Out and about: Catch park tunes or visit a land with giant puppets
Classical music by the lake
The Olympia Symphony Orchestra’s summer concert is back but in a new location and at a new time and day. Formerly held late on a Sunday afternoon on the west Capitol Campus, the orchestra’s “musical party” will happen at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 23, in Heritage Park, on the shores of Capitol Lake. The move is intended to give more people access to the concert, said Jennifer Hermann, the orchestra’s executive director. “Moving to Heritage Park brings the music where the people are and also helps to support downtown businesses,” Hermann told The Olympian. “I’m hoping many will be able to experience live orchestral music for the first time because they unexpectedly find us downtown — and you can still see the Capitol.” The wide-ranging program includes excerpts from Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade” and a “Mamma Mia” medley. Joining the orchestra will be young musicians from Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia and Marrowstone Music Festival, the summer program of the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra. Admission is free, with donations welcome. Hermann suggests bringing a chair or blanket and an umbrella for shade and bringing food from a food truck or restaurant.
Get jazzed up
The Olympia Downtown Alliance’s Music in the Park continues Sunday, July 24, with the quartet Hook Me Up. The band’s repertoire ranges from Louis Armstrong to Kansas and beyond. Music in the Park happens from 1 to 2 p.m. Sundays in July in Sylvester Park, 615 Washington St. SE, Olympia. On July 31, bassist/composer E. Nesbit will blend rhythm and blues, jazz and funk at his performance. The concerts are free.
Band of brothers
Free summer entertainment is continuing in Lacey, too, where the Olson Bros. Band will play original country rock tunes at 7 p.m. Friday, July 22, in Huntamer Park, 618 Woodland Square Loop SE, Lacey. Brothers Luke and Isaac Olson, who grew up in Olympia, have won two national songwriting contests. Following the music, Lacey Parks, Culture & Recreation will screen 2021’s “Jungle Cruise,” an action-adventure film based on a ride at Disneyland.
Journey with puppets
If you haven’t yet seen the creations of String and Shadow Puppet Theater, check out the troupe’s ’s “Far Away and Hard to Find,” closing its Olympia run this weekend. The presence of puppets doesn’t mean the show is aimed only at kids. Though family friendly, the troupe’s entertainment draws large numbers of adults unaccompanied by minors. Beyond the elaborate puppetry, “Far” uses music, circus arts and audience participation to tell the story of a bard in search of her missing tuba. The show wraps up its Olympia performances at 7 p.m. July 22-24 and 3 p.m. July 24 at 1335 Overhulse Road NW, Olympia. Admission is by donation ($15-$25 suggested, with no one turned away for lack of funds). Bring a chair or blanket, and layers and bug spray aren’t a bad idea, either. The show also can be seen July 29 and 30 at Finn River Cidery in Chimacum.
Freelance writer Molly Gilmore talks about what’s happening in Olympia and beyond with 95.3 KGY-FM’s Michael Stein from 3 to 4 p.m. Fridays.
This story was originally published July 21, 2022 at 5:30 AM.