Your July Newsletter is Here!

Dear Friends,

First and foremost, a heartfelt thank you to Orcas Island School District, the Funhouse Commons, Peach Pit, Orcas Dance Collective, and every single volunteer who helped make FunFest! 2025 a resounding success!

Thanks to your efforts, everything came together beautifully—and even the weather cooperated—as we celebrated the last day of school and welcomed summer in true island style.  Please checkout Edee Kulper’s blog with lots of fun pictures.

Together, we served nearly 1,000 plates of food, saw hundreds of kids enjoy the bounce house, waterslide, dunk tank, craft zone, and—my personal favorite—the amazing student performances on the main stage. This joyful day wouldn’t have been possible without the time, energy, and generosity of our volunteers and the critical financial support from the Spring Give Orcas Campaign, “Bring the Fun Back.” We are so grateful. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Your Support Matters Now More Than Ever

Due to recent changes in government funding, the Funhouse Commons has lost vital support for our prevention, mentoring, and family programs. While this is a significant setback, we remain deeply committed to our mission and the young people we serve.

Just today, our bus returned filled with excited 12–15-year-olds after the first outing of our new Fishing Fridays program—a much-needed summer activity for middle schoolers who often lack accessible, engaging options during the Summer Break. Programs like this are more than just fun; they are essential.

According to the newly released San Juan County Youth Health Assessment, mental health is the number one concern among young people in our community, with a particularly critical gap in support for 10–14-year-olds on Orcas Island (p. 93). We are working hard to bridge that gap by offering many options such as: Mentoring, Music, Art, Science, Technology (M.A.S.T.), Outdoor Education, and Family Support Services—but we can’t do it alone.

Join Us and Help Keep the Funhouse Strong

The Funhouse Commons has always been powered by community—and now we need you more than ever. Our biggest fundraiser of the year is just two weeks away, and we still have tickets available. We’re hoping for a full house and a night to remember. Please join us in honoring 25 incredible years of nurturing curiosity, creativity, and connection for the young people of Orcas Island—and help us to ensure this vital work continues for the next generation and beyond.

If you believe in growing goodness on Orcas Island and ensuring every young person has the support and opportunities they need to thrive, we invite you to be part of this effort.

It takes a Village, and the Funhouse,

Ryan Carpenter

Executive Director

Upcoming Events

JOIN US FOR OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!

Purchase Tickets Today!

PROGRAMMING

MUSIC

Camp Create is for kids entering 4th-6th grade. Our days will be filled with activities that involve creative exploration through various mediums including music, art, sound, sculpture, gardening, cooking, nature study, collage, writing, theater, and more! We will be going on various walking field trips around Eastsound to engage in new environments, and we will even visit some local artists! This camp will be sure to spark the inspiration of its participants and help them to seek and find new ways to express their abundant creative energy. Scholarships are available. Contact Sarahdavis@thefunhouse.org to arrange.

Attention musical Orcas teens! The Funhouse is pleased to announce the advent of a brand new music program: Academy of Sound. In this two week summer camp, teens will form bands, develop talent, build and perform a live set, and have fun! There will be workshops on everything from music history to making merch, featuring all sorts of musical guests from the community and beyond. The camp will culminate in a big showcase for the public. Inspired by School of Rock. Sign up today!

New to Music? Need to brush up on your skills? The Funhouse is offering a discount on private music lessons for the months leading up to Academy of Sound. Please contact ryan@thefunhouse.org for more information.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Fishing Fridays

Every Friday from July 11-August 29th, the Funhouse is hosting FISHING FRIDAYS! Middle school aged students will meet at the Funhouse at 10am to take a bus either to Cascade or Mountain Lake with two Funhouse staff members. Students will be back to the Funhouse by 2pm.

Email maddie@thefunhouse for more information, and stay tuned for our registration link!

This program is free, and we will have fishing supplies to borrow. Click HERE for registration/permission slip.

TEENS

Direct Animation on 16mm Film Workshop (August 8th)

Build your own 16mm film loop and watch it come to life moments later!

With a sumptuous buffet of materials and tools at their disposal – Sharpies, stamps, pins, steel wool, ink, decorative washing tape, hole punches, and more – students can explore what a variety of techniques and material applications look like when they’re enlarged and set in motion by a projector.

Multimedia artists Paul Siple and Neely Goniodsky of the Northwest Film Forum will lead this workshop, opening with a brief overview of experimental animation, video examples of popular and accessible animating techniques, and then several hours of hands-on experimentation. We will watch what we created the next night at the Teen Film Fest. No previous experience is necessary, and makers of all mediums (ages 13+) are welcome! Register Here!

Teen Film Fest (August 8-9)

Come to the Funhouse on August 8th and 9th for the second annual Teen Film Fest! Our outdoor screening will start at dusk (9pm ish) and will be on the sport court at the Funhouse. We have been working with Orcas Microcinema and the Northwest Film Forum to curate two teen-made films from around the world.

Members of the Teen Funhouse Advisory Board are helping to select the films, stay tuned to find out what we'll screen! We will also show the animation clips that were created in the August 9th workshop (above). 

FEAST/Funhouse Cobb Bench Collaboration (July 22)

F.E.A.S.T. (Food, Education and Sustainability for Teens) has been an incredible collaborative program on the island for years, and we are so excited to partner with them again!

This summer, FEAST is looking for middle and high school aged students to help repair and rebuild the cobb bench at the Funhouse that FEAST teens made back in 2008.

We will repair the bench, have a pizza party, and talk about sustainable building methods. Join FEAST for the rest of the Tuesdays of the summer on field trips to the North Shore Preserve and Buck Bay Shellfish Farm. Email Rosedanie Cadet at rosedanie@noramise.org for registration and more information.

Peach Pit Updates

We’re Open!

The Peach Pit officially opened its doors on the last day of school—and what a celebration it was! Over 60 high schoolers came out to connect with friends, check out the new space, and kick off summer in style. Huge thanks to everyone who’s been a part of our journey, especially our youth staff team who worked so hard to make our launch such a success!

Summer Hours: 

This summer, The Peach Pit is welcoming rising 6th graders through age 20 for a soft opening. Drop-in is Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 12–6 PM for free food, games, and a place to chill. Islanders and visitors are all welcome—bring a friend, or meet a friend, and see what we’re all about!



Save the Date: Community Opening! 

We’re inviting the community to come check-out the Peach Pit on Thursday, August 21st from 5–7 PM. Swing by to learn more about this exciting new space for island youth, meet the team, and enjoy some light refreshments. We’d love to see you there! 274 A Street (above Cons).