,

Out on the Town: Tacoma Mondays

,

A typical Monday doesn't have the sparkle of the weekend, but if you want to get out of the house and into the city, there are special happenings only occurring on this oft-maligned first day of the traditional workweek. If your favorite Monday-only gathering, event, menu, activity, or destination isn't on this list, let us know and we'll get community suggestions added to the mix. For starters, here's our list of 10 things to do on a Monday in Tacoma:

For Music Lovers

1. Vinyl Night at The Red Hot - 2914 6th Ave, 6 pm - 11 pm

The Red Hot opens up their crates of vinyl and customers choose an album side to play. "Hoppy Hour" coincides with Vinyl night for the first hour, so 6 pm - 7 pm is the sweet spot (50 cents off all IPAs on draft, lots of other drinks, and some snacks too, from 3 pm - 7 pm).

Every Monday is ROCKARAOKE - Karaoke with a live band! No cover $2 Tallboys 9pm

238 Likes, 8 Comments - jazzbones (@jazzbonestacoma) on Instagram: "Every Monday is ROCKARAOKE - Karaoke with a live band! No cover $2 Tallboys 9pm"

2. Rockaraoke at Jazzbones - 2803 6th Ave, 9:30 pm - 1 am (photo by @jazzbonestacoma)

Rockaraoke! Karaoke with a live band every single Monday offers the chance to get on stage at Jazzbones with real live musicians backing you up through your favorite karaoke ballad. Doors open at 7 o'clock, but Rockaraoke starts-up closer to 9:30 pm. There's no cover, so you might as well give it a try.

3. Open Mic & Kids Eat Free at The Swiss - 1904 S Jefferson

Kids Eat Free: 11 am - 8:30 pm
Open Mic Hosted by Chuck Gay: 7 pm - 10 pm

The Swiss is open to all ages until 8:30 pm, so the whole family can come out for the early half of Open Mic night. This Open Mic is for singers and musicians; bring your voice, your instrument, or your applause and support. Kids under 12 eat free with the purchase of 1 adult meal. 

4. Live Music Mondays at Odd Otter Brewing Co.  - 716 Pacific Ave, 7 pm

Friendly craft brewer Odd Otter brings live musicians out every Monday to serenade customers enjoying a pint of local beer. Live music just adds to the other great things offered up at Odd Otter: board games, all day Monday Otter Hour (15% off), and all day Monday Industry Night discount (25% off for customers with a current food handler's card or MAST).

Mural by Alexis St. John next to The Blue Mouse Theatre in Proctor.

Mural by Alexis St. John next to The Blue Mouse Theatre in Proctor.

For Movie Lovers

5. Discounted Movie Night at The Blue Mouse Theatre - 2611 N Proctor, 7 pm

Enter through the original mahogany doors of this historic theatre and see a movie for just $4.00. A Proctor fixture since 1923, The Blue Mouse is still going strong. And one of the best parts is they only play 1 movie at a time, so you don't have to make any decisions; it's Monday after all, and you've probably made plenty of those already. If you're having a really hard time choosing between the movie and one of the other 9 destinations on the list, just come back to the theatre tomorrow. They run this special price on Tuesdays at 7 pm too.

IMG_3982.jpg

For Bowlers

6. All You Can Bowl at Chalet Bowl - 3806 N 26th, 9 pm - 11 pm

All you can bowl for 2 hours every Monday night at Chalet Bowl in Proctor for $7 including the shoe rental! 

Since we're on the topic of Chalet Bowl, they also offer a Monday-Friday "After School Activity" special for kids 18 and under from 3 pm - 5 pm. This one's $6.50 per bowler for the first game, including shoes. Additional games are $1.50 per bowler. 

Creative Colloquy: Crime stories. CC meets here every 3rd Monday of the month. Stayed tuned for details about Creative Colloquy's Bar Crawl October 3rd! #blackkettlebitesandbrew #craftcans #beerandcoffee #tacoma #creativecolloquy

22 Likes, 2 Comments - Black Kettle Bites And Brew (@blackkettlebitesandbrew) on Instagram: "Creative Colloquy: Crime stories. CC meets here every 3rd Monday of the month. Stayed tuned for..."

For Literary Enthusiasts 

7. Third Monday Readings with Creative Colloquy at Black Kettle Bites & Brews, 744 Market St, 7 pm (photo by @blackkettlebitesandbrews)

Creative Colloquy, a group of writers dedicated to supporting and engaging the literary community in the South Sound, invites all to join them every 3rd Monday at Black Kettle to hear 5 readers share original pieces of writing. This time is followed by an open mic opportunity allowing 5 minutes per person. If you'd like the chance to share your poem, story, essay, or excerpt, make sure to come early and sign-up for the open mic. Otherwise, just come and listen!

