This community events calendar is the place to find fun activities and things to do throughout Lewis County, including Centralia, Chehalis and beyond.
Noon Year’s Eve Party: Shine Bright in the New Year
Shine bright and ring in the new year early with special activities that sparkle, shine, glimmer, and glow at the Noon Year’s Eve Party, Dec. 31. Celebrate with a family countdown and ball drop, dance party, and parade every hour, 10 am – 4 pm!
Meet a magical princess, enjoy exciting craft and science activities that glimmer and glow, and snap a keepsake photo in our photobooth.
Buy your tickets online and save $2. Early member registration opens Dec. 2nd. General admission tickets on sale Dec. 6th.
Shine Bright in the New Year
• Meet the miracle princess Mirabel and watch wacky Dr. Science experiments
• Gleam, glimmer, and get crafty in our glitzy glue room
• Silkscreen a silvery souvenir in the printshop
• Craft a phosphorescent friend & learn about bioluminescence
• Launch a shooting star and try to catch it
• Smile, shine, and snap a picture in our photobooth
• Learn about iridescence in the natural world at the science table
• Skate, twirl, and slide on our indoor sock skating rink
Sensory Friendly Room & Art Time
The Museum is committed to creating an inclusive sensory friendly space to support families with autism, sensory differences, and special needs. Our Sensory Friendly Room is a (safe and calm) space where you and your child can relax and regroup. Here you can find books, soothing textures, tools and resources. Stay as long or as little as you like. Hours: 9 am – 4 pm
Costumed Character Provided By: Emerald Kingdom Parties
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 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.
Kim Ashmore, City of Centralia’s Public Works Director, will be presenting on stormwater management in the Chehalis River Basin. Learn about the impacts of nonpoint pollution on water quality and salmon. Hear more about what you can do to prevent pollution runoff at your home!
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
Each February we promote healthy smiles by joining with our dental community to offer free dental screenings right inside the Museum! Kids can pretend to be the dentist in our Puget Sound Dental Office exhibit and meet special guests like Amazon of Olympia, Batman in Seattle, and Tinker Fairy. Fun, engaging activities are offered all month long. Presenting Sponsor, Westside Dental.
• Explore the Puget Sound Dental Office in the Emergency! Gallery, open every day
• Greet Tinker Fairy and take a photo Feb. 18, 12–4 p.m.
• Make tiny teeth necklaces
• See some of the biggest teeth (elephants, mammoths, mastodons)
• Explore maritime mouths (narwhals, whales, sharks & more!)
• Sew a monster mouth or tooth fairy pillow
• Practice drilling for food like moon snails & mollusks
• Use tools to craft your own toothy charms & trinkets
• Meet and get your photo taken with Amazon of Olympia (Captain Carter) Feb. 3, 5–7 p.m. Amazon of Olympia (Wonder Woman) will be here Feb. 11 & 25, 2–4 p.m. Batman in Seattle will also be here on Feb. 25, 2–4 p.m.
• Free Dental Screenings for kids every Saturday in Feb. from 2–4 p.m. & First Friday Night Feb. 3 from 6–8 p.m. Museum admission is also free with your screening. Reservations required. Call (360) 956-0818 ext 0. Screening Sponsor, Small to Tall Pediatric Dentistry.
Check out our Dental Health Month page for more information and a complete list of sponsors.
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
Join Lewis County Stream Team and Twin Brooks Farm for a nature walk along a Conservation Reserve Enhancement Site. Learn about native plants, salmon, and how to protect water quality. Come enjoy planting trees along the stream!
RSVP for address to Stream Team Coordinator, Kenna.Fosnacht@lewiscdwa.com or call 360-996-4560.
