What’s happening this week around Thurston County

Saturday, March 9

Lacey Cultural Celebration: Explore the world at the Lacey Cultural Celebration, a free, family-friendly event honoring diverse cultures. It will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at Saint Martin’s University’s Worthington Center and Pavilion in Lacey. Throughout the day, attendees can experience the sights, sounds, and traditions of various cultures by watching live dance performances, listening to music, seeing amazing attire, taking in a cooking demonstration, and more. Vendors will be selling a variety of merchandise and foods from around the world. Members of cultural clubs and organizations will be on hand, and kids can play interactive games. A sensory space will allow people to step away from the noise and stimulation at the event without leaving the site. For details, visit LaceyParks.org/Cultural-Celebration.

Wine Tasting: Boston Harbor Marina will host wine tasting on the dock from 5-7 p.m. Saturday. The marina is at 312 73rd Ave. NE.

The Greatest Piano Men fundraiser: The Washington Center for the Performing Arts will host a live rock & roll celebration of the greatest piano icons in music. The production, which debuted to rave reviews at the Flamingo in Las Vegas, celebrates showmen from Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Ray Charles to Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Billy Joel. The show features storytelling, video, a great band and 25 hit songs including “Good Golly Miss Molly”, “Superstition”, “Rocket Man”, “Tiny Dancer” and “New York State of Mind”. Tickets to the show are $69 to $36, plus a service fee. The concert is part of a fundraiser for the Washington Center. For more information on the accompanying dinner and auction, visit CENTER Stage Awards & Gala.

Sunday, March 10

St. John’s concert series wraps up: The last concert of the season is planned for 3 p.m. Sunday at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 114 20th Ave. SE, Olympia. Wyatt Smith, an American concert organist, will be performing works by living composers that celebrate Mother Earth and the environment on St. John’s 3,800-pipe Schlicker Organ. Smith holds degrees in organ performance from the University of Washington, Yale University, and the University of South Dakota. A $20 donation is suggested for attendance but all are welcome. All proceeds support the St. John’s music program.

Sea Stroll: Take a Sea Stroll with the Estuarium from 1-3 p.m. Sunday through downtown Olympia. Starting from the Estuarium, the group will explore the changes to Olympia’s shoreline, from its geologic past to present-day concerns like rising sea levels. Learn about the importance of estuaries, discover the impact of water processes on our estuary’s water quality, learn facts about the history of early Olympia, and the importance of the original stewards of these lands and the arrival of non-natives. Cost is $15; register in advance on eventbrite.

Tuesday, March 12

Christian Women’s Connection: The group is having its St. Patrick’s Day luncheon at noon Tuesday, March 12 at Panorama in The Gallery, next to Seventeen51 Restaurant & Bistro, 1751 Circle Lane SE, Lacey. A lunch of pasta with chicken, and dessert of chocolate mousse will be served. Leanne Willard, director of Bayview Cooking School, will share recipes and a demonstration. There will be keyboard music by Judy Matzen, and speaker Pam Pingle, from Medford, Oregon, will talk about “Choices.” Cost is $20 and includes lunch and program. All ladies are invited. Reservations are required; call Sylvia at 360-791-4698 or 360-943-0627.

Library hosts SoundScapes exploration: Join a no-cost event where you can explore the wonders of AI-generated SoundScapes, AI generated art with human and AI narration. The event happens at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Lacey Timberland Library, 500 College St. SE. Get details and reserve your spot on eventbrite.

Wednesday, March 13

SPSCC Culinary Arts Brunch Buffet: South Puget Sound Community College culinary students will prepare and share a selection of brunch favorites, from savory homemade sausage to golden French toast from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at the Percival Room restaurant on the Olympia campus. Cost is $40, and people must register in advance because seats are limited. Email percivalrestaurant@spscc.edu for more information.

Welcome to Medicare Zoom Presentation: This presentation at 11 a.m. Wednesday is an introduction to options for new Medicare beneficiaries. It covers Parts A and B, Medicare Advantage Plans, Part D Prescription Plans, Medicare Supplements and programs available to limited-income beneficiaries. To get a Zoom link, email thurstonmasonshiba.volunteers@southsoundseniors.org or call and leave a message at Senior Services SHIBA program at 360-586-6181 ext 134. A registration link will be sent to you.

Thursday, March 14

Medicare Related Cost Savings Programs: This Zoom program at 1 p.m. Thursday will introduce participants to Medicare Basics, the Medicare Savings Program, the Extra Help Program, and wellness and preventative benefits available through Medicare coverage. To get a Zoom link, email thurstonmasonshiba.volunteers@southsoundseniors.org or call and leave a message at Senior Services SHIBA program at 360-586-6181 ext 134. A registration link will be sent to you.