There's no gathering in October 2017 due to the special Creative Colloquy Crawl earlier this month, so look forward to November.

Tonight is the launch of #meatrafflemonday Tacoma! Come get your meat!!!!

65 Likes, 5 Comments - Rhein Haus Tacoma (@rheinhaustacoma) on Instagram: "Tonight is the launch of #meatrafflemonday Tacoma! Come get your meat!!!!"

For Meat Lovers

8. Meat Raffle Monday at Rhein Haus - 649 Division Ave, 7 pm - 9 pm (photo by @rheinhaustacoma)

What? That's what I thought. Here's what: Rhein Haus selects cuts of meat (such as house-made sausage, steaks, or whole chickens) from some of their favorite farms and suppliers then offers customers raffle tickets for $1 each to win the meat. Rhein Haus pulls 2 tickets every 30 minutes from 7 - 9 pm and the last winner also gets a $20 gift card to the restaurant. If you win, you take your cut of meat home to cook that week, so don't think of it as something they're serving up that night. Be prepared to barbecue, roast, bake, or fry your meat raffle prize in your own kitchen. 

We now have NBA Jam and two pinball machines. Wooooah...kaboom!

68 Likes, 10 Comments - The Mule Tavern (@themuletavern) on Instagram: "We now have NBA Jam and two pinball machines. Wooooah...kaboom!"

9. All Day Happy Hour at The Mule Tavern - 5227 South Tacoma Way, 4 pm - 12 am (photo by @themuletavern)

If you haven't tried it yet, stop over at The Mule on a Monday for $2 off sandwiches like the reuben and grilled French dip, or the grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup for non-meat eaters. Plus there's pinball! All day happy hour is going on too, so it's $1 off cans, bottles, and calls. If Monday's not really a tavern kind of night for you, keep in mind the Mule makes their own fresh ginger beer. It goes in their signature cocktail as well as other drinks, but you can just order it straight for a refreshing, nonalcoholic beverage that's bright, tangy, and not too sweet.

IMG_3998.jpg

For Wine Lovers & Those Who Want a Quiet Chat

10. Monday at Rosewood Cafe, 3323 N 26th St, 11:30 am - 9 pm

For a quiet evening at a classic Tacoma cafe, visit the Rosewood and pair a glass of wine (or a bottle) with their specialty sandwiches, soups, and salads. This is a nice neighborhood spot to enjoy with a friend or two. On Mondays the Rosewood offers $5 glasses of wine and ½ off select bottles. 

Featured
What's New, Tacoma? 17 New Businesses + 3 Coming Soon
What's New, Tacoma? 17 New Businesses + 3 Coming Soon

There’s change in the air across Tacoma, the return of things once lost, the reopening of places once closed, the transformation of one restaurant into another, the creation of brand new places to gather, shop, eat, and drink. We’ve been experiencing this change across the city and wanted to pull some of it together in one place. What follows is a list of 17 new, renewed, and returned businesses along with 3 coming soon. See if you can enjoy and support something new this month; if you do, we’d love to hear about it!

Tacoma Community: 15 Things to Do in October
Tacoma Community: 15 Things to Do in October

We’ve rounded-up and narrowed-down 15 ways to get out into community this October. Don your most intellectual scarf and hat combination for a literary night, dance and eat with the Greeks, step into a candlelit tour our 1855, get psyched up about cycling (and bicycle fashion), try forest bathing, don your most eccentric scarf and hat combination for the film festival, write letters for fun, tour art studios, hear from Latinas who experience being The Firsts in so many ways, take a local art walk, and celebrate Día de los Muertos. We’ve got some ways to volunteer in here too—lend a hand with Habitat for Humanity, pick up litter, or pull weeds and plant seeds at a favorite park to keep Tacoma green.

Get Out of Town: Puget Sound Day Trips
Get Out of Town: Puget Sound Day Trips

Once in a while, we all need to get out of town. This month we’re sharing about Port Townsend and Vashon Island, two places we go again and again when a change of scene is calling. They’re places where the beach is always near, where parking is easy, where woods and trails beckon us away from the sidewalks. Places where small, local bakeries, coffee roasters, independent bookstores, and one of a kind shops outnumber chains by far. We’ll share some of the ways we pass the time and how we fill our stomachs (never a problem). Don’t worry too much about planning; these destinations are so close to Tacoma, you can show up again and try what you missed. Wake up one morning and just decide to go!

