What’s happening this week around Thurston County

Monday, Sept. 23

Affirm life by attending a Death Cafe: At a Death Cafe people, often strangers, gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death. The objective is to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives. The Olympia Timberland Library will host this free Death Cafe, which will be a group-directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counseling session. The facilitator will be Glenn Harper, an end-of-life caregiver by profession with an interest in philosophy, religion and the Great Mystery we all face. He believes that, since aging and dying are inescapable, we should learn about, and lean into, these areas of inquiry. The cafe will run from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 23, at the library, 313 Eighth Ave. SE.

Friday, Sept. 27

Learn about Host Homes program with TOGETHER!: The nonprofit’s staff will provide a detailed presentation on the Host Homes Program and how it helps serve youth who are experiencing housing instability in Thurston County, with real life examples from case managers, followed by a Q&A. The event runs from noon to 1 p.m. Friday at the Olympia Timberland Library, 313 Eighth Ave. SE. Host Homes is an option for safe, community-based, short-term host housing paired with youth-driven case management and wraparound support for unaccompanied high school students experiencing housing instability in Thurston County. The goal of the program is to intervene before youth experience chronic homelessness and to help students pursue educational goals, develop, and strengthen life skills, and eventually graduate from the program into safe and stable independent housing.

The Historic Cemetery Tours: Mills & Mills Funeral Home and Memorial Park will be leading free tours of the Historic Pioneer and Union Calvary Cemetery at 3 p.m. Sept. 27, 28 and 29. The Union Pioneer Calvary Cemetery is associated with the earliest period of Tumwater history; some of the first permanent American settlers on Puget Sound, such as George and Isabella Bush, are interred there. Those who attend are asked to donate items to a canned food drive for the Thurston County Food Bank and Pet Supply. RSVP by calling 360-357-7743, and letting them know which day and how many will be in attendance. Gather at Mills & Mills, 5725 Littlerock Road SW, Tumwater.

ABRA Cadabra pays tribute to ABBA: Vancouver, BC’s renowned ABBA Tribute band is coming to Olympia for the first time, with a show at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. The concert is a family-friendly event suitable for all ages, featuring a live band, stunning vocals, captivating dancers, and authentic costumes. Prepare for an interactive stage extravaganza that will have you dancing, singing along, and reliving the magic of ABBA’s greatest hits including Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen, Take A Chance, SOS, Waterloo, Fernando, and more. ABRA Cadabra has been touring worldwide for over 20 years. Tickets are $49 to $69.

Saturday, Sept. 28

Celebrate Lula Fest: The city of Olympia is partnering with Ultimano Comms+ and the Thurston County Chamber of Commerce to host Lula Fest 2024 from 3 to 9 p.m. at Isthmus Park in downtown Olympia on Saturday. The second annual event will be a celebration of Hispanic and Latinx heritage and cultures through live music, vendors, food trucks, custom cars and more. It’s family friendly and free. For more information, visit the Lula Fest Facebook Events Page. Consider taking the bus, riding a bicycle or walking to the event. Hispanic Heritage Month, spanning Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, recognizes the contributions, histories and cultures of Hispanic and Latinx communities in the U.S. It’s been officially recognized since 1988.

3rd Annual Tumwater Falls Fest: Join the fun on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls. Presented by the City of Tumwater and the Olympia Tumwater Foundation with cooperation from The Copper Wolf Tattoo Studio & Gallery, this festival celebrates Tumwater Falls and what it brings to the community. Browse and shop with over a dozen art vendors, hear music on the Forest Stage, sample food from eight local vendors, learn about salmon, participate in children’s activities and more. Get all the details on the City of Tumwater’s website.

Walk to end Parkinson Disease: 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. 28. The goal of the Optimism Walk is to bring the community together and increase awareness of Parkinson’s disease — the world’s fastest growing neurological disease — while raising funds for local programs and services. Sign up today to join the walk at Marathon Park at Capitol Lake on Saturday, Sept. 28. The park is at 1011 Deschutes Parkway SW, Olympia. Check-in and pre-event activities begin at 11:30 am. The walk begins at 1 pm. For more information or to register, go to the Optimism Walk’s website.

Sunday, Sept. 29

Puget Sound Book Artists 13th Annual Members’ Exhibition: This exhibition on the theme of Time Travel will be exhibited at The Evergreen State College Library in Olympia from Sept. 29 to Dec. 20. On display will be a total of 55 artist books from 42 different artists representing all parts of the Puget Sound and the western United States. For more information on the exhibit, email psba.exhibition@pugetsoundbookartists.org or visit Puget Sound Book Artists website: pugetsoundbookartists

First Olympia Tree Hugging Competition: This free event happening from 1-3 p.m. Sunday at Heritage Park (Seventh and Water) is modeled after similar international events in Finland and Scotland. The Tree Hugging Competition comprises three juried events for kids and adults: Speed hugging as many trees as you can for at least five seconds each, within 30 seconds. Freestyle hugging, displaying the most creative hug of a tree (other international competitions include dancing, serenading, reading poetry, etc.) for up to a minute. Dedication/Reverence hugging, which shows the most intention, love and respect to one tree for up to a minute. The competition concludes with awards lovingly delivered by the event judges and then both participants and spectators are all invited to join in a community hug. We’ll create a hand-in-hand hug around a grove of trees to celebrate our gratitude to the Squaxin who stewarded these trees for generations so that we can enjoy them today. To participate, register early — organizers will start a waitlist once 40 people register.

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.