August 5, 2026 — Revisit the ’70s or the ’90s and Try Traditional Dances
Molly Gilmore “Arts Aficionado” #6 — August 5, 2026
— Pictures of Lennon
— Join the dance
— The new oldies
dance
ISM Festival
ISM Festival is a 3 day experimental music / visual / movement / film / performance-art event. It features 80+ performances in 7 venues across Downtown Olympia. ISM was created to catalyze the inventive, experimental performance art that Olympia has historically been known for (worldwide). Some venues are free. Tickets start at $15. All performances …
God Is A Scottish Drag Queen: A Christmas Special
Back by popular demand! God is a Scottish Drag Queen: A Christmas Special returns this December! God, dressed in an all new holiday power suit, returns to set the record straight and expound on everything from the beginnings of Christmas with Yule, Saturnalia and Winter Solstice, to holiday foods, Christmas carols, Star Wars, the true story of …
Parent Toddler Sensory Friendly Dance
This class is for kiddos ages 2-3 who are neurodivergent and/or on the autism spectrum and their caregivers. Please bring headphones for your child if they benefit from wearing them, we will have a few spare pairs as well!
Ballet Northwest’s 55th Season
Ballet Northwest boldly enters its 55th season with highly innovative, inspirational and diverse programming in store. Time flies by quickly, so mark your calendars now. After a performance of Crescendo on October 11, comes The Nutcracker, Olympia’s favorite December tradition that invites the whole family into a land of sweets and all others we create in our imagination. We are excited to give you an inside glimpse into everything that is in store.
Oly Arts Fall Winter 2025 Print Edition
The Fall/Winter print edition of OLY ARTS N0. 34 is published! Here is a list of the articles and where in the Olympia area you can pick up your FREE copy. Enjoy!
The Lacey Cultural Celebration is Coming
There is a world of fun planned for this year’s Lacey Cultural Celebration, happening Saturday, Feb. 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at St. Martin’s University. There will be dance and music, activities for children and adults and food vendors from around the world. Jeanette Sieler at Lacey Parks, Culture & Recreation advises to “come early and plan to stay the whole day … don’t try to do it all in an hour.”
Evergreen City Ballet Embraces a New and Innovative Curriculum
At Evergreen City Ballet, currently based in Renton, Artistic Director Maximiliano Guerra has plans to embrace an enhanced learning philosophy. During the school’s 2024-2025 season, Guerra and the team are establishing a unique curriculum that includes the study of broader topics, with art, history, and classical music to complement instruction in ballet. In December they will be performing Wade Walthall’s The Nutcracker.
MOSAIC: Tacoma’s Arts and Culture Festival Celebrates a Multifaceted South Sound Community
MOSAIC: Tacoma’s Arts and Culture Festival at Tacoma’s Wright Park on July 27 and 28 is a weekend of multicultural music, dance, art, crafts, and cuisine, with an evening movie in the park and a Kids Zone and sprayground. The festival will see a visit from the Mobile Teaching Kitchen, which will provide a preview of culinary courses available through Metro Parks Tacoma.
A Tale of Two Nutcrackers
Both the Studio West Dance Theatre production, opening Nov. 24, and the Ballet Northwest version, opening Dec. 8, are beloved traditions. Studio West first performed the ballet in 2009, and the venerable Ballet Northwest premiered its version in 1983. “There’s always a buzz around The Nutcracker,” said Stephanie Wood-Ennett, the co-director of Studio West. “So many people feel that their holiday is not complete without it.”