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The December Edition: 25 Tacoma Events

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Last December took us out of town for a wedding. If you’re looking for some small town, wintry charm this month, head to Roslyn, WA!

Last December took us out of town for a wedding. If you’re looking for some small town, wintry charm this month, head to Roslyn, WA!

We’re here in the 12th month of the year, the last month, the darkest one too. It’s a month of lists and gatherings, festivities, memories, meals, and sometimes what can start to seem like a bit too much of a good thing. Speaking of too much of a good thing, it was pretty hard to keep this list from growing way too long! There’s more than any of us can add to our calendars. But no one’s asking you to go crazy and make it out to everything (if someone is expecting that of you, send them my way and we’ll have a talk). Consider this list an invitation to the Tacoma community, a guide to just a few of the many wonders of this December.

1. Zoolights!

Now - January 5th, 2020 (closed Christmas Eve)
5 - 9 pm
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
5400 N Pearl St, Tacoma

  • Tickets range from $6.50 - $13 (purchase online, at the door, or at Fred Meyer), ages 2 and younger are free

  • Buy combo passes at the front gate for daylight at the Zoo followed by Zoolights!

  • See some of this year’s baby zoo animals recreated in lights, along with the rest of the light array, a holiday carousel, and visit the South Pacific Aquarium during Zoolights too

  • This is a big time Tacoma holiday tradition!

2. Tools & Brews: Black Fleet Brewing

Wednesday, December 4th
6 - 8 pm
Black Fleet Brewing Taproom & Kitchen
2302 Fawcett Ave, Tacoma

  • Free Entry

  • Learn about Tacoma Tool Library, or just meet and greet other members if you’re already a fan!

  • Enjoy brews and snacks for purchase from the Black Fleet Brewing taps and kitchen

  • Every drink purchased earns you a raffle ticket to win a membership to Tacoma Tool Library!

3. Bootleggers’ Ball: History After Hours

Thursday, December 5th
7 - 10 pm
Washington State History Museum
1911 Pacific Ave, Tacoma

  • $20 online, $25 at the door ($15 for members!) - find tickets here

  • Ages 21+

  • Celebrate Repeal Day at the History Museum’s speakeasy, The Marmot

  • Drink from a souvenir glass, make a print with a real printing press, participate in the silent auction, and enjoy live music all the while from the Happy Sinners

  • Tickets include 2 beverages

4. Christmas Regale

Saturday, December 7th
11 am - 4 pm
Fort Nisqually Living History Museum
5400 N Pearl St, #11, Point Defiance Park, Tacoma

  • Tickets range from $8.50 to $35.50 (for 2 adults and up to 6 youth), children 3 and under are free - find your tickets here

  • An old-fashioned Christmas celebration with a special yule log ceremony at 1 pm (go home with a piece of the yule log for your own fire)

  • Father Christmas will be present for photos and visits and every can join in games, crafts, and ornament making

5. December Fix-it Fair

Saturday, December 7th
1 - 4 pm
Tacoma Public Library - Main Branch, Olympic Room
1102 Tacoma Ave S, Tacoma

  • Free

  • Volunteers are ready to do their best to fix your item - Fix-it Fairs loves to know what you’re bringing ahead of time so volunteers can be prepared with the proper tools and supplies

  • Fix-it Fairs Tacoma are monthly events that change location each month to keep the fair accessible

  • What kind of items can be fixed? Jewelry, crockery, small appliances, clothing, toys, furniture - bring them in!

  • Items that we can not offer to fix: gas powered, cellphones, glass or anything leaking fluid - sorry!

6. Wizard Tea Party

Saturday, December 7th
1 - 5 pm
Fern Hill Library
765 S 84th St, Tacoma

  • Free

  • Best for people 6 and up

  • Wizard themed Yule or Solstice Tea with tea and cocoa, biscuits, and activities

  • Read tea leaves, write a holiday letter and seal it with wax, and wear your most wizardly robe (robes not required, clothing is required :)

Image from Symphony Tacoma

Image from Symphony Tacoma

7. Holiday Favorites

Sunday, December 8th
2:30 - 4:30 pm
Pantages Theater
901 Broadway, Tacoma

8. 6th Avenue Santa Parade

Sunday, December 8th
2:30 pm
6th Ave, from State St to Alder, Tacoma

  • Free

  • Festivities begin at 2:30 pm with 2 family friendly stages

  • Parade Begins at 4:30 pm

  • Bands, floats, carolers, dancers, vendors, and Santo too!

  • Santa will be available to say hello to families and pose for pictures

  • Bring non-perishable food donations for local food banks

9. 5th Annual Handmade Market & Mingle

Sunday, December 8th
3 - 7 pm
Union Club
539 Broadway, Tacoma

  • Free!

  • This is no ordinary market! Shop to support local vendors and a very important cause. Raffle tickets and 10% of all market sales go to Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.

  • 30 handmade vendors

  • Complimentary snacks and kids’ craft!

