The Olympian’s picks for fun and culture this week
Feb. 28
Adults in wonderland
Grownups can revisit their childhoods — and explore the topsy-turvy world down the rabbit hole — Friday at the Hands on Children’s Museum. As part of its Adult Swim series, the museum is throwing a Mad Hatter’s Gin and Tea Party. Among the activities will be hat-making, playing Crazy Croquet, chasing rabbits (as part of a scavenger hunt) and learning to grow mushrooms. (The Olympian is quite sure they won’t be that kind of mushrooms. Go ahead: Ask Alice — as long as she’s at least 21.) The party goes from 7 to 10 p.m. at the museum, 414 Jefferson St. NE, Olympia. Tickets are $24 in advance or $28 at the door. Get the scoop at hocm.org/adultswim/, or call 360-956-0818.
Feb. 28-March 21
‘Tide’ is high
Harlequin Productions’ “The Highest Tide,” adapted from the best-selling novel by Olympia’s Jim Lynch, is a coming-of-age story about 13-year-old Miles O’Malley, who is fascinated by marine biology — and by his 18-year-old neighbor, Angie. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday plus March 5-7, 12-14 and 19-21, with matinees at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday plus March 7, 8, 14, 15 and 21 at the State Theater, 202 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia. Tickets are $36, $34 for seniors and military, $20 for students and youth. Find out more at harlequinproductions.org, or call 360-786-0151.
Feb. 29
Shop the swap
Clothing swaps — where you can bring items you don’t want and browse for pieces that are new-to-you — are nothing new, but lately they’re getting bigger and more public. Saturday brings the Great Olympia Clothing Exchange, organized by Hot Toddy owner Sydney Hann. (Yes, a boutique owner set up this eco-conscious alternative to shopping.) The swap is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Olympia Center, 222 Columbia St. NW, Olympia. If you’re bringing clothing, shoes and accessories to give away, arrive at 10:30 a.m. Admission is $5 if you bring clothes to swap and $10 if you don’t. Any proceeds will be donated to Sharing Teens & Elders Project (STEP), an intergenerational discussion group run by Senior Services of South Sound. Get details at facebook.com/events/575667589681595.
Feb. 29
Leapin’ lizards, it’s bingo time
Here’s a game you can play only once every four years: Leap Year Bingo. That’s the latest theme for Saturday’s edition of Senior Services for South Sound’s Oly Bingo. Oly Bingo is known for its Jell-O shots, comedic calling by Elizabeth Lord and its costume contest. But what exactly is the appropriate Leap Year attire? “Good question,” Senior Services activity director Chris Quimby told The Olympian. “I have no idea.” Quimby suggested frogs, superheroes and perhaps Neil Armstrong. This theme has sparked an unusual level of interest, Quimby said, and he’s worried that he’ll have to turn people away. The games, open only to those 21 and older, begin at 7 p.m. at the Olympia Senior Center, 222 Columbia St. NW, Olympia. It’s $20 for a pack of cards for regular games; bring extra cash for beverages and cards for the special games. For more information or to reserve a table for six to eight people, call at 360-586-6181.
Feb. 29
Cirque du Soleil dancers coming to town
Performers from Cirque du Soleil will dance Saturday in Olympia as part of the 11th annual Olympia Dance Festival. The Cirque dancers, currently touring in “Kurios,” will perform with hoops and juggle. The festival also features performances by 13 local dance troupes in styles from ballet to ballroom and from hip-hop to Middle Eastern. Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia will perform at the festival, too, playing Johannes Brahms’ “Hungarian Dance No. 5,” to accompany a dance by Ballet Northwest. The festival, presented by Ballet Northwest and The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, has drawn sell-out crowds the past few years, said Ballet Northwest co-director Ken Johnson. The festival begins at 7:30 p.m. at the center, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. Tickets are $15. Get tickets and details at washingtoncenter.org, or call 360-753-8586.
Feb. 29
Cossu plus cello
Four decades after his first album for Windham Hill, Olympia pianist Scott Cossu doesn’t call his music “new age,” but he’s still a specialist in smooth and soothing sounds. His latest, “Memories of Water and Light,” features Holly Reeves, the Olympia Symphony Orchestra’s principal cellist. Reeves, who’s played with orchestras around the world, joins Cossu in concert Saturday at New Traditions Café. The music will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the café, 300 Fifth Ave. SW, Olympia. Tickets are $12-$16.50. Find out more at newtraditionsfairtrade.com, or call 360-705-2819.
March 1
Back to the arcade
There’s good news for South Sound’s pinball wizards and anyone who fondly remembers a time when you had to go somewhere to play computer games. The Olympia Pinball Museum — which is not so much a place to look at vintage games as a place to play them — has its grand opening Sunday. The museum/arcade, at 509 Capitol Way S., Olympia, has not only plenty of pinball but also Skee-Ball and such video classics as Donkey Kong, Dig-Dug and Q*bert. Opening-day hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Admission is $15 for a single entry and $25 for a multi-entry pass (so you can come and go as you like all day), and all of the games are set for free play. Get details at olympiapinbalmuseum.com, or call 360-878-8483