If I could describe the Procession of the Species in one word?…read more WEIRD. Oh, but weird doesn't really tell you anything about it, right? The Procession of the Species is an annual celebration commemorating all of the animals on the planet. The big hooha takes place around Earth Day. Not knowing what to do when in Washington, I had the bright idea to take the suggestion of one of the tourist magazines I got at a Seattle convention center. I had a rental car, so why not rack up the mileage on it? So, on a sunny/rainy/dry/wet Saturday in Washington, I force-dragged one of my coworkers to drive down to Olympia with me - a little over an hour drive from Seattle. Olympia, wow. Where the heck am I? Pretty, but, um...? Let's save those comments for a separate review. We get to downtown Olympia, and after driving around a bit we finally find parking and walk over to the festivities. Why I wear 5" heels to a parade is beyond me?! Anywho, WOW! No, I mean...WHERE THE HECK AM I?...kind of, WOW?!!! Being born and raised in San Francisco, the best way for me to describe this to those of you who are familiar with San Francisco is... Imagine if you took Haight Street, the busy part of Haight Street...but Haight Street was an entire town of people...a town full of parading people dressed like animals and fairies and cheese and fish and, and, and...and that is what you get in Olympia for their annual Procession of the Species. It is all very weird, but all very interesting...to say the least. As weird as it was, everyone was really cool and seemed really nice. I would highly recommend you see it, at least once, when you are in the area. Why? Because it is an experience! A weird experience, but an experience! LoL! I did buy a very cool hat at this event...I will take a picture of it soon, and add it to my review. =P For more info, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procession_of_the_Species

Oh, Olympia! You amazing little city, you!…read more The Procession of the Species is unlike any parade I've ever seen before, and I'm pretty sure this is a uniquely Olympian event unequaled anywhere else on this planet. It's kind of a peoples' parade in tribute to the animal species of the world. It's not the biggest, the loudest, the flashiest, the weirdest, the sexiest or anything of that sort, but... there's a real heart and soul that goes into this spectacle that just needs to be experienced. Awesome.

I've been a volunteer sand castle builder for my company a few times for the "Sand in the City"…read moreevent. It's a super fun way to show pride for your organization, learn some sandcastle/team-building skills, raise funds for charitable organizations - and get some sun and exercise while you're at it! The sandcastle building/sculpting is not a walk in the park, though. There's a lot of steps that go into just getting started. Creating the boxes to solidify the sand with water and hours and hours of tamping, learning the skill of carving away sand piece by piece (not digging into the sand too much), and many other intricacies that go into making sculptures this big! I definitely leave each year with a sore back and sunburn, but also with a sense of accomplishment and the pride of feeling that I did something good for my community.

Sand in the City 2012 was a blast! There were so many things for parents and kids to do! My…read moredaughter made animals out of vegetables, made buttons, painted pictures, made a fridge magnet, a princess hat, a necklace and more! There were too many art and craft projects to count! There was also a tank full of crabs, clams and sea stars for kids to touch. There were so many things to do we almost forgot to look at the sand sculptures! There were quite a few were large and intricate. I was very impressed teams were able to carve away the sand without it crumbling. The only downside to the day was the heat. It was oppressively hot. We were all melting! Don't be like me. Plan ahead. Bring lots of water with you. Enjoy the sand, art, and the Hands on Children's Museum! We'll be back again in 2013 with plenty of water, ice, and a camera. Sand in the City 2013 will take place August 23 - 25.

I love Arts Walk! It is a great chance to see local art and to become more familiar with local…read morebusinesses. In addition to the art itself, there are craft events hosted by local groups/businesses/non-profits and performers such as jugglers and dancers. I participated in the 2003 Fall Arts Walk as a dancer. It was great fun! Both the Spring and Fall arts walks are very fun. Arts Walk is full of local flavor. FYI: The Spring Arts Walk tends to have more folks attending than the Fall Arts Walk. It also includes the Illuminated Procession and The Procession of the Species. This year's Spring Arts Walk takes place April 26 &27. This year's Fall Arts Walk takes place October 4 & 5.

Found Arts Walk to be ok. Went to an event Friday night that was a lot of fun, and it was nice to…read moresee so many people out and about downtown in the evening. I also was impressed by the lineup of activities over the 2-day event. Saturday seemed quite a bit more subdued. We went to one sparsely-attended event in the morning that was very sub-par. We also walked around town again but it lacked much activity with the exception of most stores being open on a Saturday morning.

