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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.

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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.