This calendar is the place to find fun events happening throughout Grays Harbor County including Aberdeen, Hoquiam, Westport, Ocean Shores, Elma, Montesano and beyond.
Have an event that isn’t listed? Please email events@GraysHarborTalk.com with the following information:
- Name of Event
- Date, time and location (name of business if applicable and complete address)
- Organizer(s) name
- Cost
- URL to purchase tickets
- Website URL
- SHORT description of event
- Photo
Our editors will review and post within a few business days.
The Fire Rescue Spectacular, July 8, is the ultimate firefighter and first-responder experience for kids! At the free street fair kids can explore a fleet of emergency vehicles, meet first responders, take the Junior Fighter Challenge, enjoy free ice cream, and so much more!
Presented by Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital & Health Network in partnership with Olympia Fire Dept., and thanks to Access Partner Macy’s.
Free Street Fair Activities
• Explore Olympia’s fleet of emergency vehicles and meet first responders
• Meet Sparky the Fire Dog & Smokey the Bear
• See vintage fire trucks
• Experience the Spray Gallery
• Take the Junior Firefighter Challenge
• Enjoy special activities, festival food & free ice cream and popsicles
Inside the Museum
• See wacky Dr. Science demos
• Make an emergency candle or fire starter
• Learn how to start a campfire
• Explore first aid techniques
• Rescue toy animals from ice
All activities on the street are free to the public. Special activities in the Museum are free with admission – online reservations recommended.
Meet the raptor ambassadors and learn about prey and predators with The Falconer!
Free with admission or membership. Online reservations recommended.
Sponsored by Small to Tall Pediatric Dentistry
Feel the beat and join the rhythm of an African drumming circle with Javoen Byrd and Awodi Drumming. 5 musical educators will be on hand with 50 drums to take kids on a powerful musical journey through indigenous West African and African American music.
Free with admission or membership. Online reservations recommended.
Visiting Artists Series in partnership with National Endowment for the Arts and sponsored by the City of Olympia
Feel the beat and join the rhythm of an African drumming circle with Javoen Byrd and Awodi Drumming. 5 musical educators will be on hand with 50 drums to take kids on a powerful musical journey through indigenous West African and African American music.
Free with admission or membership. Online reservations recommended.
Visiting Artists Series in partnership with National Endowment for the Arts and sponsored by the City of Olympia
Learn about bees and their vital role in our ecosystem with the Olympia Beekeepers Association and their observation hive!
Free with admission or membership. Online reservations recommended.
Sponsored by Small to Tall Pediatric Dentistry
Feel the beat and join the rhythm of an African drumming circle with Javoen Byrd and Awodi Drumming. 5 musical educators will be on hand with 50 drums to take kids on a powerful musical journey through indigenous West African and African American music.
Free with admission or membership. Online reservations recommended.
Visiting Artists Series in partnership with National Endowment for the Arts and sponsored by the City of Olympia
Meet the raptor ambassadors and learn about prey and predators with The Falconer!
Free with admission or membership. Online reservations recommended.
Sponsored by Small to Tall Pediatric Dentistry
The FOSLS LAKE SYLVIA STATE PARK FALL FESTIVAL continues the tradition for our 12th year!
Come join us on SUNDAY, September 10th, 2023 from 8:30 – 4:00 for a day filled with fun and family activities.
If you enjoy running we have trail Races that begin at 8:30 am. From 10 – 4, you can find one of a kind art and hand crafted treasures at the Artisans Market and eat delicious food while enjoying great live music by talented local acts all on the peaceful shores of beautiful Lake Sylvia. There will also be a kayak paddling adventure, a Watershed Festival by the GH Stream Team, Galaxy Harbor Dancers and educational exhibits in the Legacy Pavilion. You can decorate a pumpkin or take a group photo in our photo booth and we will have kids activities as well.
Park for free at Simpson School (519 Simpson Ave W, Montesano WA), and take a free shuttle to the Festival. Parking inside the park is limited and requires a Discover Pass. Free Disabled Parking is available inside the park. Watch our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/LakeSylviaStateParkFallFestival for up to date information, applications, and schedules.
