Wednesday
Olympia Mountaineers Adventure Speaker Series: All are invited to join the Mountaineers at the Friends Meeting House, 3201 Boston Harbor Road NE, when world-class alpinist Steve Swenson shares stories and images from his book, “Karakoram: Climbing Through the Kashmir Conflict,” which details his nearly four decades of climbing in The Karakoram Range that spans Pakistan, India and China. Door opens at 5:30 p.m., potluck dinner starts promptly at 6 p.m. Bring a dish to share, plate and flatware. Branch announcements are at 6:45 p.m. and speaker starts promptly at 7 p.m.
Author Visit with Paul Ortiz: Ortiz, a history professor at the University of Florida, will read from and sign copies of his book, "An African American and Latinx History of the United States," from 7:30 to 8:45 p.m. at the Olympia Timberland Library, 313 Eighth Ave. SE. For adults. Free. Information: 360-352-0595 or TRL.org.
Olympia World Affairs Council: Thomas White, who directs USAID's democracy and governance assistance to Ukraine, based in Kyiv, will talk about how democracy development works and why it’s of great importance today, with a focus on Ukraine. The program runs from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Lacey Timberland Library, 500 College St. SE, Lacey. Free and open to the public.
Mark Lanegan in concert: Best known as the distinctive vocalist for the Ellensburg-born Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age, Lanegan will perform at 7 p.m. at the Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave. SE, Olympia. Screaming Trees’ drummer Mark Pickerel will join him as special guest. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $25 general admission, $20 for Olympia Film Society members, available at olympiafilmsociety.org.
Thursday
History Talk with former state Sen. Karen Fraser: Fraser will reflect on various aspects of local historical and cultural developments during her 51 years of active community life in Thurston County, including 42 years as an elected official: Lacey mayor and city council member, Thurston County Commissioner, state representative and senator. Her talk is part of the Olympia Tumwater Foundation’s History Talks at the Schmidt House, 330 Schmidt Place SW, Tumwater. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. and close at capacity for the free talk that begins at noon. Information: www.olytumfoundation.org, history@olytumfoundation.org or 360-786-8117.
Friday
Nicaragua-Olympia Solidarity Celebration and Potluck: Join the Thurston Santo Tomás Sister County Association for a potluck dinner in honor of the four visiting delegates from Santo Tomás, Nicaragua, from 6:30 to 11 p.m. at the Abigail Stuart House, 1002 Washington St. SW, Olympia. Bring your family and friends and a dish to share as the group celebrates almost 30 years of sisterhood with Santo Tomás. There will be Nicaraguan poetry and song and dancing for all, plus a no-host bar. Information: tstsca@gmail.com
Collaboration Installation at The Gallery at South Puget Sound Community College: The gallery is wrapping up the school year with Confined / Found, in which visiting artist Erin Shigaki, a Seattle-based graphic designer and mixed media artist, and SPSCC art students are collaborating to reflect on the Japanese American internment camps. Students will study artists who deal with confinement in their work, and they will explore ways in which Japanese American artists in the camps created art out of modest and found objects. The project culminates in an array of chromatic banners cut from recycled sheets, symbolic of freedom and solidarity. A reception is planned for 6-8 p.m. at the gallery.
Friday & Saturday
St. Placid Priory art show and sale: "Images of Peace in Our World" features people, places and situations that reveal the peace the world holds now in hope of inspiring those who view them. A variety of media and local artists are included. A gala is planned for 7-9:30 p.m. Friday and admission is $15. The art show runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and admission is free. Proceeds will be shared with Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center in Seattle. The Priory is at 500 College St. NE, Lacey. Information: 360-438-2595.
Saturday
Tenino Farmers Market opens for the season: The market, in the city’s downtown historic district on Olympia Street, will kick off its 14th season from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a Mother’s Day Market. The market season runs every Saturday through Sept. 29. Information: www.teninofarmersmarket.org
Sister County spring plant sale: The Thurston Santo Tomás Sister County Association will sell locally grown vegetable starts, tomato plants, strawberries and raspberry canes, native and non-native perennials, ground covers and more at this fundraiser. All proceeds benefit college scholarships for students in the sister town of Santo Tomás, Nicaragua and are tax deductible. The sale runs 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 117 Thomas St. NW (between Harrison and Fourth).
Workshop for gardeners new to the Northwest: The WSU Master Gardener and Master Recycler Composter volunteer programs of Thurston County are offering a free workshop designed for those new to gardening in the Pacific Northwest (or new to gardening entirely). It will run from 10 a.m. to noon at Multipurpose Room B in The Olympia Center, 222 Columbia St. No pre-registration needed. Information: http://thurston.wsu.edu or 360-867-2163.
