THE LOWDOWN ON WHAT'S UP THIS WEEKEND >>>

WEATHER REPORT

Friday: Partly cloudy, hi 72, lo 52

Saturday: Partly cloudy, hi 70, lo 52

Sunday: Partly cloudy, hi 70, lo 52 ("Same as it ever was ...")

>>> FRIDAY, JULY 16: "DON'T NEED YOU"

Olympia plays a major roll in the story of the Riot Grrrl movement - a story brought to life and further light by the documentary Don't Need You: The Herstory of Riot Grrrl, which will be specially screened Friday at the Capitol Theater. The event is a benefit for Natalie Cox, a longtime member of the Olympia music scene currently battling a rare, aggressive form of cancer.  All proceeds from Friday's showing will go to help pay Cox's medical costs.

• Capitol Theater, 9:30 p.m. Fall ages, $5 and up, 206 Fifth Ave., SE, Olympia, 360.754.6670

>>> FRIDAY, JULY 16-SATURDAY, JULY 17: SCRAPBOOKING EXPO

What does everybody love? A birthday party!  What else does everybody love? Scrapbooking!  Isn't that the best thing in the world! If you love it as much as I do, take your scrappy self to the Scrapbooking Expo at the Puyallup Fairgrounds. It's a scrapbooking weekend with classes, workshops and uninterrupted time devoted to putting your precious photographs into cutesy albums – or just stay home with your cat and keep on shoving all your photos into unlabeled shoeboxes.

• Puyallup Fair & events Center, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, $8, 110 Ninth St SW, Puyallup, 253.845.1771
  

>>> SATURDAY, JULY 17-SUNDAY, JULY 18: GIG HARBOR SUMMER ARTS FESTIVAL

Often we try to bring you fun activities at a reasonable price. But it doesn't get any better than FREE! Of course most of the time, free isn't exactly free, that is just the sugar-coated packaging the really expensive activities come in. The Gig Harbor Summer Arts Festival is probably one of them. But it does sound pretty cool, and if you can abstain from buying anything, you might come out scotch free - unless you have a girlfriend. But ... what can be more romantic than taking a stroll along the beautiful Gig Harbor waterfront, hand-in-hand with your better-half, taking in beautiful art by 148 area artists. You will see stained glass, clothing, baskets and, of course, pastels and watercolors.

• Downtown Gig Harbor, all day, free, Judson Street, 253.265.8139

>>> WHERE OUR STAFF IS GOING

MATT DRISCOLL Editor and member of the Hilltop Elementary 1991 Recycling Team
My weekend will be all about preparing for the publication of the Weekly
Volcano's Best of Tacoma 2010 issue, to hit streets July 29. I'll be visiting our readers' pick for Tacoma's best donut shop and best "smoking accessories" shop  - not necessarily in that order. Oh yeah, as mentioned, I'll also be working on Best of Tacoma stuff.

JOE IZENMAN Music/Theater Critic
Saturday: playing concerts at 9 a.m., 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. in and around Tacoma. Sunday: sleeping the hell in.

NIKKI TALOTTA Feature Writer
My weekend consists of: Demo burgers and elephant ears to start, then serving sunburned Lakefairians their PBRs and cosmos. And repeat. Followed by a family reunion and a friends wedding. 'Tis the season!

PAUL SCHRAG Feature Writer
I'm recovering from one hell of a week. May be hosting Eprhyme the Humanimalien and wife, Chani, temporarily observing Shabbat, making some sort of feast with food from the garden, learning about sweet, mystical Jewish stuff.

JENNIFER JOHNSON Lifestyle/Leisure Writer
Going to Temple Square and downtown Salt Lake City today, fishing at Strawberry Friday with family, fish-fry/BBQ with 30 relatives Saturday and church Sunday. Wooo hooo!

KRIS BLONDIN Food/Wine Writer
I will get gussied up for Zoobilee on Friday, and then summer cleaning at the lake place. A modest amount of fun may happen, but I'll have to earn it.

ALEC CLAYTON Visual Arts Critic
I'll be checking out the new show at Fulcrum Gallery plus going to two plays: Withering Heights at Breeders Theatre in Burien (no, that's not a typo, it's Withering with an "i") and Fiddler on the Roof at ASTRA in Puyallup.

CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL Theater Critic
This would be the perfect weekend for Shakespeare in the park, don't you think? Animal Fire Theatre thought so, too. It's a new group that's staging that ominous Scottish play at Priest Point this weekend, and I'll be there with a cooler and Deep Woods Off.

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