My kids are very quick to remind me each morning how many days are left until Christmas (9 by their count). And with snow flurries, chilly temperatures and frosty rooftops, I’m feeling in the spirit myself. Whether you are counting days to Christmas, tallying days to the start of Hanukkah (only 8 more to go) or marking time to the solstice and the return of more light (6 days!), you can fill the time with the events and happenings on our list below.
- Register your kids for a winter break camp at the South Sound YMCA.
- Bundle up for a tour of the area’s best light displays using this guide.
- Share your Christmas wish with Santa. Local spots to visit him are here.
- Check someone off your shopping list with a local gift at the Olympia Farmer’s Market. Open Saturday and Sunday.
- Celebrate coffee with gifts for coffee lovers in your life from Batdorf and Bronson.
- Cross the county line and grab some bargains at the Centralia Outlets.
- Delight in a holiday classic. The Nutcracker plays all weekend at SPSCC’s Minnaert Center and at The Washington Center. Details here.
- Wet your whistle at these local taprooms.
- Get your ride winter roads ready this weekend at Gary’s Point S Tire Center (formerly Gary’s Tire Factory).
- Cut your tree (it’s your last chance!) this weekend at a local tree farm.
- Enjoy a local favorite: The Stardust Christmas Enchantment at Harlequin Productions.
- Join the South Sound Estuary Association for their Turn of the Tides Festival on Saturday starting at 11:00 a.m.
- Laugh like a kid again while sledding at Mount Rainier.
- Take in a family classic, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, at Olympia Family Theater for the final weekend.
- Learn local history while reading the historical markers on a walk around Capitol Lake.
- Commit to a new volunteer opportunity for the coming new year. Ideas here.
- Spend Saturday evening at the Library. The annual, free BiblioBall is held from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
- Experience the restored Fox Theater in Centralia during the Voetberg Family Christmas Show on Saturday and Sunday.
- Raise your voice in song at SOGO’s annual free Sing-A-Long Messiah on Monday evening at The Washington Center.
- Warm up after shopping or theater with a warm winter drink at one of these downtown Olympia watering holes.
- Visit an open house event this weekend. Click here to see the list of Van Dorm Realty’s open houses.
Submit an event for our calendar here.
ThurstonTalk aims to be your source for positive information and events happening in Olympia. If you have a suggestion for a post, send us a note at submit@thurstontalk.com. For more events and to learn what’s happening in Olympia and the surrounding area, visit our events calendar.
