FRIDAY, OCT. 3 2014 >>>

1. Largely because of its abundance of offerings, the Olympia Arts Walk is a bit of a cross between a scavenger hunt and a grab bag. Local businesses - 96 of them this weekend - become galleries for the weekend, week or month, showing paintings, sculptures, photographs and more. Some serve as performance spaces, too. The streets are filled with people and the occasional juggler. But where to go? What to see? There's the fun. Read Molly Gilmore's full feature on Olympia Arts Walk XLIX in the Music & Culture section, then hit downtown Olympia from 5-10 p.m. and have the time of your life.

2. Born and raised in Tacoma, Noah Struthers is a unique product of this "blue collar" environment. His particular mechanic-laborer experiences were tainted early on by artistic explorations, resulting in a unique hybrid of outsider-illustrator art. His work addresses themes of local identity, mechanical structures, nature, and wildlife, which can be seen at the Fulcrum Gallery. Struthers will hang at Fulcrum from noon to 6 p.m. to discuss his art, or the Second Cycle Community Bicycle Shop, which he co-founded.

3. The three-day Oktoberfest Northwest Bavarian celebration at the Washington State Fair and Events Center officially kicks off at 6:15 p.m. with the taping of the Firkin, although the gates open at noon. In its 10th year, this Oktoberfest celebration includes a Munich-inspired Festhalle Biergarten, authentic entertainment, traditional German food, Hammerschlagen Tournament of Champions, the always-popular Weiner Dog Race, and the Sunday morning Oktoberfest Northwest Stein Dash 5K. Manuela Horn, the 6 foot 2 "Australian Amazon" and the Oktoburlesques will headline authentic German entertainment featuring performers crooning everything from Edelweiss to polka versions of popular rock songs.

4. Mudhoney, while beating its fellow flannel-powered pedigree to the punch - Sub Pop released vinyl anthem "Touch Me, I'm Sick" and Superfuzz Bigmuff 12 months before Nirvana's Bleach and three years before Nevermind and Pearl Jam's Ten - has never had a chart topper, but the group has a following more loyal than a mob family. A 6:30 p.m. screening of I'm Now: the Story of Mudhoney film in the Capitol Theater should get folks chatting up Mudhoney again. Full of the same nasal yowls and shag-carpet riffs that made the band a Northwest favorite during the grunge daze, the film will screen with one of the greatest cult flicks of all time - 1979's Rock & Roll High School featuring The Ramones in their prime. Mudhoney guitarist Steve Turner and I'm Now director Ryan Short will hang for a post-film Q&A.

5. Strangely Alright's power pop awesomeness will invade The Swiss Restaurant and Pub for the first time, with Brian James opening at 8:15 p.m. and a celebration of Shannon Kristine Rachel Briggs' birthday all night long. If you haven't seen Strangely Alright, expect ringing, triumphant chords and lyrics that allude to conquered tribulations. Frontman Regan Lane's charismatic presence and ability to get asses out of their seats and the underlying lyrical message of hope, empathy, and love rightly live up to the title of the band's album, Forever Is Right Now, a tireless and persistent group of catchy, edgy rock songs that are sugar coated with the band's love of all things rock.

LINK: Friday, Oct. 3 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area