Join our friends at the Center for Urban Horticulture’s Elisabeth Miller Library for their upcoming book sale. Opening Night Friday, April 10, 5 – 8 pm (tickets available now!) Public Sale Saturday, April 11, 9 am – 3 pm
Thousands of gently used books for sale on gardening, plants, ecology and related topics. Enjoy the company of fellow plant lovers while shopping for unique horticultural books.
Remaining book sale inventory will be available at discounted prices in the Library Program Room during Library open hours April 13 – 30.
We had a small, intimate crowd for our March Meaningful Movies screening of The Prison Within. The film shared powerful stories of both victims and prisoners navigating healing from past and present trauma so they can move forward.
We were reminded how broken our current incarceration system is, particularly the lack of access to therapy and counseling. It’s estimated that 80–90% of incarcerated individuals experienced trauma prior to committing their crimes—traumas such as child abuse, violence, neglect, and unstable housing. Of the 1.9 million Americans currently incarcerated, about 95% will eventually be released, many without receiving the support they need to heal—often leading them back into the same system. Viewers left with a hopeful message: people can change and heal when given the opportunity and the right resources to create meaningful change in their lives.
Our post-film discussion was especially profound. Nate Stone, founder of Spír Candle Co. and Cathedral, along with his operations manager Shane, walked us through their business model and future vision. Spír exclusively employs young men with histories of incarceration to make candles—providing jobs, mentorship, and a space to breathe so they have the best opportunity to become who they aspire to be.
Every candle sold equals one hour of employment. To date, they’ve surpassed 14,000 hours of employment and have supported 69 young men through the program. While jobs provide stability, safety, income, and skills training, the deeper goal is healing. Many of these young men come from backgrounds shaped by pain and trauma, and each has faced uniquely difficult circumstances.
Spír Candle Co.’s vision is to become the largest candle company in America—not because of the candles themselves, but because of the impact on the young men they employ. Their mission is to build connection, create safe spaces for storytelling, and support healing. In this model, profit becomes a tool for reinvesting in people.
Cathedral & Spír Candle Co. is located at 5449 Ballard Ave NW. You can purchase candles or support their mission at https://www.spircandleco.com. They also offer their space for private events, and you can book an in-shop experience to make your own candles.
Photo Credit Spir Candle Company
Join us next month for two screenings!
On Thursday, April 16, dive into Mission Blue, a documentary following oceanographer Sylvia Earle on a global journey to protect the world’s oceans, featuring special guest Casey McLean from SR3.
Then, on Thursday, April 23, in celebration of National Library Week, we’ll virtually screen The Librarians, a film that takes us across the U.S. as local libraries become unexpected battlegrounds in a national struggle over parental control, intellectual freedom, and democracy.
SB Menders are now opening a second location. In addition to the Ballard Food Bank on Thursdays from 11 -1, we will be working at St Paul’s UCC on 65th and 12th on Wednesdays from 6:15 – 8:15. St. Paul’s hosts the Edible Food Program so we will have a good connnection with people who need us most and we are letting neighbors – especially seniors – know we are available, too. Please share with neighbors and elders in the community who might need mending services. Also, if you’re interested in helping out with this project please email us at VOLUNTEER!
Save the date for this year’s Edible Garden Tour! The tour will be Saturday, June 27th 2026, in the south east part of Ballard (West Woodland).
The Edible Garden Tour team is gearing up to find gardens for the tour. Let Alyssa know if you are south of 67th and east of 15th and would like to be on this year’s tour!
It takes a good amount of planning and volunteers to make this all happen! We have volunteer opportunities, indoor or outdoor, throughout the spring – from walking around to look for gardens, to spreading the word at events, to organizing a raffle, to putting up posters to creating a raffle to day-of set up and staffing. Click here to see available opportunities throughout the year and SIGN UP if you might be interested in helping out.
