What’s Happening for Dec. 9

Through Dec. 17

Tumwater Santa Mobile: The Santa Mobile travels through Tumwater neighborhoods each December delivering candy canes and collecting nonperishable food and cash donations for the Thurston County Food Bank. Tumwater residents should listen for the Christmas carols and watch for the twinkling lights between 6-8 p.m. — or visit the city website to view the full Santa Mobile schedule, ci.tumwater.wa.us/SantaMobile. The antique fire engine that Santa rides has an open cab, so the Santa Mobile schedule is subject to change during inclement weather.

Sunday

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour: The film festival tour will stop in Olympia for screenings at the Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave. SE. The show, hosted by The Olympia Mountaineers, will begin at 6 p.m. Doors open one hour before showtime. Tickets are $15 general admission, or $12 for Mountaineers, military, students and Olympia Film Society members. Information: olympiafilmsociety.org.

Author talk by Jan Brett: Children’s book author Jan Brett will visit Barnes & Noble on Olympia’s west side as part of her “Rock and Roll” bus tour. At 5 p.m., she will introduce her new book, “The Snowy Nap.” Barnes & Noble is at 1530 Black Lake Blvd. SW.

Bringing in the Yule Log: This holiday celebration starts at 1 p.m. at Schafer State Park, 1365 West Schafer Park Road, Elma. A potluck lunch, campfire and Christmas music are on tap. Sponsored by the Friends of Schafer and Lake Sylvia state parks and parks staff. A Discovery Pass is required to park. Information: FOSLS.org or 360-789-9953.

Olympia Chamber Orchestra at the mall: The orchestra will perform at 2:30 p.m. at Capital Mall, playing Christmas favorites and “The Egmont Overture” by Beethoven. Free.

The Esoterics perform at St. John’s: Eric Banks and The Esoterics will perform as part of the St. John’s Concert Series at 3 p.m. Sunday at the church at 19th Avenue Southeast and Capitol Way. The Esoterics are a Seattle-based vocal ensemble dedicated to performing contemporary a cappella choral settings of poetry, philosophy and spiritual writings. The program will feature new choral works that explore prayer in terms of the solace, focus and strength inspired by the natural world. The centerpiece of the concert is the eleven-movement cycle “Prayers” by John Gould Fletcher, composed by Joseph Gregorio. A reception follows the concert. An offering will be taken, with suggested contributions of $20, or $10 for students and seniors.

Monday

Human Rights Day Celebration & Fundraiser: Join the Rachel Corrie Foundation for its annual event at 6:30 p.m. at Dillinger’s Cocktails and Kitchen inside The Security Building in downtown Olympia. The guest speaker is Steffani Powell, an immigration lawyer. The menu will consist of Latin- and Middle Eastern-inspired dishes paired with complimentary cocktails/mocktails. Tickets are $40 at rachelcorriefoundation.org.

Tuesday

Stonecroft’s Christian Women’s Connection: The monthly luncheon starts at noon in the Panorama Gallery at 1751 Circle Drive SE, Lacey, next to the Seventeen 51 Restaurant. The program is “Celebrating the Holidays,” and it will feature the North Thurston High School Jazz Choir. The speaker is Judy Hoff from Marysville, who will speak on “Healing the Hole in Your Heart.” The cost is $16, which includes lunch, dessert, coffee/tea and music. For reservations, call Sylvia at 360-943-0627.

KNKX Holiday Jam: 88.5 KNKX continues its tradition of bringing yuletide cheer to the Northwest with a concert of seasonal music that incorporates local jazz students and regional jazz musicians. The live broadcast will be presented for the first time in Olympia at the Capitol Theater from 7-8 p.m., hosted by Abe Beeson. The event is free and open to the public, and will be broadcast live on-air and streamed live at knkx.org. The concert features the Tumwater Jazz Band and the Jacqueline Tabor Jazz Band. Doors open at 6 p.m. The concert is festival seating and no reservations/tickets are required. Please bring nonperishable food donations for Northwest Harvest.

Friendly Water for the World Holiday Potluck: Joy Slicker rode her motorcycle across Kenya to ensure clean water for the Naning’oi School, a refuge for 300 Maasai girls escaping child marriage and female genital mutilation. She will tell her story and show video at the gathering from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Olympia Friends Meeting House, 3201 Boston Harbor Road NE. To participate in the potluck, bring a favorite dish. Holiday gifts will be available for purchase, including holiday cards, all to benefit communities working to ensure their own safe drinking water. Information: 360-918-3642 or david@friendlywater.net.

Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Town Hall: A town hall to educate the community about youth substance abuse and prevention will be at 4 p.m. in the Centralia Middle School Commons, 901 Johnson Road, Centralia. The Lewis County Public Health & Social Services prevention team will share information about the Community Prevention and Wellness Initiative, which is designed to reduce underage use of alcohol and drugs, improve academic performance, and reduce juvenile crime. Contact Emily Killeen at 360-740-1424 or emily.killeen@lewiscountywa.gov.

Sea Level Rise Community Meeting: A response plan to protect downtown Olympia from the effects of sea level rise has been completed by the city of Olympia, LOTT Clean Water Alliance, the Port of Olympia and the consulting firm AECOM Technical Services. The public is invited to a meeting from 6-8 p.m. at LOTT, 500 Adams St. SE, Olympia, to learn more about the plan. Staff will be available beginning at 6 p.m. to answer questions. Presentations will begin at 6:15 p.m. to review the planning process, provide an overview of the draft plan, and explain next steps. Go to olympia.gov/SLR beginning Monday to review the plan. Written comments on the draft plan will be accepted through Jan. 25.

Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe: The public is invited to the annual celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe at 6 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 114 20th Ave. SE, Olympia. The festivities begin with a Mariachi Mass with the Seattle mariachi band Fiesta Mexicana at 6 p.m., followed by a fiesta meal prepared by the members of Iglesia de San Juan, St. John’s Spanish-speaking congregation. The custom of venerating the Virgen de Guadalupe began in 1531, when a native Mexican peasant named Juan Diego experienced a vision of the Virgin Mary as a young native woman at a place called the Hill of Tepeyac. Information: 360-426-2268.

Thursday

Olympia Genealogical Society: The Olympia Genealogical Society’s December program will consist of 10-minute presentations by several members about their quirky ancestors. The meeting is at 7 p.m. at Thurston County Courthouse, Building 1, Room 152. Information: OlyGenSoc.org or 360-754-6230.

Shelton Diabetes Support Group: The topic is “Eat, drink and be healthy for the holidays” for the 1 p.m. meeting in the Pershing Meeting Room of Mason General Hospital, 901 Mountain View Drive, Shelton. Dietitians and diabetes educators Debbie McGinnis and Sarah Fulkerson will present the class with tips on how to keep diabetes under control during the holidays, and they will share recipe ideas and toast the holiday season with “mocktails”’ for the class to sample. Family members/significant others are also invited. Information: Call McGinnis at 360-427-7332.

First aid/CPR/AED class: Mason General Hospital is offering a community first aid/CPR/AED course from 5-9 p.m. at its Learning Center next to the Gateway Center on Olympic Highway North in Shelton. The basics of first aid, CPR and AED for adults, children and infants will be covered, with an eCard made available to those who successfully complete the course. A fee of $40 (exact cash or check) is required in advance to cover the cost of books and materials, and comfortable clothing is suggested for all participants. A Spanish interpreter can be made available upon request. Register by calling 360-427-3609.

Shelton Holiday Winter Festival: The Shelton Schools will offer hot chocolate, cookies, games and activities for families from 5-8 p.m. at the Transit Community Center, 601 W. Franklin St., Shelton. Admission is free, and the first 100 families go home with a special treat. The Mountain View, Evergreen and Bordeaux elementary school choirs will perform.

Friday

Golden Girls celebration: The Lacey Timberland Library will celebrate the ladies of the 1980s NBC sitcom “The Golden Girls” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the library, 500 College St. SE. Participants are encouraged to wear their best Miami attire for the costume contest. Activities will include coloring and trivia. Cheesecake will be served. Free. Information: trl.org.

Saturday

Santa arrives by train: Santa Claus will arrive at the Olympia/Lacey Centennial train station, 6600 Yelm Highway SE, on the Cascade train 502 due to arrive at 10:12 a.m. He will meet with children of all ages until noon. Centennial Station volunteers will serve coffee, cookies and punch.

The Science of Chocolate: Explore the complex world of chocolate during a 2 p.m. presentation at the WET Science Center, 500 Adams St. NE, Olympia. There will be plenty of samples to try. Leave with a mind full of science and mouthful of chocolate. Related crafts and activities 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free. Information: wetsciencecenter.org.