North Beach Genealogy Society invites you to join us on November 21st at 1 pm at the Ocean Shores Public Library. All levels of interest in Family History are welcome. Our November speaker will be Michael Turner, presenting “Ethnicity Estimates – Why do they mismatch our Paper Trails?”
The Harborside Chats are guided dialogues fostering civil conversation and addressing vital issues within Grays Harbor County. Our mission is to amplify diverse voices and share constructive ideas with the goal of reducing civic division and political polarization in our communities. To learn more about The Dialogue Project, please visit our website: https://www.drcghp.org/dialogue-project
Ways to Engage
Multiple Avenues, One Mission!
- Attend the Cosmopolis Chat and future guided conversations!
- Scout or sponsor event locations for upcoming dialogues!
- Volunteer as an Event Assistant!
- Donate to support the Dialogue Project!
- Amplify the project as a Dialogue Project Ambassador!
Please join us, and invite your network to this unique, innovative event designed to connect our community and collaborate on solutions for all!
Communities Thrive When Dialogue Is Alive!
Ring in the new year early at our Noon Year’s Eve Party on December 31. Celebrate with a family countdown, Times-Square style ball drop, and bubble dance party every hour from 10 am – 4 pm!
Experience the enchanting Winter Wonder Faire and discover the magical Fairy Hollow where kids can make wands, wings, and tiny things, create teacup cozy homes, investigate toadstools and fairy rings, craft a woodland crown, and even meet costumed fairy characters. Capture the magic of this special day with a family photo in our photobooth.
This is a popular one-day event, be sure to get your tickets online!
Winter Wonder Faire
• Meet costumed Tinker and Pirate Fairies and watch wacky Dr. Science experiments
• Make wands, wings, and tiny things
• Create tiny teacup cozy homes
• Silkscreen a shimmery souvenir in the printshop
• Craft a woodland crown in the Art Studio
• Skate in your socks
• Investigate toadstools and fairy rings at the Science Table
• Go on a scavenger hunt
• Snap a keepsake picture in our photobooth
Costumed Characters Provided By: Emerald Kingdom Parties
Celebrate winter at Hands On with three days of frozen fun at Ice Adventures Frosty Fables, Jan. 12-14! Explore Yeti and Bigfoot lore, meet costumed characters, use real tools to shave ice, skate in your socks, learn how to snowshoe with Olympia Mountaineers, investigate an ice cave hideout, and see exciting Dr. Science experiments with ice and fire.
Plus, special activities honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jan. 15.
Online reservations recommended. Get your tickets online and save!
Special Guests & Activities
• Melt Arctic ice to see what’s inside
• Use real tools to shave ice
• Investigate Yeti versus Bigfoot lore and discover the differences between these large legends
• Skate indoors in your socks
• Meet and take a photo with costumed characters the Winter Queen, Summer Queen, and Ice Master from Emerald Kingdom Parties (Jan. 13-14, 10:00am-3:30pm)
• Learn how to snowshoe with Olympia Mountaineers (Jan. 13-14, 11:00am-3:00pm)
• Explore Puget Sound sea creatures and look at specimens who can tolerate the ice-cold waters with the Estuarium
• See Dr. Science experiment with setting Ice on Fire (Jan. 13-14)
• Craft your own Bigfoot or Yeti slippers
• Explore an ice cave hideout and find a Yeti
• Create an Abominable Snowman to race (Jan. 13-14)
• Silkscreen a print or special keepsake (Jan. 13-14, print a free poster or purchase and make a tote bag, apron, onesie, or t-shirt for $12.)
• Go on a scavenger hunt
• Take a picture at the photo booth (Jan. 13-14)
Winter Queen, Summer Queen, & Ice Master Costumed Characters presented by Emerald Kingdom Parties.
Snowshoeing activity presented by The Olympia Mountaineers.
