Jan 01 Thursday
LeMay – America’s Car Museum proudly presents The Birth of the American Supercar, a groundbreaking exhibition guest curated by renowned automotive innovator Steve Saleen. This one-of-a-kind display invites guests on an exhilarating journey through the evolution of American supercars. From early speed pioneers to cutting-edge modern marvels, visitors will experience a stunning lineup of vehicles that have redefined engineering, speed, and style, built by a wide range of American automotive manufacturers like Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Saleen himself, and even some more obscure ones like Vector, Cunningham, and Hennessey. From roaring V8s to sleek carbon-fiber bodies, discover how American automakers pushed boundaries, challenged European rivals, and redefined what a supercar could be. This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to see some of the most thrilling and historically significant American-made performance vehicles ever built—all under one roof.
Stories are shaped by the ways we tell them. In Shaping the Story: Designs for the Theatre by Carey Wong, go behind the scenes to see how theatre sets bring stories to life. During a career spanning over 50 years, Carey Wong has designed sets and costumes for more than 300 productions, including operas, plays, musicals, and ballets.
This exhibition features scale models of his designs in addition to costumes, set pieces, and stories of Washington’s rich entertainment history. From sketches of an idea to fully realized sets, explore how a designer’s decisions craft the world of a story.
This is a permanent exhibition. Since time immemorial, Tribal nations have existed in this place we call Washington. This Is Native Land invites visitors to understand Washington State through the lived experiences and voices of its Native people.
Tribal nations are sovereign nations. Today, Native history, culture, and community thrive in our state. Through everyday acts of sovereignty – big and small – Indigenous peoples demonstrate they are still here, they have persevered, and they will always be here.
This Is Native Land is guided by three teachings:We are of the land and watersWith knowledge comes responsibilitySovereignty protects people, lands, and waters
These teachings are shared through multimedia, artwork, and interactive objects designed for guest engagement. They represent a contemporary continuation of Tribal stories and traditions.
Over 100 Native contributors from more than 60 Tribes shaped the exhibition’s stories and content. We thank the Native Advisory Committee and all community participants for their contributions.
Childhood's End Gallery presents "Animal Dreams", a solo exhibition of Olympia artist Kristen Etmund. Known for her work bridging the precision of traditional relief printmaking with the organic textures of nature, Kristen draws her inspiration from the flora, fauna, and shifting atmospheres of the Puget Sound region.
November 21, 2025 – January 11, 2026Artist Reception: November 22, 2026 3-5pm
childhoods-end-gallery.com
Childhood’s End Gallery222 4th Ave WOlympia WA 98501
FREE
Climb aboard the Imagination Express for train-themed fun December 20th through January 4th! Young engineers can go full steam ahead with hands-on engineering, art, and dream building. Each stop brings brand-new adventures. Go full STEAM ahead in the MakeSpace, get crafty in Art Studio Junction, and visit the Tinker Toyland at East Bay Depot. From crafty conductors to future inventors, everyone’s ticket includes imagination and discovery!
• Craft heartfelt, handmade gifts for loved ones • Explore how trains move people, goods, and ideas• Meet costumed characters, The Grinch & Cindy Lou Who (Dec. 20)• Meet unicorns with PNW Unicorns (Dec. 27)
We close at 3 pm on Christmas Eve Closed on Christmas
The Bellevue Downtown Ice Rink presented by Symetra returns for its 28th year! The region’s largest ice-skating experience boasts over 9,000 square feet of real ice in a fully covered, open-air venue at Bellevue Downtown Park. Join for a season of festive fun featuring free skate lessons courtesy of Microsoft, themed skate nights, on-site concessions, and more. Whether you’re a seasoned skater or a novice eager to learn, get ready to bundle up for an unforgettable time on the ice.
Sponsored by KNKX. Métier Brewing Company and NW Folklife have partnered to host a monthly concert series, allowing NW Folklife to showcase our network of artists in a local business that celebrates the age-old craft of beermaking. MBC is all about strengthening community and creating a welcoming gathering space for families, friends, and those who appreciate exceptional beer. Located in the Central District, Seattle's Historic Black neighborhood, Métier is one of the few Black-owned breweries in the country. As part of last year's Cultural Focus, Metamorphosis, this partnership helps reclaim the dynamism of Folk as a way of life for people of all backgrounds, heritages, and traditions, not merely a stigmatized musical genre.
The series is every first Thursday.
