Weekend brings fun on and near the water -- plus lots of smoky barbecue

Dragon boats return

The Olympia Dragon Boat Festival — last held way back in 2019 — is back. At least 20 teams will race in the festival, paddling colorful canoes fitted with dragon heads and tails. Each team includes a drummer, who sits in the bow of the boat and keeps rhythm with the paddlers. The sport dates back more than 2,000 years in China. The festival, hosted by the Olympia Dragon Boat Club , draws teams from a region stretching from Seattle to Salem, Oregon, and also includes music and food vendors. Check out the races from 8:30 a.m. to about 3:30 p.m. at Port Plaza, 701 Columbia St. NW, Olympia. The Olympia club invites prospective paddlers to join; practices are held outdoors year round.

BBQ bash

The savory smell of barbecue will be in the air Saturday, July 13, in Lacey’s Huntamer Park. The occasion: The Lacey South Sound BBQ Festival , which includes a chicken-wing eating contest that is a must see. There are also lots of other activities for both kids and grownups, plus entertainment, vendors, a beer and wine garden — and, of course, lots and lots of barbecue for purchase. It’s all happening from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the park at 629 Woodland Square Loop. The beer and wine garden is open from noon to 8 p.m.

Gimme Shelter at the Port

Seattle’s Gimme Shelter pays tribute to The Rolling Stones by belting out their tunes at the Port of Olympia on Saturday, July 13. It’s part of Summer Nights at the Port , an outdoor concert series that also features food trucks and a beer garden. Bring a chair for the event, which starts at 5 p.m. with music from 6 to 8 p.m. in the lot next to the Swantown boat launch parking lot at NorthPoint, 1210 Marine Drive NE, Olympia.

Freelance writer Molly Gilmore wonders if she’s the only one who pronounces BBQ “beebeecue.” She talks with DJ Kevin the Brit about what’s happening around town on KGY-FM’s “Oly in a Can,” airing at 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Fridays.