Through Jan. 6
Oly on Ice: The ice rink on the new Isthmus Park at 529 Fourth Ave. W. in downtown Olympia is open through Jan. 6, including 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. New Year’s Eve and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. New Year’s Day. General admission, including skates, is $12, or $10 for youths (4-10), $10 for seniors (55 and older), $3 for toddlers; discounts are offered from military, foster and first responder families. For more information about special events and discounts, call 360-440-7573 or go to bit.ly/2LybAQq.
Tuesday
Lacey Polar Bear Plunge: Join fellow enthusiasts in this chilling New Year’s ritual of plunging into the lake, rain or shine, (or stay on shore and watch) at 1 p.m. at Long Lake Park, 2790 Carpenter Road SE, Lacey. The fun starts at noon with live music; the plunge is at 1 p.m. Free; all ages welcome.
Squaxin Community Salish Sea Plunge: The plunge will take place at 11:05 a.m. near the Arcadia Boat Ramp in Mason County. Free, but donations will be accepted for the Squaxin Island Tribal Food Bank.
First Day Hikes: Washington State Parks invites the public to start the new year off with a hike at nearly 40 state parks across the state. Tuesday also is the first of 12 Washington State Parks free days in 2019. Park visitors will not need to display the Discover Pass on vehicles to enter state parks for the New Year’s Day activities. Most participating parks will offer refreshments. Get more information at parks.state.wa.us/calendar.aspx. Here are South Sound hikes:
- Lake Sylvia State Park, Grays Harbor County: Join a park ranger on a 2-mile hike along the lakeside trail and through lowland forest, or take a shorter stroll with a Friends of Schafer and Lake Sylvia Parks. Cap off the walk with hot cocoa and cookies provided by FOSLS. Meet at 1 p.m.
- Twin Harbors State Park, Grays Harbor County: Hike through a wooded area to a dune trail and the vast Pacific Ocean beyond. Learn about the history of the area on this mile-long walk. Meet at 10 a.m.
- Lewis and Clark State Park, Lewis County: Spend a couple of hours under towering cedar and fir trees strung with lichen and moss, strolling through a lush understory of ferns. Begin this activity in the CCC kitchen shelter with a warm fire, drinks, snacks and a short presentation on the park’s wildlife. Meet at 10 a.m.
- Twanoh State Park, Mason County: Walk the Twanoh Creek Trail for 3 miles from the beach, up the creek and among old and mature second-growth trees. Bring binoculars to spot birds and wildlife. Meet at 10 a.m.
- Dash Point State Park, Pierce County: Take a 3-mile hike on the beach and through forests with Washington State Parks Foundation staff to learn about the park’s trees, plants and birds. Dash Point staff specifically encourage military veterans and their families to come and enjoy nature in a supportive setting. Meet at 10:30 a.m.
- Millersylvania State Park, Thurston County: Enjoy old-growth forest, orchards, wetlands and lakeside views on this 2.5-mile ranger-led amble. Coffee and snacks will be provided before and after the hike. Meet at 9 a.m.
Thursday
Panorama Republicans: Debra Clemens, superintendent of the North Thurston Public Schools, will talk about the school district’s graduation rate when the Panorama Republicans meet at 2 p.m. in the Quinault Auditorium on the Panorama campus in Lacey. Clemens will talk about programs that helphomeless youths, promote career-connected learning, improve kindergarten readiness, raise attendance rates, increase student participation in activities and athletics, and provide services to students needing extra support. She will give an update on the effect of funding the McCleary decision, current capital projects and future investments. Free. Information: dodds4b@comcast.net.
Saturday
LBA Woods cleanup: Volunteers are needed from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. when city of Olympia staff and park stewards will be working to restore native habitat by removing Himalayan blackberry, Scotch broom, and other invasive plants. LBA Park is at 3333 Morse-Merryman Road SE. Once there, follow the signs to the LBA Woods trail head, south of the parking lot. Meet at the trail head. Plenty of parking available.
Providence Community Care Center volunteer training: Want to volunteer to end homelessness in Thurston County? Join SideWalk and Interfaith Works for the first day of their quarterly, two-day required training for all prospective volunteers. Learn about the history of social services in the United States, as well as examine stereotypes around homelessness. To participate, RSVP by contacting Kento at kento@walkthurston.org or 360-915-7306.
Sunday
Free playwriting workshop for middle schoolers: Olympia Family Theater is a host for this year’s Young Playwrights for Change, a national 10-minute playwriting competition for middle schoolers. OFT will select one play to compete with other finalists in the national competition. The theme must be “Discovering Truth About Ourselves and Others.” To help students with their plays, OFT is offering a free playwriting workshop aided by Claribel Gross, OFT’s education director, from 1-4 p.m. Participants should bring a snack and a laptop or pen and paper. RSVP to claribel@oft.org. For more information, go to bit.ly/2RlKtxo. Submit plays to jenryle@olyft.org no later than 5 p.m. Feb. 11.
First United Methodist Church of Olympia’s Legislative Academy: Former state Sen. Karen Fraser will kick off this series on the 2019 Legislature at 10 a.m. at the church, 1224 Legion Way SE, Olympia. The series will cover different legislative issues with different speakers each week through February. Fraser will offer Legislature 101, addressing how a bill becomes a law, how citizens can participate, and what it’s like to be a sentor. Free and open to the public. Child care available for children younger than 5 and Sunday school for pre-K through 12th grade. Walk in the main entrance and take the stairs/elevator down to the Great Hall.
Intro to Letterpress class: If you've been wanting to use Community Print, Olympia's oldest community letterpress studio, attending this class from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 316 Capitol Way N, Olympia, is your first step. Confirm your attendance before Jan. 4 by sending payment to paypal.me/communityprint or by sending an email to olympialetterpress@gmail.com if you'd prefer to pay another way. Cost is $50 for this group class, or $75 for this class plus a follow-up one-on-one class. Dive deep into the world of antiquated technology. Learn to make beautiful things the slow way.
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