What’s happening this week around Thurston County

Sunday, March 19

Donut Dash 5K and Free Kid’s Dash: The Club Oly Road Runners invite you to come out and dash for your donut at the finish line of the Donut Dash 5K. The race starts and finishes at Heritage Park on Capitol Lake in Olympia; start time is 9 a.m. There also will be a free 1-mile Kid’s Dash at 8:45 a.m. Registration is $40; all registration is online.

The Jeremiahs extend St. Patrick’s Day into Sunday: The Jeremiahs, an award-winning Irish band, will share songs and tunes that feel traditional yet contemporary when they perform at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 19, at New Traditions, 300 Fifth Ave. SW, Olympia. With two members from Dublin and two from Brittainy, their musicianship creates a backdrop for them to share their stories and tunes with humor and joy. Admission is $28, or $18 for those with low income.

Monday, March 20

Fundraising concert and documentary screening for Olympia Jazz Central: This fundraiser for Olympia Jazz Central (OJC) will help the nonprofit return to programming regular live jazz concerts in Olympia. The event, at 7 p.m. Monday at the Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave. SE, Olympia, will include the screening of the documentary “True Love” about jazz musician David Lee Joyner, followed by a live performance by Joyner. Admission is by a suggested donation of $25.

20th Legislative District virtual town hall: State Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, and state Reps. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, and Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia, are holding a virtual town hall on Zoom from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. Monday, March 20. Those wishing to attend the virtual town hall must sign up in advance.

Tuesday, March 21

Lacey hosts Black and African American Community Forum: The City of Lacey’s Commission on Equity (COE) will host a Black and African American Community Forum from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 21 at the New Life Baptist Church, 7838 Pacific Ave. SE, Lacey. “The COE is interested in your thoughts, concerns, and recommendations for the City of Lacey,” stated COE chair Cliff Brown. “Your feedback is vital to our work to make Lacey a more welcoming place to live, work, and play.” To learn more about the City of Lacey’s COE and the Black and African American Community Forum, visit CityofLacey.org/COE

Thursday, March 23

Los Lobos with Gaby Moreno: The Grammy-winning East L.A.-bred band Los Lobos returns with special guest Gaby Moreno for a concert at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 23, at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE. Olympia. Mezzanine and balcony seats at still available for $89 and $69 dollars at the Washington Center website.

At Home in the PNW -- A Community Conversation: The Tumwater Timberland Library will host this city-sponsored panel discussion on sustainability and the inner self, answering questions such as: What impact does the environment have on our mental health, and how can we harness environmental design to increase well-being? In what ways do we support our sense of well-being when we contribute to sustainable practices? The free event begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 23, at the library, 7023 New Market St. SW, Tumwater.

Saturday, March 25

Shrink your water footprint: When you think about the water you use every day, do you consider the food you eat, the energy you use, and the products you buy? A water footprint is the total amount of water you use both directly and indirectly. Discover how much water is behind the things you use and create art representing your personal water footprint from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the WET Science Center, 500 Adams St. NE, Olympia. Admission is free.

Birding open house at Kennedy Creek Natural Area Preserve: The Washington State Audubon Society is working to identify the conservation needs of the Kennedy Creek preserve, an important bird area managed by the Washington DNR. To raise awareness, State and Black Hills Audubon are hosting a Birding Open House from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 25, at the Kennedy Creek DNR site, which will coincide with the best tides for observing shorebirds. Come, enjoy the birds, and learn more about this South Sound gem. The location is 1350 SE Old Olympic Highway, Shelton. Find more information on the Black Hills Audubon website.

South Mason Youth Soccer’s 11th Annual Kids Egg Hunt: South Mason Youth Soccer gets a jump on Easter with this egg hunt for kids 11 and younger at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, March 27, at the South Mason Soccer Field, 2100 E Johns Prairie Road, Shelton. Egg dashes will be divided into five age groups, and 20,000+ eggs will be filled with candy, toys, free stuff and discount cards from local businesses. The Easter Bunny will be there for photos. There also will be door prizes, raffles and a concession stand. Admission is $6 per child (no cost for adults). For more information, contact Kim Morris at 360-229-6211. Get tickets in advance on the Armstrong Community Outreach Foundation website.

Advanced Bird Photography: Head to the Puget Sound Estuarium at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 25, for an Advanced Bird Photography Workshop with local photographer Bruce Livingston. Attendance for this event is on a first come, first served basis, so come early to ensure a spot! The cost to attend is the price of admission to the Estuarium. Livingston is a retired wildlife biologist and has been an avid birder since the early 1970s. He was hired by the Washington Department of Natural Resources to survey the Northern Spotted Owl, and has since worked with other threatened and endangered species including the Marbled Murrelet. His talk will cover camera gear, camera settings, focus settings, best times of the year and day, weather conditions, and locations to photograph birds and other species. The estuarium is at 309 State Ave. NE, Olympia.

Sunday, March 26

Temple Beth Hatfiloh’s Blintzapalooza: Blintzapalooza will be back in a limited way from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, March 26 in the Temple Beth Hatfiloh parking lot at the corner Eighth and Franklin in downtown Olympia. The temple will be selling frozen bagged blintzes; cost is $25 for a dozen, $5 for fruit topping, and $1 for hot coffee to go. Just show up (drive, walk, bike, bus, pogo stick) and purchase on site — no need to order ahead. First come, first served, so get there early! Total net proceeds go to support Interfaith Works for its work to serve the unhoused and Quixote Village tiny homes. This year the temple will sponsor at least one and maybe more tiny homes in Quixote Village Olympia; each sponsorship of $1,500 helps maintain one home for a year.

Fellow Pynins folk duo at New Traditions: The Fellow Pynins classify themselves as a New Old World Folk Duo. Bob Boilen of NPR says they create “folk music with a hefty touch of whimsy” as they wield claw-hammer banjo, Irish bouzouki, mandolin, and acoustic guitar. They will perform at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 26, at New Traditions, 300 Fifth Ave. SW, Olympia. Admission is $28, or $18 for those with low income.

Discussion of Mount St. Helens 40 Years Later: As part of Humanities Washington’s free lecture series, Seattle writer and biologist Eric Wagner will discuss “After the Blast: Mount St. Helens 40 Years Later” at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 26, at the

Harstine Island Community Club, 3371 E Harstine Island Road N., Shelton. Mount St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980, killing 57 people and causing hundreds of square miles of destruction. Ecologists have since spent decades studying life’s resilience in the face of seemingly total devastation. Wagner explores not just the surprising ways plants and animals survived the eruption, but also the complex roles that people have played.