Author: Jenny

Overview

Celebrate the past, experience a reentry simulation, hear stories, and support services for young men reentering their communities!

About the Event
We have exciting news! We are launching a nonprofit called Spír Foundation!

For over seven years, we’ve had the privilege of working with—and learning from—the incredible young men we employ. Together, we’ve logged more than 12,500 hours of employment with 63 young men, been featured in multiple news outlets, and witnessed lives and futures reshaped.

SO MUCH GOOD STUFF.

But along the way we’ve realized something: a job alone isn’t enough. Our guys need—and deserve—support that goes deeper. Transportation, housing stability, mentorship, financial literacy, and mental health resources are critical to successful reentry.

That’s why we’re launching the Spír Foundation, a nonprofit created to expand the support we can offer beyond employment.

What to Expect
This evening will be more than a fundraiser—it will be an celebration and a unique experience. Guests will take part in a reentry simulation, a powerful, hands-on exercise that reveals the barriers young men face when returning to their communities after incarceration.

Following the simulation, we’ll share stories, updates, and the vision for what’s next for Spir Foundation. The night will include drinks, lite bites, and meaningful conversation in a community committed to hope and opportunity.

Details

📅 Saturday, November 15

📍 Cathedral / 5449 Ballard Ave

⏰ 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

👔 Cocktail attire suggested

Next Friday (Nov 7, 2025) at 7 p.m., Seattle Human Rights Commission will be screening a new documentary on eviction and housing, titled Evicting the American Dream. The film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring a variety of voices including elected officials, people with lived experience, and professionals working in housing security.

The event is free and open to the public, although we are requesting that folks register in advance to make sure we have enough space. The venue is fully accessible, and the film will be close captioned.

Specifics: 

When: Friday, November 7, 7:00 p.m.
Where: Kakao, 415 Westlake Ave N

Panelists:

* City Council Member Alexis Mercedes Rinck
* Housing Expert Tim Thomas, PhD
* Organizer  & Social Housing Advocate Jeff Paul
* Housing Justice Project member Vallen Solomon

Featuring:

* Introduction from Director David Barnhart
* Moderated by Phil Lewis

Overview

Get ready for a deep dive into countering right-wing anti-democracy movements with Dr. Joan Braune – it’s time to understand and take action! The free live event is in Spokane, but you can join by Zoom!

Understanding and Challenging Right-Wing Movements Against Democracy

Racism and other forms of oppression and hate are nothing new in the United States. But social movements advocating hate, genocide, and far-right authoritarian politics, have gained increased power and influence through the current Trump administration.

The Trump administration is influenced by multiple social movements that believe the president should be above the law. They believe he should be able to enforce his will immediately, and that he should dehumanize and call for violence against various “enemies.”

Dr. Braune is a scholar of far-right movements, including racist hate groups, fascist movements, and Christian nationalist movements. In this presentation, she discusses the influence of these movements on U.S. politics today and how we can resist.

Dr. Braune takes a “social movement approach.” She sees fascism as a social movement seeking power, always already connected to sources of power. She helps communities think through how to understand the danger and build effective social movements to counter it. She does not claim to have all the answers, but she helps communities understand how these movements operate so that they can think through effective boundaries with far-right groups and consider means of challenging them.

The social movement approach argues that fascism cannot be defeated merely by elections, policing, or dialogue. Rather, fascism can only be defeated through social movements that resist it. The time is urgent to act, and we can all play a role.

There will be time for questions as well as an interactive opportunity to participate in a small group exercise on thinking through social spaces and subcultures we belong to and ways to resist fascism in those spaces.

Dr. Joan Braune (She/Her) is author of numerous works including Understanding and Countering Fascist Movements: From Void to Hope (Routledge 2024) and is co-editor of The Ethics of Researching the Far Right (Manchester University Press 2024) and the forthcoming book, On Christian Nationalism: Critical and Theological Perspectives, which will be coming out in December from Routledge. She has been studying fascism and the far-right for the past eight years and frequently presents to activist groups, faith communities, educators, labor unions, and others.

Washington born Musician Kishi Bashi explores his Japanese-American identity through history, music, and empathy, blending WWII American incarceration footage with personal reflection to link past injustices to today’s immigration issues, guided by “omoiyari” (compassion).

Sustainable Ballard and Center for Spiritual Living Ballard partner with the Meaningful Movies project to present documentaries in our neighborhood.

This event is free to attend, and we gratefully welcome donations to help cover the costs of presenting our films. Thank you for your support.