  • Free goodie bag with $20 raffle purchase

10. New Material Mic

Sunday, December 8th
8 - 10 pm
Dusty’s Hidewaway
723 E 34th St, Tacoma

  • Free entry

  • Seasoned Tacoma comedians are about to try out their newest jokes on you

  • Get some food and drinks, interact with the comics, and laugh your cares away

  • Brought to you by Comedy Empire

11. Synth Bingo!

Tuesday, December 10th
6 - 8 pm
Honey at Alma Mater
1322 Fawcett Ave, Tacoma

  • Free entry

  • Play bingo and listen to synthesizer music - because you want to!

  • Food and beverages for purchase at Honey while you play

12. Holiday “Happy Hour”

Wednesday & Thursday
December 11th & 12th
1 - 4 pm
Tacoma Rainbow Center
2215 Pacific Ave, Tacoma

  • Free

  • Both days include non-alcoholic drinks, snacks, and festive activites

  • Wednesday - get well-dressed in a swap and shop of gently used clothing, plus there’s a self-care goodie bag waiting for you

  • Thursday - decorate cookies and greeting cards - all materials provided

  • Come to either event and you’re entered to win 4 tickets to Zoollights!

13. The Nutcracker & the Tale of the Hard Nut

Friday - Sunday, December 13th - 15th
7:30 - 9:30 pm
Additional 2 pm performance on Saturday
Pantages Theater
901 Broadway, Tacoma

  • $25, $45, $65, $85 - find tickets here

  • This is the 34th year of the Tacoma City Ballet performing The Nutcracker, which premiered in Russia in 1892

  • Dancing, scenery, costume, and live orchestral music tell a magical holiday story

14. Unforgiven: 80s & 90s Alternative Dance Music

Friday, December 13th
9 pm
The Church Cantina
5240 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma

  • Free entry

  • Ages 21+

  • Get onto the dance floor to postpunk, triphop, alt rock, synthpop, Brit pop, grunge, new wave, electro, with DJ Aaron Hurts

  • It’s Friday the 13th, so you may as well

15. Santa Visits Old Town

Saturday, December 14th
10 am - 1 pm
Job Carr Cabin Museum
2350 N 30th St, Tacoma

  • Free

  • Fireside chat and photo with Santa

  • Live music by holiday choirs

  • Take home holiday craft

  • Cookies and cocoa (while supplies last)

  • Digital photos by Salt & Ink Photo

  • Bring non-perishable food donations for the the St. Leo Food Connection

16. 4th Annual Downtown Tacoma Holiday Haul Crawl

Saturday, December 14th
10 am - 8 pm
All over Downtown Tacoma!

  • Free

  • A downtown day full of special offers, discounts, giveaways, and festivities at shops and restaurants

  • Support small local businesses!

  • Free parking, carriage rides, snow globe photo booth, gift wrapping station, Tacoma Night Market pop-up, Christmas tree lot, a gift making camp, South Sound Santa, and all kinds of festivities!

  • Participants include an amazing array of Tacoma’s favorite downtown shops, restaurants, museums, and community organizations

Image from All Star Vintage

Image from All Star Vintage

17. Northwest ThriftCon

Sunday, December 15th
11 am - 5 pm
Court House Square
1102 A St, Tacoma

  • $5 - $25, tickets available at the door, ages 12 and under enter free

  • All eras of curated vintage and streetwear for men, women, and children

  • Music, food, drinks, photo booth, art alley, discussion panel, workshops

Image from Peaks & Pints

Image from Peaks & Pints

18. Hoppy Holiday Food Drive

Monday, December 16th
6 - 9 pm
Peaks & Pints
3816 N 26th St, Tacoma

  • Free

  • Food and hygiene item drive started November 11th and culminates in a celebration of all the donations at Peaks & Pints

  • Organized by our friends at Douville Home Group, you can drop items off at 5 Tacoma Breweries, then join the party at 6 pm on the 16th

  • All food and hygiene donations benefit the Emergency Food Network!

Image from Tacoma Art Museum (Saito Kiyoshi, "Farmhouse in Aizu," circa 1950)

Image from Tacoma Art Museum (Saito Kiyoshi, "Farmhouse in Aizu," circa 1950)

19. Winter Celebration

Thursday, December 19th
5 - 8 pm
Tacoma Art Museum
1701 Pacific Ave, Tacoma

  • Free

  • We’re approaching the darkest day, but Tacoma Art Museum is bringing some light with a celebration for all ages

  • Ornament making, cider and cocoa station, gift shopping at the TAM gift shop

  • Special performance by Tacoma City Ballet

  • Galleries and art displays open for viewing

Winter Solstice - Saturday, December 21st

Shortest day, longest night. Tacoma offers a few ways to celebrate this year, from dark beers in celebration of the darkest day to a beloved market, a festive film, and even an annual counting of the birds. You’ll find details below. Or stay home and light candles, burn something bright, sip something warm, hug someone tight.

