root beer float

Summer Scoops: The Best Frozen Treats in Olympia

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 …

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Weekend Preview: May 26, 2017

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 …

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craft-brewed beer

SPSCC Launches Craft Brewing and Distilling Program

by Jennifer Crain for OLY ARTS In fall 2017, South Puget Sound Community College will launch craft brewing, cider making and distilling programs. The curriculum is designed to equip students with an understanding of the science and craft of beverage creation and a solid footing in business fundamentals, production and regulation. “The students who come …

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Lacey Spring Fun Fair

Pure Entertainment at the Lacey Spring Fun Fair

by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS Each year, Lacey residents ready themselves for a weekend jam-packed with every form of entertainment imaginable. Food, crafts, live music, giveaways, local vendors, car shows, you name it: The Lacey Spring Fun Fair brings it all to Saint Martin’s University every year. The intent is to strengthen community pride …

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La Petite Maison

Fine French Cuisine at La Petite Maison

by Jennifer Crain for OLY ARTS In a little house on Olympia’s west side, Justin Wells creates cassoulet, chateaubriand and morel tarts while Zoe Wells welcomes diners looking to celebrate an anniversary or enjoy a solo meal over a glass of Beaujolais. La Petite Maison, which the couple started six years ago, has received praise …

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Norway Day, photo by Joanne Gray

Norway Day in Lacey

by Jonah Barrett for OLY ARTS Jippi! Norway Day returns to Thurston County, going strong in its 11th year. Guests are encouraged to attend the annual festival to experience Nordic culture, kindly hosted by the Sons of Norway and Daughters of Norway. “We just love putting on Norway Day, and we hope the public loves …

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Capital Food & Wine Festival 2016

Capital Food & Wine Festival 2017

by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS The Capital Food & Wine Festival is an annual 501(c)(3) fundraiser for Saint Martin’s University. Al Eckroth, director of the first and second installments, describes it as “a huge annual block party, where neighbors and friends unite in a spirit of community.” He says the festival “began in 1989 …

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Lacey Ethnic Festival

Lacey Ethnic Celebration 2017

by Adam McKinney for OLY ARTS Humans, of all animals, are encoded with the unique ability to be as connected or as separated as they choose. In these days, it’s not so easy to differentiate between the two; the internet, among other modes of communication, has enabled us to be more involved with each other, …

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Our Table

Cooking From Scratch at Our Table

by Jennifer Crain for OLY ARTS Since the summer of 2015, Our Table co-chefs and owners Mike Holbein and Brad Thompson have been building their farm-to-table restaurant the same way they build their meals: from scratch. They started small, selling bar-friendly food with a local twist through a window that links their downtown space with …

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Ricardo's Restaurant

A New Location for Ricardo’s Restaurant

by Jennifer Crain for OLY ARTS Ricardo’s Restaurant moved to a new location this summer, with a larger dining room and options for private dining and events. Rick and Marie Nelsen’s popular Lacey steakhouse is known for its beef, dry-aged in house. The Nelsens serve rib eye, New York strip and filet mignon. “We also …

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