Overwhelmed by choices at Arts Walk? Here are few things not to miss

Molly Gilmore
·2 min read

Sing along to ‘Showman’

What better way to wrap up Arts Walk than by belting out big-screen tunes? That’s the idea behind The Washington Center for the Performing Arts’ “The Greatest Showman” Sing-Along on Saturday, April 27. The 2017 Hugh Jackman flick about the life of P.T. Barnum happens at 6 p.m. — just after the Procession of the Species. And if the Procession wasn’t enough to get you in a merry mood, the sparkling Lauren O’Neill will host the screening at the center, 512 Washington St. SE, Olympia. Tickets are $6.

Hugh Jackman in “The Greatest Showman.”
Hugh Jackman in “The Greatest Showman.”

Life on Hoot N’ Holler Lane

Set designer and illustrator Jill Carter is paying homage to the animals of her childhood with a show of shadowbox illustrations from her 2024 calendar, “The Secret Lives of the Farm Animals on Hoot N’ Holler Lane.” Carter grew up on that lane, a three-mile dirt road near Dixonville, Oregon. The illustrations are based on animal portraits taken by her mother and on young Jill’s imaginings about what the animals did when people weren’t looking. (Bluey the cat, for example, was secretly employed by NASA.) Illustrations from the calendar — and others created for Olympia Family Theater posters— are on view at the theater, 612 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia. Carter, who hopes to continue making calendars each year, will also offer an assemble-it-yourself sticker activity at the theater from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 26.

“Bluey the Space Cadet,” from Jill Carter’s 2024 calendar, “The Secret Lives of the Farm Animals on Hoot N’ Holler Lane,” is among the fanciful works on view at Olympia Family Theater during Arts Walk.
“Bluey the Space Cadet,” from Jill Carter’s 2024 calendar, “The Secret Lives of the Farm Animals on Hoot N’ Holler Lane,” is among the fanciful works on view at Olympia Family Theater during Arts Walk.

Procession fashion

Can’t get enough of the often-fabulous costumes dancing their way down the street in the Procession of the Species? Revisit Processions past at an exhibition of Samba Olywa costumes, on view through Monday, April 29, at the Olympia Timberland Library, 313 Eighth Ave. SE. The free exhibition features the work of Carol Riley, the drum and dance group’s longtime costume chair, who comes up with color schemes, design guidelines and prototypes for the community band’s eye-catching outfits. Bonus: Spot Riley’s latest, a retro ensemble with a green velvet jacket and sunglasses eye-catching enough for Elton John, in this year’s Procession, kicking off at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27.

An exhibit featuring Samba Olywa costumes worn in past Procession of the Species is on display in the downtown Olympia Timberland Library for Arts Walk.
An exhibit featuring Samba Olywa costumes worn in past Procession of the Species is on display in the downtown Olympia Timberland Library for Arts Walk.
A pileated woodpecker ensemble created by Carol Riley is one of the Samba Olywa costumes being shown at the Olympia Timberland Library during Arts Walk.
A pileated woodpecker ensemble created by Carol Riley is one of the Samba Olywa costumes being shown at the Olympia Timberland Library during Arts Walk.

Puppets and postcards

Sissy von Meow Meow is performing at Community Print for Arts walk — and though the name might suggest burlesque, “Sissy von Meow Meow and Her Forbidden Fairy Fruits,” a multimedia performance by Kaia Selene and Alicia Capp, is suited for all ages. “It’s a fun interactive performance-art game that involves puppets,” Selene (who plays Sissy) told The Olympian. The game is happening from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, at the volunteer-run print shop, 414 Legion Way S. On Saturday, April 27, Community Print will offer visitors the chance to make a letterpress postcard with a Procession of the Species theme and contribute to a nature-themed collaborative zine.

Puppets are a key part of “Sissy von Meow Meow and Her Forbidden Fairy Fruit,” an interactive and family-friendly performance/game happening at Community Print during Arts Walk.
Puppets are a key part of “Sissy von Meow Meow and Her Forbidden Fairy Fruit,” an interactive and family-friendly performance/game happening at Community Print during Arts Walk.

Freelance writer Molly Gilmore talks with DJ Kevin the Brit about what’s happening around town on KGY-FM’s “Oly in a Can,” airing at 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Fridays.