Public hearing on Thurston County comprehensive plan amendments: Community Planning and Economic Development is asking community members to review projects under consideration for Community Planning’s 2024-2025 work plan and provide written comments about which proposals the county should address in 2024-2025. After public review, the Thurston County Board of Commissioners will select and prioritize projects for each docket. The board will sort projects based on their priorities, staff capacity, and budgetary restraints. Projects added to the work plan (official dockets) will then be forwarded to the Planning Commission for review. The Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners will hold public hearings on the merits of the project approved for the official dockets prior to adoption of any final regulations. Written comments must be received by 5 p.m. March 14. To find out more about the proposed projects and the 2024-2025 Comprehensive Plan and Development Code Docket overview and timelines, or provide comments on proposals, visit the county’s comprehensive plan website. To submit public comments, you can fill out a survey on the comprehensive plan or on the development code online. You also can email Andrew Boughan at Andrew.Boughan@co.thurston.wa.us, or send mail to the Thurston County Community Planning & Economic Development, Attn: Andrew Boughan, Interim Senior Planner, 3000 Pacific Ave. SE, Olympia, WA 98501.

Friday, March 15

TCMedia Presents The Studio A Concerts: TCMedia is launching its 2024 concert series with a performance by the Oly Mountain Boys, a South Sound bluegrass band, on March 15. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., music starts at 7 p.m. at the studio at 440 Yauger Way SW, Suite C, Olympia. Seating is limited. Proceeds from the concert support the nonprofit Thurston Community Media’s services and operations. Tickets to the concert at $25 per seat, or $120 for a premium table for four; the concert also will be taped and replayed on TCMedia Channel 22 at a later date. Tickets are available at www.tcmedia.org or call 360-956-3100.

SPSCC Music Department presents three concerts this weekend: The South Puget Sound Community College Music Department will perform three concerts at the Minnaert Center for the Arts main stage. First up, the SPSCC Choirs present Poetry in Motion, a program that features works by Camille Saint-Saëns, Josquin des Prez, Gabriel Fauré, Sweet Honey in the Rock, and Bob Dylan at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 15. Next, the SPSCC Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Nickolas Carlson, presents music evoking Beauty & Passion, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 16. This concert will include Mozart’s overture to The Abduction from the Seraglio, Puccini’s intermezzo from Manon Lescaut, and Kalinnikov’s Symphony No. 1. The SPSCC Orchestra continues with local arranger Gerry Amato’s Gottschalk trio with an arrangement of Tournament Galop for orchestra. Finally, at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 19, the SPSCC Jazz Band and Jazz Combo will perform. Admission for each concert is a suggested $15 donation at the door. Entrance is free to SPSCC students, staff, and faculty.

Harlequin Productions opens The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)(revised)(again): This play is an irreverent, hilarious, high-speed romp through all 37 of the Bard’s plays (and 154 sonnets) in under two hours, all performed by three actors. It will run March 15-31 at the Washington Center Black Box Theater, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. (Harlequin’s State Theater is closed through June for renovation of the back stage.) Tickets are $28-$43 and available online at harlequinproductions.org, by phone at 360-786-0151, or in person from noon to 5:30 pm, Tuesday-Saturday at the Washington Center, and beginning 2 hours before performances at the Washington Center.

Tenino Arts Spring Market: The annual 3-day event will reveal the newest work of 32 juried artisans in a variety of creative categories plus the music of five live bands playing folk, traditional, Celtic and Irish tunes. The fourth annual market will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday, March 15-17, in the Kodiak Room at 225 Sussex Ave. in the historic district of Tenino.

Saturday, March 16

Thurston County Furniture Bank: The nonprofit Thurston County Furniture Bank is open the first and third Saturdays of every month from 9 a.m. to noon at 2121 Log Cabin Road SE, Olympia. The Furniture Bank building is at the back of the parking lot. Donations of gently used furniture are accepted and those looking for furniture are welcome. For more information, go to Furniture Bank of Thurston County-Olympia CRC.

Trash to Treasure: One person’s trash is another person’s awesome new craft. Use recycled materials and your own creativity to make something new from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the WET Science Center, 500 Adams St. NE, Olympia. Admission is free.

Heroes Hoops Classic Basketball fundraiser: This sporting competition will feature the North Thurston School District Employees Team versus the Nisqually Tribe Team at noon Saturday at Salish Middle School, 8605 Campus Glen Driver, Lacey. It is sponsored and organized by the NT Kiwanis, Horizons Elementary K-Kids Club and NTPS. All proceeds benefit the North Thurston Kiwanis Day of Champions event, a modified track-and-field event specifically designed for students (K-12) with significant challenges scheduled for May 29. Admission to the basketball fundraiser is $5 at the door, but kids 5 and younger get in free. For more information, contact Karen Schoessel at karenschoessel@comcast.net or at 360-701-9856.

Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival: This singing contest for a cappella groups embraces all styles of music performed a cappella, from doo-wop and barbershop, gospel, and jazz to new directions of contemporary vocal harmony. The PNW 2023 champions, Outpour, return as hosts for this event featuring the best vocal talent in the Northwest. The singing begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE. Tickets are $23 and $28.

Sunday, March 17

Olympia Symphony Orchestra concert: At 3 p.m. Sunday, the Olympia Symphony Orchestra presents PRIDE, which it calls “a love story for the ages and musical expressions of prohibited love.” It will feature solo violinist Kristin Lee, and a surprise ending. The concert is at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. Tickets are $17 to $85.

Would you like to have your event included in our weekly What’s Happening listing? Email the details to news@theolympian.com at least 10 days before the event. Please put What’s Happening in the subject line.