08/30/2026
Vashon Events and King Tide Music Team Up for 2nd Annual Instrument Library Open House
Free, hands-on event lets the community try instruments — and take one home the same day
VASHON ISLAND, Wash. — August 24, 2026 — Vashon Events, in partnership with King Tide Music, will host the 2nd Annual Instrument Library Open House on Sunday, September 6th, 2026, from 12-4pm. at King Tide Music in downtown Vashon. The free, all-ages event invites the community to explore, play, and even borrow instruments from the Vashon Instrument Library.
This year's Open House marks a new chapter for the event, moving from the Instrument Library's parking lot to King Tide Music's downtown storefront located at 17816 Vashon Highway SW (across the highway from Snapdragon). The move comes out of a new partnership between the two island organizations, aimed at putting the Library in front of more of the community than ever before.
“Our goal isn't just to show off the Instrument Library,” said Pete Welch of Vashon Events. “It's to get instruments into people's hands and let families discover they can borrow one and start playing that day. Partnering with King Tide Music gives us a chance to reach people downtown who might never have found their way to the Library otherwise.”
“Everyone on the island should know about this incredible resource,” said Shawn Carkonen of King Tide Music. “We're proud to partner with the Instrument Library and help more people discover it and use it.”
Throughout the afternoon, visitors can enjoy instrument demonstrations across strings, percussion, keyboards, brass, and woodwinds; live mini-performances by island youth musicians; an “Ask a Musician” station where volunteers help newcomers pick up an instrument for the first time; and a surplus instrument sale and donation drive, with proceeds supporting the Library. Community members are also invited to borrow — and take home — an instrument that same day.
Vashon Events has spent years connecting island youth with music, from opener spots at the Red Bike to creating and maintaining the Youth Stage at Strawberry Festival to partnering with Sharing the Stage. Today, the majority of the Library's reach — 84 percent — is youth, with 42 percent identifying as low income and 22 percent as non-white, reflecting the Library's role as a genuine access point to music for island families. The program has been featured on KING 5 Evening.
The Instrument Library Open House is free and open to all ages. Learn more at vashonevents.org.
About Vashon Events
Vashon Events is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to building community and supporting artists and musicians. We provide an information hub about events and happenings on Vashon Island and programs that support arts and local music. We believe that keeping Vashon Island vibrant means supporting our local businesses, musicians, and artists.
About King Tide Music
King Tide Music offers new and used LPs, CDs, and cassettes, instruments and gear, music accessories, stereo equipment, and music books. Our mission is to help people discover new artists and genres, and to support musicians of all skill and experience levels by providing affordable equipment and a welcoming space where creativity and collaboration is encouraged.
