October 27, 2026

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A Little Halloween Mischief Is Afoot in Downtown Olympia!

Halloween fun is already underway in downtown Olympia! Gather your little ghosts, goblins, and best-dressed beasts for LoveOly Downtown for Halloween!

The Halloween Scavenger Hunt is happening now through October 31! Search for costumed rubber duckies hiding in downtown shops and restaurants, collect stickers, explore local businesses, and enter to win gift card bundles from downtown favorites!

Then, join us this Saturday, October 31, for Halloween festivities! Enjoy free, family-friendly trick-or-treating from 3–6 pm and our frightfully cute Pet Costume Contest from 4–5 pm. Paws, claws, scales, and tails are all welcome, so get those costumes ready!

Visit our website for all the spooky details, including the scavenger hunt map, printable passport, and pet costume contest registration.



Happy haunting, Olympia!

An early Thurston County Library Service bookmobile parked outside Olympia’s Carnegie Library, circa 1930–1948. Photograph courtesy of the Washington State Historical Society.

Finding the Next Chapter at Olympia’s Carnegie Library

By Wade Stine, Thomas Architecture Studios

This article is part of Alliance Committee Voices, an ongoing series highlighting stories from committee members of the Olympia Downtown Alliance.

It was late summer in 1978, and the morning sunlight streamed through the east-facing windows of Olympia’s 1914 Carnegie Library. I was kneeling down, carefully placing books into boxes and trying to preserve the order they had held on the shelves. I was not yet a teenager, and I was not a bookworm. This place was my kryptonite and this was definitely not how I wanted to spend my weekend.

At the time, I had little appreciation for the history of the library’s collection or the building around me. In 1869, the Good Templars Lodge hosted a reading room containing books and magazines donated by local citizens. In 1896, the Women’s Club of Olympia began collecting materials, and in 1909, the City took over their collection of 900 books. After the construction of the Carnegie Library, the building was expanded in 1960, but once again, it was too small. Without room to grow, the collection needed to be moved.

Continue reading here.

First Friday at Olympia AHA Museum: Meet Artist Molly Wheat Baker

Friday, November 6 | 4–7 pm

Stop by the Olympia AHA Museum & Visitor Center (203 Columbia St. NW) for a special First Friday featuring local artist and designer Molly Wheat Baker! Known for her illustrations and paintings inspired by the natural world of the Salish Sea, Molly’s Salish Sea Friends are featured in the museum’s It’s the Water exhibit.

Meet the artist, explore her latest work, ask questions, and shop for original art to take home. This event is free and open to the public!



Learn more.

Community Roots: Sharing Stories, Preserving History

Thursday, October 29 | 6:30–8 pm

Join Olympia Timberland Library (313 8th Ave. SE) for an evening of storytelling and reflection through Community Roots, an oral history project preserving the memories and wisdom of local artists, community organizers, caregivers, and visionaries. Listen to stories from the archive, share your reflections, and help shape this growing collection of community voices.

Pre-registration is encouraged but not required.



Learn more.

Shop Local Art at the Holiday Gift Gallery

November 13–December 19 | Fridays & Saturdays, Noon–5 pm

Find one-of-a-kind gifts and support local artists at Arts Olympia’s Holiday Gift Gallery! Browse a festive collection of paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and handmade treasures, including gifts priced under $50. Visitors can also enjoy portrait sketches by Arts Olympia members and enter a free drawing for original artwork.

Located at 119 Washington St. NE, at the corner of Washington and State Streets, the gallery is free and open to the public.



Learn more on Facebook.

Feeling Burned Out? Join a Community Conversation

Saturday, November 14 | 1–4 pm

Feeling stressed, burned out, or just plain done? Join Lexi Alberts, LICSW, for a welcoming community conversation about stress, burnout, and how to better care for ourselves and each other. Through education and group discussion, participants will explore practical coping strategies, learn new techniques, and rediscover tools they already have to manage life’s challenges.

The workshop takes place at 222 Columbia St. NW in downtown Olympia.



Learn more and register.

Santa's Calling! Connect with the North Pole at Skoolie Thrift

November–December 23 | Thursdays–Sundays, Noon–4 pm

Santa has a direct line to downtown Olympia! Bring the little ones to the Women’s Empowerment Center at Skoolie Thrift (415 Olympia Ave. NE) for a special phone call with Saint Nick himself. Kids can share their Christmas wishes, ask about the reindeer, and chat with Santa live from the North Pole!



Calls cost $15 and last approximately five minutes. Make a little holiday magic and give Santa a ring!



Learn more.

Other Events to Know About...

• Now–October 31 | Boo Bash at the Hands On Children's Museum. Details.
• October 29 | Community Roots at Olympia Timberland Library. 6:30–8 pm. Details.
• October 30 | Skalloween at Cryptatropa. Event calendar.
• October 31 | Open House at The Edge. Noon–6 pm. Details.
• Through November 8 | Theater Artists Olympia Presents a Supernatural Thriller. Show details and tickets.
• November 5 | Discovery Speaker Series. ODA event calendar.
• November 7 | Community Priorities Forum. 2–4 pm. Details.
• Through November 15 | Nocturnal at Childhood's End Gallery. Details.
• November 13–December 19 | Arts Olympia Holiday Gift Gallery. Fridays and Saturdays, noon–5 pm. Details.
• November 20–January 18 | Oly on Ice. Details.
• Friday, November 27–December 24 | Christmastown at the New Oly Theater. Details.
• November 27–29 | Studio West Dance Theatre's The Nutcracker. Details.
• Sunday, November 29 | LoveOly WinterFest. 10 am–4 pm. Celebrate the start of Downtown for the Holidays with local artisans, free children's activities, live entertainment, seasonal treats, and more at 5th Avenue and Washington Street. Details.
• Sunday, November 29 | LoveOly Jinglebell Parade. 2–3 pm. After a seven-year absence, the beloved holiday parade returns, traveling west along Legion Way from Cherry Street toward Sylvester Park. Free. Details.
• Sunday, November 29 | Sylvester Park Tree Lighting. 4:30 pm. Gather for the official holiday tree lighting and community countdown at Sylvester Park. Free. Details.
• Sunday, November 29–December 24 | Downtown for the Holidays Shopping Promotion. Shop participating downtown businesses, collect passport stickers on qualifying purchases, and earn a LoveOly gift when your passport is complete. Details.
• Through November 30 | Local Art at Schwartz's Bakery. Details.
• November–December 23 | Call Santa at Skoolie Thrift. Details.
• Tuesdays in November | Young Artists Collective. Details.