What’s happening this week around Thurston County

Sunday, April 13

Step Afrika: This Washington, D.C.-based step-dancing troupe that has toured all over the world is bringing its acclaimed take on percussive dance to Olympia on Sunday, April 13. The 30-year-old company’s work celebrates the art of stepping, in which the performers use their bodies as musical instruments through stomping, clapping and vocalizing. With roots going back to Africa, the dance style was popularized in the United States in the early 20th century by members of African-American fraternities and sororities. The performance is at 7:30 p.m. at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. Tickets are $34-$69.

Tuesday, April 15

“Phantom of the Opera” with live score: The Olympia Film Society will screen the 1925 classic film “Phantom of the Opera” starring Mary Philbin and Lon Chaney, with a live score written and performed by the Invincible Czars. The screening will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, with doors open at 6 p.m., at the Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave. SE, Olympia. Tickets are $15 general admission or $12 for film society members.

Wednesday, April 16

Thurston County Fix-It Fair: Join Thurston Solid Waste and Lacey MakerSpace for the second community repair event at the Lacey MakerSpace at Zaverl Hall on Baran Drive Southeast on the Saint Martin’s University campus. Volunteers will help repair clothing, lamps, housewares, jewelry, small appliances, and bicycles for free. Register online to volunteer or have an item fixed on the county webpage.

Thursday, April 17

48th Arbor Day Celebration: The Olympia Garden Club invites the public to attend its 48th Arbor Day Celebration, at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 17, at the Rose Garden Pavilion in the Memorial Garden in Squaxin Park (formerly Priest Point Park), 2600 East Bay Drive NE, Olympia. The celebration will include planting a tree in cooperation with Olympia Parks and Recreation, a tradition started in 1977. The group also will honor and celebrate the lives of individuals or groups as their names are added to the Memorial Garden kiosks. The Olympia Garden Club provides the service of adding names to the kiosk annually; the public may honor any member/group in the community (living or deceased) who provides (or has provided) a great service to the area. For more information about the Arbor Day Celebration and how to add a name, go to olympiagardenclub.org and click on “Washington Memorial Garden and Arbor Day Celebration”, under Service Projects at the bottom of the page. Cost is $20/line.

Olympia World Affairs Council’s speaker series: The topic of this month’s gathering will be “The War in Ukraine: Prospects for Peace” presented by Rick Lorenz, a retired US Marine colonel and now Senior Peace Fellow at the Public International Law and Policy Group. The meeting will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Lacey Campus of South Puget Sound Community College, 4220 Sixth Ave SE. For more information, go to the OWAC website.

Friday, April 18

Olympia Family Theater presents Magic Curtain Mornings: Olympia Family Theater’s popular daytime performances are back. This series of short, interactive performances is designed for the youngest audiences, offering a playful introduction to live theater. Each show runs under 30 minutes, making it suitable for toddlers, preschoolers, and beyond. Kicking off the series is “Little Red and the Dancing Wolf,” an original play created by OFT’s Education and Production artists. This fresh take on the classic fairy tale brings music, movement, and surprises to the stage. Performances are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. April 18, 25 and 26; doors open at 10:15 a.m. The theater is at 612 Fourth Ave. E. in downtown Olympia. Admission is $5 per person at the door. Get more information at www.OlyFT.org

Community Seed & Plant Swap: Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just getting started, here’s an opportunity to share and discover seeds, plant starts, and gardening tips. Bring seeds or plant starts to share (if you have them -- no contribution required!) and take home seeds and plants to grow in your garden. The event runs from 1-4 p.m. Friday at the Lacey Timberland Library, 500 College St. SE. GRuB (Garden-Raised Bounty) has donated seeds and starts; you can learn more about their work and how to get involved.

Saturday, April 19

Celebrate Earth Day with Thurston County and the City of Lacey: Join Thurston County and the City of Lacey for a fun and educational Earth Day Celebration from 1-4 p.m. at Woodland Creek Community Park, 6729 Pacific Ave SE, Lacey. This event is free and open to the public, and all ages are encouraged to attend. The event is aimed at promoting recycling, waste reduction, and environmental stewardship. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of interactive activities, including LeMay’s Touch-a-Truck and Intercity Transit’s Touch-a-Bus experiences. Both experiences will allow children and adults to climb aboard and learn about the important role these vehicles play in maintaining a clean and green community. Participants also can engage in planting native wildflowers to take home, creating their own reusable beeswax wrap, making their own non-toxic household cleaner, and playing educational games that highlight the importance of keeping our streets and shorelines free of litter. The event also offers an opportunity for attendees to drop off one grocery bag filled with plastic film which will be recycled by Ridwell through a partnership with the deck company, Trex. Visit Ridwell’s website for a list of accepted plastic film items.

Tumwater Arbor Day Plant Giveaway: The City of Tumwater Tree Board hosts its annual celebration of Arbor Day by giving away free tree native plant species that include vine maples, crabapples, red-twig dogwoods, and Saskatoon serviceberries. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Tumwater Historical Park, 802 Deschutes Way SW. The event also includes free tree-related items, activities for kids, tree planting instructions, and tree care information. There are a variety of native plants to take home and plant, but supplies are limited. For more information, email Alyssa Jones Wood at ajoneswood@ci.tumwater.wa.us or call 360-754-4180.

Arbutus Folk School Craft Market Fundraiser: The market will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Arbutus, 705 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia. Purchases directly support the school and team of local makers, and help expand scholarships and outreach, maintain tools and equipment, and increase class offerings. Artists from the Arbutus staff will be offering handmade items such as prints, pottery, painting, decorative tiles, cutting boards, handmade wooden furniture, leather craft, felted art, hand dyed and spun yarn, books, games, masks, and more. The market also will offer gift certificates for community classes in ceramics, woodworking, fiber arts, and more.

