If you stroll through downtown Olympia Thursday through Sunday, you'll most likely encounter a group of musicians playing banjos, fiddles and other instruments associated with Appalachian folk music. They'll be huddled in a circle, so close their knees are almost touching, fiddle bows flying precariously close to eye-poking level. Digging deep into their repertoire, eyes fixed in concentration on one another or closed altogether in some ecstatic state of higher consciousness, all are tied together, sawing and banging out a single rudimentary and repetitive dance tune. The casual observer won't understand what all the fuss is, this banjo skronk and scratchy fiddle squeak. Yet by simply listening, they'll be missing the point entirely. This here is old-time music. And it's taking over Olympia. The seventh annual Oly Old Time Festival kicks off Thursday night with a square dance featuring the Grizzle Grazzle Tune Snugglers and Evie Ladin calling. What will follow will be several of the country's best purveyors of traditional Appalachian and old time American music Friday through Sunday. For the full schedule, visit olyoldtime.weebly.com.

OLY OLD TIME FESTIVAL KICK-OFF DANCE, 7-9 p.m., The Olympia Ballroom, 116 Legion Way SW, Olympia, $5, olyoldtime.weebly.com