Garlic adds a little flavor to a weekend full of outdoor music options

Rock (and more) at block party

The South Sound Block Party, a two-day music festival at the Port of Olympia, features a diverse lineup led by eclectic indie outfit Tune-Yards and bluesy singer-songwriter Jake Wesley Rogers, who’s been called “Gen Z’s Elton John.” NPR’s Raina Douris and John Myers compare the music of Tune-Yards, playing at 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25, to “a beautiful but abstract painting.” Rogers, playing at 8:45 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, has attracted the attention of Vogue, whose Lauren Valenti praised his “natural charisma and electric musicality” and compared him to both Elton John and David Bowie. The block party happens from 3 to 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25, and from 1 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, at the port’s NorthPoint, 1022 Marine Drive NE, Olympia. Tickets are $40 per day or $75-$125 for both, with children younger than 12 admitted free.

Get bad breath

OK, it’s true that few people want bad breath — at least not normally. But what if there’s a really good reason? Enter the Washington State Garlic Fest. The fest, happening Friday through Sunday, Aug. 25-27, features live music, shopping opportunities — including a vampire market aiming to repudiate the rumor that garlic repels the undead — and many different garlic-focused dishes, with some being more different than others. There’s garlic ice cream, an old standby at celebrations of the stinking rose, along with garlic shaved ice, smoked garlic heads and deep-fried garlic. The fest is happening from noon to 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27, at the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds, 1909 S. Gold St., Centralia. Tickets are $7 a day or $14 for all three, with children 6 and younger admitted free.

Out in the country

Get out of town this weekend and catch some culture in the country on Saturday, Aug. 26.

• The Olson Bros Band will be playing at Bands @ the Barn at Schilter Family Farm, 141 Nisqually Cutoff Road SE, Olympia. Besides the tunes, the event will offer beer, brats and burgers for sale and kids activities. The festivities are happening from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., and the music will start at 7. Tickets are $16, with children 2 and younger admitted free. Bring a blanket and/or low-backed chair. No outside food or alcohol is allowed.

• Art on the Farm, an outdoor market featuring paintings, pottery, jewelry, folk art and more, is happening from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 8708 Johnson Point Road NE, Olympia. Admission is free, and you’re welcome to bring a picnic. Parking is limited, so organizers ask that you carpool if possible.

Freelance writer Molly Gilmore does love garlic, but only if it’s been cooked. She talks about what’s happening in Olympia and beyond with 95.3 KGY-FM’s Michael Stein from 3 to 4 p.m. Fridays.