Celebrate July with the Funhouse! | | |
Summer is off to a great start at the Funhouse Commons, and I find myself feeling incredibly grateful for the community that makes this work possible.
On the last day of school, alongside more than 40 amazing volunteers, we hosted our 3rd Annual FunFest. Under sunny skies, the Village Green was packed with children, families, teachers, and neighbors celebrating the start of summer. One of my favorite moments was recognizing and thanking our teachers, administrators, and school staff for the countless ways they care for our young people throughout the year. FunFest is a reminder of what can happen when a community comes together to create joy and belonging.
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| Join us for the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Funhouse Commons! Fiesta de Paella Set during golden hour in the beautiful orchard of Family Tides Farm, this unforgettable evening brings together incredible food, music, and community in support of Orcas youth. Watch giant pans of authentic paella being prepared live before your eyes while enjoying passed appetizers, specialty cocktails, and the vibrant sounds of Spanish inspired music by Gene Nery. The evening also features an exciting live auction filled with spectacular experiences and unique items. With attendance limited to just 150 guests, we encourage you to reserve your spot early for this magical evening under the island sky. | |
Musical Heroes at the Funhouse
Music is happening at the Funhouse this Summer! We are so happy to continue with our Musical Heroes program, and this past Tuesday afternoon, Keegan Gibson was our first one. Keegan is a saxophone player and multi-instrumentalist and a member of the renowned local band "The Studs", among other bands. While Keegan played, the kids enjoyed ice cream sandwiches on the sport court. His sax playing even inspired some dancing. At the end, many kids had questions and told jokes on the mic. Thank you, Keegan!
If you are a local musician and interested in being a Musical Hero, email mary@thefunhouse.org
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Summer Programs
In Session
| Camp Create! is off to a great start - this past week campers rebuilt the shrine for former, loved, Funhouse Programs Director, Darlene Pohl. They did an impressive job of removing all the weeds, loosening the soil, building a border out of bricks and sand, adding new dirt, and planting the plants that they picked out at the Market Garden. Other fun activities throughout the week included: visiting the Food Bank and volunteering, having lunch at the Community Lunch, learning painting techniques from art teacher, Jillian Kelly, making their own sketchbooks and collaging the covers, baking snacks and treats, and recording the first KIXP Youth Podcast with Amanda Sparks, the Executive Director of the Food Bank. Thank you, Amanda and the Food Bank! | |
The Funhouse will be open for Summer Camp Monday-Friday, from 9:00am-5:00pm, starting Monday, June 29th. Campers will participate in structured group activities that include arts and crafts, outdoor play, active group games, messy sensory activities, walking field trips and more. We will break for lunch around noon, and between 1pm-5pm students will enjoy supervised free play and/or continue their games and projects from earlier in the day. Summer Camp is open to kids in 1st-5th grade.
All kids must have completed kindergarten, entering first grade in Fall 2026. PROGRAM INFO & REGISTER HERE
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Summer Play Group is on the move! Playgroup Mondays, 3:00–5:00 PM at the Funhouse, and Traveling Playgroup Fridays, 12:00–2:00 PM at different locations around the island.
As always, Summer Play Group is Free!
| | | | | Does your 11-15 year old love to fish, but can't find a reliable way to get to and from the lake each day? WE GOT YOU! Does your kid have an interest in fishing but doesn't have the gear or know where to start? WE GOT YOU TOO! Every Friday from July 10 - August 21st, the Funhouse is hosting Fishing Fridays. We extended the age range to 11-15 to include more 5th-6th grade students. Middle school aged students (ages 11-15) will meet at the Funhouse at 10am to take a bus either to Cascade or Mountain Lake wth two Funhouse staff members. Students will be back to the Funhouse by 2pm. Email maddie@thefunhouse for more information, or REGISTER HERE! You will also have to sign this TRANSPORTATION WAIVER before your kid is able to ride the bus. This program is free, and we will have fishing supplies to borrow. | | |
The new Rec and Tech Room now has Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros, Just Dance and Wii Sports, along with all the games installed on our NexPlayground console, and the classic arcade games.
