On Saturday, March 7, more than 100 people attended our first Fix-It Fair of 2026. Our crew of 20+ fabulous volunteer fixers restored nearly every item to working order. Thank you to all our volunteers, fixers, and apprentices who rolled up their sleeves, kept 160 pounds of previously unusable and often personally meaningful items out of the landfill, and generously shared their knowledge and skills.

In addition to fixing a 3D printer for one family and designing and 3D-printing a replacement knob on the fly, in the Tech Lab, Keith and Nathan hosted fixers Trento, MJ, Shane, and Owen, who tackled a steady flow of lamps and light fixtures.

The Writers’ Studio graciously allowed textile artists Lily, Gusty, and Betsy to use their space, where they mended a dozen beloved items, including cashmere sweaters, scout uniforms, purses, and other items of material and sentimental value.

Meanwhile, Andy, Alec, and Owen took on machining and welding projects in the Metal Arts Studio, including a saw stand, a metal sculpture, a lantern, and other items. A special shout-out to Alec, who answered the call at the 11th hour to keep the studio open during the event.

Down in the Woodworking & Small Boatbuilding Studio, Wayne and Jim helped repair two teak chairs, created missing pieces for a wooden puzzle, coaxed a tabletop loom back into service, and kept several other pieces of wooden furniture out of the landfill through their skilled repairs.

In the General Repairs room, jewelers Karen, Jane, and Sandra fixed treasured jewelry and fine metal items, while Greg, Howard, Bruce, Christian, Brian, and Scott took on squeaky space heaters, a vintage hairdryer, a pooped-out CPAP, RC cars, mixers, vacuums, and much, much more.

Thank you, too, to Anna and Alix for handling registration and helping people get where they needed to go.

Fix-It Fairs are a partnership between BARN and Sustainable Bainbridge, with support from the Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island.

For BARN members with metal items, the Metal Fabrication Studio hosts a free Fix-It Saturday every month. The next Fix-It Fair is Saturday, June 6.

We’re always looking for volunteer fixers and apprentices. If you have repair skills to share, or know a teen or anyone who’d love a chance to build them, this is a genuinely fun way to teach, learn, mingle and give back to the community. Just reach out to Heather or Jenn.