Category Archives: Local Events

Food Forest celebration Friday, 1/18

All supporters and friends of the Beacon Food Forest are invited to a celebration this Friday night, January 18, to celebrate the community’s accomplishments and the project’s new grant award from the Department of Neighborhoods Matching Fund. There will also be a showing of a 53-minute film, “The Power of Community.”

The event starts at 7 p.m. at the Garden House, 2336 15th Ave. S. It’s a dessert potluck, so bring a favorite dessert to share; there will be beverages and popcorn provided. All are welcome to this family event.

Along with the movie, Tlaloctecutli Dance Group will perform, and beekeeper Bob Redmond will be there with an information table and local honey.

Questions? Contact Melanie at melanie.coever@gmail.com .

Chobo-Ji community hosts Zen classes and talk

The Dai Bai Zan Cho Bo Zen Temple at 1733 S. Horton Street (Chobo-Ji) will host a lecture and several classes over the next few weeks for Beacon Hill neighbors and friends who have an interest in Zen Buddhism.

The first event is this Saturday, January 12, from 9-10:30 a.m. Zen priest Rev. Kojun Hull will give a talk on Zen Master Dogen and his teachings. She is a Zen teacher from the Great Vow Monastery in Clatskanie, Oregon. Donations are welcome; they will be used to cover Reverend Kojun’s transportion costs and the rest will go to the monastery.

Chobo-Ji is also the site of a series of classes over the next few weeks, open to all interested neighbors. Classes in the Introduction to Zen series will run each Tuesday through February 5 from 7:30-8:30 p.m. The series will be followed by a Sunday retreat on February 10 from 5-11:30 a.m.

The class schedule:

  • Tuesday, Jan 15: Zazen: seated meditation
  • Tuesday, Jan 22: Meditation in Action: chanting, bowing, walking, working
  • Tuesday, Jan 29: Zen Meals: preparing and eating food mindfully
  • Tuesday, Feb 5: Roots of Rinzai Zen: koans and the Zen Master with Rev. Genjo Marinello Osho
  • Sunday, Feb 10: 5-11:30 a.m. Half-day Zen retreat, or sesshin

Neighbors are welcome to attend all or part of the series. There is a suggested donation of $20 for the Tuesday night series, and $40 for the series including the half-day retreat. For further information, contact Muken Rick Proctor at 206-817-4410.

Rev. Kojun Hull, Director of Training, Great Vow Monastery. Photo courtesy of Chobo-Ji.
Rev. Kojun Hull, Director of Training, Great Vow Monastery. Photo courtesy of Chobo-Ji.

Plan ahead: Deaf culture celebration at Beacon Hill Library 1/27

The Library for Deaf Action (LDA) and the Washington State Association of the Deaf (WSAD) will present a celebration of the 300th birth of Abbé Charles-Michel de l’Épée, founder of the first public school for the deaf in Paris, in 1755. The event will take place at the Beacon Hill Library on Sunday, January 27, at 1:30 p.m.

The program on the importance of bridging deaf cultures at the library will include Ann Silver, an internationally known deaf artist from Seattle, and the the subject of the book Ann Silver: One Way, Deaf Way by James Van Manen.

The presentation will be in ASL with interpretation in spoken English. Deaf blind guests may request tactile interpreting services two weeks in advance. Contact 206-386-4690 or leap@spl.org.

Sunday: Old-time square dancing at Garden House

Put those dancing shoes on this Sunday, January 6, when ROCKiT Community Arts presents an Old-time and Quebecois Square Dance with music by Peckin’ Out Dough and La Famille Leger.

Doors open at 6 p.m. and dancing starts at 7 p.m. at the Garden House, 2336 15th Ave S. Dinner will be available through Beacon Bento. The event is open to all ages ; admission is $7, and kids get in free.

String returns to the Garden House

String, a dance and object theatre show for children ages 2-6, returns to Beacon Hill on December 27 and 30, with daytime performances at the Garden House (2336 15th Ave. S.).

Showtimes will be 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Thursday, December 27, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 30. The 35-minute show will be followed by a Q&A session with performer Mary Margaret Moore. All ages are welcome to attend.

The show’s website describes String thusly:

“Every time that we witness 40 children focusing on the noise of a paper bag, we are deeply touched. Their deep concentration is truly magical.

