Festivals & Community Events

2010 Festivals and Community Events

Festival and entertainment links are provided as a convenience only. This service is not an endorsement or recommendation by the City of any of these sites, the materials published on or through the sites, or the organizations' activities.

The festivals and events listed by month are permitted and/or sponsored in some way by the City of Olympia.

January 

February

• Saturday, February 6:  ETHNIC CELEBRATION in downtown Olympia at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts. Sponsored by the City of Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation Department. Experience It! (In 2011, the Ethnic Celebration will move to The Worthington Center at St. Martin's University with a new date in January and new sponsorship by the City of Lacey.)

March

April

• Saturday, April 17:  YMCA HEALTHY KIDS DAY (10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.), 500 block of Franklin Street in front of the downtown Olympia YMCA building. Sponsored by the downtown Olympia YMCA.
• Friday and Saturday, April 23-24:  SPRING ARTS WALK at various locations through out downtown Olympia. Sponsored by the City of Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation Department and the City of Olympia Arts Commission. Experience It!
• Saturday, April 24:  PROCESSION OF THE SPECIES in downtown Olympia. Sponsored by Earthbound Productions. Held as part of the City of Olympia's Spring Arts Walk.
• Sunday, April 25:  DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL at Port of Olympia Plaza in downtown Olympia. Opening ceremonies at 9:00 a.m. Sponsored by St. Martin's University.

May

• Saturday and Sunday, May 1 and 2:  SOAP BOX DERBY Legion Way between Central and Eastside Streets. Sponsored by Kitsap Soap Box Derby Association; organized by an Olympia High School student as an Eagle Scout project.
• Saturday and Sunday, May 8-9:  OLYMPIA WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL (Mother's Day weekend) at Percival Landing Boardwalk, downtown Olympia. Sponsored by the Olympia Wooden Boat Association.
• Saturday, May 8:  THE WALL SPEAKS in downtown Olympia in the parking lot at southwest corner of Capitol Way and State Street. A celebration event for the Olympia-Rafah Solidarity Mural Wall Project, co-sponsored by the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace & Justice, the Olympia-Rafah Association, and the Break the Silence Mural and Art Project.
• Sunday, May 16:  CAPITAL CITY MARATHON. Start and finish in downtown Olympia at Sylvester Park. Sponsored by the Capital City Marathon Association. Ranked by Marathon Guide as one of the top 30 races to run for a qualifying time for the Boston Marathon.
• Saturday, May 22:  ARTISTS GARAGE SALE (10 am - 3 pm) at the National Guard Armory, 515 Eastside Street SE, Olympia. Sponsored by the City of Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation Department and the City of Olympia Arts Commission. Experience It!
• Saturday, May 22:  PIG RUN CAR SHOW (3:30 - 9:00 pm) on Chestnut Street between 7th and Legion, adjacent to Dickerson's South Bay BBQ. Car show and display of vintage vehicles. Sponsored by Capital Clubhouse.

June

• Friday, June 11: HERSHEY TRACK MEET FOR KIDS at South Sound Stadium, 4301 6th Avenue NE, Lacey. Sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Departments from the Cities of Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater and Thurston County. Experience It!
• Saturday and Sunday, June 12-13: CAPITAL CITY PRIDE FESTIVAL AND PARADE at Sylvester Park, downtown Olympia. Sponsored by the Rainbow Coalition/Capital City Pride.
• Saturday, June 19: IMAGINATION CELEBRATION - Jump into Reading, Performing and Creating, from 1:00-5:00 p.m. on 9th Avenue next to the Olympia Timberland Library (downtown Olympia, 313 - 8th Avenue SE). Entertainment, Kids Activities, Special Guests. Sponsored by South Sound Reading Foundation, the Olympia Timberland Library, and the City of Olympia.
• Saturday and Sunday, June 19-20: OLYMPIC AIR SHOW, Olympic Flight Museum as the Olympia Regional Airport, 7637 A Old Hwy 99 SE.
• Saturday, June 26: CAPITOL CRITERIUM bike race on a scenic .7 technical course on the State Capitol Campus and Capitol Way in Olympia, with races from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sponsored by the Valley Athletic Club Race Team.
• Thursday thru Sunday, June 24-27: GREATER OLYMPIA DIXIELAND JAZZ FESTIVAL, The Worthington Center at St. Martin's University, 5300 Pacific Avenue SE, with a free outdoor performance at Olympia's Farmer's Market on Friday, June 25 at 11:00 a.m. Sponsored by the Greater Olympia Dixieland Jazz Society. Admission fee.

