Fair A new playground will be dedicated to residents and visiting children noon Saturday, Aug. 14 at the Village Green on Orcas Island. The Playground-on-the-Green is a product of Orcas Island’s imagination, energy and funding, and was constructed by Orcas artists Chuck Greening and Zackarya Leck. The playground design,  Continue Reading

  From Browne’s Home Center   We’re excited to be hosting DIY classes again!   Browne’s Home Center’s first kids DIY class of the year will be a chalkboard toolbox. Kids will be able to build and paint their own toolbox so they can help fix things around the house, or at least keep all  Continue Reading