Tacoma High 5 - July 2024
Tacoma High 5 - July 2024

Tacoma High 5 is our way to nudge you (and us!) toward what we love about Tacoma. It’s a short list with a commitment to the local—it embraces the season, invites delight, encourages a spirit of exploration and some generosity as well. This month’s list includes Tacoma Pride, an all ages neighborhood music festival, a game that gets you supporting small businesses (and winning prizes), Swedish-style baked goods, and the chance to help out Habitat for Humanity or spend Friday afternoons watering trees to keep Tacoma (and its future) healthy and shaded.

  1. Community Event

  2. Sweet Treat

  3. Exploration & Adventure

  4. Local Love

  5. Volunteering & Sharing

Tacoma Outdoor Dining Guide
Tacoma Outdoor Dining Guide

Want to go out and really be out—out in the open air, beneath a colorful umbrella, on a shaded patio, beside a bustling sidewalk, seated on a deck overlooking the water, pulled up to a bar counter by the street? We’ve gathered over 60 of Tacoma’s outdoor dining spots by neighborhood to get you started. Take a look at our list of restaurants, cafes, and bars with outdoor seating, then get yourself away from the screen, out the door, and into the life of Tacoma’s summer. See you out there!

What's Happening, Tacoma? 21 May Events
What's Happening, Tacoma? 21 May Events

May is Bike Month. May is Historic Preservation Month. May holds Affordable Housing Week. May is the month for a lightsaber battle, for live music and crafts in Old Town Park, for night markets, plant sales at your local high school, hands-on printmaking and paper arts, and locally made short films. It’s the month to learn about the history of Tacoma, and even contribute your own story at events like the Eastside Story Fest. It’s the month to pick-up litter with a bunch of nice people, the month to set out nutritious foods for your mail carrier to share with the food bank, the month to take time to learn more about affordable housing. It’s the month to tune up your bike and join a group ride.

Out on the Town 2024: Tacoma Tuesdays
Out on the Town 2024: Tacoma Tuesdays

Tacoma, Tuesdays, Trivia, Tacos, Talent. It’s the truth, there’s stuff to do. We have 19 of those things listed right here (twenty would have sounded so good) and not all of them start with “t.” There’s ballet and book club, wine and film, story time and bingo. So dust off your dancing shoes, clean your spectacles, strap the baby in a stroller, study up on random facts, warm up your vocal chords, and work up an appetite; it’s Tuesday in Tacoma!

Tacoma Love: 5 Good Things—Vol. 4
Tacoma Love: 5 Good Things—Vol. 4

This is not an ultimate, all time, best of the best, win or go home, top 5 list. No, we aren’t really bringing that kind of energy to life. This is the 4th edition of 5 things we like in Tacoma from a list of way more things we like in Tacoma. Sound good? An annual rogue art treasure hunt, a tiny slip of sandy beach, an old place to watch new and cult classic films, a weekly opportunity for repairing your stuff, and a spot where the noodles and broth fill you up in a good way. Some of it’s free. All of it’s good. We’re not making any other claims (who needs all that best-stress anyway?).

Tacoma 2024: Make Yourself At Home
Tacoma 2024: Make Yourself At Home

As we take our first steps into 2024, we’re thinking about home and how we make it. We’re thinking about how we continue to seek, find, and create belonging. In this list we’ve collected 7 ways we’ve made ourselves at home in Tacoma and made friends with the city. Go to a festival, become a regular, follow some local news, help out, be pals with the library, explore local history and art, do something new. After a while you’ve made a connection that didn’t exist before. These 7 ideas aren’t deep Tacoma secrets. Rather, think of this list like suggested ingredients for making yourself at home. Take a look and join us.

10 Ways to Give Local Love - 2023
10 Ways to Give Local Love - 2023

This month we’ve created a list focused on 10 ways to give in December. You’ll find 5 sections of recommendations for local gift giving with holiday markets and some of our favorite small shops included, and 5 suggestions for giving outside your circle of friends and family to community and unknown neighbors. All 10 ways of giving put love into the Tacoma community! Read on for a choir made of refugees and USA-born residents offering a concert to celebrate peace, a list of local cafes for coffee lovers, a gift card drive to support clients at the YWCA, a nostalgic holiday movie marathon, a diaper drive to comfort local families, a gift that cares for birds, and more.

Hi, I'm Michael Duggan, a licensed broker with Windermere Abode. I would love to help you through the home buying or selling process. Please contact me to set up a meeting and get things started.