It's that time of year again. When beautiful white fluffy cherry blossoms cover the ground, hiding the cigarette butts and soggy leaves that normally litter the sidewalks of downtown Olympia. When the sun peaks through the clouds, promising days of more green and yellow and blue. When everyone seems to be shedding the burden of winter and the creativity within emerges, summoning the great collective force of Spring Arts Walk to resurrect the dreary spirit of the Olympian. Heck, even Owen Taylor can be caught with a glimmer of optimism in his eyes.

Spring Arts Walk - a celebration of Earth and art - is proof Oly knows how to have a good time. It's one huge block party. It's a great place to bring the kids during the day and then hit the bars at night. All of downtown is transformed into a giant smorgasbord of food, fun, art and music for an entire weekend, more specifically this weekend - April 23-24.

Sounds quite lovely, right? It is. People crowd the streets; art is on every corner and every wall. Paintings full of texture and originality and bizarreness, sculptures of stone, wire and other unrecognizable pieces - they're all a part of the beauty. Pottery, weaving, silk screening. It all has its place at OIympia's Spring Arts Walk.

And then there's the music, one of the best aspects of Arts Walk. There's music everywhere you turn, in every bar and venue in town. There is music in the streets and in parking lots and on rooftops - every kind of music imaginable. Oly rock, reggae, jazz, blues, you name it. And the music always seems interactive, with drum circles or dance parties or impromptu jam sessions that pop up on street corners.

There are many, many events and more than 100 businesses involved in Olympia Arts Walk. The Eagles Club alone has more than 50 acts. It would be impossible to give recognition to all the deserving talent that Arts Walk has to offer, so I will highlight a few choice must-sees.

Music

The Hard Way

Performing at The 4th Ave Tavern with Glass Elevator and Brown Star Friday night, The Hard Way is an excellent example of the great ‘70s sound that seems to be being resurrected into the indie scene. True to their name, the band doesn't take the easy way out when mixing, recording, and playing their music. Their diligence is great for the listener: all you have to do is enjoy the music, which has catchy riffs and sing-along lyrics - just like your favorite ‘70s bands.

C-Average

Being a parent, I love when an opportunity comes along when my sons and I can share entertainment. One can only handle so much Thomas the Tank Engine or Star Wars or Raffi - so when an all ages rock show of this caliber comes along, I get excited. Friday night, C-Average, Western Hymn and The Tide will rock out in The Old School Pizzeria parking lot for crying out loud. That's awesome.

The Loft on Cherry

There is much to do, hear and see at this venue. If you are still looking for a place to dually entertain you and the kiddies, consider joining a family-oriented square dance with special dances just for kids. The always-fun Grizzle Grazzle Tune Snugglers will be playing live Friday night, followed by professional square dancers kicking up dust to the sounds of Portland band, New Five Cents.

Art

David Joel

A new mural titled The Yellow Brick Wall will be gracing the wall at Darby's restaurant. Also some new prints will be hanging inside. I'm anxious to see what epiphany of strokes Joel has churned out this time. His evolving style of loops and lines and color allow the observer a chance to really become one with his art, as every detail holds it's own amongst the greater theme.

Chris Ross

Archibald Sister's will be boasting the oil works of Chris Ross. Bold colors work well, smeared and layered in deliberate chaos. Abstract and inviting, it's the kind of oil painting you wish you could touch - tracing your fingers along the spines and mounds of color. Very nice.

Jo Lienau

This artist is back for another year of art at The Brotherhood Lounge. Always a surprise, you have to check out this year's theme of oil paintings. In the past it's been paintings of beautiful flowers and instruments amongst booze bottles or paintings of self - portraits inspired by a Devo or janitorial or sexual nature, or paintings of local scenes, brilliantly recreated. All big and bold and beautiful and slick and fresh and inspiring. I hear rumors that this year is something completely new for Lienau. Again, awesome.

Procession of the Species

You get all of the aforementioned art at Olympia Spring Arts Walk - plus the always amazing Procession of the Species parade on Saturday to top it all off. Imagine Olympia in all its green, eco-friendly goodness coming to life before your eyes - in parade form, no less. If you have yet to experience the Procession of the Species, you're definitely missing out.

So let the spring spirit grab a hold of you and get downtown for a taste of the creative dishes of art and entertainment that Olympia has to offer.

Go to olympiawa.gov and click on Arts Walk for more information and a complete listing of all scheduled events.