What’s happening this week around Thurston County

Sunday, June 29

Capital City Pride Festival: The annual LGBTQ+ festival in Olympia wraps up Sunday with the Pride Parade and Rally from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., traveling from Tivoli Fountain on the Capitol Campus to Heritage Park on the shores of Capitol Lake. That will be followed by Dyke Day in the Park from 2–5 p.m. in Heritage Park, and a Queerly Hilarious comedy night from 6–8 p.m. Sunday at Wild Child on Fourth Avenue. Admission to the comedy show is $8 at the door; the show is for those 18 and older.

Shoestring Circus returns to Olympia: Shoestring Circus has returned to Olympia, with shows scheduled multiple times a day through July 6 at Swantown Marina on East Bay in Olympia. Step inside the big top turned art museum for a brand new show for all ages. The Museum turns the big top into a living gallery where circus meets art in dazzling, unexpected, and absurd ways. See jugglers, aerialists, contortionists and more from Cirque du Soleil, Broadway, and beyond in this high-energy experience. (Shoestring Circus is an all-human spectacle.) Admission is $33 for adults; $16 for those 3 to 13 years old; with front-row reserved seats going for $42. Children 2 and younger do not require a ticket but must share a seat with a ticket holder. Information and tickets can be found at shoestringcircus.com.

Thursday, July 3

Lacey Fireworks Spectacular: For over 50 years, the city of Lacey has celebrated the holiday a day early with a free fireworks show, local food vendors, and live music. The festivities run from 4 to 11 p.m. Thursday, July 3, at Rainier Vista Community Park, 5475 45th Ave SE, Lacey. Admission is free.

Friday, July 4

Tumwater Independence Day Parade: This traditional parade filled with military and veteran’s groups, high school cheer and dance teams, classic cars, and more begins at 11 a.m. Friday, July 4. The parade starts at the corner of Capitol Boulevard and Lee Street and moves south on Capitol Boulevard to Israel Road where it turns west (right) onto Israel Road and continues past City Hall, ending up at the Linderson Way-Israel Road Intersection. This is typically a popular event, so get there early to find a viewing spot along the route.

Tumwater Family Festival & Nisqually Red Wind Casino Fireworks Show: This combine event begins at 6 p.m. at the Tumwater Valley Golf Course, 4611 Tumwater Valley Dr SE. This family event offers games, music, and a lot more. Admission is free but event parking is $10. No pets, alcohol, or personal fireworks are allowed in the festival; bags and coolers will be checked for prohibited items upon entry to the event. The fireworks show begins at 10:15 p.m. at the golf course; fireworks are discharged from the driving range.

Animal Fire Theatre’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”: This local theater troupe is once again providing a chance to watch Shakespeare in the park. Performances are scheduled at 7 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays July 4-27 at Wonderwood Park, 5304 32nd Ave. SE, Lacey. The performance space is closest to the entrance off Ruddell Road, near the tennis courts. Admission is free and all are welcome. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair; seating is not provided.

Sunday, July 6

Olympia Film Society’s Kids Club presents “Fantastic Mr. Fox”: Kids 12 and younger get in free to screenings of this Wes Anderson film every Sunday afternoon in July. Screenings start at 1 p.m. July 6, 13, 20 and 27 at the Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave. SE, Olympia. “Fantastic Mr. Fox” — Anderson’s adaptation of a Roald Dahl children’s book — is the story of a compulsive chicken thief turned newspaper reporter who moves his family into a new foxhole in a beautiful tree directly adjacent to three enormous poultry farms owned by three ferociously vicious farmers. The stop-motion animation film features voice performances by George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Willem Dafoe, Michael Gambon, and Bill Murray. Tickets are available at the box office 30 minutes before showtimes; adults and teens pay $13 general admission or $10 for OFS members.

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 June 28, 2025 at 12:00 PM.