SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2011 >>>

1. When we were kids we'd search trash piles for pieces of plywood, place them at the edge of the puddle, run full speed, jump with force onto the board, and leave the rest to physics. No tricks. No judging. No wetsuit with the brands of sponsors embossed. No TV. No money. Just fun. Alas, these days are long past. Today, there called skimboards - light, hard-foam boards with traction pads enable the best to take off at a sprint, skim over wet sand out to breaking waves, soar off them like ramps, and land with the grace of a settling leaf. While surfers wait a long time for the perfect wave, skimmers can ride 40 in an hour. From 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. skimboarders will gather at Dash Point State Park to skim it out for cash money for the pro division.

2. If you have to go inside, check out Parenthetically Speaking: It's Only a Figure of Speech - a new collection of work by San Francisco-based artist Mildred Howard comprising more than 40 glass punctuation marks, proofreading symbols and musical notes - opening today at the Museum of Glass from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Howard's inspiration for the work came from At the End, a poem by her friend and Peabody Award-winner Quincy Troupe.

3. The third annual Olympia Independent Music Festival goes down from noon to 9 p.m. today and tomorrow in Sylvester Park. Thirteen bands, two days and immeasurable amounts of good indie music are in store. The Hard Way, Romanteek, Glass Elevator, One Nation Undereducated and Hollywood Kill Krew are just a few of the bands performing at this free, all-ages event.

4. Some nights we like to stake out a place at a venue and hang out for a while, maybe have a meal, a few adult beverages, and listen to music that doesn't invite itself into our head with an axe handle. The Mandolin Café is likely to be such a place tonight, where singer-songwriter Gina Belliveau holds her CD release party with musician friends James Coates, Nick Sandy and Travis Barker opening.Coates kicks off the night at 6 p.m. Belliveau sings about birds and books, forests and fireflies beginning at 9 p.m. You'll receive a raffle ticket with every CD purchase. The winning ticket will receive the painting Stacia Weber works throughout the night. The Mandolin serves a tasty Cabernet.

5. The Spazmatics rock covers of '80s synth-heavy bands while dressed as if starring in a Revenge of the Nerds flick. Clap your hands everybody, and everybody clap your hands ... beginning at 9:30 p.m. inside Jazzbones.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Wine tastings!