Celebrate winter at Hands On with three days of frozen fun at Ice Adventures Frosty Fables, Jan. 12-14! Explore Yeti and Bigfoot lore, meet costumed characters, use real tools to shave ice, skate in your socks, learn how to snowshoe with Olympia Mountaineers, investigate an ice cave hideout, and see exciting Dr. Science experiments with ice and fire.
Plus, special activities honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jan. 15.
Online reservations recommended. Get your tickets online and save!
Special Guests & Activities
• Melt Arctic ice to see what’s inside
• Use real tools to shave ice
• Investigate Yeti versus Bigfoot lore and discover the differences between these large legends
• Skate indoors in your socks
• Meet and take a photo with costumed characters the Winter Queen, Summer Queen, and Ice Master from Emerald Kingdom Parties (Jan. 13-14, 10:00am-3:30pm)
• Learn how to snowshoe with Olympia Mountaineers (Jan. 13-14, 11:00am-3:00pm)
• Explore Puget Sound sea creatures and look at specimens who can tolerate the ice-cold waters with the Estuarium
• See Dr. Science experiment with setting Ice on Fire (Jan. 13-14)
• Craft your own Bigfoot or Yeti slippers
• Explore an ice cave hideout and find a Yeti
• Create an Abominable Snowman to race (Jan. 13-14)
• Silkscreen a print or special keepsake (Jan. 13-14, print a free poster or purchase and make a tote bag, apron, onesie, or t-shirt for $12.)
• Go on a scavenger hunt
• Take a picture at the photo booth (Jan. 13-14)
Winter Queen, Summer Queen, & Ice Master Costumed Characters presented by Emerald Kingdom Parties.
Snowshoeing activity presented by The Olympia Mountaineers.
Celebrate winter at Hands On with three days of frozen fun at Ice Adventures Frosty Fables, Jan. 12-14! Explore Yeti and Bigfoot lore, meet costumed characters, use real tools to shave ice, skate in your socks, learn how to snowshoe with Olympia Mountaineers, investigate an ice cave hideout, and see exciting Dr. Science experiments with ice and fire.
Plus, special activities honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jan. 15.
Online reservations recommended. Get your tickets online and save!
Special Guests & Activities
• Melt Arctic ice to see what’s inside
• Use real tools to shave ice
• Investigate Yeti versus Bigfoot lore and discover the differences between these large legends
• Skate indoors in your socks
• Meet and take a photo with costumed characters the Winter Queen, Summer Queen, and Ice Master from Emerald Kingdom Parties (Jan. 13-14, 10:00am-3:30pm)
• Learn how to snowshoe with Olympia Mountaineers (Jan. 13-14, 11:00am-3:00pm)
• Explore Puget Sound sea creatures and look at specimens who can tolerate the ice-cold waters with the Estuarium
• See Dr. Science experiment with setting Ice on Fire (Jan. 13-14)
• Craft your own Bigfoot or Yeti slippers
• Explore an ice cave hideout and find a Yeti
• Create an Abominable Snowman to race (Jan. 13-14)
• Silkscreen a print or special keepsake (Jan. 13-14, print a free poster or purchase and make a tote bag, apron, onesie, or t-shirt for $12.)
• Go on a scavenger hunt
• Take a picture at the photo booth (Jan. 13-14)
Winter Queen, Summer Queen, & Ice Master Costumed Characters presented by Emerald Kingdom Parties.
Snowshoeing activity presented by The Olympia Mountaineers.
Celebrate kindness & community! Honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with special art activities and collaborative projects, January 15th.
• Children’s book readings by Merritt D. Long, Author of My View from the Back of the Bus
• Create faux stained glass art pieces and add them to the collaborative art project
• Share your stories with bookmaking and cards
• Follow the timeline of MLK’s life
• Write notes of kindness on our helping hands yew tree
• Silkscreen a peace print
• Learn about Black History STEAM Heroes
• Enjoy a quiet and reflective reading room
Online reservations recommended. Get your tickets online and save!
Humanities Washington Speaker Event: Homelessness and the Meaning of Home.
Speaker: Josephine Ensign.
