Events Calendar | ThurstonTalk

Home Olympia Events Calendar

The ThurstonTalk Events Calendar shares things to do around Thurston County including Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Yelm, Tenino and beyond. Find fun activities and adventures throughout the region on our comprehensive events calendar.

Have an event that isn’t listed? Please email events@ThurstonTalk.com with the following information:

Name of Event
Date, time and location (name of business if applicable and complete address)
Organizer(s) name
Cost
URL to purchase tickets
Website URL
SHORT description of event
Photo

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The Jail Letters Project featuring Sam Miller @ Wild Child

Jun 15 @ 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

Comedian and Olympia native Sam Miller returns to his hometown for two special performances at Wild Child on Saturday, June 15, as part of The Jail Letters Project — a deeply personal and transformative evening of stand-up, storytelling, and healing.

Sam Miller is not your typical comic. He’s 6 feet 6 inches tall, 360 pounds, and 15 years sober. Before finding comedy, Sam experienced homelessness, addiction, and incarceration — all of which now fuel his raw, hilarious, and deeply human material. His debut comedy special Round Trip reached #1 on the iTunes Comedy Chart, and he recently signed a three-album deal with Grammy-winning Stand Up! Records.

The Olympia shows mark a powerful return to the community that shaped him. The Jail Letters Project is an evening that blends stand-up with lived experience, inviting audiences to reflect on transformation, resilience, and the power of laughter to cut through shame.

2 Shows: 3:00pm and 6:00pm

Categories: Adult Focused Events Arts and Entertainment Food & Beverage Theater Performances

Said By The Father and Son @ Spanish Ballroom at Elks Temple

Jun 15 @ 6:00 pm

On Father’s Day, Sunday, June 15, my father (Leon Walker) and I are performing “Said By The Father and Son” — a one-night-only musical experience at the Spanish Ballroom at Elks Temple in Tacoma. This show is an emotional, uplifting journey through fatherhood, legacy, and healing — told through a blend of spoken word, hip hop, soul, and gospel music.

Together, we share our real-life story as a Black father and son, using performance art to honor generational wisdom and connection. It’s a heartfelt celebration that invites families, artists, and community members to reflect and connect.

Categories: Arts and Entertainment Family Events Theater Performances

The Jail Letters Project featuring Sam Miller @ Wild Child

Jun 15 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

Comedian and Olympia native Sam Miller returns to his hometown for two special performances at Wild Child on Saturday, June 15, as part of The Jail Letters Project — a deeply personal and transformative evening of stand-up, storytelling, and healing.

Sam Miller is not your typical comic. He’s 6 feet 6 inches tall, 360 pounds, and 15 years sober. Before finding comedy, Sam experienced homelessness, addiction, and incarceration — all of which now fuel his raw, hilarious, and deeply human material. His debut comedy special Round Trip reached #1 on the iTunes Comedy Chart, and he recently signed a three-album deal with Grammy-winning Stand Up! Records.

The Olympia shows mark a powerful return to the community that shaped him. The Jail Letters Project is an evening that blends stand-up with lived experience, inviting audiences to reflect on transformation, resilience, and the power of laughter to cut through shame.

2 Shows: 3:00pm and 6:00pm

Categories: Adult Focused Events Arts and Entertainment Food & Beverage Theater Performances

Adult Creative Contemporary Dance @ The Olympia Center

Jun 16 @ 5:15 pm – 6:15 pm

Join South Sound Dance Access for this fun opportunity for creative expression, strength building, and connection. Creative Contemporary Dance is an open-level dance class for adults of all ages drawing primarily upon Modern and Contemporary Dance techniques. In this class we will learn fundamentals of modern dance technique and dance composition concepts. Well learn fun routines each week and have opportunities to create dances together!

Categories: Arts and Entertainment Health and Wellness Workshops, Classes and Lectures

Lunch & Learn with Perkins Family Farms! @ Olympia Farmers Market

Jun 19 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Everyone loves oysters – they just might not know it yet. Ryan Perkins, founder of Perkins Family Farms, will lead guests through a delicious tasting of BBQ oysters along with a bit of an Oyster 101 (how-not-to-get-jabbed while shucking, different preparations, and recommended pairings).

