Looking Back’s theme for 2026 is Downtown by the Decades. In 1991, Olympia become the first small town outside of Seattle to host a Pride event. The organizers’ efforts produced the first Olympia Pride March that led from Marathon Park and ended with a rally at the State Capitol, drawing a crowd of over 300 people. By the early 2000s, Pride week was widely celebrated by local residents and businesses.
2012 Photograph of the Governor Hotel by Deborah Ross