Late October view from the T Williams Realty office
Fall has always been my favorite time of year and now there’s a reason to love it even more: the Orcas Island Film Festival.
This year’s cinematic lineup at the October 6th-9th event was top-notch, featuring films from all over the globe including many Oscar-contenders that hadn’t yet been released in theaters. I only saw a handful of the 30 films, and though I enjoyed them immensely, what really elevated the experience for me was the energetic buzz among attendees before and after the showings – a feeling of being part of a community that values art and creativity.
So it’s no surprise that the winning local short this year was about just that: two talented musicians growing up on Orcas Island, thriving with the support of mentors in the community. Click below to watch:
It Takes An Island will be shown at the 2018 Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) – the largest and most highly attended film festival in the U.S.!
Orcas is full of feel-good stories like the Litch brothers featured in the film. Our own Sea View Theater is a prime example. A few years ago, the Sea View was in danger of closing its doors after the movie industry converted to digital. The theater’s owner didn’t have the funds required to upgrade the old projector, so in classic Orcas fashion, a fundraising campaign was launched to save the theater.
Today the Sea View provides not only first-run films, but also a stage for live entertainment and local talent. Complementing the world-class offerings at Orcas Center, the Sea View Theater brings the community together to celebrate art and culture, island-style.
See you at the 2018 Film Fest!
Sandi Friel, Realtor®, movie-buff and lover of the simple life on Orcas Island. Contact me to find your way home.
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If you haven’t been to Mount Baker Farm yet, now is your chance!
This Saturday from 10-6, Mount Baker Farm will be hosting a Fall Festival! You won’t want to miss this. Come check out the farm, ride the train, play some games, eat some great local foods, participate in arts and crafts, and pet the farm animals! The weather is looking like it will be a perfect fall day to enjoy outdoors. Kids! Bring canned goods to donate to the food bank and receive 5 tickets to play games!
I’ll be there with a booth for my class at the public school called Farm to Classroom. We will be making bird feeders and leaf rubbings. I’ll be sharing the booth with Chef Zach, also of the public school, who will be selling cups of yummy soup to raise funds for our Farm to Cafeteria program which purchases local products for our school lunches.
Mount Baker Farm was a private estate until it changed hands last spring. The new owners decided to open it to the public and created spectacular camp sites in the back forest. Ruth, Cheryl and Barbara have been working hard since they took ownership to create a spectacular island getaway and local gathering place for our community.
Last spring my students were invited to have train rides and tours of the farm. The excitement was palpable. You see, the children had all heard the train whistle over the years. They could see the track from the county road. The property was surrounded by a fence and large red gates. It was the great island mystery. Our very own Willy Wonka Factory, if you will. When we walked up to the gates for the first time and were greeted by Miss Cheryl on her green cart the kids went wild! Chasing after the cart. Running through the tall grass in the fields. Stopping to stand or lay across the real train tracks! You would have thought we were at Disneyland!
I also had the opportunity to camp during the Farm’s “soft opening”. I was joined by some great friends. A group of four families with young children, we took over the large group area of the camp grounds. We had a fantastic time riding the train, petting the animals, exploring the meadow and the several interesting buildings. Later the mommas walked the entire train track winding through the property. We stopped in the back meadow to play some old carnival games and laughed like teenagers! An evening campfire with s’mores and lots of laughter had us ready for bed. We crawled into our tents and cuddled up under soft white covered comforters and laid our heads on scrumptious sleeping mats- all provided and set up by the Farm. At Mount Baker Farm you can bring all of your own camping gear, or you can rent theirs and they will even set it up for you!
If you haven’t been out to see Orcas Island’s newest community gathering place you must come to see it this weekend. While you are there you can eat good food, play some games and support these local vendors:
