What’s happening this week around Thurston County

Monday, Sept. 22

Lee Creighton honorary event: The Lee Creighton Justice Center is named after the man who was elected Olympia’s first municipal court judge. The city of Olympia is selling the building and land to the Squaxin Tribe, and merging the municipal court with Thurston County’s district court. To preserve the city’s history, court staff have set up an honorary event celebrating Creighton, the court, and its history. His son, attorney Eli Creighton, will sit on the bench and hear several cases, bookending his father’s legacy. After the cases are heard, Creighton will speak and others will be invited to share stories about Creighton and the court. The event will take place on Monday, Sept. 22 at the Lee Creighton Justice Center, 900 Plum St. SE, and Eli Creighton will take the bench at about 11 a.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 23

Celebrating Conservation Activism at the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge: The wildlife refuge is hosting this event featuring Janine Gates on Tuesday, Sept. 23, from 6-8 p.m. Gates and Refuge staff will celebrate those who have been part of saving the Nisqually Delta, including those individuals Gates interviewed for her book, “Saving the Nisqually Delta,” which will be available for purchase at the event as well as through https://savingnisquallydelta.com. The event is free and open to all. Cake and refreshments will be served. The Refuge is located at 100 Brown Farm Road NE, Olympia.

Wednesday, Sept. 24

Candidate forum for Olympia School Board: The Olympia Timberland Library, in partnership with League of Women Voters of Thurston County, TCMedia, and Thurston NAACP, are hosting candidate forums for Olympia School Board and Olympia City Council. The first event will be at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, at the library, 313 Eighth Ave. SE. Attendees can meet the candidates for the two open OSD Board Director positions (Districts 3 and 5). The forum will be recorded by Thurston Community Media. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask the candidates questions. A similar forum is planned for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 8 for Olympia City Council candidates. The LWVTC, TCMedia, NAACP Thurston, and Timberland Regional Library are non-partisan and do not endorse specific candidates or political parties.

Free bike checkup: Tumwater Timberland Library will host this event from 2-6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24. Come down with your bike. Intercity Transit will have volunteers working to diagnose bike issues and give tips on bike safety as part of the National Week Without Driving Campaign. The library is at 7023 New Market St.

Thursday, Sept. 25

Olympia Garden Club: Visitors are welcome at the next meeting of Olympia Garden Club on Sept. 25 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1925 Boulevard Road SE, Olympia. Gathering begins around 9:30 a.m. with a social time and sales of plants donated by members. Meeting begina at 10 a.m.; they include a business portion, a review of horticulture samples from members’ gardens, a report on the habits of various birds, and a floral design of the month. This month’s program is “Mobility, Adaptive Tools, and Tips for the Garden” presented by Jodell Monroe, an occupational therapist, and garden club member Debbie Ripley, a physical therapist. They will cover how to use garden tools to make gardening tasks easier on our bodies, general accessibility in the garden, correct posture and movement to reduce stress on the body and improve the ability to safely and comfortably work in the garden. Members bring their own lunch and coffee cups. Coffee and tea are provided. For further information about club activities, visit www.olympiagardenclub.org.

Saturday, Sept. 27

36th Annual Nisqually Watershed Festival: The Nisqually Watershed community will host this annual festival at Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday, Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Celebrate the wonders of nature with a day full of art, science, music, wildlife, discovery, and more family fun. There will be live music, educational wildlife encounters, interactive exhibits, hands on crafting activities such as fish printing (bring a T-Shirt) and wooden fish painting, educational dogfish dissections, an insect extravaganza, and FIN the 25-foot Giant Wild Salmon. Snack, dessert, and lunch options will be available throughout the festival, including a salmon barbecue. Festival parking is at the Hawks Prairie Park-n-Ride (2548 Hogum Bay Road NE) with free shuttles running to the Refuge every 15 minutes. Admission is free all day.

Falls Fest 2025: Enjoy music, children’s activities, salmon education, and artisan demos from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Falls Fest at Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls. Shop for products from a variety of local artists and try local food options. Explore the scenic half-mile loop trail along the Deschutes River highlighted by cascading waterfalls and views of the Old Brew Tower. This event celebrates Tumwater Falls as a sacred and historically-significant place, while honoring arts, heritage and the environment within the community. Avoid the hassle and ride the bus or choose an active mode of transportation to get there! Intercity Transit Route 13 provides service near Brewery Park. Or if you ride your bike to Falls Fest, you’ll be treated to free bike parking close to festival vendors and activities. When you arrive, roll up to the bike valet to check your bike in at our staffed valet bike parking provided by Intercity Transit’s Walk N Roll program. For more information about Falls Fest, visit the city of Tumwater’s webpage.

Lula Fest honors Hispanic Heritage Month: The Latino Leadership Network, Lula Fest LLC, the Olympia Film Society and Olympia Downtown Alliance are proud to present Lula Fest 2025, a free community celebration honoring Hispanic Heritage Month. The free festival will take place on Saturday, Sept. 27, from 1 to 8 p.m. at the Historic Capitol Theater at 206 Fifth Ave SE in downtown Olympia. This cultural festival will feature live music, including Los Cumbieros, La Nueva Novedad, Mariachi Ayutla, Duende Libre, Albina Cabrera (KEXP’s El Sonido), DJ Kalambre, and DJ Trademark. In addition to music, attendees can enjoy a beer garden, custom cars and motorcycles, community organizations sharing resources and information, and family-friendly entertainment.

Olympia Downtown Alliance’s annual Fall Cleanup: Help keep downtown Olympia looking its best by participating in the Olympia Downtown Alliance’s annual Fall Cleanup from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 27. Volunteers will refresh landscaping and tidy the streetscape with sweeping, trash removal, and cleaning. The ODA will provide cleaning and landscaping tools, but volunteers are encouraged to bring their own gloves and non-powered tools to supplement what’s provided. If bringing your own tools, please indicate what you’ll bring when you register to participate on the LoveOly volunteer signup webpage.

Oktoberfest at Stone City Event Center: This all-day festival blends Bavarian tradition with small-town charm, through music, food, and games. Families can enjoy free kids’ activities from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., including a kids’ Stein Holding competition, Pretzel Toss, Coloring Station, Face Painting, Cornhole, and Chicken Dance competition. Guests can pose at the Bavarian photo backdrop or snap a spooky selfie with Krampus, who will be making appearances. For adults, friendly competitions run all day — Stein Holding, Sausage Toss, Keg Roll Relay, Pretzel Eating, Oktoberfest Trivia, “Name That Polka,” Best Dressed Contest, and more — leading up to the crowning of the Oktoberfest Champion at 9:45 p.m. An Oktoberfest menu by Simply Organic Café & Catering will feature Jägerschnitzel with mushroom gravy, Bavarian sourdough pretzels with warm beer cheese, bratwurst with Walla Walla onion and apple relish, German potato salad, and more. Local craft beer, festive drinks, and non-alcoholic options will be available all day. The new Stone City Event Center is at 16404 Old Highway 99 SE, Tenino. The even will run from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Admission is free. Find more details at StoneCityEventCenter.com

Sunday, Sept. 28

Urban birding tour with the Puget Sound Estuarium: This two-hour beginning bird watching tour will start at 9 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, at the estuarium at 309 State Ave. NE, Olympia. Participants will get an introduction to using binoculars, learn about the local and migratory birds, and get info on current restoration projects. Guides will show you tips and tricks for spotting birds. You can test out different views through binoculars, monoculars, and scopes. A tablet adapter makes it easy for everyone to view birds together. Help collect data for scientific use and take home a list of local birds to keep an eye out for next time. The tour is a loop around downtown, stopping along the way to observe how birds have adapted to live in urban areas. You will also hear about how Olympia’s estuaries have changed, are changing, and the effect it has on birds. Cost of the tour is $18 for adults (those 13 and older); children participate for 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 September 21, 2025 at 5:00 AM.