Online Interactive Guides
Click here to view our interactive 2020 Best of Olympia Guide.
Features
Born in Indianapolis, grandson of German immigrants, he ran afoul of the law while still in his teens. After getting arrested for auto theft, he enlisted in the Navy but deserted his ship, the U.S.S. Utah, and was dishonorably discharged. He got married but couldn't keep a job. Instead, he
Features
Given my last name, it stands to reason Latin food is close to my corazón. Even so, despite years of living and dining in Thurston County, I'd never really warmed to south-of-the-border fare in easy walking distance of theaters and other downtown businesses I frequent. That changed in 2019, when
Music
As spring time creeps slowly upon us, it's the time of year we all crave to be outside breathing the fresh air, feeling the warm sunshine upon our faces, and eating local fresh produce straight from the farms. Options are abundant for farmers markets within the Puget Sound Area, but
Stage
James O'Barr is producing and directing and Scott Douglas is acting in An Illiad, an intense, captivating and intelligent one-man play about the Trojan War and, ultimately, every war since, written by Lisa Peterson and Denis O'Hare. All the ancient gods and warriors are there, including Agamemnon, Achilles, King Priam,
Features
(Photo: Dirty Dave’s Pizza Parlor has some unique specialty pizzas. This is the Chicken Divan Pizza: a creamy garlic ranch sauce topped with chicken, fresh broccoli, red onion and tomato, then topped with cheddar cheese, all on their famous thin and crispy crust.) Well after lunch time on a Sunday, Dirty
Features
Anyone who has ever lived in a coastal city or town knows the biggest benefit to such a location is the abundance of local, fresh seafood. While Joint Base Lewis-McChord may not be "coastal," we are certainly close enough, and this duty station comes with a plethora of hyper-fresh fish
Arts
(Photo: The Megan D vintage schooner is a new exhibit that opened in August at the Hands On Children’s Museum. Kids can explore the real wooden vessel, climb up a six-foot rope wall, investigate the crow’s nest, walk the rickety bridge, even captain the ship.) The Hands On Children's Museum in
South Sound Cinema
Olympia is a city with a lot of things to be proud of, but one of its most invaluable institutions has to be the Olympia Film Society (OFS). Housed in the gorgeous Capitol Theater since 1990, the OFS has long been Thurston County's premier art house, but it's so much
Features
You can see it just off the freeway as you zip down on I-5, it looks to be an updated A&W -- rock foundation, bright white paint with clean blue lines. A long carport-styled awning covers the pull-up parking. It looks chipper and inviting at just a glance. Within a
Online Newspapers
Although little known to most, the naming of the city of Lacey remains mysterious. What is known is that in the 1850s, settlers populated the area. Two of those were Isaac and Catherine Wood. Like many, they worked hard and prospered, but due to the Wood's good reputation as upright citizens, people
Features
With many fun hot spots for night life seekers, Olympia's epic downtown was voted Best Neighborhood for Singles and Night Life. An unforgettable night awaits just a short drive from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Take a fun night trip to the Historic District and Capitol Lake (Best Selfie Location) for stunning
Online Interactive Guides
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Online Newspapers
There are so many things that go into putting together a good show: the quality of the bands, the nature of the venue, the steps taken in ensuring that folks will even show up to the show, and a million more moving parts. If there is one element of a
Arts
It's not Elizabeth Lord's first time receiving accolades from Weekly Volcano readers, having won the title of Best Actress multiple times. This does mark the first instance, though, where she's also laying claim to Arts Scene MVP. It only makes sense, really, to consider Lord a valuable player -- since
Online Newspapers
Define, best. Because here's the thing, sometimes the best thing, a true winner in my book, is something that is exceptional. Exceptional could be applied in so many facets of life: unusual, extraordinary, unprecedented -- you could say memorable even. And let's face it, Old School Pizzeria lures you back
Online Newspapers
Keith Eisner's a man of many talents. He and his wife, Debe Edden, are in Olympia Family Theater's upcoming production of The Hundred Dresses. Word's getting out, though: He's also one of Olympia's pre-eminent writers. He teaches writing classes at the Olympia Senior Center, but it was his own work
Stage
A 2012 survey by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services and the Partnership at Drugfree.org found as many as 23.5 million Americans, about one in 10 adults, have at one time had difficulty regulating their use of alcohol or drugs. Thus, about 10 percent of
Features
On a recent weekday, the lunch crowd at Olympia's Well 80 Brewery and Brewpub covered all the demographics the year-old establishment aims to serve. Upon entering the bright, open space with exposed beams high above, a large, all-ages area occupies the right half of the room. There, at large, low tables
Features
My favorite thing about Olympia is the cinnamon bread at Wagner's European Bakery & Café. It's their signature bakery item and you can see why. Unlike most cinnamon bread which is thickly rolled with just a thin swirl of cinnamon, Wagner's version is thinly rolled creating a swirl that is