What’s happening this week around Thurston County
CORRECTION: A Tapestry of Asian Tales, a Storytelling Event, previously listed here, will actually occur May 14.
Sunday, May 4
SLURP your seafood: The Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association is again hosting this fundraising event, the Shellfish Lovers Ultimate Rejuvenation Party, or SLURP. Dubbed Olympia’s premier shellfish event, it features top chefs, local wineries and breweries, live music and lots of fresh shellfish. The event runs from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the Port Plaza, 701 Columbia St NW, Olympia. Tickets are $125.
Tuesday, May 6
Coffee with a Cop: Join Lacey police officers from 8 to 10 a.m. Tuesday at Fog & Fern, 4219 Sixth Ave SE, Lacey, for a casual morning of coffee and conversation. This is an opportunity to meet local officers, ask questions, and build community relationships in a relaxed setting.
Labor Council program on campaign for single-payer insurance: The Washington State Labor Council invites you to a program with Rose Roach, national coordinator of the Labor Campaign for Single Payer. The theme of the 3-hour program is “Winning True Health Security — How Could Single-Payer Health Care Benefit Unions and Union Members?” It will take place on Tuesday, May 6 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the State Labor Council building, 906 Columbia St. SW, Olympia. Coffee and snacks will be provided. You must register in advance.
Wednesday, May 7
Closing ceremony for Hummingbird Studio art exhibit: On May 7 at 6 pm, there will be a closing celebration for the art exhibit, “Stories from the heart,” presented by Hummingbird Studio at the Olympia Timberland Library, 313 Eighth Ave. SE, Olympia. Hummingbird Studio is a free, inclusive art space that offers a safe, accessible, and welcoming studio where artists of all ages and abilities can express their creativity, make art, and make friends. It is housed in Friendship Hall at the YWCA, 220 Union Ave. SE, Olympia.
Thursday, May 8
Ballet Northwest presents “The Sleeping Beauty”: Ballet Northwest will present Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet this Mother’s Day Weekend at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. Performance times are 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, May 8-9, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 10-11. The fairy tale ballet will feature 100 local dancers (from Thurston, Lewis, Mason, and Pierce counties) plus two Ballet Northwest alumni: Natalie Allenton and Bina Anvari. Natalie, who will dance the role of Princess Aurora in two shows, graduated from Pacific Northwest Ballet’s professional division and danced professionally with Spectrum Dance Theater. Bina was an Aspirant with Eugene Ballet in Oregon and dances the male lead role, Prince Desire’. Grace Collins, a junior at Olympia High School, will dance the role of Princess Aurora in the other two shows. Tickets range from $22 to $45, with discounts available to students, seniors, and youth. Student Rush tickets are available one hour before curtain. Tickets are available through the Washington Center Box Office or by calling 360-753-8566. Visit www.balletnorthwest.org for more information or buy tickets online at www.washingtoncenter.org/bnw.
Friday, May 9
VFW 318 Auxiliary Spring Bazaar: Discover a variety of items and gifts, and enjoy soup or a sandwich at this sale from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, May 9, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 10, at the VFW, 2902 Martin Way E., Olympia. There also will be a bake sale and a raffle of many items. All proceeds will support veterans and their families.
Saturday, May 10
Olympia Wooden Boat Festival: This event has been a prized community tradition for over 45 years, taking place each Mother’s Day weekend at Olympia’s Percival Landing, 217 Thurston Ave. NW. Hours are 10 am to 6 pm Saturday and 11 am to 5 pm Sunday. Visitors can admire various historic and modern wooden boats while hearing stories from their captains about the craftsmanship, restoration, and adventures behind each vessel. Local artists showcase handcrafted goods along the boardwalk, some creating new pieces on site. There will be local food vendors and live music in the park. Admission is free.
Peace Choir Community Concert: The Olympia Peace Choir, the Olympia Peace Singers and Treble Voices for Peace, grateful recipients of Olympia’s Inspire Olympia Grant in 2024-2025, will gather to perform their annual Community Concert, “Change is Gonna Come,” at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 10, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 1515 Harrison Ave. NW, Olympia. The concert is free and family friendly. Donations are welcome.
WET Science Center’s Story of a Flush and tour: From Roman troughs to chamber pots, toilets have totally transformed! Come experiment with flushability and get a glimpse into the history of toilets. Then at 1 pm Saturday, take a tour of LOTT’s Budd Inlet Treatment Plant and learn what happens to wastewater after it’s flushed. Tour participants must be 10 or older and wear closed-toe, closed-heel shoes. Activities run from 10 am to 4 pm at the WET Science Center, 500 Adams St. NE, Olympia. Admission is 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.
This story was originally published May 3, 2025 at 12:21 PM.