By Alec Clayton The storytellers at StoryOly are at it again. The fourth-annual StoryOly Grand Slam competition will be held at Rhythm & Rye Saturday, September 7. StoryOly is Olympia’s premiere story-slam event. Community members come together every month to share, compete and tell true stories based on a monthly theme. Past themes have included …
By Ellis Boran Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is another amazing film by the Japanese writer/director Hayao Miyazaki. This movie is about Nausicaa, a young woman who risks her life to protect her home in the Valley of the Wind from a toxic jungle. The complicated part of the story is that, even …
By Jonah Barrett When one hears about electronic music, pianos don’t necessarily come to mind. This August, one-man musical project Beetle Box will perform in Olympia for two consecutive days. He’s brought his piano. Beetle Box is the brainchild of John Pennington of Little Rock, Arkansas. A series of piano lessons having ick-started his love …
By Melinda Minton Celebrating its second year, Hoodstock comes with a diverse blend of musical genres with an authenticity and love of artistry for which the event is known — a tapestry of sounds in the surroundings of Hood Canal celebrating local musicians and other artists. Among the local musical talents taking the stage this …
By Ned Hayes and Billy Thomas OLY ARTS celebrates its fourth anniversary of publication and first full year of glossy magazine format with a new online site relaunch. The redesigned site went live July 9 and has already garnered a significant increase in online and mobile readership throughout three Northwest counties, with over 25,000 monthly …
By Molly Walsh “I remember one time,” Walchak-Sloan says, “me and my friend were maybe eight years old, and her babysitter took us to Lakefair. At the fair, it was a big thing to go on the Ferris wheel and look down and see all of Lakefair. It was really big and there’s a lot …
by Ned Hayes Olympia has professional theater, amateur theater, family theater and community theater. Yet we are often bereft of truly experimental genre-busting theatrical adventures. In late July, on one night only, writer/performer/puppeteer and underground wandering clown-minstrel Donna Oblongata will grace Olympia with her presence and fill your need for an experimental journey to the …
By Molly Walsh After encouragement from her leadership teacher and friends who were involved in past Lakefair Courts, Kim decided to take a chance and apply for a position. In addition to travel to other parades, including one in Canada, Kim enjoys the service opportunities provided by being a member of the Royal Court. A …
By Molly Walsh Roebuck, who’s lived in Olympia for over a decade, has not only attended Lakefair but served as part of the festival staff. “I actually worked at Lakefair last year, which was fun,” she says. As a Lakefair princess, Roebuck’s always looking to meet people and make connections with service organizations. A standout …
By Molly Walsh “I’ve been to Lakefair many times,” says Byerly. “It’s what you do in the summer.” A longtime Olympia resident, Byerly often saw princesses on the Lakefair Parade float, never imagining she’d one day be the person waving at the crowd. As a member of the court, she most enjoys the social aspect. …