Festivals & Community Events

Olympia Community Festivals

The City of Olympia has traditionally sponsored, participated in, or permitted these events. Inclusion on the list does not denote future year date reservation or that a permit has been issued; nor does it imply City endorsement.

January

OLYMPIA'S 150TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION, Saturday, January 17, 2009 - The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington Street SE, Olympia.

February

ETHNIC CELEBRATION (1st Saturday, February 7, 2009) in downtown Olympia at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts. Sponsored by the City of Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation Department. Experience It!

March

April

SPRING ARTS WALK (Friday & Saturday, April 24-25, 2009) 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!
PROCESSION OF THE SPECIES (Saturday of Arts Walk, April 25, 2009) in downtown Olympia. Sponsored by Earthbound Productions.
DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL (April 26, 2009 - 4th Sunday) at Heritage/Capital Lake Park in downtown Olympia. Sponsored by St. Martin's University.

May

OUTDOOR LIFE FESTIVAL (May 2 & 3, 2009) at Marathon Park. Sponsored by the City of Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation Department. Experience It!
OLYMPIA WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL (Mother's Day weekend - May 9 & 10, 200 at Percival Landing Boardwalk, downtown Olympia. Sponsored by the Olympia Wooden Boat Association.
ARTISTS GARAGE SALE (May 30, 10 am - 3 pm) at the National Guard Armory, 616 Eastside Street SE, Olympia. Sponsored by the City of Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation Department and the City of Olympia Arts Commission. Experience It!

June

CAPITAL CITY PRIDE FESTIVAL AND PARADE (Saturday, June 21) at Sylvester Park, downtown Olympia. Sponsored by Capital City Pride.

July

MUSIC IN THE PARK (Wednesday evenings, beginning July 8, 2009) at Sylvester Park, downtown Olympia. Sponsored by the Olympia Downtown Association.
A TABLE FOR OLYMPIA - COMMUNITY POTLUCK (Friday, July 10, 2009, 5:00 p.m.) Washington Street between Fourth and State in downtown Olympia. Bring your own table service and potluck food to share, plus a non-perishable food item to donated to the Thurston County Foodbank.
WOLF HAVEN WILDLIFE FESTIVAL (Saturday, July 11, 2009) at Wolf Haven International, working for wolf conservation since 1982
CAPITAL LAKEFAIR FESTIVAL AND PARADE (July 15-19, 2009; 5 day festival, mid-July; parade on Saturday of the Festival). Main venue at Heritage/Capital Lake Park, downtown Olympia. Sponsored by Capital Lakefair.

August

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AGAINST CRIME (Saturday, August 1, 2009; 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) at Sylvester Park in downtown Olympia. Children's fingerprinting kit, games and face painting; workshops on theft protection, home security and emergency preparedness. Donations accepted of non-perishable food items for the Thurston County Food Bank. Sponsored by Olympia Police Department, State Department of Corrections, Washington Military Department, and Washington State Patrol.
STORIES IN THE PARK (August 8, 2009) at Priest Point Park. Sponsored by the City of Olympia Parks, Arts & Recreation Department. Experience It!
MUSIC IN THE PARK (Wednesday evenings) at Sylvester Park, downtown Olympia. Sponsored by the Olympia Downtown Association.
BON ODORI (Saturday, August 8, 2009; 5-9 p.m.; usually the 2nd Saturday) at Heritage/Capital Lake Park and Water Street, downtown Olympia. Sponsored by the Olympia Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League.
PET PARADE (Saturday, August 15, 2009) in downtown Olympia. Sponsored by The Olympian newspaper.
OLYMPIA HEMP, LOVE AND FREEDOM RALLY (August 22 & 23, 2009 - 4th Saturday & Sunday) at Heritage/Capital Lake Park, downtown Olympia. Sponsored by Oly Hemp Fest Committee.
SAND IN THE CITY (August 21-23, 2009; usually 4th Saturday & Sunday) at Port Plaza and adjacent streets, downtown Olympia. Sponsored by the Hands on Children's Museum.
OLYMPIA HARBOR DAYS (September 4-6, 2009; Labor Day Weekend) at Percival Landing Boardwalk, downtown Olympia. Sponsored by the Sound Sound Maritime Heritage Foundation.

September

October

FALL ARTS WALK (1st Friday, October 2, 2009) 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!
RACHEL CORRIE FOUNDATION'S PEACE WORKS 2009 PROCESSION AND MURAL CELEBRATION (Saturday, October 17, 2009). Celebrate the new Olympia-Rafah Solidarity Mural on the side of the Labor Building in downtown Olympia. Procession along Capitol Way sidewalks leaves from United Churches at about 6:30 p.m. lead by Samba Olywa. Celebration following the procession in the City parking lot adjacent to the mural.

November

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

Other Olympia Calendars of Events

Olympia event calendars are also published on the following websites:

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

Olympia Performance Space

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

The City of Olympia provides festival and entertainment links 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.