Sleater-Kinney takes the stage Aug. 28 at the Port of Olympia's NorthPoint for the fifth and final South Sound Block Party.
The two-day waterfront music festival wraps up for good this weekend after founder Christen Greene announced Aug. 11 that costs had become unsustainable. Sleigh Bells and Shannon & the Clams headline Aug. 29.
Fourteen total performances are scheduled across both days, along with local food and retail vendors.
The Olympian first reported on Aug. 16 that the festival would not return. Greene told the paper the independent festival costs $290,000 to $340,000 annually, and three private sponsors did not return for 2026.
"The simplest answer is that the resources never consistently caught up to the impact," Greene told The Olympian on Aug. 15 when she announced the closure.
The festival drew more than 5,000 attendees in 2025 and has featured acts including Bikini Kill in 2024.
Greene founded the event to celebrate Pacific Northwest women in music while spotlighting emerging artists. More than 45 staff are paid for their labor; Greene said she has paid herself only once in five years of organizing.
Port of Olympia spokesperson Taber Lee told The Olympian on Aug. 15 that the closure is "a loss, not only for Christen Greene and the Port of Olympia, but for the community and the region."
What to know if you're going
Doors open at 4 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday at NorthPoint on Marine Drive NE, Olympia. Music wraps at 10:30 p.m. both nights. Tickets cost $66.16 for one day and $99.44 for the weekend. Children younger than 12 get in free. Weekend VIP wristbands are sold out.
The festival is all-ages. Outside food and alcohol are not permitted, and all bags are searched at entry.
Ticket holders have unlimited reentry. Limited parking is available; organizers encourage biking, transit or ride-share. Bike lock-up zones are near the box office and main entrance.
Also this weekend: Art on the Farm, 'Broadcast News' at Capitol Theater
Art on the Farm, a free outdoor art sale organized by jewelry artist Rachel Jamison, runs Saturday, Aug. 29, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 8708 Johnson Point Road NE, Olympia.
Featured artists include painters Aimee Schreiber, Danny Gordo of The Copper Wolf, Darcy Goedeke and Jimmy Ulvenes. Marmo, a Shelton gallery and café, will sell seasonal food and botanical drinks. Parking is limited; carpooling is encouraged.
The Olympia Film Society screens the seven-time Oscar-nominated 1987 film "Broadcast News" at the Capitol Theater, 205 5th Ave. SE, according to Oly Arts. The Friday, Aug. 28, showing at 7 p.m. features an introduction, Q&A and book signing by author Lana Schwarz, whose new romance novel "Set Piece" goes behind the scenes of movie-making. Additional screenings are at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, and 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2. Tickets are $7–$14.
