Downtown Olympia is full of iconic imagery like the Port’s walkable waterfront, historic Capitol dome, artisanal Farmer’s Market, shops, murals, and statuary. These draw in visitors from across the region. The Olympia Downtown Alliance’s key goals support and welcome travelers, businesses, legislators, and families through advocacy, business assistance, imagemaking, and keeping the city’s hub vibrant, clean, and safe.

The Alliance builds partnerships with local businesses, groups, and organizations to do so. Recently they funded a full-time Downtown Maintenance Worker as well as partnering with Valeo, a Tacoma-based non-profit committed to helping houseless individuals re-enter the workforce. This forms a two-way street involving a Work Exchange (WEX) program as well as providing targeted projects for Valeo work crews.

The 2022 Placemaking Micro-Grant Program is made possible by funding from the Olympia Downtown Alliance. The program's goal is to provide seasonal opportunities for businesses to activate their spaces in a meaningful way that will positively affect the community. The next round of micro-grants, available to downtown businesses, opened on October 7. Learn more here.

The Olympia Downtown Alliance, in partnership with the City of Olympia, is facilitating the development of a strategic plan for the Downtown Creative District. The associated Creative District Advisory Committee, comprised of local and diverse creative industry professionals, seeks community input and has developed a survey to inform the strategic plan further and guide future programming. The Committee invites the community to participate by taking the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WJJCYMS.

Located in Market Centre, across from the Olympia Farmers Market, the boutique is comfortably situated near Olympia’s waterfront and complimentary retailers.

The South Sound Maritime Heritage Association (SSMHA) is on course with the planning and presentation of Olympia Harbor Days Festival 2022.  This is a full-scale return of the 49-year-old tugboat festival, Labor Day weekend starting Friday, September 2^nd at 5 PM and closing Sunday, September 4^th at 6 PM.  The festival will take place along Olympia’s Downtown Waterfront Boardwalk from historic Percival Landing to the Port of Olympia’s Port Plaza Park, according to SSMHA President Dave Peeler.  This event marks the return of Puget Sound’s vintage tugboats and historic ships to Budd Inlet.