Repair Events
At community repair events, skilled volunteer "fixers" try to repair and mend small household and personal items.
King County-sponsored repair events
The 2024 season has ended for King County’s free community repair events. The King County repair events season runs from March through September. When 2025 King County repair events get scheduled, they will be posted here. For the list of other non-King County repair events in the area, or for more info about the King County-sponsored program (for next year), see below.
Other repair events in and near King County
Other area organizations also offer repair events or gatherings, in these communities. These are all separate from the King County-sponsored repair events, and operate differently.
Contact these organizations directly (not King County program coordinator Tom) for more info about these events:
- Federal Way – South King Tool Library – Next event: Saturday, Oct. 12, 10am-2pm
- Seattle – Capitol Hill Tool Library – Next event: To be announced
- Seattle – Phinney Neighborhood Association – Monthly, first Wednesdays, 3-6 pm, Greenwood Hardware
- Seattle – West Seattle Tool Library – Weekly, Wednesdays, 5:30-7:30 pm
- Shoreline – Shoreline Tool Library – Monthly, third Wednesdays, 5-8 pm
- Tacoma – Tacoma Tool Library – Weekly, Thursdays, 4-5:30 pm, Moore Branch Tacoma Public Library
- Vashon Island – Vashon Tool Library – Next event: To be announced
How can I participate in a King County-sponsored repair event?
To bring in an item to be looked at, at King County’s free community repair events: There are no reservations or appointments, but an advance sign-up gives priority over “walk-ins” or second items. One signed-up item per event per person.
To request an advance sign-up for a specific King County-sponsored event (not other program’s events), or if you have questions, contact event coordinator Tom at tom.watson@kingcounty.gov or at 206-477-4481. Emails are best. In your message, specify the event you wish to attend, and the kind of item you have.
Also contact Tom if you’re interested in being a volunteer “fixer” for this program. However, there are currently very limited openings for new fixers (no openings for most events), and no openings for volunteers of other types.
What can I bring to a King County-sponsored repair event?
Items our fixers can potentially work on at these repair events include household and personal items that are small enough to be carried in by one person, including certain electronics, small furniture, and clothing/textiles. Items brought in for repair, including clothing, must be clean.
We may decline to work on any item - in advance or at the event - depending on the item, the type of repair needed, the fixers available, or for other reasons.
Items we can’t work on include: Anything that uses gasoline; cell phones; microwaves. Also, no lengthy reconstructive repairs; no major clothing alterations; no knife or tool sharpening.
For many types of items, area businesses offer repair services for a fee. These businesses are listed in the King County repair businesses directory, which has 18 different categories. Support those businesses, if you can!
Program partners
- King County Library System
- The Bellevue-based Chinese youth organization Little Masters Club
- Bellevue-based Indian American Community Services
Past King County-sponsored repair events
The King County repair events program has held 87 free repair events, in 27 different cities and communities in King County. Previous events and locations are listed below.
- March 19, 2024 – Des Moines Library
- April 21, 2024 – Burien Library
- May 11, 2024 – Tukwila Community Center
- June 8, 2024 – Kirkland Library
- August 10, 2024 – Skyway Library
- Sept. 7, 2024 – Bellevue Library
- March 15, 2023 – Burien Library
- April 22, 2023 – Kent Library
- May 20, 2023 – SeaTac Community Center
- June 27, 2023 – Bellevue Library
- July 8, 2023 – Issaquah Library
- Aug. 2, 2023 – Renton Library
- Sept. 23, 2023 – Burien Library
- March 26th, 2022 — Kent Senior Activity Center
- April 23rd, 2022 – Pacific Community Center
- May 14th, 2022 — Redmond Community Center at Marymoor Village
- July 26th, 2022 – Auburn Library
- August 10th, 2022 – Kent Library
- August 30th, 2022 – Shoreline Library
- Sept. 10, 2022 – Bothell Library
- June 19, 2021 – Kent Senior Activity Center
- July 22, 2021 – 21 Acres Center for Local Food & Sustainable Living, Woodinville.
- March 9, 2019 – Steve Cox Memorial Park, White Center
- March 23, 2019 – Bothell Library
- April 2, 2019 – SeaTac Community Center
- April 9, 2019 – Kent Library
- April 27, 2019 – Kirkland Library
- May 9, 2019 – Fairwood Library, Renton area
- May 20, 2019 – Pacific Community Center
- May 29, 2019 – Bellevue Library
- June 19, 2019 – Sammamish Library
- July 2, 2019 – Auburn Library
- July 20, 2019 – Sno-Valley Senior Center, Carnation
- July 31, 2019 – Shoreline Library
- Sept. 4, 2019 – Burien Library
- Sept. 10, 2019 – North Bend Library
- Oct. 5, 2019 – Steve Cox Memorial Park, White Center
- March 7, 2018 – Pacific Community Center
- March 24, 2018 – Steve Cox Memorial Park, White Center
- April 7, 2018 - Duvall Visitor & Community Center
- April 10, 2018 - Covington Library
- April 18, 2018 – SeaTac Community Center
- May 10, 2018 – Muckleshoot Library
- May 16, 2018 – Renton Library
- June 12, 2018 – Kent Library
- June 23, 2018 – Redmond Library
- July 10, 2018 – Auburn Library
- July 17, 2018 – Skyway Library
- Aug. 16, 2018 – Des Moines Library
- Sept. 8, 2018 – Steve Cox Memorial Park, White Center
- Sept. 22, 2018 – Woodinville Library
- Sept. 25, 2018 – Burien Library
- Jan. 26, 2017 – Auburn Library
- Feb. 4, 2017 – Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Kirkland
- March 1, 2017 – Burien Community Center
- March 22, 2017 – Skyway Library
- April 8, 2017 – SeaTac Community Center
- April 17, 2017 – Bellevue Botanical Garden
- April 22, 2017 – Steve Cox Memorial Park, White Center
- May 6, 2017 – Issaquah Library
- May 22, 2017 – Federal Way City Hall
- May 31, 2017 – Renton Library
- June 24, 2017 – Newport Way Library, Bellevue
- July 13, 2017 – Shoreline Library
- Aug. 26, 2017 – Kent Library
- Aug. 29, 2017 – Greater Maple Valley Community Center
- Sept. 6, 2017 – Kingsgate Library, Kirkland (moved from Bothell Library)
- Sept. 13, 2017 – Auburn Library
- Sept. 25, 2017 – Enumclaw Library
- Oct. 7, 2017 – Woodmont Library, Des Moines
- Oct. 21, 2017 – Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Kirkland
- Oct. 25, 2017 – Federal Way City Hall
- Feb. 25, 2016 – Kent Senior Activity Center
- March 14, 2016 – Federal Way City Hall
- April 2, 2016 – Renton Community Center
- April 7, 2016 – Kent Senior Activity Center
- April 26, 2016 – Seola Gardens Community Center, White Center
- May 24, 2016 – Federal Way City Hall
- June 11, 2016 – Seola Gardens Community Center, White Center
- June 15, 2016 – Kent Senior Activity Center
- July 12, 2016 – Renton Farmers Market, downtown Renton
- Aug. 13, 2016 – Valley Ridge Park, SeaTac
- Aug. 20, 2016 – Marymoor Park, Redmond
- Sept. 10, 2016 – Steve Cox Memorial Park, White Center
- Sept. 26, 2016 – Federal Way City Hall
- Oct. 4, 2016 – Kent Senior Activity Center
- Oct. 10, 2016 – Bellevue Botanical Garden