This community events calendar is the place to find fun activities and things to do throughout Lewis County, including Centralia, Chehalis and beyond.

Celebrate winter at Hands On with three days of frozen fun at Ice Adventures Polar Palooza, Jan. 13-15! Meet costumed characters, use real tools to shave ice, skate in your socks, explore Arctic engineering and ice cave habitats, and see exciting Dr. Science experiment with liquid nitrogen.
Plus, special activities honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jan. 16.
Online reservations recommended. Get your tickets online and save $2!
• Melt Arctic ice to see what’s inside
• Use real tools to shave ice
• Skate indoors in your socks
• Learn how to snowshoe with Olympia Mountaineers (Jan. 14-15, 11am – 4pm)
• Meet and take a photo with costumed characters the Winter Queen and Summer Queen (Jan. 14-15, 11:30am – 4pm)
• See Dr. Science experiment with liquid nitrogen
• Meet musical woodland creatures (Jan. 14, 10am – 12pm)
• Greet a giant polar bear puppet and princess (Jan. 15, 10am – 12pm)
• Learn about Antarctica engineering
• Explore ice cave habitats
• Investigate snowflake science
• Silkscreen a print or special keepsake
• Go on a scavenger hunt

Celebrate winter at Hands On with three days of frozen fun at Ice Adventures Polar Palooza, Jan. 13-15! Meet costumed characters, use real tools to shave ice, skate in your socks, explore Arctic engineering and ice cave habitats, and see exciting Dr. Science experiment with liquid nitrogen.
Plus, special activities honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jan. 16.
Online reservations recommended. Get your tickets online and save $2!
• Melt Arctic ice to see what’s inside
• Use real tools to shave ice
• Skate indoors in your socks
• Learn how to snowshoe with Olympia Mountaineers (Jan. 14-15, 11am – 4pm)
• Meet and take a photo with costumed characters the Winter Queen and Summer Queen (Jan. 14-15, 11:30am – 4pm)
• See Dr. Science experiment with liquid nitrogen
• Meet musical woodland creatures (Jan. 14, 10am – 12pm)
• Greet a giant polar bear puppet and princess (Jan. 15, 10am – 12pm)
• Learn about Antarctica engineering
• Explore ice cave habitats
• Investigate snowflake science
• Silkscreen a print or special keepsake
• Go on a scavenger hunt

Celebrate kindness & community! Honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with special art activities and collaborative projects, January 16th.
• Children’s book readings by Merritt Long, Author of My View from the Back of the Bus
• Explore powerful poetry with Ashly McBunch, Olympia Poet Laureate
• Create faux stained glass art pieces and add them to the collaborative art project
• Draw inspiration from and celebrate artists of color
• Write letters of kindness to your neighbors
• Silkscreen a peace print
• Learn about Black History STEAM Heroes
• Enjoy a quiet and reflective reading room
Online reservations are recommended.

Join a virtual volunteer orientation and learn more information about becoming a volunteer in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Mentor a youth in our community by spending a few hours each month doing things you both enjoy. Learn how we ignite the power and promise of youth with our proven system of support and safety.

Join us live on Zoom for stories, rhymes, and songs in English and Spanish. You will also receive an activity guide with song lyrics and activities to try at home!
Acompáñanos en vivo por Zoom para cuentos, rimas, y canciones en inglés y español. ¡También recibirá una guía de actividades con las letras de las canciones y actividades para hacer en casa!

Whether you’re an amateur or a skilled cornholer, sign up for a friendly, fun evening or cornholing and raise some funds to help vulnerable children and build strong families through FESS’s vital programs. Fess serves families in Thurston, Lewis, Mason and Pierce counties. Tourney includes two divisions: two-person social teams for casual players, and an individuals’ super-switch competitive division, using ACL standards. The action will be overseen by the Twin Cities Cornhole League of Centralia and Chehalis. The competition comes in the form of teams (such as firefighters vs. police officers) challenging one another. Prizes go to the three top teams, and a cash prize will be awarded in the super-swith competition. Fun prizes also awarded for categories like “best cornhole costume.” The evening includes a silent auction and a DJ and entertainment by Bobby Williams, founder of the Bridge Music Project.
The event is adult-only The cost is $100 per team – $50 per team member – for the social event; $60 per individual for the competitive super switch event. Food and drink is an additional $25. FESS is encouraging participants to play and stay. Until Jan. 15, Lucky Eagle is offering discounted room rates on tournament night for participants. Use promo code is FamilyEDU.
To register and for more information, go to http://familyess.org/cornhole or call FESS, 360-754-7629

Do you want to learn more about rain gardens? Join Stream Team and Bob Simmons from WSU Extension for a free workshop to learn the basics of designing and building your own rain garden. Rain gardens are a great tool for filtering stormwater pollutants before they reach streams! Learn about using native plants to create habitat for birds and pollinators.
Join Zoom Meeting Link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82796956884?pwd=RlBsUEh6UVoyc2ZJWXBXNUZJTCt0QT09
Meeting ID: 827 9695 6884
Passcode: 918768
Call Number: 1-253-205-0468 / 1-253-215-8782
Lewis County Noxious Weed Control will be giving a lecture on Understanding Herbicide Labels, including restrictions, signal words and proper use.
We will also be reviewing some calibration and calculation strategies.
This is a free event open to any member of the public. Please join us for this awesome informational session and help yourself prepare to conquer next year’s weeds!
More information about both events can be found on our website at www.lewiscountywa.gov/departments/weed-control.

Lewis County youth from 6th to 12th grades are invited to compete in the Southwest Washington High School and Middle School Chess Championships. The chess tournament, a Regional State Qualifier, will be held Saturday, February 4 at Centralia College. Entry is free, and chess players of all abilities are welcome. For details, flyer, video and FAQ, visit whsca.org.