Yuk it up with local comedian, and hear from those who hiked the length of Grand Canyon
By Molly GilmoreContributing writer
Olympia comedian Sam Miller is launching his new album and comedy special Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Capitol Theater. He’ll do a set before screening the special, which was filmed at the theater.
Gabriel Michael
Courtesy of Sam Miller
Miller time
Olympia audiences have long loved comedian Sam Miller, and in recent years, the self-revealing and self-deprecating comic — whose life has taken him from homelessness, drug addiction and jail time to a successful stage career — has been steadily rising to greater heights of fame. The latest: On Oct. 22, Newsweek published his essay (https://www.newsweek.com/inhaled-every-drug-i-could-find-10-years-under-tarp-everything-changed-1836124) about the moment his life turned around. Next up, Miller celebrates the release of his first comedy special, “Round Trip,” with an Oct. 28 performance and screening at the Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave. SE, Olympia. The special and accompanying album were recorded at the theater in April 2022. The album will be for sale in the lobby during the event, which starts at 8 p.m. (Doors open at 7.) Tickets (https://olympiafilmsociety.org/sam-millers-record-release-show/) are $15, $12 for Olympia Film Society members.
Grand Canyon adventure
Plenty of people visit the Grand Canyon, but only a handful have hiked the canyon’s 750-mile length. More people have set foot on the moon than have completed the treacherous journey, CBS News (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/documenting-the-grand-canyon-with-epic-71-day-hike-2019-05-09/) reported. Writer Kevin Fedarko and photographer Pete McBride did it in 2015 and 2016, hiking for a few weeks at a time until they had traversed and documented the full length. Fedarko will be in Olympia on Oct. 27 to tell the story, show images and footage from the journey and answer questions. His presentation, “Between River and Rim (https://www.washingtoncenter.org/event/adventure-series-into-the-canyon-between-river-and-rim/),” begins at 7 p.m. at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE,Olympia. Tickets are $26-$56.
Kevin Fedarko, one of very few people who have hiked the entire length of the Grand Canyon, will share his adventures on the trail on Friday, Oct. 27, in Olympia. Pete McBride Courtesy photo
Halloween happenings
It’s time for ghoulies and ghosties, costumes and candy. Here are just a couple of nearby happenings for those wishing to celebrate:
▪ Boo Bash, the Hands On Children’s Museum’s annual Halloween party, offers a wide array of seasonal treats, from cider-making and pumpkin-themed crafts to scavenger hunts and science demonstrations — and, of course, a chance for kids to put on their costumes. The bash continues from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through Oct. 31 at the museum, 414 Jefferson St. NE, Olympia. It’s free with museum admission, and online reservations (https://www.hocm.org/events-programs/annual-events/boo-bash-3/) are recommended.
▪ Theater Artists Olympia’s “Poe Nocturne,” short dramatizations of stories by Edgar Allen Poe, can be seen at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27 and 28 as part of Lakewold Gardens’ All Hallows’ Eve celebration. The festival — which also offers scary movies, crafts and appearances by the “Lakewold Monster” — continues at 6 p.m. Oct. 27-29 at the gardens, 12317 Gravelly Lake Drive SW, Lakewood. Tickets (https://lakewoldgardens.org/) are $10-$20, with free admission for children 5 and younger.
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.
