What’s happening this week around Thurston County
Sunday, June 16
Olympic Airshow: The Olympic Airshow is a family-friendly activity in Tumwater that includes aircraft displays, demonstrations and tours and rides. It happens every Father’s Day weekend at the Olympic Flight Museum, 7637 Old Highway 99 SE, Tumwater. There will be a beer garden, vendors, food and kids’ activities and more; air show flights are in the afternoon. Purchase tickets on the Olympic Air Show website. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased on the Olympic Air Show website.
Tuesday, June 18
Welcome to Medicare Zoom Presentation: This presentation at 1 p.m. 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 link to register, email ThurstonMasonShiba.volunteers@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.
Jazz at the Eagles Ballroom: Guitarist Vince Brown will be playing with the “I Got Rhythm Swing Band’‘ featuring vocalist Jessica Blinn, sax player Brad Schrandt and soloists from the Evergreen State College and South Puget Sound Community College jazz programs for Oly Dance’s Tuesday night swing dance at the Eagles Ballroom in downtown Olympia. Beginners dance lessons are at 6:30 p.m. and the music starts at 7:30. All ages welcome.
Wednesday, June 19
Juneteenth - Celebrating Freedom: Join an evening of reflection, unity, and celebration to honor the rich history and significance of Juneteenth from 4-7 p.m. at the ASHHO Cultural Community Center, 5757 Littlerock Road SW #4, Tumwater (across from Tumwater Costco). This is an all-ages event.
Thursday, June 20
Welcome to Medicare Zoom Presentation at 10 a.m.: This 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 link to register, email ThurstonMasonShiba.volunteers@southsoundseniors.org or call and leave a message with your email address and phone number at Senior Services SHIBA program at 360-586-6181 ext. 134. A registration link will be sent to you.
Welcome to an In Person Medicare Presentation in Mason County: This 11 a.m. presentation at The Pavilion at the Mason County Senior Activity Center, 190 Sentry Drive, Shelton 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. For more information or to set up an individual appointment, email thurstonmasonshiba.volunteers@southsoundseniors.org or leave a message at Senior Services SHIBA program at 360-586-6181 ext. 134.
Friday, June 21
LoveOly SummerFest and Pet Parade return for the weekend: Get ready for three days of fun in downtown Olympia. The annual Pet Parade, happening at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, will be part of the fun, which will include live music, children’s activities by Hands on Children’s Museum, interactive art installations, food trucks, a beer garden, vendors, plus a Queens from Diva Drag Brunch on Sunday. Hours will be 1 to 9 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and starting at 9 a.m. Sunday for the Giant Dino Excursion and Diva Drag Brunch. Events will center around Fifth Avenue and Washington Street. Events are free, family-friendly summer event.
Yelm Prairie Days: This weekend long festival kicks off Friday in downtown Yelm and runs through Sunday. You will find summer kids activities, vendors, food, and a mushball tournament. This free event is perfect all ages.
Saturday, June 22
Olympia’s Juneteenth Celebration: Shawna Hawk, founder of The Women of Color in Leadership Movement and director of Media Island International, in partnership with the City of Olympia, invites the public to join the 2024 Juneteenth Celebration Festival from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Rebecca Howard Park, 911 Adams St SE. There will be performances, presentations, and The Marketplace featuring a vendor area with Black-owned and operated businesses.
Pride Month Pub Crawl: June is Pride Month, and the first event is a Saturday, June 22, Pub Crawl. Gather all your friends and join in some day-drinking, shopping, and a little Something Sweet to end the night! Check in starts at 2 p.m. but join anytime until 6 p.m. for random pop-up challenges as well as a scavenger hunt. After a fabulous day, gather at Wild Man Gastropub for Something Sweet included with your Sip n’ Seek ticket! To get tickets and locations, check in on the Capital City Pride website.
Summer Native Art Market: This indoor market is at The Evergreen State College’s House of Welcome Longhouse and will feature 45 artists. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no charge for parking on campus on the weekends. Parking is very limited around the Longhouse so park in Lot B and take the short stroll to the House of Welcome.
The Art of Wastewater tour: Cleaning wastewater is important, and many find it interesting, but would you ever say it was “beautiful”? After at tour, you might. Celebrate the artistic side of wastewater with creative projects inspired by LOTT’s treatment process. Gain inspiration during a tour of LOTT’s Budd Inlet Treatment Plant at 1 p.m. Tour participants must be 10 or older and wear closed-toe, closed-heel shoes. Join in at the WET Science Center, 500 Adams St. NE, Olympia, where there will be activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
Sunday, June 23
LoveOly SummerFest Diva Drag Brunch: The festival’s Diva Drag Brunch offers pop-up brunch options from Chicory, Dos Hermanos Mexican Kitchen and The Oyster Boys, with additional brunch menu items from participating food trucks. There will be a mimosa bar with classic and special mimosa drink options featuring Whitewood Cider and Three Magnets Farmhouse Ale in the LoveOly SummerFest biergarten. A drag brunch performance will feature Queens of Diva Drag Brunch. The festival is centered around Fifth and Washington in downtown Olympia.
Opera for the opera-curious: Here’s an opportunity for a short, sweet, and fun introduction to opera in Olympia. The Olympia Chamber Orchestra (OCO) and Olympia Opera Theatre (OOT) will come together to perform scenes from operas by Mozart, Bizet, Massenet, and Humperdinck. Eight singers from OOT will sing scenes from The Marriage of Figaro, Hänsel and Gretel, Carmen, Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute, and Cendrillon (Cinderella). These excerpts cover fantastical stories of magic and dreams, as well as real-world, gritty stories of love, passion, and forgiveness. The concert takes place at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, June 23, at the Capital High School Performing Arts Center in west Olympia. Tickets can be purchased at OlympiaChamberOrchestra.org on the “Performances” page. General admission is $25; seniors, students and military are $15; Children get in for $5. Family bundles are available on the website.
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.
