by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS While Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer across the U.S., our community takes full advantage of the long weekend by honoring its maritime roots each year at Olympia Harbor Days. It’s an annual festival celebrating tugboats and maritime heritage in Puget Sound. Presented by the Olympia …
by Kelli Samson for OLY ARTS If there’s one thing summertime loves, it’s a festival. It seems there’s one for everyone’s interests. There are beer festivals. There are barbecue festivals. There’s a mushroom festival. There are festivals celebrating farm-fresh food. There’s even a festival celebrating … sand. But don’t forget the garlic. Yes, there’s a …
by Jennifer Crain for OLY ARTS On August 10, the doors to the New Orleans-inspired Tipsy Piano Bar will open. The downtown venue will feature Southern and Southwest cuisine and a lounge-style dining room designed for easy conversation. In the newly renovated space, patrons will sit at candlelit tables and order drinks from a granite-topped …
by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS Every year in the first week of August, the Thurston County Fair arrives in Lacey for a period of five days. Guests from all over Thurston County are attracted to the event, with about 28,000 attending overall. The fair is a family-oriented endeavor. Crowds attend to experience a lick …
by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS Perhaps making up for the pervasive aroma of fertilizer wafting from its mushroom farm in Lacey, Ostrom’s is one of the primary sponsors of the Pacific Northwest Mushroom Festival. This year the event marks its 10th anniversary, and it’s grown — well, like a mushroom. Proceeds benefit Boys & …
by Kelli Samson for OLY ARTS The Lacey Chamber of Commerce hosts the South Sound BBQ Festival as a finale to Lacey Days. This will culminate the celebration of the city’s 50th anniversary. For fans of traditional, slow-cooked barbecue or anyone who ever wanted to be in an eating contest, this event is not to …
* Current 2018 Fireworks information here * 2017 Article on Tumwater Artesian Festival by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS Every Fourth of July the city of Tumwater pulls out all the stops. Start with the obvious: The Thunder Valley Fireworks Show is, according to festival organizers, the biggest in Thurston County. It’s certainly impressive …
by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS Looking for something to do this weekend — or any other weekend, for that matter? There’s a veritable festival happening year round at The Olympia Farmers Market, said Mary DiMatteo, the market’s community-outreach manager. “We have live music, food, ice cream, seven distinct restaurants and over 100 vendors from …
by Jennifer Crain for OLY ARTS Downtown choices for cold treats range from Olympia-made gelato to diner-style sundaes. —– Grandpa’s Soda Fountain Ice Cream Shop Drue and Larry Brown’s 1950s-style shop features a long bar where customers order banana splits, dipped cones, floats, milkshakes and sundaes. It typically has nine flavors of hard ice creams …
WEEKEND PREVIEW is your weekly guide to events in Thurston County. This week, Olympia’s musical season ramps up with show-stopping concerts all over town. And don’t forget the EGYHOP fundraiser this weekend, either, where you can enjoy everything the local arts scene has to offer while supporting a worthy cause. Click here to listen …