Rachel's guide to a local holiday season: Part two

Written By Rachel Benton

Originally published on The JOLT News on November 12, 2025

Part one of this holiday guide discussed ways you can incorporate shopping local and supporting the arts into your holiday season gift giving and decorating. Part two will show you where you can find holiday magic on stage and beyond.

The primary focus of this column will be to describe my experience at Bayview School of Cooking’s “Fall Soups to Share” class taught by Souper Sunday’s Chris Hyde.

Naturally, we will also discuss Souper Sunday. Toward the end of this article, you’ll find my completed list of holiday events you and your family can attend this season.

'Fall Soups to Share'

No wonder Bayview School of Cooking had Hyde teach this class. He makes more soup than anyone I know, and his secret tips and tricks will forever change the way I think about approaching soup in the kitchen. Hyde made and taught us how to make the following:

  • Potato, leek, celeriac soup

  • Hearty chili soup

  • East African peanut soup

There was great camaraderie between the audience and Hyde, and the collaboration and openness to questions made the class more approachable, engaging and heartwarming.

In the spirit of winging it, Hyde reminded us that it is important to learn to trust yourself to mix things up, make a recipe your own and go with your own flow. That is what makes soup and cooking so similar to making art — sure you can be taught skills, but when you add originality, you make it that much better.

This class was one of the most fun things I’ve attended in a long time, and I personally cannot wait to see and experience what Bayview School of Cooking offers this next season. You can find their winter class schedule and more on its website.

Souper Sunday and cookbook

Every time I go on my personal social media, I see something about this grassroots movement lovingly called Souper Sunday. Souper Sunday is a movement focused on fostering community, feeding our neighbors and bringing togetherness. This happens in cooking countless portions of soup and distributing it for free to people who are hungry (regardless of financial circumstances). 

“Bear’s Souper Sunday Cookbook: Recipes for Hungry Animals,” written by Hyde and illustrated by Roxanna Groves, is a cookbook made for people of all ages that describes the heart of this movement through storytelling. During the cooking class, I purchased my own copy. I encourage you to read the previous article I wrote for OLY ARTS to learn more about the movement and book.

Speaking to the heart of it all and how it has impacted him, Hyde reflected, “Being of service and helping people is the greatest antidepressant ever.” To me, that almost sounds like a modernized version of the message we find in Charles Dickens, “A Christmas Carol.”

Isn’t this what the whole season is all about? Generosity and togetherness? Supporting Souper Sunday is one tangible way we can make a positive difference right here in Thurston County, as many of our neighbors and loved ones experience the myriad challenges that come with the removal of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.

I can just picture your loved one unwrapping the cookbook and learning not only how to make soup for themselves, but for others, knowing the book they hold was part of a grand effort to make this world a better place.

You can buy the book here, find ways to support Souper Sunday here and Hyde’s Food Source Foundation here.

Holiday event list

In addition to this list, you can find many events listed on the JOLT’s event calendar and Experience Olympia.

https://www.thejoltnews.com/stories/rachels-guide-to-a-local-holiday-season-part-two,27022?

Rachel Benton
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Rachel’s guide to a local holiday season: Part one