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.

Fun event along the waterfront. Lots of crafts and food to try. I think Friday night is the best…read moretime to go. Not as busy.

Strolling around Harbor Days Event. They have a bunch of cute pop up shops, food trucks and more…read more This is a nice place to walk around and just look at arts and shops and eat. We didn't plan it and just happen to see the banner and glad we stopped by. I would do it again.

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!

It was kind of a rip off. Makes you pay entry and then you have to buy tickets for half ass…read morebreweries and Vinyard 's to taste

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 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.

Awesome ! Plants , vegetables, meats, bakery items if I lived I would get some plants !…read more I got to pet real friendly dogs ! On vacation! Aloha!

Cute covered farmers market which is especially helpful during the rainy season. Hands free…read moreshopping without having to manipulate an umbrella or poncho. Farm fresh fruits, vegetables, jams, sauces, and breads. They offered fresh holiday wreaths in 3 sizes at a good price. Free parking is available. Restrooms.