Events & What’s Happening
Annual fair at the Olympia waterfront showcasing classic and hand-crafted wooden boats, with rowing demonstrations, boat-building exhibits, and maritime history displays.
💡Kids can try rowing in supervised demonstrations; best experienced on Saturday morning before crowds grow.
Annual marathon, half-marathon, and fun run events through the streets and parks of Olympia, finishing near the Capitol Campus, open to participants of all ages.
💡Kids' fun run is a popular low-pressure option for young runners; the finish line area near the Capitol is a great cheering spot for families.
Week-long summer festival on Capitol Lake featuring carnival rides, live music, food vendors, and a fireworks show over the water.
💡The carnival midway and kids' rides are open afternoons; arrive early on fireworks night to claim a good spot along the lake.
Annual county fair at the Thurston County Fairgrounds featuring livestock shows, carnival rides, 4-H exhibits, local food vendors, and family-friendly entertainment.
💡The junior livestock barn is a highlight for young children; bring cash for ride wristbands and midway games.
Annual evening parade through downtown Olympia featuring illuminated floats, marching bands, community groups, and a visit from Santa Claus to kick off the holiday season.
💡Stake out a spot on Capitol Way early; dress in warm layers as December evenings in Olympia are wet and cold.
Annual opening weekend of the Olympia Farmers Market, one of the largest in Washington State, celebrating the start of the spring season with local produce, artisan goods, and live entertainment.
💡Kids love the live music stage and local bakery treats; stroller-friendly along the waterfront boardwalk.
A beloved community Earth Day parade through downtown Olympia where participants dress as animals, plants, and mythical creatures in elaborate handmade costumes celebrating biodiversity.
💡No corporate floats or political signs — just pure creative pageantry; great for older kids who want to make and wear their own costume.
One of Washington's premier farmers markets operating on the Olympia waterfront, offering locally grown produce, seafood, artisan crafts, baked goods, and hot food vendors. Also open Thursday and Friday in peak season.
💡Thursday midday tends to be calmer than weekends; the fresh-squeezed lemonade and kettle corn stands are kid favorites.
The popular Saturday session of the Olympia Farmers Market at the waterfront, featuring the largest vendor turnout of the week with produce, flowers, seafood, local arts, and live music.
💡Arrive before 11am for easier parking and stroller access; the nearby waterfront boardwalk is perfect for a post-market walk.
Free weekly story time sessions at the Olympia Timberland Regional Library for toddlers and preschoolers, featuring read-alouds, songs, and simple craft activities led by library staff.
💡Best for ages 2–5; arrive a few minutes early as the children's section fills up quickly on rainy days.
Yauger Park in west Olympia offers open green space, sports fields, a beloved community playground, and walking paths that draw local families for informal weekend recreation throughout spring and summer.
💡The playground equipment suits a wide age range; pack a picnic and combine with a walk along the adjacent trail for a full morning outing.
Planning Your Visit
Neighborhoods & Areas
Local Tips for Families
- 💡Pick up Junior Ranger booklets at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles before entering the park — the Hoh Rain Forest and Hurricane Ridge stations both stamp completion badges, and kids get sworn in by a ranger at the Hoh Visitor Center on summer weekend afternoons around 2pm.
- 💡The Washington State Ferry from Edmonds to Kingston costs about $65 round trip for a car and four passengers and cuts through Puget Sound rather than adding Hood Canal Bridge traffic — book the specific sailing time online at wsdot.wa.gov/ferries to avoid the standby line, which can run 2 hours on summer Fridays.
- 💡Arrive at the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center before 8am to see black-tailed deer grazing in the meadows immediately adjacent to the building — by 10am the meadows are crowded with visitors and the deer retreat into the tree line.
- 💡The Hoh Rain Forest averages 140 inches of rain annually, meaning rubber boots and full rain gear are practical even in August — REI Port Angeles at 113 E Front Street rents kids' rain gear by the day if you didn't pack it.
- 💡Ranger-led tide pool interpretive walks at Kalaloch Beach 4 happen on Saturday and Sunday mornings at 11am in July and August and are free with park admission — the rangers identify every creature in the pools by species name and let kids touch sea anemones safely.
- 💡Sol Duc Hot Springs sells day-use pool passes to non-resort guests, but the pools reach capacity and close to new day visitors by early afternoon on summer weekends — arrive before 10am or call the resort at (360) 327-3583 the morning of to check availability.
- 💡The 'Tree of Life' at Kalaloch Beach 4 is a 0.3-mile walk south along the beach from the Kalaloch Campground beach access — visiting it from the campground avoids the crowded Tree of Life dedicated parking pull-out on US-101, which has only 8 spaces.
- 💡Lake Crescent's Fairholme Campground store sells firewood and basic groceries at the northwest end of the lake, but Port Angeles' Olympic Grocery at 112 E First Street has significantly better prices for stocking a cooler before entering the park's interior.
- 💡Ruby Beach tide pools are most productive for sea life at minus tides — check NOAA's tide predictions for the Destruction Island station (nearest offshore reference point) at tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov, and target any tide below zero feet for the best anemone and urchin viewing.
- 💡The Hoh Campground amphitheater hosts free ranger campfire programs on Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm in summer — the 45-minute programs specifically about Roosevelt elk behavior and the rainforest food web are the most kid-engaging of the rotation.