Lacey STEM Fair: STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics and this free event showcases school STEM clubs and teams from all over Thurston County sharing their projects with hands-on activities for kids, demonstrations, and displays. The event runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Huntamer Park, 629 Woodland Square Loop SE, Lacey -- and the event goes on rain or shine, though robotics demonstrations might be modified. Information: ci.lacey.wa.us/Events
Free Comic Book Day at the Danger Room: Danger Room Comics, 201 Fourth Ave. W., Olympia, will be handing out free comics (up to four per person) from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at their store as well as at the Olympia Timberland Library, 313 Eighth Ave. SE, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the Hands On Children’s Museum, 414 Jefferson St NE, Olympia. Information: www.DangerRoomOly.com and www.FreeComicBookDay.com.
Sunday
Bird Walk with Black Hills Audubon: Join the Nisqually Land Trust for a morning bird walk with Black Hills Audubon guides Sam Merrill and Bonnie Wood. The group will look and listen for a variety of birds while exploring the Land Trust's Powell Creek Protected area, a 460-acre block of conservation lands along the Nisqually River near Yelm. The 1.5-mile hike will run 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., and is rated easy to moderate. Space is limited to 20 people. To register, contact the Land Trust at staff@nisquallylandtrust.org, 360-489-3400.
SLURP Shellfish Lovers Ultimate Rejuvenation Party: The Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association and local shellfish growers are hosting the 20th annual SLURP from 4:30 to 8 p.m. at Fish Brewing, 515 Jefferson St. SE, Olympia. Feast on shellfish at the Grand Oyster Bar and dishes made by local restaurants. Taste an assortment of Washington wines and brews made by Fish Tale Ales. Evening entertainment includes Celebrity Slurp-Off, live auction, and live music. Tickets are $65 in advance, $80 at the door. Proceeds benefit PCSGA’s Shellfish Habitat Restoration Fund. Information: http://pcsga.org/slurp/
Native Plant Salvage native and “water-wise” plant sale: Visit the cash-and-carry sale from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Thurston County Fairgrounds, 3054 Carpenter Road SE, Lacey. The sale features hard-to-find native flowers, small shrubs, trees, ferns, and rain-garden plants that are drought-tolerant, disease-resistant, and attract native birds and butterflies. Online ordering also is underway at www.nativeplantsalvage.org. Volunteers also are needed to help in advance and during the sale. More details at www.nativeplantsalvage.org.
Monday
Outspoken: An Evening of Outstanding Washington Women Poets: The Lacey Timberland Library will host an evening with Washington state's Poet Laureate Claudia Castro Luna and Olympia poets Dawn Pichón Barron and Emily Van Kley, who will read from their recent works and discussion appreciation of poetry from 7-8:30 p.m. Free; for adults and teens. Light refreshments will be served. The library is at 500 College St SE. Information: 360-491-3860 or TRL.org.
Monday and Tuesday
How to Raise Respectable Children: Psychologist and author Michael Thompson will speak from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Shelton High School Performing Arts Center, 3737 N Shelton Springs Road, on different parenting styles and the right recipe for providing children with an internal foundation for moral behavior. Then Tuesday, he will host a Father's Breakfast and talk about the "Importance of Fathers in Children's Lives” from 7-8:30 a.m. at Mountain View Elementary School, 700 S. First St., Shelton. Admission to both events is free. Thompson is best known for the book (co-written with Dan Kindlon) “Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys,” which also was the basis for a PBS documentary.
Tuesday
Public hearing on boundary expansion for Chehalis River Surge Plain Natural Area: The state Department of Natural Resources will hold a public hearing on the proposed boundary expansion that would add 238 acres of habitat along sections of the lower mainstem of the Chehalis River, Elliot Slough and Van Winkle Creek to the protected area. A boundary change would not change land-use zoning, development code requirements, or any other restrictions on current or future landowners. Privately owned lands within the boundary would only become part of the natural area if DNR purchased them from a willing private seller at market value. The hearing runs 7-8:30 p.m. in the Montesano Timberland Library, 125 Main St., Montesano. Written comments also may be submitted to DNR, ATTN: Surge Plain NAP Boundary, PO Box 47014, Olympia, WA 98504, or emailed to AMPD@dnr.wa.gov, by 5 p.m. May 15. Information: https://www.dnr.wa.gov/managed-lands/natural-areas
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