, ,

This Weekend in Tacoma: Flea Market, St. Paddy's Day, Soccer, & A Sweet New Cafe

, ,

This weekend in Tacoma is a mix of good old traditions mixed with completely new experiences. We're recommending 2 annual events you may already know and love, as well as 2 things new to our city. Hope to see you out there in Tacoma this weekend!

1. Seattle Sounders 2 vs. Portland Timbers 2
Friday, March 16th, 7 pm
Cheney Stadium

Did you know Tacoma has a soccer team? Our own Cheney Stadium is now the home to the Seattle Sounders FC 2. We'll be at the season opener this Friday against the Portland Timbers cheering with all our pals from Windermere Abode (plus Windermere in Tacoma will donate to Tacoma youth sports for every point the Sounders score and we're challenging Windermere in Portland to do the same!). You can still get tickets ranging from $7 to $20. Image from @windermereabode. 

Look for beauties like these at the Fieldhouse Flea Market this weekend! Bows from Kd Bird, prints from Maria Jost, a pocket journal from Springtide Press, and stationary from Yoshiko Yamamoto of The Arts & Crafts Press. 

Look for beauties like these at the Fieldhouse Flea Market this weekend! Bows from Kd Bird, prints from Maria Jost, a pocket journal from Springtide Press, and stationary from Yoshiko Yamamoto of The Arts & Crafts Press. 

2. Fieldhouse Flea Market
Saturday, March 17th, 8 am-4 pm
University of Puget Sound Fieldhouse, N 11th St & Union Ave

This event brings together dozens and dozens of local makers, bakers, printers, and vintage collectors under the roof of the Fieldhouse at UPS. What's more, it's a Puget Sound Women's League fundraiser, so 100% of your $5 admission goes to student scholarships (If you want to beat the crowd and get first pick you can pay $10 to be enter the flea market from 8-9:30 am). And, the Women's League has some booths of their own where anything your purchase goes to scholarships (they're staffed by volunteers and encourage "rounding up" your change since it's all for a good cause). You're going to find everything from fresh flowers, jewelry, soaps and salves, vintage Pyrex, hand-sewn children's apparel, vintage clothes, dolls, furniture, veggie starts, perennials, cookies, tarts, and more, and more. 

Just a few local vendors you might recognize:
Kd Bird - vintage inspired knits, bows, and other attire
Girl Loves Cake Desserts - delectable macarons
L'Arche Farm & Gardens - veggie starts and perennials for your garden
Maria Jost Art - intricate, scientific botanical prints
Springtide Press - bold letterpress prints, artist books, broadsides
Yoshiko Yamamoto/The Arts & Crafts Press - traditional blockprints and letterpress note cards
Reale Girl Designs - colorful, happy, handmade fabric dolls with bright and simple clothes
Happy Fox Studio - handmade, eco-friendly jewelry
See the full list of vendors here! 

Don't miss the raffle too! This is another part of the event that supports student scholarships through the Women's League and you get a chance to win items donated by the same great vendors filling the Fieldhouse. See you there on Saturday! Poster image from @fieldhouseflea. 

3. Saint Patrick's Day Festival 2018 - 2 Days of Music & Celebration
Friday, March 16th - Saturday, March 17th
Doyle's Public House, 208 St. Helen's Ave

Celebrate Saint Patrick on Saint Helen's Ave. Doyle's Public House is putting up the big party tent and welcoming a load of bands to play this weekend. Show up in person at Doyle's and if they're still in stock you can get a commemorative t-shirt that's also your 2 day pass to this event. AND wearing this year's t-shirt lets you skip the line when you arrive. These are limited, so if you're into it, head to Doyle's now. Other options are pre-sale tickets: $13 for a 2 day pass, or tickets at the door at $12 per day. The raucous music starts up at 6 pm on Friday and begins again Saturday afternoon at 2 pm. See the full line-up here. Image from @doylespub. 

Sunshine, fresh flowers, good coffee, and extraordinarily nice food. 

Sunshine, fresh flowers, good coffee, and extraordinarily nice food. 

4. Honey at Alma Mater
7 am M-F, 8 am Sat, 9 am Sun
Alma Mater, 1322 Fawcett Ave

We've been looking forward to this beautiful place and now it's here. Alma Mater is still developing and will continue to grow into its full vision, but Honey is ready to serve us in a cafe space filled with natural light, fresh flowers, potted plants, and food as comfy and delectable as it is lovely. If you're into music, food, art, creating, collaborating, meeting, and eating, you'll find yourself here a lot in future (I think that's a pretty safe prediction). Along with whatever music the cafe is playing, you may also be serenaded by the sounds of ongoing construction in the background, but this wasn't too loud. It just suggested more good things on the way.

IMG_6187.JPG

Come in just for the Heart coffee or Mad Hat tea and a visit with a friend, or order a meal. The menu has Scandinavian inspiration including ebelskivers (think spherical pancakes that fit in the palm of your hand), a dish my grandmother used to fix for the family at the beach in the summer. Between our three dishes 4 or 5 kinds of edible blossoms adorned the food. And it tasted so good, and the portions were perfect, and the hash browns were golden-crisp outside and creamy inside. Bring your little one too. There's a corner with colored pencils and an Etch A Sketch to let you know the kids are welcome. If you don't try it this weekend, just keep it in mind, and come along next time you want to sit by a fresh bouquet lit by a bright window with a nice cup of coffee in hand (I'm up for that most days of the week). 

Ebelskivers with petals and apricot compote. 

Ebelskivers with petals and apricot compote. 

Welcoming entrance to Alma Mater's Honey Cafe from Fawcett. 

Welcoming entrance to Alma Mater's Honey Cafe from Fawcett. 

Making time for some Etch A Sketch. 

Making time for some Etch A Sketch. 

Eggs Cocette (the hash browns are outside the frame, but so so so good). 

Eggs Cocette (the hash browns are outside the frame, but so so so good). 

If you want to stay in touch with our weekly blog featuring what we love about living in Tacoma:

When even the east glows at sunset What stills me in one window frame Where fabric flower feather and wax make the table a place How light of sky and light of candle and light of bulb need their own names Why home is also the distance seen beyond its
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
From Sunday to Tuesday we joined almost every single person from @windermereabode for a retreat at @seabrookwa. We entered a time of camaraderie, visioning, personal exploration, and so many hugs. I don’t know how many realtor retreats are full
We took our two hearts out for an impromptu lunch at @threeheartstacoma today and we suggest you do the same. When we read the news that they’re extending their soft launch and staying open for the week instead of closing until next Tuesday we
Slipping a few coins in the parking meter’s a small price to pay for such a nice spot to sit. If you haven’t visited @outerdarkcoffee yet go before all the leaves fall. They’re very good company outside the huge windows. If you miss
As we celebrated their closing day yesterday our clients shared that after our first day of searching they weren’t sure if buying a home in Tacoma could actually happen for them. Less than two moths later we had the joy of handing them the keys
I’m marveling at all the colors that come from just one backyard maple tree (Michael’s heard enough). But, as Anne of Green Gables says, “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers…Look at these maple branch
Over a year ago we first met our client here on the patio of @cider_cedar and today we celebrate her closing day! Home searches sometimes ebb and flow with really active times and seasons when a buyer takes a break, reimagines, and continues to sense
Lost hair bow, late season magnolia blossom, or an installation piece? This curbside crocus has a lot to offer too. May you encounter the fanciful, odd, and extraordinary ordinary in your walks about town. -G #walkingview #sidewalkart
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.

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.