Categories: Arts and Entertainment Food & Beverage

3rd Annual Juneteenth – Celebrating Belonging @ ASHHO Cultural Community Center

Jun 19 @ 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Join us on Thursday, June 19th from 4PM to 7PM at the ASHHO Cultural Community Center for a vibrant Juneteenth celebration that honors belonging, culture, and community. This a FREE, family-friendly event that will feature:

Live Music
Delicious Soul-Food
Black Excellence Achievement Awards
Guided Art Session by Hearts for the Arts and Crafts

Categories: Arts and Entertainment Education Family Events Festivals, Expos, and Parade Food & Beverage Local History Seasonal and Holiday Events

The Knitting Circle @ Lacey Timberland Library

Jun 20 @ 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

The Knitting Circle meets at Lacey Timberland Library every Friday 10:00 am until noon.

The group meets either in the Conference Room or inside the main part of the library on the left side over by windows.

Bring your current knitting, crochet, or other needlework project & meet other needle crafters for sharing tips, troubleshooting, & crafting companionship.

All skill levels welcome.

The Knitting Circle is not a class, lecture, meeting, etc, so arrive & depart whenever you want, meet more often inside the library, etc.

Do you no longer knit or crochet & have unwanted yarn, fiber, needles, hooks, looms, spinning wheels, books, or magazines? Please consider giving them to us free of charge any Friday morning.

This event is not sponsored by Lacey Timberland Library.

Categories: Arts and Entertainment Workshops, Classes and Lectures Tags: #arts&crafts crochet knitting

LoveOly SummerFest @ Downtown Olympia

Jun 20 @ 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Get ready for a fun-filled kick-off to summer with LoveOly SummerFest 2025 in Downtown Olympia!

The Olympia Downtown Alliance is excited to bring back LoveOly SummerFest 2025! This fun, FREE, three-day street festival is set for June 20, 21 and 22 in Downtown Olympia. Enjoy live music, along with family-friendly activities, delicious food trucks, a Biergarten, and independent vendors.

With all this and more, LoveOly SummerFest is sure to have everything you need to start the summer off right!

The festival schedule begins Friday, June 20, with afternoon activities, including face painting, caricature artists, and a Makers Market. Saturday, June 21, includes a full day of entertainment. Head to the festival area for Super Smash Bros. competition brackets and main stage entertainment. Sunday, June 22, will bring the brunch vibes. Experience the Queens of Diva Drag Brunch — an incredible performance and the perfect way to wrap up a fun-filled festival weekend!

Weekend Hours

Friday, June 20: 3 pm- 9 pm: Biergarten, live music, games, buskers, makers market vendors, and more
Saturday, June 21: 11 am – 9 pm: Children’s entertainment powered by Hands On Children’s Museum, live music, Biergarten, buskers, Super Smash Bros. competition, and more. Chalk Art competition. Voting happens Saturday to Sunday. Thank you, Selden’s, our Chalk Art Contest sponsor!
Sunday, June 22: 11 am: Diva Drag Brunch. And Scherler Sundays host Markly Morrison welcomes Olympia surf-punk combo The Proffits perform at 12 pm, interspersed with personal stories of growing up in the local music scene in the ‘80s and ‘90s, what’s different about Olympia music culture today, and what things will never change.
Pop-up options from local culinary favorites, Chicory, Dos Hermanos, Sofie’s Scoops, and more throughout the weekend!

The entertainment lineup includes amazing performances from local and regional musicians, including

Friday

Sarah Adams
Coven Dove
Seaside Tryst
Brittany Davis
LAKE
Little Lies

Saturday

The Rat Utopia Experiment
Sweet N’ Juicy
Beatrix Sky
Johnny Franco
Lovely Colours
Sera Cahoone
Horse Feathers
Glitterfox

Sunday

Diva Drag Brunch
The Proffits

LoveOly SummerFest 2025 will take place in Downtown Olympia at 5th Avenue and Washington Street.

For more information about the event, visit https://loveolydowntown.com/events/loveoly-summerfest/.

Categories: Arts and Entertainment Family Events Festivals, Expos, and Parade Food & Beverage Music Concerts Outdoor Recreation Seasonal and Holiday Events Volunteer and Community Enrichment

Swede Day Rochester’s Mid-Sommer Festival @ Swede Hall

Jun 20 @ 6:00 pm

The Rochester Citizens Group is delighted to announce the schedule for this year’s highly anticipated Swede Day Celebration, taking place on Friday, June 20, and Saturday, June 21, in Rochester. This annual festival promises a weekend filled with traditional Swedish culture, delicious food, and community fun. Highlights of the festival include the beloved Traditional Swedish Pancakes Breakfast, a Meatball Lunch, Strawberry Shortcake, the grand Swede Day Parade, and the festive Maypole Dance.