“To create for children is to challenge them. In String, we stretch their capacity to decipher emotions. Small details, a raised eyebrow, a pinky movement, is enough to convey an emotion.”

Seats are limited; tickets are available through Brown Paper Tickets.

Save the date: Seattle Mochitsuki 2012

Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church at 3001 24th Ave. S. invites the community to Seattle Mochitsuki 2012 on Saturday, December 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mochitsuki is a Japanese tradition of preparing mochi (餅, pounded rice cakes), which is a vital part of the New Year’s Day celebration. Making mochi is a lengthy and strenuous process, but it’s also a time for socializing with friends and family.

The church says:

“It is said that rice or gohan translates to “honorable food” and it therefore purifies the body and encourages wealth for the New Year. Come and take part in this cool Seattle cultural celebration and enjoy good health and wealth wishes while learning about historical and current mochi making!”

The event is free (except for the food truck at the site) and open to all ages. Besides hands-on mochi making, there will also be taiko (Japanese drumming) performances, kids’ activities, samples, and a display of historic mochi-making tools.

Mochi made during the Mochitsuki will be rolled into bite-size pieces and sold. Due to the strenuous 24-hour labor involved with making mochi, it will only be available through preorder through December 25 at the website or by calling 206-568-7114. One dozen mochi are $6, and a half-dozen are $3.

Wednesday: Las Posadas with food, music, piñatas, poetry, and Christmas lights

This Wednesday, December 12, is El Centro de la Raza’s community celebration of
El Día de la Vírgen de Guadalupe y Las Posadas, with holiday music, food, and the annual tree-lighting ceremony. All are invited and welcome, and the event is free for the whole family.

The event starts at 5:00 p.m. at nearby culinary establishments The Station, Travelers Thali House, and El Sabroso, who will serve hot holiday beverages such as cider, chocolate Mexicano, and Champurrado to enjoy. The Station will also have piñatas made by the Jefferson Community Center Teen Program. Inay’s and Baja Bistro will have samples of food including Filipino pastries and chicken soup. The restaurants will also feature performances by the Seattle Fandango Project and A La Carte.

See a map of all the neighborhood events here.

From 5:30 until 7:30, El Centro opens up with their own selection of free holiday food, a nativity scene, Las Posadas, and a visit from Santa Claus.

Starting at 7 p.m., The Station will remain open for the monthly Beacon Bards poetry event.

The Las Posadas event is sponsored by El Centro de la Raza and ROCKiT Community Arts with support from Beacon Hill Merchants’ Association, Verity Credit Union, Sysco, and El Quetzal.

Tonight: Spice Box celebrates 5 years of Skin Deep Dance

Tonight’s monthly Spice Box show put on by Skin Deep Dance is a special one to celebrate Skin Deep’s 5 year anniversary. The event runs from 7 to 9 p.m. at Skin Deep Dance Studio in the El Centro de la Raza building, 2524 16th Ave. S. #311.

Among the attractions in tonight’s show are art by Melissa Metesh and performances by ModRom Dance Collective, Maureen, Skin Deep Dance, Carly Aniluk, and Sirens of Serpentine (students of Leslie Rosen). The show will be emceed by Sarah O’Brien.

All ages are welcome, and the show is family-friendly. Admission is $10 per person, free for teens and under. Proceeds will benefit Skin Deep’s SEEDs (Self-esteem, Empowerment, and Education through Dance) program. Guests should enter El Centro through the north entrance; elevator access to the top floor is available. Parking is free.

Save the date: Las Posadas and Tree Lighting 12/12

Christmas lights, by Brendan C via Creative Commons/Flickr.
The second annual Las Posadas and Tree Lighting event will take place on Wednesday, December 12, sponsored by El Centro de la Raza and Beacon Hill Merchants. Everyone in the community is invited to this free holiday family celebration, with music, free food, dancing, and the annual lighting of the Christmas Tree. There will also be a visit from Santa Claus.

The event begins at 6 p.m. at El Centro de la Raza, 2524 16th Ave. S.

Come early at 5 p.m. for piñatas at The Station coffee shop, across the street at 2533 16th Ave. S. The Station will also host this month’s Beacon Bards poetry reading at 7 p.m. that same evening, with poets Kary Wayson and Melanie Noel.