FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 2010 >>>

1. Olympia 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 Olympia is transformed into a giant smorgasbord of food, fun, art and music for an entire weekend, more specifically this weekend - April 23-24. As part of Art Walk artist Skie Bender will hold a 5 p.m. reception for her new paintings inspired by the Oly Roller Derby Girls at King of Olympia at 206 Fourth Ave. W. For more Art Walk best bets, click here.

2. The Grand Cinema will screen the Israeli film Ajami, one of the five Oscar nominees for best foreign-language film, at 3:15, 6 and 8:45 p.m.

3. Being earnest is important. Just ask Oscar Wilde. Of course, after debuting The Importance of Being Earnest in 1895, Wilde would never write again. Damn Marquess of Queensberry! According to Wikipedia, the dastardly Queensberry attempted to throw vegetables at Wilde on opening night. Though he failed, it was just the beginning of the real-life drama that would end Wilde's career. Anyway, Paradise Theatre stages the play at 8 p.m. The Gig Harbor theater company will be checking for vegetables at the door.

4. The BareFoot Collective presents MOBILIZE, an evening of concert dance at 8 p.m. inside the Jan Collum Ballroom at the Merlino Arts Center. Co-Directors Carrie Goodnight M.F.A. and Amanda Herman M.F.A. will be presenting four new works as well as showcasing the talents of choreographers Ellie Klopp and Nicole Sasala of The Asterisk Project.  

5. The über talented singer-songwriter Camille Bloom holds a sneaky peek for her latest EP, Sneak, at 8 p.m. inside the Mandolin Café.

(6.) OK, we need to sneak one more in: Shakespeare-a-thon at the Speakeasy Arts Cooperative. We have seen Shakespeare in the Parking Lot practice twice for the event. It looks like a good one.

LINK: More Arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: New movies open today