Thurston County, Washington

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Thurston County Washington

Public Works

Fix-it Fair

A community repair event. Get help fixing your broken items and learn valuable repair skills at Fix-it Fair!

What are Fix-it Fairs? 

Fix-it Fairs are free community events that bring together volunteers with fixing skills and community members with broken items. Our volunteer fixers will attempt to diagnose issues, repair, mend, or fix your items while sharing valuable repair knowledge.
 

Why repair?

Let’s rethink our waste! Join us in reducing waste and supporting a circular economy by extending the life of household items by maintaining and repairing them rather than buying new ones. Repair is an empowering practice that can be viable in Thurston County. 

When you repair your items, you are: 

  • Saving money and resources by keeping your items in use for longer. 
  • Building a resilient, sustainable community. 
  • Promoting a neighbor-to-neighbor community that values skill sharing. 
  • Preserving repair know-how knowledge and skills and passing them on to future generations.
     

What to bring

Thurston County residents are welcome to bring up to two items per event. Common items include clothing, textiles, small home appliances, lamps, vacuums, bicycles (minor repairs), and small electronics. You must be able to carry your items in and out – no oversized items. 

Volunteer fixers will do their best to attempt repairs, but there are no guarantees. Some items are more challenging to repair, take longer than we have time for at the event, or even break more during a repair attempt. 

What not to bring 

  • Large appliances and appliances with refrigerants. 
  • Items that are leaking fluids. 
  • Items having noxious or excessive odors. 
  • Microwaves.
  • Items filled with oil or gas. 
  • Grimy, dirty, or hazardous items. 

Check out Repair Reuse Washington’s local repair businesses for specialized or bulky items. Thurston County does not maintain or endorse this list. 

What to expect at a Fix-it Fair 

Before visiting our Fix-it Fairs, please: 

  • Clean your items.
  • Bring any instructions or manuals that you might have.
  • Purchase and bring your repair part. We’ll have some small items available; however, if you require a particular part, we’ll request you purchase it beforehand.
  • Check event-specific information! Each event may have different fixing skills available. We’ll do our best to keep our events webpage updated with current information on skills available. 

At the event, all participants must: 

  • Check in to the event at the welcome table.
  • Participants must check-in 30 minutes prior to the end time of the event. Participants who show up after the 30-minute cut-off will be turned away and asked to attend a future event.
  • Fill out a waiver holding Thurston County and volunteers harmless for any potential damage to your property.
  • Be present during the repair.
  • Checkout at our welcome table, snap a picture of your fixed item, and share! 

Volunteer with us!

Fix-it Fairs are community-powered events. If you have mending or repairing skills that you’d like to share, join us as a fixer! We’re also seeking community partners and volunteers to help run the events. If you’re interested in volunteering or partnering, fill out our volunteer and partner interest form! A Thurston County Recycling and Waste Reduction Specialist will contact you with the next step.

Interest Form

Donate supplies

Do you have extra zippers, buttons, tools, or other supplies to donate to Fix-it Fair events? Bring them to a Fix-it Fair event! You’ll fill out a donation form, and your donated item will be used to fix future items. Thanks for supporting our community repair efforts!

The Repair Reuse Washington's Local Repair Businesses resource provides information related to repair businesses across Washington State for your convenience. Information and links provided do not constitute an endorsement from Thurston County, nor does Thurston County verify information provided by or in third-party links. Thurston County makes no representation or warranty concerning the information's content, accuracy, currency, completeness, or quality. Your use of the database is your agreement to assume all responsibility for the use thereof and to hold Thurston County harmless for any damage or loss arising from such use.