For more information and to RSVP click here.

Special Guests: Carol Reitz, President of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Community

Intermission Sponsor: Mighty O’s Donuts Seattle’s only all natural donut shop

Visit our workshop booth for short hands-on demos and conversations! All activities are interactive, making it a great stop for curious minds of all ages. Check out the schedule below to plan your visit.

Time	Title	Description
12:00 pm	Paper Pots 3 Ways	Join Ballard Sprouts for a hands-on demo of 3 different ways to make paper pots for veggie starts that don’t like their roots disturbed. Learn which plants those are too! Take home your pots.
12:30 pm
1:00 pm	Bubble Party	Join Jenny Heins, our E.D., to learn how to make a bubblewand from six pack rings and how to make your own party size bubble solution. We’ll try them out and see which style you prefer. Take home your new bubblewand(s).
1:30 pm	Pumpkin Carving	Level up your pumpkin carving with tools you can rent from the Ballard Tool Library! Lead by Ballard Tool Library Manager Kaitlin Gillespie.
2:00 pm	A Waterfront Park in Ballard?	Meet Dave Boyd of Groundswell NW and share your ideas for a new Ballard Waterfront Park!
2:30 pm
3:00 pm

The Sustainable Ballard Festival offers fun and excitement for the whole family, welcoming kids and kids at heart alike to celebrate community and sustainability in style!

Get creative at the Bubble Wand Workshop, where you can craft your very own unique bubble wand. Then, take your creation for a spin with our giant Bucket of Bubbles — watch as colorful bubbles float and dance through the air, creating magical moments for all ages.

Join the thrilling Rubber Ducky Races, where adorable rubber ducks race around the stream powered entirely by solar energy. Cheer on your duck as it glides along the water, and experience the power of clean, renewable energy in action!

Find your rhythm at the Hula Hoop Station, where you can pick from a variety of colorful hoops and swing them to lively tunes. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, this playful activity will have you moving and grooving in no time.

Race to the future with the Solar Race Track, where solar-powered cars zoom around a thrilling track. Choose your favorite model, place it at the starting line, and watch it speed around powered by the sun’s energy — a fast-paced lesson in sustainability and fun!

Finally, savor the flavors of fall at our Apple Cider Station. Roll up your sleeves and help clean fresh apples before feeding them into the grinder. Then, press out delicious, fresh apple juice to enjoy or take home — a hands-on experience connecting you to the season’s harvest and the joy of homemade treats.

Come join us for a day filled with laughter, learning, and lively activities that celebrate sustainability and community spirit. The Sustainable Ballard Festival is a place where fun meets eco-friendly living for everyone!

We’re excited to offer lots of ways for you to share your bounty and walk away with something new to you. Here is the low-down.

SWAPS

🌿 Plant Swap
Bring plant starts and divisions — especially edibles — to share with fellow growers. Take home something new for your garden or windowsill!

🎲 Game & Puzzle Swap
Board games, card games, puzzles (please make sure all pieces are included!). It’s a bring-one, take-one setup — swap and play!

🍎 Apple Exchange
Have an apple tree? Bring your fresh (no windfalls or bruised fruit, please) apples to contribute to our cider mix!
👉 Bring containers to take home about 1 jug of cider per 10 lbs of apples you donate.

DONATIONS

✉️ Free Letters Home
Donate blank cards and postage stamps to help folks reconnect with loved ones through our Free Letters Home program.

🧶 Warmies for Winter
Support the Ballard Knitters by bringing new or gently used:

• Scarves
• Hats
• Mittens
• Socks
• Lap blankets
  We also gladly accept yarn donations.

🪡 Ballard Menders
Got extra thread or sewing needles? Contribute to our Ballard Menders program, which helps extend the life of clothing, backpacks, blankets, and more.

Don’t miss this year’s opportunity to win some really fantastic prizes! For just $5, you could win:

Raffle Prizes

• Bianchi T-Tronik T-Type Green Electric Bike from Electric & Folding Bikes NW (value $2500)

• A pair of tickets to the 10/25/25 Seattle Kraken game from Friend of Sustainable Ballard (value $200)

• One membership to Tilth Alliance (value $96) includes discounts on classes and shopping at Tilth and local nurseries, $10 coupons for Plant Sale & Farm Store, Fast Pass at Tilth Plant Sale & monthly newsletter.

