Have Fun and Run in Downtown Olympia

Photo from 2023 Capital City Half Marathon start. Photo by CJ Photography, courtesy of Capital City Marathon.

Discover a new way to enjoy the great outdoors and local beers in downtown Olympia! Combine exercise with a refreshing pint or two by joining social running clubs like Pints’ Pavement Pounders and Oly Road Dawgs. These clubs encourage people to get fit and socialize while enjoying Pacific Northwest views and local brews.

From pub crawls to charity events, there's always something exciting happening in the Olympia running community. Don't miss out on the fun, join Pints’ Pavement Pounders every Thursday or Oly Road Dawgs on Wednesdays. And mark your calendars for the annual Capital City Marathon on May 18 and May 19, where you'll find these running clubs and many more. See you downtown!

Want to support the local running community? Volunteers are needed at the Capital City Marathon, a 100% volunteer-powered event!

Here are some openings they need to fill:

Direct (and cheer for!) runners on the course
Help participants with gear at Sylvester Park
Assist with race wrap-up at the end of the day
Help feed hungry racers at the food table
Pace Car driver and team coordinator needed

To get involved, please contact volunteer@ccmaboard.org.

Learn more:

Pints Run: https://www.facebook.com/pintsrun

Oly Road Dawgs: https://www.facebook.com/Olyroaddawgs

Capital City Marathon: https://www.capitalcitymarathon.org/

Club Oly Road Runners: https://www.clubolyrunning.com/

Inspiring Generations: Celebrating the First Women's Olympic Marathon Trials

This year's Capital City Marathon, Half Marathon, 5 mile and kids race joins the Olympic Trials Legacy Committee and Club Oly Road Runners in commemorating the 40 year anniversary of the first women's Olympic Trials held in Olympia in 1984. Please consider attending the events by these organizations to help celebrate the participants and their accomplishment.

Learn more

Best Brunches, Lunches and Dinners for Mother's Day, Graduation & More

Photo courtesy of Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar.

Get ready to celebrate Mother's Day, Graduation or an upcoming celebration with a delicious Sunday brunch or dinner in Downtown Olympia! Whether you prefer to indulge in a classic brunch dish or try something new, there are plenty of options to choose from. However, be sure to make your reservations soon, as tables are filling up fast on popular days.

For a seafood-centric meal, Anthony's Hearthfire Grill and Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar are excellent choices. If Italian cuisine is more your style, head over to Mercato Ristorante for their delicious brunch offerings. For a casual atmosphere, stop by Cascadia Grill or Octapas Cafe for a laid-back experience. Basilico and Cynara offer a farm-to-table experience with locally-sourced ingredients, while Budd Bay Cafe has a vast menu with something for everyone.

If you're feeling inspired to cook up your own feast, the Olympia Farmers Market has everything you need to create a memorable meal. Pick up fresh produce, meats, and baked goods from local vendors and create a unique spread that your family and friends will love.

No matter how you choose to celebrate, Downtown Olympia has plenty of options to make the day special. Make your reservations soon!

Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar Receives LoveOly MicroGrant

Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar was awarded a LoveOly Microgrant! With this grant, they added a beautiful planter to their North facing entryway.

Thanks to the support of LoveOly Micro-Grants, we've had the privilege of contributing to this amazing initiative. It's truly inspiring to see how these projects enrich the downtown experience for all of us.

Keep an eye out for more exciting developments and projects coming your way, Olympia!

Learn more

Get Ready for our Spring Shop and Dine Event!

Timberland Bank again presents Downtown Olympia's Shop & Dine Promotion 2024! As in the past, this promotion will allow patrons to download a complimentary passport on the LoveOly Olympia Downtown Alliance website or pick one up at participating businesses. For every $10 purchase, patrons receive a sticker on the passport. Once five stickers are collected, the passport can be redeemed for Love Oly swag.

Exciting new twists for this year include...

This year, the promotion will span two weekends and run from Monday, May 3 through Sunday, May 12 (Mother's Day).
To start the spring event off with some excitement, we are offering curated gift card packages to the FIRST 30 PARTICIPANTS to complete a Passport!
Love Oly swag this year includes your choice of Love Oly retro headbands, sunglasses, and fanny packs!

Ready to Engage in Community?

Become a LoveOly Volunteer!

Calling all downtown Olympia enthusiasts! Our next LoveOly Cleanups on April 20, 2024 from 9am -11am. Join us on our mission to elevate our beloved downtown! Together, we'll create a cleaner, more vibrant, and even more lovable Olympia...and just in time for Arts Walk!

Olympia Film Society Presents...

Reel Oddities: Son of the White Mare

April 3, 10, 17, 24 at 7:00 pm

One of the great psychedelic masterpieces of world animation, Son of the White Mare is a swirling, color-mad maelstrom of mythic monsters and Scythian heroes, part Nibelungenlied, part-Yellow Submarine, lit by jagged bolts of lightning and drenched in rivers of blue, red, gold and green. A massive cosmic oak stands at the gates of the Underworld, holding seventy-seven dragons in its roots; to combat these monsters, a dazzling white mare goddess gives birth to three heroes--Treeshaker and his brothers--who embark on an epic journey to save the universe. Directed by Hungarian animator Marcell Jankovics (framed for his 1974 Oscar-nominated short Sisyphus), Son of the White Mare has been restored in 4k using the original 35mm camera negative and sound elements by Arbelos in collaboration with the Hungarian National Film Institute.

Tickets are available 30 minutes before showtimes.

Tickets and Show Information

Save the Date for LoveOly SummerFest

We are THRILLED to announce the return of LoveOly SummerFest in June 2024! Get ready for three days of non-stop fun in Downtown Olympia!

Enjoy live music, children’s activities by Hands on Children’s Museum, food trucks, a beer garden, vendors, and MORE! Plus, don't miss the incredible Queens from Diva Drag Brunch taking the stage on Sunday!

Anticipated Weekend Hours:

Friday: 3 pm-9 pm
Saturday: 11 am-9 pm
Sunday: 10 am -2pm with Diva Drag Brunch!

Experience interactive art installations, shop unique goods at vendor booths, and indulge in delicious eats from local food vendors.

Join us at Downtown Olympia at 5th Avenue and Washington Street for an unforgettable weekend! Mark your calendars for June 21-23, 2024!

We're looking for LoveOly SummerFest Volunteers. Sign up here.

Submit Your Event to Our Events Calendar

Does your organization have an upcoming event you'd like us to share on our LoveOly Events Calendar?

Share it with us by filling out this form.

Need a little help figuring out how to fill it out?

We've created a Step by Step Guide here.

About this Newsletter

The News of the Week in Downtown Olympia is a newsletter created by the Olympia Downtown Alliance and is a summary of happenings Downtown.

If you have news related to downtown you'd like included, please email marketing@downtownolympia.org. Preference is given to Olympia Downtown Alliance members. If we do not share it here, chances are we'll share it on our Facebook or Instagram pages. We do reserve the right to use our discretion on what we share.

The deadline is Friday at 5 pm for inclusion in the next week's newsletter.

If you know of anyone who would like to receive the News of the Week in Downtown Olympia, please have them sign-up at the bottom of our home page here: https://downtownolympia.org/.