The Peach Pit is open this summer for Middle and High schoolers on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so the Rec and Tech Room will be open on Thursdays and Fridays! Come by, drop in, hang out and try our new games!
Mondays 3-5pm (4th and 5th drop in)
Thursdays 3-5pm (MS/HS drop in)
Fridays 3-6pm (MS/HS drop in)
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The Seasonal Skills-Based Mentor Program is a four-month apprenticeship style mentor program. We match youth with artists and makers in the community for one on one weekly sessions in which they develop skills, test out different mediums, and work on a final project that will be displayed at a final showcase.
Our Fall 2026 cohort begins in August and runs until December. Sign up now via the links below! Questions? Contact maddie@thefunhouse.org
PROGRAM INFO & REGISTER HERE
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Congratulations Orcas Island
Highschool Graduates!
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The Funhouse Commons is proud to have awarded scholarships to twelve of this year's hard working graduating seniors- congratulations from all of us at the Funhouse to the entire Senior class of '26- well done!
Funhouse Commons/Daniel & Margaret Carper Foundation - Full Ride
Chloe Anderson-Cleveland
Henigson Public School Scholarship Fund - $12,500 x 4 Years = $50,000
Riley Helms
Island Hardware - Multiple years up to $3,500
Emily Ibarra-Garcia, Yeneisy Marquez Arevalo, Lauro Quintero-Carrion
Realtors of Orcas - $2,000
Gisselle Valladarez Meraz, Emily Ibarra-Garcia
Pichu Fund - $2,000 each
Emily Ibarra-Garcia, Gisselle Valladarez Meraz, Yuri Abril Perez Dominguez,
Yeneisy Marquez Arevalo, Sofia Mahony-Jauregui
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Incoming 6th Grade Family Open House
Families of incoming sixth graders are invited to join us for an Open House at the Peach Pit!
Come meet our staff team, explore the space, and learn what the Peach Pit is all about before the school year begins. It's a great opportunity to ask questions, connect with other families, and see what your student can look forward to this year.
Thursday, August 20th 5:00–6:00 PM
Snacks and drinks will be provided. We hope to see you there!
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Continued from the top:
The week before, we had the privilege of awarding 12 new scholarships to graduating seniors pursuing college or vocational education. Many of them first walked through our doors years ago as children in our afterschool programs. Watching these young people grow into remarkable young adults has been one of the greatest joys of my work. Even more rewarding is seeing many of our former scholarship recipients return to mentor, volunteer, and invest in the next generation. That's the lasting impact of a community that puts their trust in young people.
Summer Camp is now in full swing, and the building is buzzing with energy. We have 25 students making music, a dozen teens creating amazing art through Camp Create, and 35 elementary campers filling each day with adventure, curiosity, and laughter. This week, I also get to drive the bus for one of my favorite programs—Fishing Fridays—where young people spend the day on the lake learning about nature, responsible fishing, and the value of time spent with caring mentors. Afterwards, we are bringing back Teen Nights at the Funhouse in our new Rec & Tech room, and of course, I’ll be making wood-fired pizzas.
Looking ahead, we're excited for our annual Gala at Family Tides Farm. It's more than a fundraiser—it's a celebration of the lives being changed every day through the Funhouse and an opportunity to thank the people who make it all possible.
It takes a Village, and the Funhouse!
Ryan Carpenter, Executive Director
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Another Successful FunFest In the Books
Thank you to all who came out to the Village Green June 17 to help us kick of the summer with this year's FunFest! We had a wonderful turn-out of enthusiastic young people and adults alike, who partook in the multiple sun-soaked activities on the field, including waterslide, bounce house, live music, face painting, and so much refreshing and festive foods of summer!
As with all fun events, FunFest wouldn't be possible with out the help of the dozens of generous volunteers and supporters who made this much anticipated event possible. It takes a village...and that's you!
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