What’s happening this week around Thurston County

Monday, Oct. 10

Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration: Join the Squaxin Island Tribe and the city of Olympia to celebrate Indigenous culture, history, and communities from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm Monday at the newly renamed Squaxin Park (formerly Priest Point Park) at 2600 East Bay Drive NE. The city is offering a complimentary event shuttle service at the east side of the Olympia Farmer’s Market parking lot. Look for identified shuttle parking spaces. The shuttle will run every half hour starting at 11 a.m.

Meet a Farmworker teach-in: Washington state’s only indigenous-led farmworkers union, Familias Unidas por la Justicia, representing over 500 workers, will be in Olympia for a meet-and-greet to talk about their working conditions and about the Farm Workforce Modernization Act. The event begins at 2:30 p.m. with a teach-in and discussion in the social hall of The United Churches at 11th Avenue and Capitol Way, followed by a 4:30 pm walk to Capitol for bannering about climate change.

Free Introduction to Square Dancing: Olympia Area Square Dancers will have you dancing right away at this introductory class at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Lac-A-Do Hall, 1721 46th Ave. NE, Olympia. Couples, singles, and families welcome, ages 10 and older. Find more Information at OlympiaSquareDance.com or 360-438-1284.

Tuesday, Oct 11

Rotarians dedicate new playground: Olympia Learning Center will dedicate a new playground at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Family Support Center of South Sound campus, 3545 Seventh Ave. SW, Olympia. The playground was created in partnership with three local Rotary groups, the state Department of Social and Health Services, and more; more than 50 volunteers put in about 700 hours of time on the project. The Olympia Learning Center opened in September with 96 slots for children from four weeks old to pre-kindergarten, 30% of which are dedicated to families who receive the Working Connections Child Care subsidy.

Wednesday, Oct. 12

History Talks on “Scoundrels: The Life of Susie Lewis”: Over a century ago, Tumwater resident Susie Lewis suffered a chain of tragedies: abuse, broken homes, infidelity, murder, abandonment, divorce, a child’s death, a fatal disease. And her misfortunes continued even after she died. Schmidt House curator Karen Johnson will present an illustrated true-crime talk about Susie’s life and loves, including the scoundrels who hounded her to an early grave. The talk, hosted by the Lacey Museum, begins at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Lacey City Hall Council Chambers, 420 College St. SE, or register to watch online. Registration is required for the online event only.

Thursday, Oct. 13

Special meeting of the Olympia Arts Commission: Each fall, the Arts Commission conducts a retreat to consider their work plan and engage in deeper discussion than in a typical meeting. This year, commissioners will tour the Armory, revise the Arts Commission mission statement, discuss the Grants to Arts and Culture Organizations review process, and review the work plan. The meeting begins at 4 p.m. Thursday at the Armory Drill Hall, 515 Eastside St. SE.

Friday, Oct. 14

Murder Mystery Dinner: The Rochester Citizens Group and the Olympia Elks Lodge are collaborating with the Tenino Young-at-Heart Theatre to celebrate the month of Halloween with a murder mystery dinner, “Murd-arrr! Pirates of the Salty Dog.” Enjoy an Italian meal while following the clues in this “manic tale of a stolen treasure chest, sensational swashbuckling, mayhem, mischief and... MURD-ARRR!!!” There will be three performances: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 14 and 15, at Swede Hall, 18543 Albany St. SW, Rochester, and 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at the Olympia Elks Lodge, 1818 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia. Tickets are available on the Young-at-Heart Theatre website.

Saturday, Oct. 15

South Sound Clam Chowder Competition: Lacey Hawks Prairie Rotary is hosting the first of what it plans to be an annual Clam Chowder Competition from 4-7 p.m. at the Lacey Community Center, 6729 Pacific Ave. SE, Olympia. Local restaurants and non profit teams will compete and visitors will vote in the fundraising event. Tickets are $25 which provide eight chowder tastes and heavy appetizer stations including steamer clams, sourdough bread, mac and cheese, grilled cheese, and dessert. Each chowder team also will have a fundraising raffle item at their table.

Clean Water Careers and Treatment Plant Tour: Get a glimpse into the kind of work it takes to run a wastewater treatment plant and explore different career paths with activities highlighting the work and skills needed. After a 1 p.m. Saturday presentation, take a tour of LOTT’s Budd Inlet Treatment Plant to see how wastewater is cleaned. Tour participants must be 10 or older and wear sturdy closed shoes. The event is at the WET Science Center, 500 Adams St. NE, Olympia.

Orca Recovery Day at Squaxin Park: Join Thurston Conservation District and city of Olympia at Squaxin Park (formerly Priest Point Park) for their annual Orca Recovery Day activities. During this restoration event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., volunteers will restore forested habitats by removing non-indigenous vegetation and planting Pacific Northwest trees and shrubs. The day also will include a guided shore walk, refreshments, and a chance to learn about organizations helping orcas. Find more information and register to participate on the Thurston Conservation District webpage.

Orca Recovery Day with Nisqually Land Trust: Mallard Cove is a small but important coastal lagoon in the Nisqually Reach in South Sound that provides a refuge for forage fish and juvenile salmonids in a fragmented and weed-infested shoreline. Volunteers will be working to remove invasive plants that out-compete natives from 9 a.m. to noon. Register for directions to the worksite. The work party will happen rain or shine. Light snacks are provided. Minors are welcome provided they are accompanied by an adult. Contact emily@nisquallylandtrust.org with questions.

Author event at Browsers Bookshop: Local writer Jessica Payne will discuss her new thriller, “The Lucky One.” This event will be held in person at 4 p.m. at the bookshop at 107 Capitol Way N., Olympia. Payne, also the author of “Make Me Disappear,” writes suspense and thriller and is the host of #MomsWritersClub on Twitter and YouTube.

Sunday, Oct. 16

Olympia Symphony Orchestra Season Reveal Concert: The symphony will offer a sneak peek at its upcoming 2022-2023 season programs and guest artists during a pre-season concert at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Minnaert Center for the Arts at South Puget Sound Community College, 2011 Mottman Road SW, Olympia. The musicians of the OSO and its new Music Director Alexandra Arrieche will showcase a mix of live symphonic performances and video excerpts highlighting the upcoming season, and there will be a surprise performance by a mystery musician. A post-concert reception will follow, where guests can meet Arrieche. Tickets are $45 and $65 and available through the Washington Center for the Performing Arts website and its box office at 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia.