Proof of spring in Tacoma on every walk we take!
We’ve welcomed spring to the world, so let’s soak it in. Sometimes we love spring because it brings us closer to summer. But let’s let spring be spring before we start pining away for another season altogether. Let’s embrace the season of damp dirt, delicate blossom, deep digging, seed scattering, lengthening days, light jackets, unbuttoned cardigans (oh my!), the season of the Lincoln High School Plant Sale, the season when the daffodils go on parade, when the outdoor markets are just beginning to blink open their eyes and beckon. What else? You want more than blossoms and plant sales? More than cardigans thrown open to the spring breezes? Then here it is. Since you asked; here is more:
Image from the WW Seymour Botanical Conservatory
1. Sound Baths & Blooms at the WW Seymour Botanical Conservatory
Tuesday, April 2nd
Tuesday, April 16th
6 - 7:30 pm
WW Seymour Botanical Conservatory at Wright Park, 316 S G St, Tacoma
Admission by donation
Part of the Yoga & Meditation series at the conservatory, this sound bath experience is created to bring balance and harmony while participants bathe in the sound, light, and fragrance of the conservatory
Offered on 2 Tuesdays in April and again in May
Follow @metroparkstacoma on Instagram to keep up on all their events!
2. Spring Break Drop-in Activities in the Hilltop
Wednesday - Friday, April 3rd - 5th
9 am - 12 pm
Peace Lutheran Church, 2106 S Cushman Ave, Tacoma
Free
Pre-K through high school ages welcome
Breakfast and lunch!
Science, art, writing, activities, and play
Looks like Write253 is involved, so you know it’s going to be good!
Image from The Blue Octopus
3. Scratch Made Salsas & Tortillas with Molly Alvarado
Thursday, April 4th
6 - 8 pm
The Blue Octopus, 3820 N 27th St, Tacoma
Image from Molly’s Tamales
Tickets $65, register for your spot here
Cooking class!
Learn to make: from-scratch corn tortillas, and delicious salsas like salsa verde, salsa roja, pico de gallo, and guacamole
Hosted by The Blue Octopus in Proctor and taught by Molly Alvarado of Molly’s Tamales who has been cooking Ranch Style Mexican for years and years!
Follow Molly’s Tamales on Facebook @mollystamales.classes and Instagram @mollys.tamales so you won’t miss out on her other wonderful cooking classes coming up in April and into the spring.
4. Tacoma Community House Volunteer Orientation
Images from Tacoma Community House
Friday, April 5th at 10:30 am
Monday, April 15th at 3:30 pm
Tacoma Community House, 1314 S L St, Tacoma
Free volunteer orientation - register for your orientation here
TCH has been working alongside immigrants, refugees, and other members of the Tacoma community for 109 years and you can be part of it!
Orientation is required before volunteering in THC’s many wonderful programs like Read2Me or Talk Time
Learn about the work of Tacoma Community House, meet the staff, ask questions, complete some paperwork, and get signed up
Orientation lasts 1 hour
Image from Tacoma Women of Color Collective
5. Naturally Adorned with The Tacoma Women of Color Collective
Friday, April 5th
6 - 8 pm
The Tacoma Arts Community Center, 1102 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma
General Admission $45, VIP $65 (includes authentic head-wrap) - find tickets here
6-6:30 pm: sangria, food, and socializing
6:30-6:55 pm: hair styling demo and Q&A
7-7:40 pm: head-wrap demo and Q&A
7:40-8 pm: network and sip that sangria
Styled by Shara, Catelayah, and Gordonnoir Photography collaborate to create this workshop with tips for styling hair naturally and techniques for wearing head-wraps
Food, sangria, photos, and a chance to hang out with other Tacoma women!
Enter the raffle for a chance to win some sweet prizes, $1/ticket or $5 for 6
Image from The Daffodil Parade
6. The 86th Annual Daffodil Parade - “Service with a Heart”
Saturday, April 6th
10:15 am
Downtown Tacoma, between S 12th & S 21st on Pacific Ave
Free
The beloved Daffodil Festival returns with the Daffodil Parade starting in Tacoma at 10:15, ten traveling on to Puyallup, Sumner, and Orting
Enjoy 180 entries, like floats decorated in thousands of fresh daffodils, bands, marching, and mounted units, and celebrate the Daffodil Princess and Royalty
Read more about the Daffodil Festival here
And don’t miss the Junior Daffodil Parade on Saturday, April 13th at 10 am in Proctor!
Image from Pretty Gritty Tours
7. Historic Tour of the Lincoln District with Pretty Gritty Tours
Saturday, April 6th
11 am - 1 pm
Lincoln High School, S 37th & G St, Tacoma
Free!