Sell Raffle TicketsBe a Garden Host!Play Live MusicCheck-in at Loyal Heights Community Center
Mark your calendars! Our 2nd Game & Puzzle Exchange of 2026 is happening Saturday, May 2 from 3–4:30pm at the Ballard Library. Refresh your family’s game collection at this free, community Game & Puzzle Exchange hosted by Sustainable Ballard. Bring a gently‑used board game, card game, or puzzle—and take home something new-to-you! Please remember: it’s a swap, not a donation site. No RSVP needed—just swing by and join the fun! Fun, free, and sustainable for all ages! Questions? Contact Ashlee
Join us for a fun afternoon of celebrating Earth Day while sipping quality locally crafted beers throughout the bustling Ballard Brewery District! This year’s Hop will feature 7 fantastic local breweries: Stoup, Obec, Old Stove Gardens, Fair Isle, Urban Family, Reuben’s, and Rooftop. Get your friends together post Earth Day related work parties or other activities and enjoy some refreshing beverages while supporting all of Sustainable Ballard’s on-going community projects. The Hop is from 1pm-5pm and covers approximately 1.5 miles circuit. Perfect for walking, biking, or hopping! Tickets are $20 for the public and $15 for supporting members. There’s a limited amount of tickets this year so be sure to purchase yours in advance. You don’t want to miss this fun!
Make Friends & Have Fun!Get Your Beer Passport Stamped for Chances to Win Great Prizes!Learn About Sustainable Ballard Projects at Each Hop stopBeautiful Happy Hoppers
Are you new to Ballard? Or have you been wanting to find a way to connect meaningful within your community? Do you need something uplifting to renew your faith in humanity? Already a volunteer and looking for a new fun challenge? Recently retired? Want to make some new friends? If you answered yes to any of these you should plan to join us on Wednesday March 11th from 5:30-6:30pm for a Happy (to Help) Hour at Old Stove Gardens in Ballard.
We’ll share all of the fun, interesting, and impactful work Sustainable Ballard volunteers do in our lovely corner of the Emerald City. Find out what community project/events best match your interest/schedule/skills while enjoying a beverage at one of Ballard’s best breweries. This is an opportunity to get to know some new people, find out more about SB’s work, and just get together with others who care deeply about community and making Ballard a better place to live, work, and play!
Market GleaningSB Festival Green Team VolunteersSprouts Project
Unable to attend but interested in volunteer opportunities? Email Us for More Info! We look forward to seeing you next month.
Do you have a few hours each month to help us post flyers about our ongoing projects and community events? Live in Ballard and enjoying walking around your neighborhood? This is a delightful way to get to know your neighbors and local Ballard businesses while helping us message out our activities. All supplies provided and you can poster whenever your schedule allows. If you’re interested in volunteering please Email Us!
With the increased daylight and Spring just around the corner we wanted to share some opportunities to join us for some fun. Our Ballard Knitters will host their first meet-up of Spring on Tuesday April 7th from 7-9 at Old Stove Gardens Brewery. Come learn to knit, get a refresher crash course, or perfect your already established skills. This is a very friendly group that enjoys socializing while sipping on a bevy and knitting for those in need.
April 16th from 6-8:45pm we’ll be screening MissionBlue which is an incredibly inspiring documentary about legendary oceanographer, marine biologist, environmentalist, and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Sylvia Earle and her campaign to create a global network of protected marine sanctuaries. There will be a post film talk with our friends from SR3 who operate the SeaLife Rescue Center and work tirelessly towards response, rehabilitation and research of our marine life and habitats. This is a great activity in the lead up to Earth Week 2026. Come find out how you can help improve the health of the Salish Sea!
For the 4th year we will hop around the Ballard Brewery district on our festive fundraiser and Earth Day celebration Spring Beer Hop! Join us Saturday April 18th from 1-5pm as we visit local breweries and enjoy tasters while learning about SB projects and efforts to increase sustainable practices within the craft beer industry. Grab your friends, neighbors, beer nerds, or family (bunny costumes encouraged!) and help us raise funds for our many community projects while having a fun time. Get your tickets HARE!
Save the date! Tuesday May 19th our generous friends at Old Stove Gardens will host us for Giving in the Gardens where $1 from every pint sold will be donated to Sustainable Ballard. There will also be trivia with Head in the Clouds. Gather your teams and get ready for a great evening! You can also just pop by and have a pint out in the beer garden. The weather should be pretty nice!
For more info about these events and other fun activities check out our SB Events
Join our good friends at SHCH for a fun community celebration of art, creativity, and the arrival of Spring at the historic Sunset Hill Community Hall!