Nettle Fest was an absolute blast. It's a potluck style festival where attendees make and bring…read moredishes and drinks made with nettles. Folks are friendly. The food is delicious. I met a wonderful range of people and had the chance to swap recipes. I absolutely loved hearing everyone brag about their dishes! Nettle Fest is celebrated at Calliope Farm in Olympia, WA. It's all ages friendly and definitely kid friendly. I'm going again next year!

I love that they have this fair, but I've been two years in a row and it's an okay fair. They have…read morethe carnival rides and you can pay a la carte or buy a bunch of tickets to spread around amongst the rides. Lots of booths from both vendors selling tchotchkes and insurance companies wanting your business. The disappointing thing is the food. They have lots of options, but for the life of me I'm never thrilled by what I end up getting. Last year I had a disappointing bbq oemthing or other fromt he democrat's booth. This year I tried the greek fries from the gyro place which wa just some fries with tzatsiki sauce and cheese on top. It was okay, but not craveable. I also tried the samosas and the chia lemonade from the greek temple. The samosas were kinda forgettable, but I loved the lemonade with chia seed. I'm gonna try that tomorrow since I have both chia seed and Country time. I got to see some music at the bandstand. I listened to Bless the Ashes (how cool is that name?!?) and that was a good show. I got there at 7 and y the time I made my way to the vendor area, some of the booths were closed, so boo.

Honestly it saddens me how much this fair has changed. I used to like going to Lakefair but now…read morethey've really jacked up their prices. This year pretty much all the rides cost 13 tickets each and the cheapest amount of tickets you can get is 34 for $20. That's like 2 rides for $20 with like a small amount left but what are you gonna do with that? I really wish they would sell all day passes like most fairs do, I don't at all understand why they don't do that. Also food is overpriced but I guess that's typical at any fair the thing that bothers me the most is the ticket system I really wish they would sell all day passes so you can go on as many rides as you want all day.

Sausage Fest is truly a community festival of sausages. Is there accordion music? Check! 3 types of…read moresausage served with warm potato salad and red cabbage? Check! Are there event t-shirts for sale? Triple check! Sausage Fest is a fun all-ages event that has been around for 30 years. It is held at Gull Harbor Lutheran Church. There are two ticket 'donation' prices: One for children and one for adults. The child meal is smaller. It includes one sausage, a roll, warm potato salad, red cabbage, and a dessert. The adult meal includes knockwurst, bockwurst, and kielbasa. Tickets are available at the door or at other community vendors such as Wagner's Bakery. Parking includes the parking lot and the property behind the church. Attendants will show you where to park. When you attend Sausage Fest you should have your ticket in hand when you are ready to be seated. An attendant will take your tickets and place the order for you. You will be seated at a long 'community style' table. There is non-stop accordion and singing. Songs include The Chicken Dance, Roll Out The Barrel, Edelweiss, with some Beatles mixed in. There is a pitcher of water on the table but there is also coffee, tea, and soda available. If you don't mind paying extra you can order the specialty Sausage Fest Root Beer bottled by the Gull Harbor congregation. Honestly, the root beer is one of the reasons I attend! It's delicious and sells out quickly! Assistants are easy to spot because all of the volunteers at the event wear Sausage Fest T-shirts that have an illustration of Martin Luther on the back. If you are unable or uninterested in staying for the event, you can order your meal(s) to go. I was sick one year and had a relative pick up my order. It's a good way to go if you just want a meal without all the hubbub. I for one would rather attend if able. Nothing is better than watching the whole community get down with the Chicken Dance. This event is truly fun for all ages! Other stuff to do at Sausage Fest include buying a t-shirt containing the catchphrase "The Best of the WURST", entering in the raffles for various prizes, and of course, buying Sausage Fest Specialty Root Beer. This event is on the second Friday and Saturday of October. It's a blast and all of the proceeds go to charity. Do you think the sausage-y goodness ends on Saturday? Think again! Any unused food is for sale in bulk the following Sunday after the church service.

I have been attending the Lacey Spring Fun Fair since 1987. It's a fun FREE kid oriented festival…read morelocated at Saint Martins University. There are so many things to do! There are activities, arts and crafts, photo opportunities, bouncy houses and more! Activities are located outside in the parking lot outside the Marcus Pavilion and inside the Pavilion itself. The Marcus Pavilion was filled to the brim with educational booths and art/craft booths. My daughter and I attempted to try all of them, but it was so jam-packed we were only able to visit half. We ended up spending most of the time outside. She had a great time in a bouncy house and learning about the Fire Truck. There is a stage where performing groups ranging from elementary schoolers to senior groups showed off their stuff. I performed for the Fun Fair when I was in high school. Everyone did a great job. The only time I worried was for a brief second when elementary-aged kids were singing the normally inappropriate/sexual innuendo ridden song Greased Lightning. It turned out it was the kid friendly version. Phew. Wondering if there are food booths available? Of course! In addition to various activities there are food booths selling traditional fair food. Saint Martins, of course, has one. It was SO HOT last year I parked myself near the Saint Martins booth so I could get water and extra ice. My kid ate her weight in burgers, elephant ears, and snowcones. We would have stayed for the parade had I known there was one. The parade is on the second day and closes the event. I will definitely be sure to see it this time! The Lacey Spring Fair is AMAZING. Definitely try to go on both days, if you are able! The Lacey Spring Fun Fair 2013 will be on May 18 - 19. The parade starts at 6 pm on Sunday the 19th.