• A gift bag from Firefly Kitchens (2) including Kimchee, Classic Kraut, Mini Salt Assortment & Ruby Red Tonic, in an insulated bag (value $50)

• A Maritime Northwest Garden Guide (value $17) from Tilth Alliance (2)

• A $50 gift card from Town & Country’s Ballard Market (2)

• A $50 gift certificate from New Roots Organics (2)

• A $25 gift card from Limback Lumber (2)

• A $25 gift card from Swansons Nursery (4)

• A $25 gift card from Mighty O Donuts (2)

• A pair of movie passes (value $45) to The Majestic Bay Theater (4) includes popcorn & soda

We have a great schedule planned for the mainstage at the festival. Enjoy great music and raffle drawings all day long. Be sure to get your raffle tickets early because periodically throughout the day we’ll announce the winners of a handful of raffle prizes. See below for the schedule.

Opening	11:15 – 11:25	Welcome Intro to the Festival from Sustainable Ballard
Music	11:30 – 12:30	Jared Elmore Loves Ballard and the kind people here and is so thankful to call this neighborhood and city home. He plays Americana folk music and also original songs.
Raffle	12:30 – 12:45	Raffle Drawing #1
Music	12:45 – 1:45	Mimosa String Quartet These four very talented musicians and are known for playing holiday, pop, Nintendo, Ghibli and more! If you attended our Holiday Party Barter Fair last December at Old Stove Gardens you may have heard some of their awesome music.  They also make babies dance which is quite possibly one of the most joyful things ever!
Raffle	1:45 – 2:00	Raffle Drawing #2
Music	2:00 – 2:45	Music music
Music	2:45 – 3:00	Grand Prize Raffle & Raffle Drawing #3 and Thank You’s all around
Closing & Raffle	3:00 – 4:00	Asher Deever of Old Coast Asher Deaver is a singer songwriter, artist and luthier. He is most known for his role as the lead singer for the indie-rock band Old Coast, and the owner of Blackcap Guitars, a custom guitar shop based out of Seattle, WA.

Our food trucks are also sure to delight!

Kathmandu MoMoCha serves traditional Nepalese dumplings
Black Star Kebabs serves traditional Ghanaian family fare

Meet the Changemakers in Our Community
Sustainable Ballard is proud to support local businesses, organizations, and non-profits that are working every day to build a stronger, healthier, and more resilient community. At this year’s festival, we invite you to explore our exhibitor booths and discover the inspiring work happening right here in Ballard—from environmental advocacy and sustainable products to community services and creative local solutions. Come meet the people behind the projects and see how you can get involved!

See the map below.

Project	Location	Activity
Ballard Food Bank	Booth 10	Play Ballard Food Bank Trivia – answer questions about our main programs and win small prizes! We’ll also have information about volunteering with a particular highlight on our Harvesting program where volunteers help us harvest produce at partner farms.
Chiro One Wellness Center	Booth 1	Offering an overall wellness evaluation, take our self-reported stress questionnaire, and get symptom education.
Citizens Climate Lobby	Booth 8	Play our “Hit a Home Run for the Climate” game. Join us in asking congress to support the Fix our Forest Act.
Crown Hill Chiropractic	Booth 9	Swing by for back screenings and chiropractic education.
Full Circle Farm	Booth 4	Full Circle is an expanded Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program that connects regional, family-run farms with households across the Pacific Northwest. Come sample our produce! Plus a coloring table for kids.
Long Live the Kings	Booth 6	Try your hand at Salmon Ladder Jenga and we’ll have a Survive the Sound coloring activity for the younger kids.
Mimi’s Zero Waste Market	Booth 3	Stop by and play Sea Creature Bingo to win prizes. Plus a Fall-themed craft project making mosaics with dried beans and grains.
Orca Nexus	Booth 7	Take a photo with our zero waste hand-painted 6 ft long Orcas bearing messages about interconnectivity in the environment.
Renewal by Anderson	Booth 2	Try our “axe” throwing game and enter to win a $25,000 window makeover.
Tree Action	Booth 5	We have at least 10 Grand Fir baby trees in pots to give away. More about this underplanted awesome native tree:  Grand Fir – Trees | seattle.gov. We’ll also help people get signed up for our mailing list and share doorhangers we are using to get the word out.

Thanks also to our festival and raffle sponsors: Collins Family Orchards, Electric & Folding Bikes NW, Limback Lumber, Majestic Bay Theatre, Mighty O Donuts, New Roots Organics, Swansons Nursery, Tilth Alliance, Town & Country Markets.