Fun events and things to do this week in Thurston County

By Molly Gilmore Contributing writer

November 22, 2019 6:00 AM

Olympia’s Psychedelic Shadow Show will perform its last concert Friday night at Rhythm & Rye. Irontazz Scaggs Photo Courtesy photo

Nov. 22 to Jan. 20

Glide into winter

It’s time to cue Vince Guaraldi and sharpen the blades on your skates, if you have them. Oly on Ice glides its way into another ice skating season starting Friday. The rink is open from 3:30 to 10 p.m., with free hot chocolate and a guest appearance by princesses from the Lacey-based Part of Your World Princesses happening from 3:30 to 5:30 at Isthmus Park, 529 Fourth Ave. W., Olympia. Skating continues through Jan. 20, and admission is $3-$12, with additional charges for renting skates or other equipment. Get the full scoop at olympiawa.gov/city-services/parks/recreation/oly-on-ice.aspx or call 360-753-8380,

Michael Looney of west Olympia helps his daughter, Cara Looney, 5, as they hit the ice for the opening day at Oly on Ice temporary skating rink at Isthmus Park in downtown Olympia in 2018. The rink opens for the holiday season and beyond on Friday afternoon. Tony Overman Olympian file photo

Nov. 22

Catch Shadow Show before it goes dark

“It’s been a far-out trip,” proclaims the tie-dye print poster for the final concert of Olympia’s Psychedelic Shadow Show. Yes, the band’s trip through the psychedelic sounds of the 1960s and ’70s is coming to an end. The last show, featuring guest appearances by several past members, begins at 9 p.m. Friday at Rhythm & Rye, 311 Capitol Way N., Olympia. Tickets are $10, with proceeds benefiting Crossroads Housing in Shelton, where lead singer Carolyn Malanowski has worked for 17 years. Get tickets and details at facebook.com/pg/crossroadshousing.

Nov. 22-24

Doggone, whodunit?

Curious about South Puget Sound Community College Theatre Collective’s “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”? This is the closing weekend for the play based on Mark Haddon’s acclaimed 2003 novel about a 15-year-old boy — good at math, challenged by people — who sets out to discover who killed his neighbor’s dog and winds up uncovering family secrets. The Tony-winning play invites audiences to see the world from the perspective of its protagonist, who loves patterns and hates to be touched. Remaining performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Minnaert Center for the Arts at SPSCC, 2011 Mottman Road SW, Olympia. Tickets are $11-$16, with SPSCC students, faculty and staff admitted free. Get details at washingtoncenter.org or 360-753-8586.

Nov. 23

Hump Fest is not for the prudish

Porn seems to be just about everywhere these days, but it’s not often you see it in a movie theater. On Saturday, you can, thanks to Hump Fest, an erotic film festival curated by sex columnist and Stranger editor Dan Savage of Seattle. The 15th Hump will be screened at 8 p.m. at the Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave. SE, Olympia, with doors opening at 7. The collection of sometimes arousing, sometimes amusing films will be hosted by Olympia’s own Hattie Hotpants, aka Lauren O’Neill. Tickets are $17-$20, and it’s open only to ages 18 and older. Check out the preview, if you dare, at humpfilmfest.com. Get tickets and details at olympiafilmsociety.org or 360-754-6670.

Hattie Hotpants, aka Lauren O’Neill, will host the Capitol Theater’s Hump Fest for the first time this weekend. Brian Kasnyik/Oly Kaz Photography Courtesy photo

Nov. 24

Pro Musica welcomes the light

Winter solstice, that day when instead of decreasing, the amount of daylight begins to grow, is still nearly a month away. But those who can’t wait for the movement toward spring — and fans of choral music — can begin the celebration Sunday, when the singers of the much-lauded Seattle Pro Musica bring their sweet sounds to Olympia. “Solstice: Music of Light” begins at 2:30 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 114 20th Ave. SE, Olympia. A $20 per person donation is suggested, with people 55 and older admitted free. Arriving early is recommended, as both parking and seats fill up quickly for Pro Musica’s annual Olympia concert. For more information, call the church at 360-352-8527.

Nov. 24

Indie orchestra

Portland Cello Project’s horde of cellists has won over audiences from hipsters to clubbers to diehard classical fans with a repertoire that goes as far afield as Pantera and Taylor Swift. On Sunday, the ensemble will bring a huge, orchestral ensemble (including brass, percussion, and guest vocals by Patti King of the Shins) to Olympia for a program that pays tribute to Radiohead and its album OK Computer. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the music begins at 8 at the Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave. SE, Olympia. Tickets are $36. Get tickets and details at olympiafilmsociety.org, or call 360-754-6670.

Nov. 27 to Dec. 31

No spirit, Sherlock?

“Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol,” Harlequin Productions’ holiday offering, finds the famed detective in an exceedingly sour mood — at least until he’s visited by a series of ghosts bearing clues about his past, present and future. You know the Dickens drill, which gets new trappings in this 2010 mystery by Portland playwright John Longenbaugh. The preview is at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the State Theater, 202 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, and then “Case” runs through Dec. 31. Tickets for the preview are $20, and there’s a pay-what-you-can show at 7:30 Dec. 4; for regular performances, they’re $25-$50. Find out more and get tickets at harlequinproductions.org, or call 360-786-015.

Freelance writer Molly Gilmore really likes dogs (and wants to point out that no actual animals were harmed in the making of “Curious Incident”), but she just couldn’t resist the pun. Hear more from her about what’s happening around the Sound every Friday on 95.3 KGY’s “Oly in a Can.”