Lacey's Children's Day takes place in October at Huntamer Park. It is a FREE all day festival…read morecelebrating children with activity booths and entertainment. Last year's Children's Day was Pirate and Princess themed. It was around Halloween, so there was also a costume contest. The live entertainment was a humorous pirate performance. There was a princess booth were the young ladies smiled for pictures with children. My kid was, of course, first in line for this. The line became quite long and the princesses never for a moment slipped out of their happy voices and sparkly smiles. Timerland Regional Library had a booth providing handmade blank books kids could illustrate. It was definitely a fun booth. They were kind enough to remind me when the Library book sale was. There were SO many craft booths, I can't remember them all. All were great. The main things I remember were the two bouncy houses and the gymnastics bus. My daughter played in them at least 5 times each! If you have a kid this is a great place to take them. It's fun. It's free. It will keep kids occupied for hours.

This past year was my first time at Olympia Pride Fest which was fun! I like the Seattle Pride but…read moreit is enormous and a bit overwhelming while I feel like on the flip side of the coin the Tacoma Pride is just short of underwhelming because there aren't all the necessities there...mainly they don't put on a parade! Pridefest happens all around the world at various points in the summer but June is the kick off point for many. I like how neighboring cities that celebrate Pride coordinate with each other so you aren't often in conflict as to which Pride Fest you will go to in one weekend. Olympia Pridefest is Pridefest on a small and intimate scale but yet they seem to offer all the amenities that a larger city Pridefest has to offer. There are all kinds of activities that businesses offer, vendor tents, a parade and more! The parade is what I mainly wanted to go to see. It lasted about two hours which was a perfect amount of time. Sometimes at the very large parades it can go up to four hours! The floats aren't quite as elaborate as what you see in the big city parades but what is really cool is that much of the float is made up by local businesses, LGBT supportive churches and other local organizations which enhances the intimate feeling more. Speaking of intimate...this parade like any other has people in the parade throwing candy and other things into the crowd. The parade gatherers were not in huge amount and I actually took advantage of some very good opportunities to get candy and even a one dollar coin! In all my days I never had that happen! Not even in the parades in my small Wyoming hometown of 2,000 people! It was odd but welcome! Maybe it was because I sat up towards where the parade started? The vending tents towards where the parade ended also had a more local feel to them in which they sold various things like t-shirts, knick knacks and pamphlets to raise awareness for whatever cause they were involved with. There was also a small stage where bands were playing. Of course it would not be a true Pridefest without having religious protesters there. As far as I could see there were two churches involved. One Lutheran church that was quietly but rigorously handing out flyers to the audience in hopes that people will "find" the deity that they are so eager to promote. Of course the "selling point" were bright red and yellow flamed t-shirts that had the words "Repent" on them. There was also another church or a few individuals with big signs and a loud speaker stating the same grievances...that you must repent. Since the parade was smaller the protesters had a more intimacy there as well but were more or less drowned out by the festivities and eventually strongly encouraged by parade and audience participants to leave the premises. It was awesome!

Capital City Pride is a two day festival celebrating Olympia's LGBT community. When I first went to…read moreit 2 years ago, I was surprised to see how many activities were available for the under 21 crowd. I came to Pride with the assumption it would be geared mostly to adults. I had the chance to talk to a few volunteers who told me Pride was an all-ages event. There were quite a few things for teens and younger kids to do! I had a great time walking around and chatting with folks. The live music was great an the parade was fun to watch. Unfortunately, I did not get to experience both days. Last year I took my daughter. She had a great time! Just as in 2011, there were several events that were child friendly. Everyone at the booths were handing out stickers promoting diversity. There was a bouncy house and lots of other children (2 years to 17 years) playing or hanging out. I bumped into quite a few old high school friends and we got to catch up while watching the parade. There were many more folks in the parade last year than in 2011. It's a bit small, but that's okay. My daughter and I had a great time watching. All of the parade participants threw necklaces and candy into the crowd. At the end of the day, my purse was overflowing with candy!