Pride Song Walkabout: Treble Voices for Peace, a branch of The Olympia Peace Choir, will gather for a Pride Song Walkabout. From noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, the vocal group will walk and sing around Capitol Lake to support people who are LBGTQIA25+. Meet at Marathon Park, 1011 Deschutes Parkway SW, Olympia. Bring your friends and family. This event is free; donations are always welcome.

Norway Day: Norway Day is a festival filled with Norwegian music, arts and crafts, and an abundance of Norwegian history, genealogy, and foods. The festival will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in the Expo Center at the Thurston County Fairgrounds, 3054 Carpenter Road SE. Admission is $3, with children younger than 12 admitted free with an adult. The event is sponsored by Sons of Norway Hovedstad Lodge #94 and Daughters of Norway Prillar Guri Lodge #30.

Automotive Basics Workshop: Learn the basics of vehicle maintenance from the mechanic team at Busy Bee Automotive, who are passionate about providing accessible auto education for all. They will demonstrate how to replace wiper blades, identify fluids, check tire pressure, and more. A vehicle will be available for hands-on demonstrations. This workshop is for adults and teens age 16 and older accompanied by an adult; it is open to all experience levels. It runs from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the Olympia Timberland Library, 313 Eighth Ave. SE. Space is limited, and registration is required.

Furniture Bank open: The nonprofit all-volunteer Thurston County Furniture Bank is open the first and third Saturdays of every month from 9 a.m. to noon at 2121 Log Cabin Road SE, Olympia. The Furniture Bank building is at the back of the parking lot. Donations of gently used furniture are accepted. Pick up of donations can be arranged but usually takes 3-4 weeks. Those looking for furniture are welcomed. For further information go to Furniture Bank of Thurston County webpage.

Downtown Olympia Spring Cleanup: Calling all downtown Olympia enthusiasts! Join an organized group of volunteers on Saturday who will take on tasks to keep downtown clean and welcoming for all. Sign up in advance to get details on when and where the group will meet. The effort is organized by the Olympia Downtown Alliance.

The Secret Life of Puget Sound: Nearshore habitats are the “nurseries” of the ocean, where many baby fish and sea creatures start their lives before venturing into deeper waters. Investigate what lies beneath the surface with the WET Science Center and the Puget Sound Estuarium with activities that explore the fascinating nearshore habitats of Puget Sound. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at WET Science Center, 500 Adams St. NE, Olympia. Admission is free.

Olympia Yacht Club sponsors Environmental Day, Marine Swap Meet: The Olympia Yacht Club will stage its annual SEA Day on Saturday, April 19, to highlight the best environmental and safety practices for boaters. The free event, which is open to the public, will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the yacht club’s facility at 201 Simmons St. NW in downtown Olympia. A marine swap meet also will be held in the club’s parking lot from 9 a.m. to noon. SEA Day includes environmental awareness in the marine environment, safety and education exhibits, new Orca distance regulations, flare disposal and fire safety with a simulator, and ways to prevent and manage oil spills. The Coast Guard Auxiliary will be on hand to perform boat inspections, and the latest safety gear will be available for purchase. Those wishing to sell marine items should bring their own tables and chairs, beginning at 8 am. Sellers should register in advance by emailing franwil@comcast.net or calling her at 360-584-2952.

Olympia Symphony Orchestra season finale: The symphony is performing its final concert of the season at 7:30 p.m. Saturday instead of Sunday due to the Easter holiday. The concert will feature world-renowned guitarist Petrit Çeku performing the iconic Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquín Rodrigo as well as a unique rendition of Holst’s The Planets. There will be a Q&A session with conductor Alexandra Arrieche and Çeku immediately following the concert at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE. Tickets are $84.75 to $15.53, plus service fees.

Screening of “Fish War”: Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, Salmon Defense, and the Olympia Film Society present are screening “Fish War” at 7 p.m. Saturday at Capitol Theater, 205 Fifth Ave. SE, Olympia. Doors open at 6 p.m. There will be a post-film Q&A with Willie Frank III of the NisquallyTribe; Kadi Bizyayeva of the Stillaguamish Tribe; Lisa Wilson of the Lummi Nation; and Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife Director Kelly Susewind. Tickets are $16.25 general admission and $13.25 for OFS members. The documentary tells the story of how Washington made it illegal for tribes to fish for salmon in their usual and accustomed places, and the tribes’ fought that decision. A landmark court case in 1974 affirmed the tribes’ treaty rights and established them as co-managers of the resource, but the fate of salmon in the Pacific Northwest still hangs in the balance.

Easter Eggspress historic train ride: This one-of-a-kind Easter celebration is a family-friendly event, hosted by the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad. Guests of all ages are invited to hop aboard a scenic train ride through the beautiful countryside while enjoying an unforgettable Easter experience. The 75-minute excursions depart the depot in Chehalis at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 19. The cost is $15 for youth 3-5 years, with 4 and under riding free. Passengers 6 years and older ride for $19 per person. Before or after your journey, youth up to 12 years old gather candy-filled eggs on the grassy area at the depot and enjoy bounce houses, face painting, and a visit from the Easter Bunny himself. Bring your Easter Basket for your own photos with the Easter Bunny. Small bites will be available on-site, including tamales and hot dogs, hot cocoa and cider. For more details and to book your tickets, visit the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad website.

Would you like to have your event included in our weekly What’s Happening calendar? Email the details to news@theolympian.com at least 10 days before the event. Please put What’s Happening in the subject line.