Pretty Gritty Tours is partnering with Tacoma Historic Preservation and the City of Tacoma Government to tell us the story of the beloved Lincoln District
Meet outside Lincoln High and be prepared to walk about 1.5 miles and to learn a lot about this multicultural neighborhood in Tacoma’s South End
Image from Yoga Wild
8. Yoga + Activism: A Three-Week Series with Yoga Wild
Mondays April 8th, 15th, & 22nd
6 - 7:15 pm
Tacoma Arts Community Center, 1102 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma
Cost for the 3 week series is $30, $25, or $20 depending on what you feel you can contribute - find tickets here
Read about, discuss, and consider what skill in action looks like, how you can impact the community, and how dominant culture affects all of us
Series is based on Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World by Michelle Cassandra Johnson
3 week series includes required reading, gentle yoga, pranayama (breathing techniques), discussion, and journaling
Image from Tacoma Rainiers
9. Tacoma Rainiers - 1st Home Game of the Season
Tuesday, April 9th
6:05 pm
Cheney Stadium, 2502 S Tyler St, Tacoma
Admission $7 - $11 - find tickets here, or call 1-800-745-3000 to purchase tickets by phone (kids 3 and under are free if sitting on a lap)
Tacoma Rainiers vs. El Paso Chihuahuas
If you can’t make the April 9th game, pick another day! There are lots of nights with specials and promotions, so take a look and find a night for the ball park.
Image from Sound Outreach
10. Sound Bites - A Tacoma Tasting Event with Sound Outreach
Thursday, April 11th
5:30 - 7:30 pm
Alma Mater, 1322 S Fawcett Ave, Tacoma
Admission $50 - find tickets here
Taste food and drinks from a bunch of Tacoma’s favorite restaurants and cafes - from bbq, to vegan, to desserts, to coffee, you’ll recognize vendors like: Spanky Burger & Brew , Happy Belly restaurant + Juice Bar , Bob's Bar-B-Q Pit , Mitapeap Authentic Cambodian cuisine , Quickie Too, Bambu Tacoma , and Manifesto Coffee
Learn about Sound Outreach while supporting a bunch of small Tacoma businesses, sounds good!
Silent auction
Live music by Kristen Marlo
Raffle too!
Sound Outreach is a local non-profit with goal to provide “compassionate guidance and beneficial tools for individuals and communities to move from financial insecurity to financial wellness and prosperity.”
Image from Handmade PNW Events
11. 3rd Annual Self/Love Market & Mingle a Handmade PNW Event
Friday, April 12th
6 - 9 pm
Hope Furnishings, 117 Puyallup Ave, Tacoma
Free Admission - snacks & drinks
Optional activities ranging from $0 to $10 (such as chair massage and tarot readings)
This is a women’s handmade and self-care party for self-identifying women - no children please
Bring a friend or find a new one at this pop-up market with lots of local vendors: jewelry, soap, apothecary good, ceramics and lots more
Hope Furnishings will create a cozy lounge in their showroom for a relaxing event
12. Sewing to Sowing at Fort Nisqually Living History Museum
Saturday, April 13th
11 am - 4 pm
Fort Nisqually, 5400 North Pearl St, # 11, Point Defiance Park, Tacoma
Images from Fort Nisqually Living History Museum
Admission $8.50 for youth, $9.50 for military/senior, $10.50 for adults, or $35.50 for 2 adults + up to 6 youth - find your tickets here
It’s a big spring celebration at the fort: tour our heritage gardens, plant seeds to take home, and create art from natural materials
Visit lambs, chicks, and bunnies!
19th century needle arts: see demonstrations of hand-sewing and one of the earliest sewing machines - there will also be needlework by the Fort’s sewing guild for purchase
Historic interpreters will be playing music, spinning yarn, cooking, and working in the blacksmith’s shop
It’s fun and you'll probably run into friends; we bumped into Jamie of Brooks Dental and print artist Katie Dean!
13. Gig Harbor Night Market at 7 Seas Brewing Co.
Saturday, April 13th
4 - 10 pm
7 Seas Brewing, 3006 Judson St, Ste 110, Gig Harbor
Free admission - all ages friendly
The market now opens at 4 pm (we got there at about 4:03 last month and it was already full!)
Local artists and vendors galore staged in the brewery and taproom of the beautiful 7 Seas original Gig Harbor location
Music, food, drink, and local brews! And tons of handmade vendors, of course - jewelry, candles, apparel, macarons, beauty products, knitwear, woodworking, and so much more!
Think of this as the sister event to the outstandingly popular Tacoma Night Market
14. Girl’s Only Prom with Rebuilding Hope Sexual Assault Center for Pierce County
Saturday, April 13th
7 - 11 pm
STAR Center, 3873 S 66th St, Tacoma
Admission $50, get your tickets or make a donation here
Admission includes one drink ticket, appetizers, dessert, and prints from the fabulous photo booth
Get all dressed up, do your hair, put on your dancing shoes and party with your girlfriends while supporting the work of Rebuilding Hope Sexual Assault Center!
No host bar
Image from Norden Lodge #2 - Sons of Norway
15. Norden’s Famous Pannekaker Breakfast with the Sons of Norway
Sunday, April 14th
9 am - 1 pm
Norden Lodge #2, 1106 S 15th St, Tacoma
Admission $10 for adults, $5 for kids 6-12, Free for kids 5 and under
All you can eat Norwegian pancake breakfast!
