What’s happening this week around Thurston County
Sunday, Feb. 23
Concerto competition winners perform with Olympia Chamber Orchestra: The Olympia Chamber Orchestra (OCO) and the Olympia Music Teachers Association (OMTA) have a longstanding tradition of fostering young musical talent. Each year, OMTA hosts a concerto competition for young pianists in the region. The winners of the two advanced divisions are selected to perform their chosen concerti with the full accompaniment of OCO. Pianist Chloe Song will perform George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and pianist Phoebe Goh will perform Johann Nepomunk Hummel’s Piano Concerto No. 1, first movement with the orchestra, two pieces in vastly different styles. The orchestra will also perform Domenico Cimarosa’s Overture from his opera Il Matrimonio Secreto (The Secret Wedding) and Charles Gounod’s Symphony No. 1. This concert takes place at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23 at the Capital High School Performing Arts Center, 2707 Conger Ave NW, Olympia. Tickets are $25 general admission, with discounts for families, youth, students, seniors and military, and can be purchased at OlympiaChamberOrchestra.org.
Heaven on a Half Shell -- Washington state’s Oyster Odyssey: Get to know the Pacific Northwest’s most beloved bivalve: the oyster. In this Humanities Washington talk, author David George Gordon discusses three species— the Olympia, Eastern, and Pacific oysters— along with the people who have cultivated these delicacies for many generations. In addition to being the principal author of “Heaven on the Half Shell: The Story of the Oyster in the Pacific Northwest”, Gordon, who lives in Tacoma, is a former science writer for Washington Sea Grant and has written 22 books on topics ranging from slugs and snails to sharks, gray whales, and Sasquatch. His presentation will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Harstine Island Community Club, 3371 E Harstine Island Road N, Shelton.
Downtown Birding Tours with the Estuarium: Check out the Estuarium’s monthly Urban Birding Walking Tours on the fourth Sunday of the month with the Puget Sound Estuarium. Spring tours walk around the Port Peninsula, starting at the LOTT wetlands heading along East Bay to Swantown Marina then on to Percival Landing. No birding experience required, but don’t forget binoculars. The walk will be 2 hours, from 9 to 11 a.m., and cover approximately 2 miles, so wear comfortable walking shoes. The Bird Walk tour also includes a tour of the Estuarium facility. Price is $18, but kids 12 and younger can join for free. Register on Eventbrite.
Monday, Feb. 24
Virtual hearing on Olympia Planning Commission zoning amendments: The Planning Commission is hearing amendments that could affect the balance of residential and commercial space, as well as parking required of development. The proposed amendments aim to increase the number of residential units while decreasing the required commercial space in urban villages such as Briggs Village. The public hearing will be held virtually with an option to participate in-person at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24. Zoom Webinar registration is required. Once registered, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to join the webinar. A computer with Zoom will be made available in Room 207 at Olympia City Hall, 601 Fourth Ave. E, Olympia. If you cannot attend the hearing, you can email comments to the lead planner, Jackson Ewing, at jewing@ci.olympia.wa.us, by 5 p.m. Monday.
Olympia Peace Choir Home Concert: Join the Olympia Peace Choir at its rehearsal space at Westminster Presbyterian Church for a performance entitled “The Times They Are A-Changin’” that weaves together anthems of justice, haunting melodies of hope, and uplifting songs of community. The concert begins at 8:15 p.m. The church is at 1925 Boulevard Road SE, Olympia.
Wednesday, Feb. 26
Enrollment Information Night for Lincoln Options Elementary School: Enrollment Information Nights will be held from 6-8 p.m., Feb. 26 and March 6 in the cafeteria of Lincoln Options Elementary, 213 21st Ave SE. The cafeteria is located on the lower level and is accessed from doors closest to the parking lot. Childcare is provided by donation. Lincoln Options Elementary is a public school program within the Olympia School District. Olympia students who live outside of the Lincoln service area and wish to attend Lincoln are invited to participate in a lottery process, which is outlined during our Enrollment Information Nights. The school asks that all new families attend one of these meetings to help them make an informed decision about whether the Lincoln Options Program is the right fit for their needs. Additionally, at the meeting, families will learn about the lottery process, and have an opportunity to meet the staff and ask questions. Lincoln offers multi-age classrooms; critical thinking, problem solving, and project-based learning; equal value placed on academic, social, and emotional growth; an emphasis on the values of cooperation, social justice, and sustainability; parent involvement in governance and the classroom. For questions, email Elise Wong at lincolnenrollment@gmail.com or call 360-359-6564.
Saturday, March 1
The Procession of the Species Studio opening: The studio opens at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 1, at the Armory, 515 Eastside St. SE, Olympia. The public is welcome to listen in and begin art projects, but the main emphasis is bringing crew volunteers up to speed with layout, art styles and greeting procedures, as well as fill in the staffing calendar and coordinator positions, etc. This is a great day for classroom teachers, group leaders and would-be art instructors to attend. Volunteers will meet from 9 to 11 a.m., and there will be art workshop presentations and planning sessions as well as supply donation drop offs from noon to 6 p.m. March studio hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays, noon to 6 p.m. Sundays, and 3 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. An Open House & Dance Fundraiser is planned for 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, March 8.
Olympia Dance Festival: The Washington Center for the Performing Arts and Ballet Northwest will host the Olympia Dance Festival at 7 p.m. March 1. It will feature 16 dance companies from throughout Western Washington, as well as guest artists Eran Bugge from Paul Taylor Dance Company and Aaron Loux from Mark Morris Dance Group. The program will include ballet, contemporary, hip-hop, tap, jazz, Irish dance, Chinese dance, ballroom, musical theatre and more. Tickets are $24 to $36. The center is at 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia.
Author talk about Tugboat Sand Man: Lisa Nickel & Chuck Fowler, authors of “Tugboat Sand Man,” will make an appearance from 2-4 p.m. Saturday at Browser’s Bookshop, 107 Capitol Way N., Olympia. After the book presentation at 2 p.m., there will be time for questions, book signing, and a casual meet-and-greet with the authors. The Olympia harbor tugboat Sand Man worked on Puget Sound waters for over a century. In 1997, the Sand Man Foundation formed, took ownership, and placed Sand Man on multiple historic registries. Through fundraising efforts, the deteriorating Sand Man was miraculously saved and rebuilt after three sinkings. The book is its story.
Native Plant Sale & Festival: The Thurston Conservation District’s 2025 Native Plant Festival & Sale will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Thurston County Fairgrounds, 3054 Carpenter Road SE, Lacey. A list of plants available along with the prices is available on the district’s website.
Wildlife Tracking activities at WET Science Center: While we don’t always see wildlife, we can often see the tracks and traces they leave behind, like scratch marks on a tree, footprints in the mud, or even scat! Join the WET Science Center and visiting educators from Firecraft Northwest for a day of learning all about tracking signs of wildlife. Activities run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the center, 500 Adams St. NE, Olympia. Admission is free and all ages are welcome.
Sunday, March 2
SOGO Winter Concert: Immerse yourself in an afternoon of orchestra music performed by the Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia. On the program are Franz von Suppe’s Pique Dame Overture performed by the Conservatory Orchestra, followed by the colorful rhythms of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol. The concert, which also will feature the Brass Choir and Academy and Philharmonic orchestras, will showcase of over 160 talented young musicians from across the South Sound region. The concert begins at 4 p.m. at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. Tickets are $8 to $24 plus a service fee, with youth 6 and younger admitted free.
Would you like to have your event included in our weekly What’s Happening calendar? Email the details to news@theolympian.com at least 10 days before the event. Please put What’s Happening in the subject line.