Friday June 20th

6:00PM-7:00PM Royalty Court Coronation with Strawberry Shortcake following the announcement of the 2025 Queen

7:00PM-10:00PM Royalty Court Coronation Ball $10.00 Entry

Saturday June 21st Highlights

7:00AM -9:00AM Swedish Pancake Breakfast $7.00 Adults $5.00 kids 12 and under

8:00AM-8:45 History of Swede Hall and Independence Valley, presentation by Dick Erickson

9:00AM-3:00PM Arts, Crafts and Food Vendors

11:00AM The 46th Annual Swede Day Rochester Mid-Sommer Festival Parade Sponsored by Umpqua Bank

Even a May Pole Dance in the Afternoon.

Categories: Arts and Entertainment Family Events Festivals, Expos, and Parade Food & Beverage Kids Local History Outdoor Recreation

Swede Day Rochester’s Mid-Sommer Festival @ Swede Hall

Jun 21 @ 7:00 am

The Rochester Citizens Group is delighted to announce the schedule for this year’s highly anticipated Swede Day Celebration, taking place on Friday, June 20, and Saturday, June 21, in Rochester. This annual festival promises a weekend filled with traditional Swedish culture, delicious food, and community fun. Highlights of the festival include the beloved Traditional Swedish Pancakes Breakfast, a Meatball Lunch, Strawberry Shortcake, the grand Swede Day Parade, and the festive Maypole Dance.

Friday June 20th

6:00PM-7:00PM Royalty Court Coronation with Strawberry Shortcake following the announcement of the 2025 Queen

7:00PM-10:00PM Royalty Court Coronation Ball $10.00 Entry

Saturday June 21st Highlights

7:00AM -9:00AM Swedish Pancake Breakfast $7.00 Adults $5.00 kids 12 and under

8:00AM-8:45 History of Swede Hall and Independence Valley, presentation by Dick Erickson

9:00AM-3:00PM Arts, Crafts and Food Vendors

11:00AM The 46th Annual Swede Day Rochester Mid-Sommer Festival Parade Sponsored by Umpqua Bank

Even a May Pole Dance in the Afternoon.

Categories: Arts and Entertainment Family Events Festivals, Expos, and Parade Food & Beverage Kids Local History Outdoor Recreation

LoveOly SummerFest @ Downtown Olympia

Jun 21 @ 11:00 am – 9:00 pm

Get ready for a fun-filled kick-off to summer with LoveOly SummerFest 2025 in Downtown Olympia!

The Olympia Downtown Alliance is excited to bring back LoveOly SummerFest 2025! This fun, FREE, three-day street festival is set for June 20, 21 and 22 in Downtown Olympia. Enjoy live music, along with family-friendly activities, delicious food trucks, a Biergarten, and independent vendors.

With all this and more, LoveOly SummerFest is sure to have everything you need to start the summer off right!

The festival schedule begins Friday, June 20, with afternoon activities, including face painting, caricature artists, and a Makers Market. Saturday, June 21, includes a full day of entertainment. Head to the festival area for Super Smash Bros. competition brackets and main stage entertainment. Sunday, June 22, will bring the brunch vibes. Experience the Queens of Diva Drag Brunch — an incredible performance and the perfect way to wrap up a fun-filled festival weekend!

Weekend Hours

Friday, June 20: 3 pm- 9 pm: Biergarten, live music, games, buskers, makers market vendors, and more
Saturday, June 21: 11 am – 9 pm: Children’s entertainment powered by Hands On Children’s Museum, live music, Biergarten, buskers, Super Smash Bros. competition, and more. Chalk Art competition. Voting happens Saturday to Sunday. Thank you, Selden’s, our Chalk Art Contest sponsor!
Sunday, June 22: 11 am: Diva Drag Brunch. And Scherler Sundays host Markly Morrison welcomes Olympia surf-punk combo The Proffits perform at 12 pm, interspersed with personal stories of growing up in the local music scene in the ‘80s and ‘90s, what’s different about Olympia music culture today, and what things will never change.
Pop-up options from local culinary favorites, Chicory, Dos Hermanos, Sofie’s Scoops, and more throughout the weekend!