This is an online virtual program. You will receive a reminder email along with the link to view from home. You may come to the library to watch this Online Event.
Registrants will have access to the recording for up to 3 days following the event.
Loss of a home, whether through financial difficulties, divorce, illness,
or natural disasters like wildfires, is a widespread and growing problem affecting all of us.
Often thought of as only an urban problem, homelessness also occurs in suburban and rural areas throughout Washington State. What are the historical roots of homelessness, and what lessons can we learn from them? What are the common meanings of home to us, and how can we apply those meanings to our responses to homelessness in our communities?
We’re back from extinction and we’ve changed our name!
Join us for a Dino-mite night at our Adults Only (21+) special event! Same great fun with an all-new-name HOCM After Hours. (Move over Adult Swim!) This is the perfect time for fossils, friends, and old fashioneds! Dig up your curiosity, dust off your khakis, and shake your bones to DJ Wes Jamieson. Unearth the secrets of paleontology with fossil experts from the Fossil Team PDX. Meet birds of prey with the Raptor Ambassadors and The Falconer. Try your hand at whiskey trivia, learn about distilling and craft your own infusion. Go back in time to the dawn of the dinosaurs and make a dino egg bath bomb and create a wax fossil cast.
Check out our website for more details and activities!
In February, we promote healthy smiles by joining with our dental community to offer free dental screenings right inside the Museum! Kids can pretend to be the dentist in our Puget Sound Dental Office exhibit and meet Amazon of Olympia as Wonder Woman and as Captain Carter (see below for dates and times). From sewing a toothy pillow to exploring super-sized animal teeth (fangs and sabers of giant cats), families can enjoy fun and engaging dental health activities all month long.
• Explore the Puget Sound Dental Office in the Emergency! Gallery, open every day
• Register for a free dental screening
• Build toothbrush bots
• See some of the biggest teeth (smilodon, big cats, wildcats)
• Sew a monster mouth or tooth fairy pillow
• Explore different animal and insect teeth (herbivore, omnivore, carnivore)
• Play with electric bytes (connect circuits to power dental objects)
• Meet and get your photo taken with Amazon of Olympia (as Wonder Woman) Feb. 2, 5–7 p.m. & Feb. 24, 2–4 p.m. Amazon of Olympia (as Captain Carter) will be here Feb. 17, 2–4 p.m.
• Free Dental Screenings for kids every Saturday in Feb. from 2–4 p.m. & First Friday Night Feb. 2 from 6–8 p.m. Museum admission is also free with your screening. Reservations required. Call (360) 956-0818 ext 0. Screening Sponsor, Small to Tall Pediatric Dentistry with support from SPSCC Dental Assisting Program.
Check out our Dental Health Month page for more information and a complete list of sponsors.
Youth from 6th to 12th grades are invited to compete in the Southwest Washington High School and Middle School Chess Championships, to be held Saturday, February 3 at Centralia College. Students of all skill levels are welcome to play.
Both tournaments are regional championships, limited to students in western Washington who reside south and west of Pierce County. The high school championship is both an individual and team event. Winning high school teams qualify to play in the 58th annual Washington State High School Chess Team Championships, to be held March 2 at Interlake High School in Bellevue.
Last year‘s first ever SW WA Regional saw 280 players register, with Olympia HS finishing 1st, W.F.West (Chehalis) 2nd, and Columbia River HS (Vancouver) 3rd.
Entry is free, and the tourney is directed by WHSCA, the Washington High School Chess Association (non-profit). Full tourney details at http://northwestchess.info/swwa2024.html .
Advance entry is required. Beginners are welcome.
In February, we promote healthy smiles by joining with our dental community to offer free dental screenings right inside the Museum! Kids can pretend to be the dentist in our Puget Sound Dental Office exhibit and meet Amazon of Olympia as Wonder Woman and as Captain Carter (see below for dates and times). From sewing a toothy pillow to exploring super-sized animal teeth (fangs and sabers of giant cats), families can enjoy fun and engaging dental health activities all month long.
