SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2011 >>>

1. More than anything else, singer songwriter Jim Page is a walkin', singin' acerbic commentary on life.  His lyrical style resembles that of Arlo Guthrie or Bruce Springsteen; rock words trapped inside a folk singer's music. You can't ignore his direct style and compelling message.  Open your ears and mind at 7 p.m. when Page performs at King's Books.

2. While it's easy to quantify Oly as just a hippie, college town - that's only partially true. A large portion of the population is proudly blue-collar. The most amazing part of all of this is the two demographics - shoeless hippies and hardworking grunts - come together every year for Lakefair, meshing farmer tans with hacky sacks, and creating a fairly unique event disguised as just another summer festival. Think carnies, cotton candy, live music, volleyball, fireworks and all the usual trappings - Olympia style from noon to 10 p.m.

3. There's a soccer double header featuring a W-League match between the Seattle Sounders Women and Colorado Force at 1 p.m. and an International Friendly between Tacoma Tide FC and English side Port Vale FC at 4 p.m. at Curtis High School's Viking Stadium.

4. Animal Fire's Midsummer Night's Dream is adorable. Not every joke's a corker, mind you, but remember that the definition of "comedy" in the early 1600s was that someone gets married at the end. A Shakespearean romp doesn't have to be joke-setup-joke like an episode of How I Met Your Mother. The plot, about mortals and Amazons besotted by magical flowers, is both dorky and disarming, and you can't beat the scenery. The production will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Priest Point Park in Olympia. To read Christian Carvajal's full review, click here.

5. Some would argue that a dive bar like the China Clipper Club and Café is no place to party. But let us tell you something, friend: There's a little thing called class. Class is something you can't buy. Class is something inherited. Class is years and years of spilled drinks, double shots and drunken hookups. Class never goes away, no matter how dirty the carpet is or how dilapidated the karaoke stage becomes. Class makes drinking fun. And let us tell you, friends: the China Clipper oozes class, especially every night at 9 p.m. for karaoke.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Happy hour!