Olympia Downtown for the Holidays

by Tom Simpson for OLY ARTS Olympia always welcomes in the new holiday season in style with a joyous celebration full of music, lights and much more. “Downtown for the Holidays” is the annual festive event that welcomes family and friends to the Christmas and Holiday season. This year’s event, created by the Olympia Downtown …

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A Stroll through Providence Christmas Forest

by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS In its 30th year, Providence Christmas Forest is a different kind of winter wonderland — a forest of trees and wreaths decorated in themes from traditional to surprising. One tree will have a NASCAR theme, while another will be inspired by Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are. The …

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The Pumpkin House

by Ned Hayes for OLY ARTS Pumpkin carving is an annual tradition at the Halloween season. In Olympia, the act of pumpkin carving has become a refined art form for one family who have become legendary for their devotion to the practice. At the “Pumpkin House” in the South Capitol Neighborhood, the Sheeran family create and display …

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Poet Nikkita Oliver Returns to Olympia for 2017 Women of Achievement Celebration

by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS In November, YWCA Olympia is welcoming back nationally known slam poet Nikkita Oliver to Olympia. Last spring, Oliver was keynote speaker at the YWCA’s inaugural Racial Justice Summit. This fall, Oliver returns for the Annual Women of Achievement Celebration at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts. The event will …

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OLY ARTS Podcast Samples

OLY APPETIZER (Weekly Local Food Overview) (90 SECOND VERSION) OLY ARTS – SOUND STAGES (Weekly Theater Overview) (90 SECOND VERSION) OLY UPDATE (Weekly Arts Overview) (90 SECOND VERSION) For full podcast versions, see this page

OLY ARTS Editorial Change

OLY ARTS announces the departure of long-term managing editor Christian “Carv” Carvajal, who served as the publication’s founding editor. Carvajal leaves a healthy, vibrant and well-regarded publication for a full-time position in communications management. Publisher Ned Hayes stated: “OLY ARTS readership will miss Carv’s insightful editorial skill, and I will miss my right-hand man who executed brilliantly …

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"Street Love," mixed media by Evan Clayton Horback

Welcome to Fall Arts Walk 2017

OLY ARTS is very happy to be the print-media sponsor for Olympia’s Fall Arts Walk 2017.  In 2017, Fall Arts Walk and Procession takes place on these days: Arts Walk – Friday Oct 6 (5 p.m. – 10 p.m.) Arts Walk – Saturday Oct 7 (noon – 5 p.m.) Jazz Walk – Saturday Oct 7 …

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Jazz Walk

Even More Spectacle at Jazz Walk

by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS When Arts Walk ends, Jazz Walk begins. The second-annual Olympia Jazz Walk, a fundraiser for the nonprofit JazzClubsNW, is timed to keep the festival atmosphere going late into Saturday night with live jazz throughout downtown Olympia. “The idea is to make the Arts Walk and the great spectacle that …

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Olympia Peace Choir

Community Peace Walk at Heritage Park

by Karen Lunde for OLY ARTS From the earliest tribal welcome songs to anti-war and protest anthems, music has given a powerful voice to messages of peace. The Olympia Peace Choir, a community chorus over 100 members strong, will carry that tradition on with its first-ever Peace Walk. Choir members have invited the community to …

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The REDS

Fiddle Fest Keeps It Traditional

by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS Within the citywide celebration that is Arts Walk, there’s nestled a mini-festival with a focus on the fiddle. Fiddle Fest, scheduled for the Friday night of fall Arts Walk, has since 2004 been a showcase for traditional music — an art with a long history. “Traditional music hasn’t always …

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