• Explore the Puget Sound Dental Office in the Emergency! Gallery, open every day
• Register for a free dental screening
• Build toothbrush bots
• See some of the biggest teeth (smilodon, big cats, wildcats)
• Sew a monster mouth or tooth fairy pillow
• Explore different animal and insect teeth (herbivore, omnivore, carnivore)
• Play with electric bytes (connect circuits to power dental objects)
• Meet and get your photo taken with Amazon of Olympia (as Wonder Woman) Feb. 2, 5–7 p.m. & Feb. 24, 2–4 p.m. Amazon of Olympia (as Captain Carter) will be here Feb. 17, 2–4 p.m.
• Free Dental Screenings for kids every Saturday in Feb. from 2–4 p.m. & First Friday Night Feb. 2 from 6–8 p.m. Museum admission is also free with your screening. Reservations required. Call (360) 956-0818 ext 0. Screening Sponsor, Small to Tall Pediatric Dentistry with support from SPSCC Dental Assisting Program.
Check out our Dental Health Month page for more information and a complete list of sponsors.
In February, we promote healthy smiles by joining with our dental community to offer free dental screenings right inside the Museum! Kids can pretend to be the dentist in our Puget Sound Dental Office exhibit and meet Amazon of Olympia as Wonder Woman and as Captain Carter (see below for dates and times). From sewing a toothy pillow to exploring super-sized animal teeth (fangs and sabers of giant cats), families can enjoy fun and engaging dental health activities all month long.
• Explore the Puget Sound Dental Office in the Emergency! Gallery, open every day
• Register for a free dental screening
• Build toothbrush bots
• See some of the biggest teeth (smilodon, big cats, wildcats)
• Sew a monster mouth or tooth fairy pillow
• Explore different animal and insect teeth (herbivore, omnivore, carnivore)
• Play with electric bytes (connect circuits to power dental objects)
• Meet and get your photo taken with Amazon of Olympia (as Wonder Woman) Feb. 2, 5–7 p.m. & Feb. 24, 2–4 p.m. Amazon of Olympia (as Captain Carter) will be here Feb. 17, 2–4 p.m.
• Free Dental Screenings for kids every Saturday in Feb. from 2–4 p.m. & First Friday Night Feb. 2 from 6–8 p.m. Museum admission is also free with your screening. Reservations required. Call (360) 956-0818 ext 0. Screening Sponsor, Small to Tall Pediatric Dentistry with support from SPSCC Dental Assisting Program.
Check out our Dental Health Month page for more information and a complete list of sponsors.
In February, we promote healthy smiles by joining with our dental community to offer free dental screenings right inside the Museum! Kids can pretend to be the dentist in our Puget Sound Dental Office exhibit and meet Amazon of Olympia as Wonder Woman and as Captain Carter (see below for dates and times). From sewing a toothy pillow to exploring super-sized animal teeth (fangs and sabers of giant cats), families can enjoy fun and engaging dental health activities all month long.
• Explore the Puget Sound Dental Office in the Emergency! Gallery, open every day
• Register for a free dental screening
• Build toothbrush bots
• See some of the biggest teeth (smilodon, big cats, wildcats)
• Sew a monster mouth or tooth fairy pillow
• Explore different animal and insect teeth (herbivore, omnivore, carnivore)
• Play with electric bytes (connect circuits to power dental objects)
• Meet and get your photo taken with Amazon of Olympia (as Wonder Woman) Feb. 2, 5–7 p.m. & Feb. 24, 2–4 p.m. Amazon of Olympia (as Captain Carter) will be here Feb. 17, 2–4 p.m.
• Free Dental Screenings for kids every Saturday in Feb. from 2–4 p.m. & First Friday Night Feb. 2 from 6–8 p.m. Museum admission is also free with your screening. Reservations required. Call (360) 956-0818 ext 0. Screening Sponsor, Small to Tall Pediatric Dentistry with support from SPSCC Dental Assisting Program.
Check out our Dental Health Month page for more information and a complete list of sponsors.
