Your March Newsletter is Here!

Spring is here, and you know what that means—birds are singing, lawnmowers are humming, and at the Funhouse, we’re making some joyful noise of our own!

The Richie Moore Song Shop is officially open! The guitars are out of storage and proudly hanging on the wall, ready to be plugged in and played.

Music is in the air! Pedro is leading beginner group guitar and SongLab, while Mary is teaching 2 Violin classes, Ukulele, Kids Chorus, and Music with Miss Mary. That’s 7 amazing music classes. And remember, no one is ever turned away due to financial need. We offer sliding scale pricing and full scholarships to make sure everyone can join the fun!

In addition to all the music programming, so much more is happening.......

Science Saturdays are back! Our TFAB (Teen Funhouse Advisory Committee) is planning weekly hangouts on Saturday nights with fun SciFi films. It is so great to have youth led programming!

Also, in the month of April our teachers are hosting a science fair project workshop where students can drop in on Tuesdays afterschool to get inspiration and support for their science projects.

Also mark your calendar for Wednesday, April 23rd and our Dia de los Niños celebration at the Funhouse. Food, fun and games celebrating children.

Registration is now open for the 25th Anniversary Science Fair on May 3rd. This community event celebrates the wonder of discovery and helps empower our future leaders to learn and grow.

Also wanted to share a head’s up that we have begun planning for the 2025 FunFest in the Village Green to celebrate the last day of public school.

New programs coming soon! Get ready for cardboard engineering (yes, it’s as cool as it sounds) and an exciting technology club.

And don’t forget—Summer Camp registration opens on April 1st! Stay tuned for all the details!

And since it’s March, we can’t forget about St. Patrick’s Day! Whether you’re strumming a tune, building something amazing, or diving into science, we hope you find your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow—or at least a whole lot of fun at the Funhouse! 🌈✨

It takes a Village, and the Funhouse.

Ryan Carpenter

Executive Director

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Upcoming Programming

AFTERSCHOOL

MUSIC

This Spring, Funhouse Commons will be proudly continuing its new music program, “Songlab”, running from April 13th to June 4th.

Songlab will be operating in a brand new space at the Funhouse’s— The Richie Moore Songshop, with cutting edge recording gear and a bevy of instruments, both new and donated. Songlab is a music education program where students will learn the art of songwriting and recording. There will be two classes per week geared towards students 12 to 18 years old. Led by local music educator and performer Pedro Lopez De Victoria, Songlab will take students through the process of songcraft, from abstract idea to finished and publishable recording! Also featuring performances and presentations by established musicians.

TEEN

SCI-FI SATURDAYS!

Get ready for the Science Fair on May 3rd by attending our Sci-Fi Saturday Movie Series in April! From 6-7pm, food will be served while we watch a nostalgic episode of The Magic School Bus, then at 7pm, we will watch a Sci-Fi movie, expertly selected by our Teen Funhouse Advisory Board. All ages are welcome to join until 7 to eat and watch Magic School Bus, but the event is 13+ on the nights with a PG 13 film.

Sci-Fi Saturday April Movie Lineup

6pm-7pm Dinner and Magic School Bus

7pm- Movie

April 5- Arrival (PG13)

April 12- Men in Black (PG 13)

April 19- Inception (PG 13)

April 26- Back to the Future (PG)

Middle/High School Open Mic

SEEKING MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL MUSICIANS: The Funhouse is celebrating the opening of our new Music Room and Recording Studio by hosting a free, public Open Mic event for middle and high schoolers. Full bands, soloists, instrumentalists, and small groups are invited to sign up to share 1-4 songs (originals and covers welcome!).

The event will be Friday, May 16th from 7-9 at the Funhouse. We will be taking sign ups for the event up until the week of, but we'd like larger bands or groups confirmed by the beginning of May.

Rainbow Club

Our club for LGBTQIA+ teens and allies continues to meet every other Thursday at the Funhouse from 6-8pm! We eat snacks, chat, and craft together. All are welcome! Upcoming Rainbow Club dates are March 13, March 27, April 10 and March 24.

YOUTH & YOUNG ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES

PEACH PIT UPDATE

Building Update: Meet Olive McKenzie , a talented local student and artist who designed the Peach Pit exterior logo! Once created and displayed, this design will become a permanent feature on the 274 building. We’re beyond excited to see it come to life! Huge congratulations, Olive! This logo will also be featured throughout next school year as part of our tradition to showcase a new youth-designed logo each year.

In Community: When the Peach Pit youth staff were invited to join the OIEF Grilled Cheese Competition, they didn’t hesitate—an enthusiastic “yes” was the only answer! After a full day of pre-grilling, marinating mushrooms, and grating 10 pounds of cheese, Annie and Athena were still all smiles as they served up their delicious twist on the classic sandwich: the “Mushroom Meltdown.” While our team didn’t take home a personal win, it was a true victory for our community!

Youth Development: Sometimes youth development means a professional sharing insights and inspiration with our youth staff, and other times, it’s all about throwing axes! On this particular day, it was definitely the latter! One key concept we’re teaching our youth staff is the “work of leisure”—because, let’s face it, fun is some seriously important work! The best lessons come from hands-on experience, so our “work of leisure team” took on a day of fun in Bellingham. Hopefully, they learned as much as they laughed.

Mark your Calendar and Join Us!

Click here to get on the mailing list to receive your an official invitation with all the details!