What’s happening this week around Thurston County
Saturday, Sept. 23
Lula Fest celebration of Hispanic arts and culture: Presented by Ultimano Comms+, the Olympia Downtown Alliance, and the City of Olympia, Lula Fest will bring people together in a family-friendly community celebration of Hispanic arts and culture from 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the corner of State Avenue and Washington Street in downtown Olympia. It will feature live music by Terror/Catus, The Bridge Music Project, Anjali Silva, Pretty Funked Dub, and Malo Castro and WEPA. There will be food vendors, a beer garden and custom cars. Admission is free.
League of Women Voters New Member Orientation and Refresher: Meet new members and get your “league on” getting to know each other and engaging your interests and passions to help make democracy work. The event will take place from 4-6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23 at Panorama’s Pavilion Building, 1716 Sleater Kinney Road SE (adjacent to Panorama’s Convalescent & Rehab Center) in Lacey.
Elvis Presley tribute concert: Seattle Elvis impersonator and tribute artist Robbie Dee has been an Elvis fan ever since seeing the movie “Blue Hawaii” as a teenager growing up in Edmonds. He and the Graceland Station Band will take the stage at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23. The two-hour show will span Elvis’ career from the 1950s to the 1970s. Tickets are $50 and $29.50. The center is at 512 Washington St. SE.
Sunday, Sept. 24
Screening of the silent movie “Peter Pan”: The Washington Center’s rare screening of the classic 1924 silent film version of J. M. Barrie’s world-renowned stage play “Peter Pan” will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24, at the center, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. The film will feature the center’s house organist Dennis James performing his solo organ transcription from his painstaking reconstruction of the original orchestral musical score that accompanied the film when it was first released nearly 100 years ago. Tickets are $21 or $26.
Wednesday, Sept. 27
Candidate Forum for Olympia School District Board Directors: Meet all six candidates for the three open Olympia School District Board of Director positions. The League of Women Voters forum begins at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, at the Olympia Timberland Library, 313 Eighth Ave. SE. It will be recorded by Thurston Community Media. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask the candidates questions.
Welcome to Medicare Zoom Presentation: This presentation at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, is an introduction to options for new Medicare beneficiaries. It covers Parts A and B, Medicare Advantage Plans, Part D Prescription Plans, Medicare Supplements and Programs available to limited-income beneficiaries. To get a Zoom link, email jrich@southsoundseniors.org or call and leave a message at Senior Services SHIBA program at 360-586-6181 ext. 134. A registration link will be sent to you.
Saturday, Sept. 30
Tumwater Falls Fest: This annual celebration of the season and of Tumwater Falls as a sacred and historically significant place runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls. It is presented by the City of Tumwater and Olympia Tumwater Foundation with cooperation from The Copper Wolf Tattoo Studio and Art Gallery. Grab a cup of coffee and take a stroll through the luminous park grounds as music plays on the main stage. Or bring the entire family. Kids are invited to join a printmaking workshop, and have their faces painted. All ages are welcome to attend an educational talk by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife about the return of salmon or watch a stone carving demonstration. The event will also feature local artists, makers, food vendors, and a Stream Team scavenger hunt. The park is at 110 Deschutes Way SW, Tumwater. Admission is free.
Nisqually Watershed Festival: The 34th Annual Nisqually Watershed Festival is an annual celebration of nature featuring art, discovery, music, science, and family fun at the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. Among the festivities happening between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. will be live performances, displays from local organizations, an Insect Extravaganza, storytelling, and more! There will be multiple snack and lunch options (all cash only) available including a salmon barbecue. Watch a salmon dissection, listen to traditional stories, learn about reptiles, tour the refuge trails, make a salmon lifecycle keychain, and bring a T-shirt to make a fish print. Entrance is free all day. Festival parking will be at the Hawks Prairie Park-n-Ride, 2548 Hogum Bay Road NE, with a shuttle to the refuge running every 15 minutes.
Procession of the Species kick-off gathering: The gathering is planned for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Olympia Armory Creative Campus, and will highlight ways to get involved in producing the 2024 Procession next April 26-27. This free event will include early-bird tours of the future Procession studio from 10 to 10:45 a.m., and the chance to playfully drum and dance with SAMBA OLYWA from 1:15 to 2 p.m. Find more information at procession.org or contact Eli Sterling directly at agatemoons@yahoo.com
Celebrate 30 Years of Olympia Tree Love: Olympians love trees and 2023 marks the City’s 30th consecutive Tree City USA Award from the Arbor Day Foundation for ongoing work to protect and conserve Olympia’s urban forest. As part of this, the City and partners host Arbor Day events each year to celebrate the forests and plant new trees for future generations. Join this celebration at Squaxin Park at the Rose Garden shelter from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30. There will be an “Ask-an-arborist” booth, Pacific Northwest plant giveaways, and kids activities, and you can share your vision for Olympia’s natural environment by 2045. The program will begin at 11:30 a.m. A work party will take place from noon to 2 p.m.; sign up in advance (volunteer.olympiawa.gov) and plan to arrive at the Squaxin Park Rose Garden shelter by 11:30 a.m.
Parkinson’s Disease NW Optimism Walk Olympia: Create a team, join a team, or sign up as an individual walker for the American Parkinson Disease Association’s Northwest Optimism on Saturday, Sept. 30. The goal of the Optimism Walk is to bring the community together and increase awareness of Parkinson’s disease while raising vital funds for local programs and services. The walk will take place at Marathon Park at Capital Lake, 1011 Deschutes Parkway SW, Olympia. Check-in and pre-event activities begin at 11:30 am. The walk begins at 1 pm. There is no fee to sign up and do the walk, but donations are apppreciated. For more information or to register go to bit.ly/Opt_Walk23Olympia
2023 Reach the Beach ride: Reach the Beach Washington welcomes riders from across the PNW on Sept. 30, to enjoy a fast and flat century ride starting in Lacey and ending with a celebration on the beach in Westport. Riders can choose distance options ranging from 25, 44, 77, or 100 miles. This ride is the signature event of the American Lung Association. The 100-mile start is at Lacey Regional Athletic Center, 8345 Steilacoom Road SE, between 7-8 a.m. The 77-mile start is at Olympia Littlerock Elementary School between 8-9 a.m. The 44-mile start is at Elma High School between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m., where lunch also is provided. Dinner is provided at Westport Viewing Tower between noon and 6 p.m. Transportation is offered back to all starting locations. Admission is $200 per participant.
Would you like to have your event included in our weekly What’s Happening listing? Email the details to news@theolympian.com at least 10 days before the event. Please put What’s Happening in the subject line.