Pannekaker, or Norwegian pancakes are thin like crepes and are delicious rolled up with butter and jam
Breakfast also includes scrambled eggs, bacon, juice, and coffee - and you absolutely don’t need to be Norwegian!
Also, if you love to eat lefse, and especially if you want to learn to make it, get in on the Lefse Making Class - with a Bunch of Norwegians on Wed-Thur, April 24-25.
16. Lincoln High School Plant Sale at Abes Golden Acres
Wednesday, April 17th - Saturday, April 20th
Wed, Thur, & Fri, April 17th - 19th: 3 - 7 pm
Sat, April 20th: 9 am - 5 pm
Lincoln High School, 3600 S G St, Tacoma
Images from Lincoln High School Plant Sale
Free Admission
One of the largest high school plant sales in the state!
Find annuals, perennials, herbs, hanging baskets, and veggie starts (we always buy lots of tomatoes!)
100% of profits go back into student organizations and prices are set at or below major retailers
Read more about the story of the Lincoln Plant Sale and the student farmers in our blog post about last year’s sale - Lincoln Students Growing Life Skills, Community, and Lots of Plants Too!
Image from Tacoma Night Market
17. Tacoma Night Market at Alma Mater
Saturday, April 20th
5 - 10 pm
Alma Mater, 1322 Fawcett Ave, Tacoma
Free and open to all ages
Art, vendors, community, live music, and DJ
Food and drink available from special vendors as well as from Honey and Matriarch on site
This is a monthly event, and it’s fun every month, and it’s a little different every month so even if you went in last month, or even if you’ve been going every month since last summer, you might as well go again!
18. Easter Brunch at Tacoma Art Museum
Sunday, April 21st
10 am - 3 pm
TAM, 1701 Pacific Ave, Tacoma
Images from Pacific Grill Events & Catering
Tickets include brunch buffet and museum admission, $14.95 for kids 2-5, $16.95 for kids 6-12, $44.95 for adults, kids under 2 are free - reserve your brunch here
Easter Brunch prepared by Pacific Grill Events & Catering
2 open seating times: 10 am - 12 pm, 1 - 3 pm, arrive anytime during your reserved session
Enjoy brunch throughout TAM’s open spaces like the lobby, atrium, classrooms, and library
Brunch tickets include art making in the TAM Studio, a custom brunch pin, a family activity in the galleries, and a self-portrait photo kiosk for a nice family memento
If you’e looking for dinner as well, don’t miss the Pacific Grill’s Easter Dinner from 4:30 - 9 pm in the Pacific Grill Dining Room
Image from McMenamins Elks Temple
19. McMenamins Elks Temple Opening Day
Wednesday, April 24th
McMenamins Elks Temple, 565 Broadway, Tacoma
Image from McMenamins Elks Temple Works in Progress
7 floors of discovery await at this major McMenamins restoration project
McMenamins is known for restoring and transforming historic structures with craft and whimsy; Tacoma has been eagerly awaiting this day!
Hotel, bars, live-music-venue, brewery, restaurants, bottle shop, tasting room, interactive fountain, and a secret room
The 5th floor may prove hard to find, but don’t miss the 6th floor Atrium with its display of lights, lamps, and chandeliers
Hours and more information coming soon at McMenamins.com
Image from Tacoma Sister Cities
20. 17th Annual Tacoma Sister Cities International Film Festival
Thursday - Sunday, April 25th - 28th
Blue Mouse Theatre, 2611 N Proctor St, Tacoma
Admission $10 - $75 (depending on the tickets or package you select) - find tickets here
This 4 day festival is here to build and enrich our awareness of the Tacoma Sister Cities program
Opening Night is Thursday, April 25th at 6 pm
Hosted by Tacoma Sister Cities
See films, participate in discussions, and enjoy live cultural performances as well
Image from Hilltop Urban Gardens
21. 4th Annual Black Earth Celebration with Hilltop Urban Gardens
Saturday, April 27th
11 am - 3 pm
Peace Community Center, 2106 S Cushman Ave, Tacoma
Free - register here, or at the door (on-site registration opens at 10:30 am)
Celebration of Black People, connection to earth, connection to each other, and body-mind-soul nourishing food
Snacks and lunch provided
Arts and crafts, interactive music, juice bar - fun for all ages!
Donations gladly accepted
Image from Tacoma Arts Live
22. Anoushka Shankar - Live in Concert, Presented by Tacoma Arts Live
Sunday, April 28th
7:30 - 9 pm
Pantages Theater, 901 Broadway, Tacoma
Admission $19, $40, $55, $69 - find your tickets here
Live performance by Sitar player and composer Anoushka Shankar
Shankar’s versatile music is rooted in the Indian Classical tradition
Among other awards and distinctions, Shankar is both the youngest – and first female – recipient of a British House of Commons Shield
Listen to previews of her music on the Tacoma Arts Live event page
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