The entertainment lineup includes amazing performances from local and regional musicians, including

Friday

Sarah Adams
Coven Dove
Seaside Tryst
Brittany Davis
LAKE
Little Lies

Saturday

The Rat Utopia Experiment
Sweet N’ Juicy
Beatrix Sky
Johnny Franco
Lovely Colours
Sera Cahoone
Horse Feathers
Glitterfox

Sunday

Diva Drag Brunch
The Proffits

LoveOly SummerFest 2025 will take place in Downtown Olympia at 5th Avenue and Washington Street.

For more information about the event, visit https://loveolydowntown.com/events/loveoly-summerfest/.

Categories: Arts and Entertainment Family Events Festivals, Expos, and Parade Food & Beverage Music Concerts Outdoor Recreation Seasonal and Holiday Events Volunteer and Community Enrichment

Artistry of the Pacific Northwest @ Seldens Olympia showroom

Jun 21 @ 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Seldens is proud to showcase the incredible talent of Women Painters of Washington as part of our ongoing “Artistry of the Pacific Northwest” series. We honor 16 extraordinary artists through a special installation in our Olympia showroom windows. Each banner highlights a featured artist alongside a sampling of her work—offering a glimpse into the vision and legacy of this storied collective.

Stop by to experience the vibrant history, passion, and artistry of these remarkable women—presented in a way that invites the whole community to enjoy.

Categories: Arts and Entertainment Women Focused Events

TCMedia Grand Re-Opening @ Thurston Community Media

Jun 21 @ 2:00 pm

Come to TCMedia on June 21 at 2PM to meet our incredible new co-directors, walk through our updated studio space, and hear about the new TCMedia vision! We need your help to keep local media for the community.

RSVP today and we’ll see you there!

https://tinyurl.com/ReopenRSVP

Categories: Arts and Entertainment Business Networking Events Volunteer and Community Enrichment

FC Olympia Vs Midlakes United USL2 @ Regional Athletic Complex

Jun 21 @ 7:00 pm

Artesian Soccer does not exist without folks coming to the
games. Make sure and secure your season tickets and single game match
tickets and spread the word on in the community and Facebook, Instagram and
Twitter!

Categories: Arts and Entertainment Family Events Kids Sports

LoveOly SummerFest @ Downtown Olympia

Jun 22 @ 11:00 am

Get ready for a fun-filled kick-off to summer with LoveOly SummerFest 2025 in Downtown Olympia!

The Olympia Downtown Alliance is excited to bring back LoveOly SummerFest 2025! This fun, FREE, three-day street festival is set for June 20, 21 and 22 in Downtown Olympia. Enjoy live music, along with family-friendly activities, delicious food trucks, a Biergarten, and independent vendors.

With all this and more, LoveOly SummerFest is sure to have everything you need to start the summer off right!

The festival schedule begins Friday, June 20, with afternoon activities, including face painting, caricature artists, and a Makers Market. Saturday, June 21, includes a full day of entertainment. Head to the festival area for Super Smash Bros. competition brackets and main stage entertainment. Sunday, June 22, will bring the brunch vibes. Experience the Queens of Diva Drag Brunch — an incredible performance and the perfect way to wrap up a fun-filled festival weekend!

Weekend Hours

Friday, June 20: 3 pm- 9 pm: Biergarten, live music, games, buskers, makers market vendors, and more
Saturday, June 21: 11 am – 9 pm: Children’s entertainment powered by Hands On Children’s Museum, live music, Biergarten, buskers, Super Smash Bros. competition, and more. Chalk Art competition. Voting happens Saturday to Sunday. Thank you, Selden’s, our Chalk Art Contest sponsor!
Sunday, June 22: 11 am: Diva Drag Brunch. And Scherler Sundays host Markly Morrison welcomes Olympia surf-punk combo The Proffits perform at 12 pm, interspersed with personal stories of growing up in the local music scene in the ‘80s and ‘90s, what’s different about Olympia music culture today, and what things will never change.
Pop-up options from local culinary favorites, Chicory, Dos Hermanos, Sofie’s Scoops, and more throughout the weekend!

The entertainment lineup includes amazing performances from local and regional musicians, including

Friday

Sarah Adams
Coven Dove
Seaside Tryst
Brittany Davis
LAKE
Little Lies

Saturday

The Rat Utopia Experiment
Sweet N’ Juicy
Beatrix Sky
Johnny Franco
Lovely Colours
Sera Cahoone
Horse Feathers
Glitterfox

Sunday

Diva Drag Brunch
The Proffits

LoveOly SummerFest 2025 will take place in Downtown Olympia at 5th Avenue and Washington Street.

For more information about the event, visit https://loveolydowntown.com/events/loveoly-summerfest/.

Categories: Arts and Entertainment Family Events Festivals, Expos, and Parade Food & Beverage Music Concerts Outdoor Recreation Seasonal and Holiday Events Volunteer and Community Enrichment

MAKE: Crochet 101, crochet a Granny Square! @ Lacey MakerSpace at St. Martin's University Campus Zaverl Hall

Jun 22 @ 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Don’t be square, Crochet a Granny Square! This class is perfect for beginners and also those looking to refresh their crochet skills, offering a relaxed and creative atmosphere. Right-handed techniques will be demonstrated. The granny square is a foundational crochet motif that’s incredibly versatile. Students will learn basic crochet stitches while creating a tangible, satisfying project to take home.

Categories: Arts and Entertainment Home and Garden Workshops, Classes and Lectures

The Olympia Chamber Orchestra Presents: Dreamscapes @ Capital High School Performing Arts Center

Jun 22 @ 2:30 pm

The Olympia Chamber Orchestra will present a vibrant concert titled
Dreamscapes on Sunday, June 22, 2025 at 2:30 p.m. at Capital High School in
West Olympia. The program features Dream Machine by Brian Balmages, Gli
Uccelli (The Birds) by Ottorino Respighi, and Franz Schubert’s beloved
Unfinished Symphony.
Dream Machine is a vivid contemporary piece by American composer Brian
Balmages. With driving rhythms and cinematic textures, the work captures
the feeling of the stroboscopic device invented in 1959, offering a musical
depiction of the colors, shapes, and visions that the device can initiate.
Respighi’s Gli Uccelli is a playful and elegant suite that brings 17th- and
18th-century harpsichord melodies to life through bird-inspired character
pieces. The audience will hear music depicting the clucking hen, the graceful
dove, the melodic nightingale, and the cheeky cuckoo.
The concert concludes with Schubert’s Symphony in B minor, widely known
as the Unfinished Symphony. Though consisting of only two completed
movements, it remains one of the most emotionally stirring and mysterious
works in the symphonic repertoire.
Tickets can be purchased at OlympiaChamberOrchestra.org on our
“Performances” page. General Admission – $25; Seniors, Post-Secondary
Students, & Military – $15; High School Students and Younger – $5. Family
Bundles are available with more information available on our website.

Categories: Arts and Entertainment Family Events Music Concerts

Argentine Tango Course: Relationship Skills Through Dance @ Thrive Community Fitness

Jun 22 @ 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Experience the joy of partner dance as instructor Nadine Harrell teaches you the playful, flirtatious Argentine Tango.

Life is a dance and partner dance is a relationship. This 6-week course is for those who want to learn to tune into the subtle communication between two individuals and how to work with each other within a strong cooperative context.

Come build the skills which makes any partner dance or a relationship a thing of cooperative art.

Categories: Arts and Entertainment Health and Wellness Workshops, Classes and Lectures

Salsa Course (Improving Posture and Balance Through Dance ) @ Thrive Community Fitness

Jun 22 @ 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Experience the joy of dance as instructor Nadine Harrell teaches you the sassy dance Salsa.

This 6-week course is for individuals who want to increase their body awareness, and improve body alignment and balance while they learn the basic Salsa dance steps needed to get out on the dance floor.

Days: Sundays 6/22/25 – 7/27/25 (RSVP Only)

Time: 4:30 pm – 5:30pm

Price: $60 (6-week course)

Location: Thrive Community Fitness 5401 Corporate Ctr Lp SE, Lacey, WA 98503

For inquiries or to RSVP, use my contact page.

Categories: Arts and Entertainment Health and Wellness Sports Workshops, Classes and Lectures

Adult Creative Contemporary Dance @ The Olympia Center

Jun 23 @ 5:15 pm – 6:15 pm

Join South Sound Dance Access for this fun opportunity for creative expression, strength building, and connection. Creative Contemporary Dance is an open-level dance class for adults of all ages drawing primarily upon Modern and Contemporary Dance techniques. In this class we will learn fundamentals of modern dance technique and dance composition concepts. Well learn fun routines each week and have opportunities to create dances together!

Categories: Arts and Entertainment Health and Wellness Workshops, Classes and Lectures

June 2025 Jun 2025