Drivers, builders, and spectators gathered on Grover Street in Friday Harbor Sunday, May 19 for the fourth running of Island Rec's famous Hill of Thrills Soap Box Race. A wide variety of designs and materials went into the creation of the homemade non-motorized contraptions.
The theme for the 2019 Fourth of July parade in Friday Harbor is “Parade of Stars”, past and present. The event has been rated one of the top 10 small town 4th of July celebrations in the USA.
Photo and slideshow from 2018 4th of July Parade. Matt Pranger photos
San Juan Island boys and girls scurried over the driftwood at Jacksons Beach on Easter Sunday hunting for the 1,500 brightly dyed eggs. As they've done for the past 25 years, San Juan Island's Firefighter Association hosted their annual Jacksons Beach Easter Egg Hunt.
The sun was shining, the colorful dyed eggs were hidden in the gardens, the Easter Bunny and the Carrots on hand, and dozens of children were waiting at the rope lines. The annual Easter Egg Hunt at Roche Harbor Resort started promptly at 1 p.m. and it wasn't long before the first golden egg was found.
Georgia Vanderyacht won the jellybean jar and a $100 bill by guessing almost exactly the number of jellybeans. Photos by Sharon Kivisto
After the Friday Harbor Kiwanis team finished in second place in the 2018 Knowledge Bowl, team member Brandon Cadwell immersed himself in the game show Jeopardy to prepare for the 2019 competition. It paid off as the team - Cadwell, Nancy Fusare, Beth Eden, Lowell Jons - won the 25th Annual San Juan Public Schools Foundation Knowledge Bowl.
We're Number 1.
Signs, songs and speakers - it was the third Annual Women's March in Friday Harbor. About 250 people gathered to listen and to march on Saturday, January 2019. Former San Juan County Commissioner Rhea Miller was the main speaker. After Miller's speech, Sharon Abreu from Orcas Island led the crowd in singing a new song by Susan Osborn entitled "Chain of Life".
The Town of Friday Harbor sparkled with holiday lights again this year. Festivities kicked off with the Festival of Lights tree lighting sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, The Whale Museum and Island Rec. Village at the Harbour welcomed crowds to their Holiday Open House. Santa showed up at several events. The Farmer's Market celebrated the season.
We hope you enjoy the slideshow. Photos by Matt Pranger and Sharon Kivisto
Friday Harbor sparkled with a myriad of holiday lights throughout the month of December. Festivities at Brickworks, The Whale Museum, Village at the Harbour and at Memorial Park were just some of the activities. Santa made several appearances. We hope you enjoy the slideshow.
Tacos, hotdogs, Fred Flintstone, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, plenty of princesses, soldiers, muscle men and unicorns wound their way through downtown Friday Harbor Wednesday morning for the Friday Harbor Elementary School's Annual Halloween Parade. A video is posted at the bottom of this page and also on Youtube
Kids from Lighthouse Preschool enjoyed watching the bigger kids parade by.
Matt Pranger Photos
We've posted slideshows of the Friday Harbor 4th of July Parade, the prize-winners, and the Pig War Picnic. Here's one last slideshow of the crowds watching the parade. Scroll down for our favorite video from the parade - the Seahawks Blue Thunder drum line.
The San Juan Island Kiwanis hosted the annual Pig War Picnic right after the 4th of July Parade in Friday Harbor. Islanders and visitors gathered on the grounds of the San Juan Historical Museum on Price Street.
Friday Harbor's 4th of July parade was emceed by Alan Budwill, STAR 101.5 morning show host, and started with a flyby of Island Air Ambulance planes. Seventy-three entries traveled slowly down Spring Street which was lined by crowds of visitors and residents. Video of American Legion Post 163 Firing Squad at bottom of page.
San Juan Island Chamber of Commerce organized the parade and awarded eight cash prizes.
Martin Clunes, star of Doc Martin, is filming a documentary in the islands. He and his film crew were at the Friday Harbor 4th of July parade.
Doris Shaller and Martin Clunes in front of The Little Store in Friday Harbor.
Film crew (center back) at the 2018 Friday Harbor 4th of July Parade.
Fifty-five students graduated from Friday Harbor High School Saturday, June 0, 2018. With a C.S. Lewis quote on the backdrop - "There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind" - the class participated in the traditional graduation traditions.
ASB President Hallie Hargrove welcomed everyone. Emma Carpenteria took everyone through the class history detailing when each student joined the Class of 2018. Class Salutatorian Laurel Robertson gave a speech entitled "How Far We've Come", valedictorian Zach Fincher's speech was called "Island Life."
The community showed its outstanding support of education as it took about an hour for dozens of scholarships to be presented. Friday Harbor High School Principal Fred Woods and counselor Gordy Waite handed out a series of scholarships before representatives from local businesses and non-profits took the stage and awarded more.
The slideshow drew the usual cheers as photos of each student as a child and young adult were shown on the large screen accompanied by a lively and poignant soundtrack.
Photos by Sharon Kivisto
Then it was time for the diplomas. Woods, Superintendent Dr. Danna Diaz, and School Board member Sarah Werling-Sandwith handed out the diplomas and shook the graduates hands. Woods' daughter Kiana was one of the graduates.
A very short video of the graduates throwing their mortarboards is posted at the bottom of this article.