Big Plans for Rebecca Howard Park Honoring Olympia’s Black History

Plans for Olympia’s Rebecca Howard Park, named for a Black pioneer and pillar of the community in the city’s early days, would transform the downtown green space into a cultural hub including a covered stage, layers of public art, multiple gathering spaces and even a café.
The café, envisioned as a public-private partnership, would be the first of its kind in an Olympia park. Plans call for another first: a festival street — which functions like a plaza and is easily closed off for festivals — along 9th Ave. SE between Adams and Franklin.

Olympia Is Searching for Next Poet Laureate

Since 2017, the City of Olympia Poet Laureate has used the written word as a frame to explore timely topics, facilitate community conversations and revisit local landmarks and landscapes. This spring, the City of Olympia is searching for the next Olympia Poet Laureate and is inviting members of the public to submit applications for the position.

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