November 6, December 4, February 5: Elnah Jordan's passion for singing was discovered when she was a child in the church choir. Originally from Ohio, Elnah was influenced and encouraged by her mother who is an accomplished pianist. She developed her natural and raw talent on a path that winded through the choir stands of her gospel roots to the streets of San Francisco and its clubs and eventually with much persistence, to the theater. She was awarded a nomination in 1986 in that city for Jazz Vocalist of the Year.
Having moved to Seattle, Elnah has been embraced by the community of gifted performers and artists here. She continues to grow in her appreciation of the music and for the blessing of being able to do what she loves dearly. She has graced stages through-out the Pacific Northwest: She been a featured performer at Egan’s Ballard Jam House, The Sorrento Hotel, Tula Jazz Lounge, The Royal Room , Grazies and the New Orleans to name a few. She even found her way into the Seattle theater scene performing in the last season of Black Nativity.
Stay tuned for more info about future concerts.
Northwest Folklife is truly excited to partner with Métier Brewing Company to share in our ethos that folk and craft is a product of and for Our Beloved Community.
Welcomed by KNKX. Frank Vignola is one of the most extraordinary guitarists performing before the public today. His stunning virtuosity has made him the guitarist of choice for many of the world’s top musicians, including Ringo Starr, Madonna, Donald Fagen, John Lewis, Tommy Emmanuel, Lionel Hampton, the Boston Pops, the New York Pops, and guitar legend Les Paul, who named Vignola to his “Five Most Admired Guitarists List:” for the Wall Street Journal.
His dynamic genre-spanning music has brought him to 21 countries on three continents – and still growing – performing in some of the world’s most illustrious venues, including the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, New York’s Lincoln Center, The Blue Note, and the world’s oldest indoor concert hall, Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy.
Pasquale Grasso - It was the kind of endorsement most rising guitarists can only dream of, and then some. In his interview for Vintage Guitar magazine’s February 2016 cover story, Pat Metheny was asked to name some younger musicians who’d impressed him. “The best guitar player I’ve heard in maybe my entire life is floating around now, Pasquale Grasso,” said the jazz-guitar icon and NEA Jazz Master. “This guy is doing something so amazingly musical and so difficult. “Mostly what I hear now are guitar players who sound a little bit like me mixed with a little bit of [John Scofield] and a little bit of [Bill Frisell],” he continued. “What’s interesting about Pasquale is that he doesn’t sound anything like that at all. In a way, it is a little bit of a throwback, because his model—which is an incredible model to have—is Bud Powell. He has somehow captured the essence of that language from piano onto guitar in a way that almost nobody has ever addressed. He’s the most significant new guy I’ve heard in many, many years.”
Jan 02 Friday
The demands of the music of Steely Dan are high, both in technical proficiency and in preserving the sarcastic, knowing attitude originally conceived. Nearly Dan does well on both fronts, fusing together the chops of 12 diversely-talented artists (with backgrounds in jazz, rock, R&B, country, and swing) into a veritable butcher’s shop window of precisely cut bass lines; surgical, highly reminiscent guitar solos; a biting yet sophisticated horn section and richly marbled beats. Nearly Dan's recipes avoid over-earnest adulation, coolly presenting Steely Dan’s Burroughsian black humor and notoriously perfectionist musicianship. Mixed with their own arrangements of those masterpiece compositions, the result is pure ambrosia. Nearly Dan puts their earnestness where it matters most; into the relaxed but highly practiced execution of great songs like the bouncing “Reelin’ In the Years,” the sorrowful, karmic circularity of “Do It Again,” or the funny but mortified “Peg.” Endorsed by the company they keep, this group’s musicians have performed with greats such as Stevie Wonder, Sammy Davis Jr., Ray Charles, Lou Rawls, the Four Tops, the Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Huey Lewis, Tower Of Power, Tito Puente, Natalie Cole and Gladys Knight.
Experience the wild wonder of the holiday season as you traverse through the Mystical Forest where stunning creatures gleam brightly! Here, behold the magical forest train, mystical tree fairies and fantastical unicorns. Embark on a Journey on a Bright Desert Highway and see desert flora and fauna before discovering Marvelous Mammals where spectacular Northwest animals are vividly portrayed in lantern form. Family-favorite Interactive Lanterns are spread throughout the WildLanterns spaces. Let your imagination take flight in the Birds of Paradise zone, swan into this area where magnificent peacocks flaunt their flamboyant plumes and birds of a feather perch on enchanted branches. Finally, embark on a journey Under the Jungle Canopy and spot all the mischievous monkeys hiding in the foliage!
