August 5, 2026 — Revisit the ’70s or the ’90s and Try Traditional Dances
Pictures of Lennon
May Pang— John Lennon’s personal assistant and his girlfriend in the early 1970s — will be in Olympia Tuesday, Aug. 11, and Wednesday, Aug. 12, to show and sell photos of the legendary musician and songwriter. The exhibition, “The Lost Weekend: The Photography of May Pang,” will be at The Artists Gallery (http://www.theartistsgallery.com) in the Capital Mall, 625 Black Lake Blvd. SW, Olympia. Pang will be at the gallery from 1 to 7 p.m. both days to meet customers and share stories of her time with Lennon. The exhibition’s stop in Olympia coincides with the digital release of the 2022 documentary “The Lost Weekend: A Love Story.” (The Lost Weekend, as Lennon himself called it, was an 18-month period from 1973 to 1975, during which Lennon, then drinking heavily, separated from wife Yoko Ono and lived with Pang). The documentary reveals that Ono suggested Lennon live with Pang, who encouraged Lennon to reconnect with his family and friends during their time together.
Join the dance
Olympia’s Bon Odori, a secular version of a Buddhist holiday honoring the ancestors, is a joyful and gentle celebration centered around folk dances. “I love how multigenerational it is,” said event organizer Reiko Callner. “For me and so many others in our somewhat scattered Japanese-American community, it’s a unique opportunity to get together and feel truly connected to our roots.” Experienced dancers, dressed in colorful traditional yukata, lead the simple, repetitive dances — and they are hoping you’ll join them, though you’re also welcome to simply watch. The dances, accompanied by taiko drummers, are inspired by everything from coal mining to fireworks to samba. Also part of the event, happening Saturday, Aug. 8: drumming and dance performances, aikido demonstrations and food vendors. The free festival begins at 5:30 p.m., with participatory dancing from 7 to 9 p.m., in front of the Center for Student Success (Building 22) at South Puget Sound Community College, 2011 Mottman Rd. SW, Olympia.
Also set for Saturday — and also focused on drumming and dance — is Lacey’s first West African cultural event. The celebration, hosted by the Women’s Dignity School, will feature master drummer and dancer Manimou Camara, who leads Seattle’s Dounia Djembe. Camara, who is from Guinea, will perform and teach dance during the free celebration, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Huntamer Park, 618 Woodland Square Loop SE, Lacey. Also on the menu: a chance to try traditional West African peanut sauce.
The new oldies
Seattle’s 90s Rewind, playing Friday, Aug. 7, in Olympia, doesn’t call itself an oldies band. But the very existence of a band dedicated to re-creating the music of an era underlines just how long ago it was. (In this case, it’s been 27 years.) As if that weren’t enough, the group’s website (https://www.90srewindmusic.com) dubs the ’90s “the best decade in music history,” exhibiting the kind of nostalgia endemic to the rapidly aging. The tunes — by the likes of Alanis Morrissette, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Weezer — will begin at 7 p.m. at the Port of Olympia’s NorthPoint, 1210 Marina Drive NE, Olympia, with food trucks and a beer garden open at 6. It’s part of Summer Nights at the Port (https://portolympia.com/community/summer-events-at-the-port/).
Molly Gilmore intends to go to the Pang exhibition if only so that she can be one degree of separation from Lennon, McCartney and company.
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