Through the decades, the Club has meant something to each generation and holds a history to be maintained. Olalla is on the southern end of Kitsap County and is unincorporated. The Club is a place for the community to come together for social purposes and deal with issues that affect it.
The Club’s mission statement is to preserve and maintain Olalla’s heritage and foster a sense of community.
You can visit the Club website for more info and follow them on Facebook.
Events
- Olalla Jam Session every other Thursday from 6pm til 9pm.
Backline provided. Bring your instruments. Both acoustic and electric.
This experience is for all musician levels to engage. Please help bring open mic music to Olalla! Just come hang out enjoy the evening…it’s free!
- The Second Saturday Concert Series
A great way to spend an evening enjoying music, food and the setting. Starts again in October 2023 Thru May 2024. Check the Club website for more info
- Swap Meet
Regular swap meets are organized throughout the year (Friday and Saturday) from 9am til 4pm. Many treasures to be found!
- The 2024 Olalla Americana Music Festival
Next edition is on August 17th 2024: bands, variety of food, beer garden and much more… Treat yourself to a well established local event focused on a full day of fun in a rural setting! More about this festival here
- Olalla Polar Bear Jump
It’s a decades-long New Year’s Day tradition! While some folks start the New Year with a cup of strong coffee and a football game, dozens of intrepid souls will gather to jump from the Olalla Creek bridge into the icy waters below. They call themselves “Polar Bears.” More on the Polar Bear Jump here.
Santa A-Round Olalla!
A community event that has brought smiles to the faces of our kids for generations. Schedule will be posted on the Community website and Facebook page and shared throughout Olalla Bay Market and Olalla social media channels.
History
In 1906 or thereabouts, the building or “hall” was built by The Modern Woodsmen of America Insurance Company, a fraternal organization dedicated to community involvement and support. Their creed was, “There is a destiny that makes us brothers, none goes his way alone, all that we send into the lives of others comes back into our own.”
In 1937 they deeded the property to the community and the Olalla Community Club was incorporated. In the 70’s we became a 501-c-4 organization. The OCC mission and purpose as stated in the original and 1972 amended Articles of Incorporation, are as relevant today as they were in 1937:
- To engage in and promote worthy community projects for the benefit of the community of Olalla and contiguous territory;
- To acquire, own and hold a community hall for social, fraternal and scientific purposes;
- To promote and foster various community projects of a scientific, educational and charitable nature; and
- Any resident of the community of Olalla shall be eligible for membership in the Olalla Community Club.
For over 80 years, the Clubhouse has served as the heart of the community with countless dances, meetings and socials. But in the 1980’s the building fell into disuse and disrepair.
In 1991, buoyed by the renewed community spirit that included a fight to save Banner Forest, a small but enthusiastic group began the formidable task of renovating the historic building. Shoveling ankle-deep pigeon guano from the upper level was just the beginning. Plumbing, painting, bathroom and kitchen remodeling, foundation work—even digging a well—have brought the Clubhouse to comfortable standards. In the years since, the Clubhouse has served as the scene of swap meets, weddings, scout meetings, political forums, ice cream socials, dances, potluck dinners, birthday parties, and community events, gatherings and support—anything and everything that brings friends, neighbors and families together.
The clubhouse is one of the few remaining buildings from Olalla’s historic past, and they’re working hard to preserve this community treasure. Today, people in the community are invited to pay a membership fee of $35/per person or $50/family rate to support the mission and upkeep of the Clubhouse. Some of the events held at the Clubhouse generate use fees.
If you want to support the Club by becoming a member or donating, please see the dedicated Membership page on the Club website.