Image from Tahoma Audubon

Image from Tahoma Audubon

20. The 120th Christmas Bird Count & Tally Dinner

Saturday, December 21st
8 am - 4 pm Count
4:30 Dinner
Tacoma Nature Center
1919 S Tyler St, Tacoma

  • Suggested $10 dinner donation per birder

  • Join the Tahoma Audubon Society in an annual bird count - it’s the longest ongoing community science project on the planet!

  • Spend the day in the field doing a bird count, then gather at Tacoma Nature Center for a celebratory dinner at 4:30 pm

  • Not sure what all this is about, but think you might want to join in? Email or call the Christmas Bird Count Coordinator, Faye McAdams Hands at zest4parus@hotmail.com or 253-278-3712

Image from The Red Hot

Image from The Red Hot

21. Annual Darkest Day at The Red Hot

Saturday, December 21st
9 am - 11 pm
The Red Hot
2914 6th Ave, Tacoma

  • Free entry

  • Ages 21+

  • Start the solstice with Beer Breakfast from 9 am to noon

  • Darkest Day continues with an all day celebration of dark, gnarly brews

Image from The Grand Cinema

Image from The Grand Cinema

22. Elf - Free Family Flick

Saturday, December 21st
10 - 11:37 am
The Grand Cinema
606 Fawcett Ave, Tacoma

  • Free

  • Doors open at 9:30 am - first come, first served

  • Come watch Elf for free with your family!

  • Children under 14 must be with an adult

  • Free Family Flick is a recurring event, so keep an eye out for 3rd Saturdays at The Grand!

23. Tacoma Night Market: December Edition at Alma Mater

Saturday, December 21st
5 - 10 pm
Alma Mater
1322 Fawcett Ave, Tacoma

  • Free entry

  • Nearly 80 local artists and vendors, community, live music, and DJ

  • Eat and drink! Find food and beverages from the special food trucks and vendors as well as from Honey and Matriarch on site

  • You can plan on the Tacoma Night Market for 3rd Saturdays - go ahead and add it to your calendar!

  • If you love the Tacoma Night Market, make sure you’re following the Gig Harbor Night Market too, hosted by 7 Seas Brewing across the bridge, and keep an eye out for a 2nd Tacoma location (later in our list!)

  • Although this is the final Tacoma Night Market before Christmas, there’s still one more chance to celebrate at the Night Market before the year is out. Keep reading.

Image from Tacoma Night Market

Image from Tacoma Night Market

24. Tacoma Night Market: December Edition at The Museum of Glass

Saturday, December 28th
5 - 10 pm
Museum of Glass
1801 Dock St, Tacoma

  • Free

  • For the second month in a row, Tacoma Night Market is popping up not only at Alma Mater, and at 7 Seas in Gig Harbor, but also at the Museum of Glass!

  • Live art, hands-on activities, local vendors, artists, and craftspeople, food and drinks, and of course music

  • It’s an all ages event, so bring your family and friends!

25. First Night Tacoma 2020: The Tree of Life

Tuesday, December 31st
5:30 pm - 12:30 am
Tacoma Arts Live & Downtown
901 Broadway Tacoma

  • $14 in advance, $18 day of, ages 11 and under are free - purchase your admission button here

  • $1 of each admission button goes to help plant trees in our public parks

  • Celebrate nature, community, and a new year in Downtown Tacoma!

  • “World’s Shortest Parade,” performances at multiple stages, interactive activities, night market with holiday goods, fire pits, and a food court

  • Special countdown for kids at 9 pm

  • Alcohol free and family friendly

We’ll be back in the New Year with more Tacoma events and community gatherings. Keep in touch about life in Tacoma.

We had an impromptu Saturday afternoon date up at 7 Seas with lunch from Canteen Colvos (smash burger, sweet potato fries, and a lobster roll 🦞), coffee from Naomi Joe (sweet folks), and a wee bit of pinball. Gretchen couldn’t sleep that night
This year we’re back with a list of 10 ways to give love in December ❤️ Our guide includes 5 recommendations for local gift giving with holiday markets and some of our favorite small shops, and 5 suggestions for giving to unknown neighbors outs
On this closing day the biggest excitement came from a 7 year old who’s about to have his own room and who loves (fervently) the bathroom downstairs with orange walls. We’re excited for the whole family. Friendly neighbors came over to sa
I’m grateful Michael is willing to join me again, again, again and again on Orcas Island. We went last week so I could turn 41 in a place where my heart feels quiet, where deer tracks and bird tracks cross on the beach, where paths bordered by
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
Featured
10 Ways to Give Local Love - 2024
10 Ways to Give Local Love - 2024

This year we’re back with a list of 10 ways to give love in December. You’ll find our guide for local gift giving with holiday markets and some of our favorite small shops included, and 5 suggestions for giving to unknown neighbors outside your circle of friends. All 10 ways of giving put love into the Tacoma community! Read on for the magic of a musical play given by kids, a list of local cafes for coffee lovers, a gift card drive to support clients at the YWCA, a nostalgic holiday movie marathon, a way to support health and care for folks who can’t afford insurance, a chance to transform $1 into 2 meals, and the best local spots to shop for little ones.

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!

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.