July

• Wednesday evenings July 7 thru the month of August: MUSIC IN THE PARK at Sylvester Park, downtown Olympia. Sponsored by the Olympia Downtown Association.
• Saturdays, 11:00 a.m., July 10 thru September 25:  PUBLIC ART WALKING TOUR. Tours are about 1.5 hours long. They leave from the corner of 4th and Water Street by the mural of the big waves and head west over the bridge. Presented by the City of Olympia Olympia Arts Commission.
• Wednesday thru Sunday, July 14-18: CAPITAL LAKEFAIR FESTIVAL AND PARADE (5 day festival; parade on Saturday of the Festival). Main venue at Heritage/Capital Lake Park, downtown Olympia. Sponsored by Capital Lakefair.
• Friday thru Sunday, July 23-25: WASHINGTON STATE SENIOR GAMES (July 23-25, 2010). Various venues in Thurston County/Olympia. Sponsored by Puget Sound Senior Games.
• Saturday, July 31: BON ODORI (4:00 -9:00 p.m.) at Heritage/Capital Lake Park and Water Street, downtown Olympia; Lantern ceremony as West Bay Park. Co-sponsored by the Olympia-Kato City Sister City Association, the Fellowship of Reconciliation, and the City of Olympia.
• Saturday, July 31: OLYMPIA TRAVERSE, various locations in Thurston County and Olympia, ending in downtown Olympia on Jefferson Street adjacent to the Fishtale Pub. Multi-sport challenge including mountain bike, trail run, road bike, paddle and trek. The paddle will launch from Olympia's new West Bay Park; the park will be open that day, but parking lot is reserved for Traverse use.

August

• Wednesday evenings during August: MUSIC IN THE PARK at Sylvester Park, downtown Olympia. Sponsored by the Olympia Downtown Association.
• Saturdays, 11:00 a.m., July 10 thru September 25:  PUBLIC ART WALKING TOUR. Tours are about 1.5 hours long. They leave from the corner of 4th and Water Street by the mural of the big waves and head west over the bridge. Presented by the City of Olympia Olympia Arts Commission. Experience It!
• Saturday, August 7 (10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.): SAND MAN CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION at Port Plaza in downtown Olympia. Celebration of the Sand Man tug's 100 years of service to Olympia and Puget Sound. Entertainment, food booths, maritime heritage displays. Sponsored by the Sand Man Foundation.
• Saturday, August 21: PET PARADE (10:00 a.m.) in downtown Olympia, parade ending at Sylvester Park. Sponsored by The Olympian newspaper.
• Friday, August 27 (6:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.): COMMUNITY FLAPJACK BREAKFAST on 7th Avenue in front of the Capital Clubhouse, 617 7th Avenue SE. Community gathering event sponsored by the Capital Clubhouse, serving Rasberry Pancakes, sausage, juice and coffee for a $5 donation.
• Friday thru Sunday, August 27-29: SAND IN THE CITY at Port Plaza and adjacent streets, downtown Olympia. Sponsored by the Hands on Children's Museum.
• Saturday and Sunday, August 28-29: OLYMPIA HEMP, LOVE AND FREEDOM RALLY at Heritage/Capital Lake Park, downtown Olympia. Sponsored by Oly Hemp Fest Committee.

September 

• Friday thru Sunday, September 3-5: OLYMPIA HARBOR DAYS (Labor Day Weekend) at or near Percival Landing Boardwalk and Columbia Street in downtown Olympia. Sponsored by the Sound Sound Maritime Heritage Foundation.
• Saturdays, 11:00 a.m., July 10 thru September 25:  PUBLIC ART WALKING TOUR. Tours are about 1.5 hours long. They leave from the corner of 4th and Water Street by the mural of the big waves and head west over the bridge. Presented by the City of Olympia Olympia Arts Commission. Experience It!
• Saturday, September 11, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.: A TABLE FOR OLYMPIA. Community potluck in downtown Olympia on 5th Avenue between Franklin and Washington Streets. Sponsored by the Volunteer Center of Thurston, Mason and Lewis Counties and the Olympia Action Network.

October

• Friday, October 1: FALL ARTS WALK at various locations in downtown Olympia. Arts Walk is sponsored by the City of Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation Department and the City of Olympia Arts Commission. Experience It!
• Monday, October 4: THE POET'S JOURNEY - AN EVENING WITH EDGAR ALLAN POE. Free community event at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts. Sponsored by the Timberland Regional Library, in cooperation with the City of Olympia, the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, and the Northwest Playwrights Alliance.

November

• Sunday, November 28: DOWNTOWN FOR THE HOLIDAYS CELEBRATION AND PARADE (Sunday after Thanksgiving) at Sylvester Park and Capitol Way in downtown Olympia. Entertainment, tree lighting, and holiday parade. Sponsored by the Olympia Downtown Association.

December

• Saturday, December 4: OLYMPIA TOY RUN MOTORCYCLE RALLY (1st Saturday). Gathers at South Sound Center, with road rally to downtown Olympia. Sponsored by the Olympia Toy Run Coalition.

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Other Olympia Calendars of Events

Olympia event calendars are also published on the following websites:

• Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater Visitor and Convention Bureau
• Olympia Downtown Association
• Radio station MIXX-96
• Everyday Olympia

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Olympia Entertainment

• Capital Playhouse
• Dixieland Jazz Festival (early July) - Worthington Center, St. Martin's University
• Harlequin Productions
• Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts at South Puget Sound Community College
• Masterworks Choral Ensemble
• Olympia Farmers Market (April-December)
• Olympia Film Society
• Olympia Little Theatre
• Olympia Symphony Orchestra
• Theater Artists Olympia(TAO)
• The Evergreen State College Performing & Media Arts
• The Washington Center for the Performing Arts

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Olympia Performance Space

The Olympia Arts Commission publishes a listing of rental spaces available for rehearsals and performances.