Vintage tugboats will churn through Budd Inlet again when the 53rd annual Olympia Harbor Days returns to Percival Landing on Sept. 4–6, kicking off a fall stretch that gives residents four free weekends of waterfront festivals, outdoor movies, live music and local art.
Harbor Days remains the anchor. Organized by the South Sound Maritime Heritage Association and billed as the last remaining vintage tugboat races in the Pacific Northwest, the three-day festival fills the downtown waterfront boardwalk with hundreds of vendor booths, food, live entertainment and kids' activities every Labor Day weekend. Executive director Carol Riley leads the organizing team.
Expect a similar format this year: tugboat races, harbor cruises, live music and a full entertainment lineup along the 0.9-mile boardwalk.
Admission is free. Percival Landing is at the foot of Capitol Way in downtown Olympia.
Before Harbor Days: Movies at the Marina
The Port of Olympia hosts two free outdoor screenings at Swantown Marina, 1022 Marine Drive NE. The first is Friday, Aug. 21 at 8 p.m., showing "SING." The second falls during Harbor Days weekend itself, Saturday, Sept. 5 at 8 p.m., with "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle." Bring chairs or blankets; concessions are available for purchase.
Tumwater Falls Fest
Three weeks after Harbor Days, the 5th annual Tumwater Falls Fest takes over Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls on Saturday, Sept. 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The City of Tumwater and the Olympia Tumwater Foundation present the event, with cooperation from The Copper Wolf Tattoo Studio & Art Gallery and a Forest Stage sponsored by Peak Credit Union.
The event listing promises local musicians, children's activities, demonstrations and art vendors. The park's half-mile loop trail along the Deschutes River offers views of cascading waterfalls, quiet pools and the Old Brew Tower. Late September also overlaps with salmon-viewing season at the park's fish ladder.
Brewery Park is at 110 Deschutes Way SW in Tumwater.
Fall Arts Walk
Downtown Olympia closes out the run with the Fall Arts Walk on Friday, Oct. 2 from 6 to 10 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 3 from noon to 6 p.m. The City of Olympia's Arts Commission organizes the event, which fills downtown blocks with art demonstrations, performances, pop-up events and local business participation.
Registration for artists and venues is still open, according to a City of Olympia post. The full schedule will be posted at artswalkoly.com.
The quick list
- Olympia Harbor Days: Sept. 4–6, Percival Landing, free
- Movies at the Marina: Aug. 21 and Sept. 5, 8 p.m., Swantown Marina, free
- Tumwater Falls Fest: Sept. 26, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls
- Fall Arts Walk: Oct. 2–3, downtown Olympia, free
Four weekends, zero admission fees for three of the four. The tugboats race first.
