Olympia will glitter as ice skating, an SNL star and an aluminum spectacle offer weekend fun
CORRECTION: An earlier version said Oly on Ice would be open through Jan. 20. The city of Olympia has extended the pop-up ice skating rink’s season through Sunday, Jan. 26.
Ice continues through Monday
No, we’re is not trying to forecast the weather. The expected ice is at Isthmus Park, where Oly on Ice, the city’s annual pop-up skating rink, has extended its season and will now be open through Sunday, Jan. 26. The intrepid can go for a spin from 2:30 to 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17; from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18; and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19, and Monday, Jan. 20, at the park, 529 Fourth Ave. W., Olympia. Tickets (which include 75 minutes on the ice and skate rental) are $14-$16, with toddlers (3 and younger) admitted for $5.
‘SNL’ vet Nealon comes to town
Comedian Kevin Nealon, one of “Saturday Night Live’s” longest-running cast members, will share his stand-up act with Olympia on Saturday, Jan. 18. The comedian — well known for anchoring SNL’s Weekend Update and for his roles in Showtime’s “Weeds” and several Adam Sandler films — tours internationally. He’s also a vegetarian and an activist for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Sample joke: “Don’t play dead with a vulture. That’s exactly what they want.” His Olympia appearance is at 8 p.m. at the Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave. SE, Olympia; doors open at 7. Tickets are $35-$60.
Aluminum shines at the Washington Center
“The Aluminum Show,” stopping Sunday, Jan. 19, in Olympia, is literally about aluminum. While we were imagining some kind of trade show, the show instead mixes dance, puppetry and humor to create a story about a futuristic planet made entirely of the metal, the lightest-weight metallic element in the Earth’s crust. The spectacle, which tours internationally, features large aluminum tubes inhabited by dancers, and costumes that resemble floor lamps. It involves lots of audience interaction — and, yes, there is some aluminum foil in the production, which starts at 7 p.m. at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. Tickets are $39-$74.
Platinum and silver are freelance writer Molly Gilmore’s favorite metals. She talks with DJ Kevin the Brit about what’s happening around town on KGY-FM’s “Oly in a Can,” airing at 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Fridays.
This story was originally published January 16, 2025 at 5:00 AM.