Fiddle dee dee. Old-Time Fest brings acoustic music to Olympia this weekend

Molly Gilmore
·3 min read

Time for Old-Time

The 14th Oly Old-Time Festival is happening again Friday through Sunday, Feb. 16-18 — and that’s just one sign of just how vital the local old-time music scene is. It seems that the genre is only getting bigger hereabouts. (How big is it? Even the Crypt had an old-time show last month.) The fest’s Friday concert — the main event and a good starting point for those who want just one helping of traditional tunes — features the Nokosee Fields Trio, led by multi-instrumentalist Fields, a former classical musician known for carrying the Cherokee fiddling tradition into the present day; Steamboat, a Nashville-based trio that focuses on playing the music of unheralded female musicians; and There She Goes, a duo whose music blends fiddle, driving guitar and vocals. Also planned for the weekend are a Saturday afternoon family dance, a Saturday night square dance and Cajun dance, a Sunday cabaret and lots of workshops. Concerts and dances are at the South Bay Grange, 3918 Sleater-Kinney Road SE, and workshops are at the grange and Arbutus Folk School, 705 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia. Tickets for Friday and Saturday evening events are $20 each, with children 12 and younger admitted free. Other events are free.

Zoey Matthews of Olympia, right, stars as Jonas in “The Giver” at Lakewood Playhouse. The cast also includes, from left, Whitney Shafer, Ben Stahl and Olive Dustan.
Zoey Matthews of Olympia, right, stars as Jonas in “The Giver” at Lakewood Playhouse. The cast also includes, from left, Whitney Shafer, Ben Stahl and Olive Dustan.

Local talents shine in Lakewood

Olympia’s Zoey Matthews, a sixth-grader at Washington Middle School, is starring in Lakewood Playhouse’s “The Giver,” on stage through Feb. 25. Zoey, who appeared in Harlequin Productions’ 2023 “A Christmas Carol” and 2022 “Fun Home,” plays Jonas, the lead character in Eric Coble’s adaptation of the Newbery Award-winning book by Lois Lowry. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 16-17, plus Feb. 23-24, and 2 p.m. Sundays, Feb. 18 and 25, at the playhouse, 5729 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd. SW, Lakewood. Tickets are $23-$29. Also in the spotlight in Lakewood is Erik Fremstad, an artist who moved to Olympia in May. Fremstad’s “Unnatural Selections,” animal portraits that are not only incredibly detailed but also exhaustively researched, are on view from Friday, Feb. 16, through April 7 at Lakewold Gardens. There’s an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, when admission is free. The exhibit also can be seen during regular hours at the gardens, 12317 Gravelly Lake Drive SW, Lakewood. Admission is $6-$12, with members and children 5 and younger admitted free.

Erik Fremstad works on “Canis Lupus,” now on view at Lakewold Gardens. The image is made up largely of words, information about the species and the way it has been threatened by humans.
Erik Fremstad works on “Canis Lupus,” now on view at Lakewold Gardens. The image is made up largely of words, information about the species and the way it has been threatened by humans.

Folk-soul duo at Traditions

Singer-songwriter Reggie Garrett, who describes his music as urban acoustic folk-soul, and cellist Christine Gunn are giving a concert Saturday, Feb. 17. Garrett moved to Olympia two years ago and teamed up with Gunn, formerly of the Gravity Quartet. But the two first collaborated three decades ago, when Gunn provided cello tracks for Garrett’s second album. “We’ve only just gotten around to working together as a duo,” Garrett said. “We both wonder why it took so long for that to happen.” The concert is at 7 p.m. at New Traditions Fair Trade, 300 Fifth Ave. SW, Olympia. Tickets are $18-$25, and reservations are recommended. Call 360-705-2819.

Freelance writer Molly Gilmore talks about what’s happening around town on KGY-FM’s “Oly in a Can,” airing at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Fridays.