BHM Annual Meeting, Featuring Bainbridge Writer Jonathan Evison, Saturday Feb. 7 at the BARN, Plus History of Island Wine-making Feb. 19.

Members of the public are invited to attend the Bainbridge History Museum’s Free Annual Meeting on Saturday, February 7 starting at 1 p.m. in the BARN’s Great Room with our featured Speaker Jonathan Evison. The History Museum will also be announcing its 2025 History Heroes and our Calendar of Events for the remainder of 2026.

Jonathan is the New York Times Bestselling author of ten novels, including West of Here, Lawn Boy, and most recently, The Heart of Winter. He also hosts the podcast A Fresh Face in Hell, available wherever podcasts stream. He mostly grew up on Bainbridge and still lives on the island with his wife and three kids.

Evison was born in San Jose, California, on September 27, 1968, the youngest of five children. In 1976, his mother relocated the family to Bainbridge Island, Washington, when he was eight years old. According to Wikipedia, he credits his third-grade teacher for making a writer out of him: “A lot of stuff, including my sister’s death, and my parents’ crumbling marriage, made for a rough patch around then. Also, my mania was practically off the charts. I ran my teachers ragged.

My third-grade teacher, Mrs. Hanford, god love her, recognized that I liked to write, so she finally started sitting me in a corner and just letting me write, and in doing so, accomplished two things: She negated a huge distraction for the rest of the class, and she made a writer out of me.”

Several of Evison’s works have been bestsellers and award winners. West of Here became a New York Times bestseller, and The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving was adapted into the Netflix film The Fundamentals of Caring, starring Paul Rudd and Selena Gomez. His writing is widely praised for its deep character development, insight into the American experience, and a blend of humor and heart that resonates with readers.

While Evison is not an historian per se but rather more of an entertaining speaker who will regale the audience with anecdotal stories of growing up on Bainbridge when the island wasn’t quite as sophisticated a place as it is now.

The event is free but space is limited. The BHM urges you to RSVP today: https://www.simpletix.com/e/bhm-annual-meeting-tickets-249396.

BHM Annual Meeting is Saturday Feb. 7, beginning at 1 p.m. at the BARN.

February History Huddle at BHM: Making Island Grown Wines With Betsey Wittick

Bainbridge Vineyards has deep roots in both island agriculture and the Washington wine history. It’s  land its vineyard sits on on Day Road has been farmed since 1928, originally by Japanese American farmer Akio Suyematsu, making it the oldest continuously farmed property in Kitsap County, aside from the years of World War II incarceration.

In 1977, Gerard and Jo Ann Bentryn founded Bainbridge Vineyards, inspired by cool-climate wine regions in Europe and beyond. They released their first estate wine in 1982, becoming the 84th bonded winery in Washington State and helping establish the Puget Sound as a viable wine-growing region.

After the Bentryns’ retirement, longtime winemaker and steward Betsey Wittick took the helm in 2013. Today, Bainbridge Vineyards remains organically certified and deeply connected to the land, producing wines that reflect the history, resilience, and community spirit of Bainbridge Island.

Learn more from Vintner Betsey Wittick at our February History Huddle! The event is free for BHM members and a suggested $5 donation for aspiring members: https://www.simpletix.com/e/history-huddle-making-island-grown-wines-tickets-254499 

What: History Huddle at Bainbridge History Museum 215 Ericksen Avenue NE

When: Thursday February 19, 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m.

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