Join us for a sweet and silly morning of live theater made just for little ones! Whether it’s your child’s first theater experience or a favorite tradition, we welcome you to come be part of the magic! For toddler’s, preschoolers and beyond! This new, original story by OFT is an interactive theater experience created especially …
Bear’s Souper Sunday Cookbook: Recipes for Hungry Animals is a charming cookbook for the whole family with recipes and stories by Olympia author Chris Hyde and illustrations by Olympia artist Roxanna Groves. The Souper Sunday movement began with an idea that came to Hyde to foster community togetherness and feed his neighbors in a world isolated after the Covid pandemic. What started out as a Facebook group that offered free soup to community members flourished into something bigger including this book.
The purpose of LoveOly, in its third year, is to bring people together and promote downtown. “I love it that we bring the community together right when kids are fresh from the school year,” said Desiree Freeman, executive director of the Downtown Olympia Alliance, which organizes LoveOly. The family-friendly event comes to life June 20 to 22.
by Molly Walsh As the weather grows warmer and days grow longer, the Lacey Spring Fun Fair will celebrate the season with a weekend of entertainment for the whole family. The Lacey Spring Fun Fair takes place Saturday, May 17 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, May 18 from 11 a.m. to 5 …
by Molly Walsh As the pages turn from winter to spring, a series of special events from Olympia Timberland Library will allow attendees to discover regional bands, share their favorite stories, engage in meaningful philosophical discussion and reconnect with their inner child. Programming includes events for infants, toddlers, school-age children, teens, adults and families. According …
Programming for the youngest patrons and their families at Shelton Timberland Library can help jumpstart a lifelong love of reading, learning and community participation. According to Kristine Techavanich, youth services librarian for Shelton Timberland Library, the bottom level of the library is a devoted space for children, tweens, teens and families.
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.”
Olympia Family Theatre, which has closed its adjacent all-ages space and reduced staff hours, is hard at work on raising the money it needs to keep the theater on solid footing going forward. Dean Shellman, chair of the non-profit theater’s board, said, “We’re carefully looking for savings opportunities that don’t change the experience for our audiences and students. OFT provides magical moments for families, and that won’t change.”
by James O’Barr — The recent announcement of the Olympia Family Theater’s 18th season came with an additional proud flourish: The Olympia City Council has awarded OFT two years of funding as one of its Inspire Olympia creative non-profits. The 2024-2025 performance schedule, together with the additional financial support of Inspire Olympia funding, finds the new year at OFT full of high promise, starting with The House at Pooh Corner.
String and Or So It Would Seam: A Giant Puppet Voyage Into the Hidden Universe runs through July 21 in Olympia’s Decatur Woods Park and then tours the Northwest till Sept. 1. You really do want to make time for this confection, packed with visual puns and silly walks. String and Shadow’s worlds of fantasy and fable aim to pluck at the strings of universal wonder, innocence, and joy.