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The June Edition: 21 Tacoma Events

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Thank you to all the people who work on creating events to educate, benefit, and entertain the Tacoma community! We appreciate you.

Thank you to all the people who work on creating events to educate, benefit, and entertain the Tacoma community! We appreciate you.

Last June, way back in the year of 2018, we made a list of events happening around Tacoma that month. We didn’t realize we’d do it again in July, and then once more in August, over and over each month all the way through the year and across the divide into 2019. But here we are.

There are a few reasons we value making this list and continue creating it.

  • No matter how small the event, anyone who has worked on creating one (whether it’s a public festival, a makers market, a simple happy hour, a fundraiser, a dinner, a walking tour, you name it!) knows it takes a lot of effort and requires dedication and care. We hope our list can provide a modest amount of support and exposure for the events we include. That’s one reason we do it. We know it’s small, but we still value doing our part to lift up the people, causes, organizations, and ideas behind these events!

  • Creating the list also helps keep us aware of what’s going on in our community and gives us a chance to share some of that with our friends, clients, readers, and anyone who happens to find their way to the list.

A year in, we wanted to take a moment to thank all the people who work on creating these events for the rest of us to enjoy. They bring the community together, they educate us, give us a chance to serve, they connect us. That’s actually a pretty big deal. We look forward to getting out to some of these events in June; maybe we’ll see you along the way!

1. Historic Tour of South Tacoma Way

Saturday, June 1st
5 - 6:30 pm
Edison City Alehouse, 5602 S Lawrence St, Tacoma

  • Free

  • Meet up outside the Edison City Alehouse for a historic walking tour of the Edison Neighborhood given by Pretty Gritty Tours and Tacoma Historic Preservation

  • Bring a story, memory, or photograph of the neighborhood if you have one and would like to share

  • The walk ends at dinner time, so stick around the area and find a spot to eat!

2. Tacoma Refugee Choir Concert: United Drumbeat

Saturday, June 1st
7 pm
Urban Grace Church, 902 Market St, Tacoma

  • Free - donations welcome, just show up Saturday, or reserve a seat here

  • Tacoma Refugee Choir concerts get the audience up and moving and singing!

  • Guest artists and dancers featured alongside the choir

  • As the choir says “It’s hard not to love people when you sing together” - so don’t miss this!

3. Tacoma Farmers Market - Opening Day at Point Ruston

Sunday, June 2nd
10 am - 3 pm
Point Ruston, 5005 Ruston Way, Tacoma

  • Free

  • Opening day of the weekly Sunday market at Point Ruston - now through September!

  • Shop for local produce, crafts, and more on the waterfront - stock up for Sunday dinner, or buy a ready to eat meal or snack from one of the market vendors

June is PRIDE Month!

June is Pride Month, but Tacoma really gets going in July, because why stop after one month? Follow these pages to stay in the loop and support Tacoma’s LGBTQA community! This is just a small selection, maybe you can share more with us. And don’t forget Tacoma Pride Festival is next month, so you’ll see some special events highlighted in our July events list!

Give these pages a follow:

Tacoma Rainbow Center
Tacoma Pride Festival
Queer Tacoma
Queer City Sports Tacoma
Tacoma LGBTQ Book Club
Pride at Work Pierce County

We found lovely flowers and beautiful produce at the Eastside market last summer!

We found lovely flowers and beautiful produce at the Eastside market last summer!

4. Tacoma Farmers Market - Eastside Market Opening Day

Tuesday, June 4th
3 pm m- 7 pm
3500 McKinley Ave E, Tacoma

  • Free

  • Opening day of the weekly Tuesday market on the Eastside - now through August!

  • Shop for local produce, crafts, baked goods, hot food, and hear live music all on McKinley Ave

5. Elks Temple 90’s Dance Flashback

Friday, June 7th
9 pm - 1:30 am
Spanish Ballroom, 565 Broadway, Tacoma

  • $10 cash at the door - 21+

  • Dance till you drop - it’s ‘90s night in the Spanish Ballroom at McMenamins

  • ‘90s music videos all night long!

6. Radical Excellence: A Womxn-Forward Nurture + Connect Workshop

Saturday, June 8th
9 - 11 am
Tacoma Arts Community Center, 1102 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Tacoma

7. Tacoma Spring Fest

Saturday, June 8th
11 am - 6 pm
Point Ruston, 5005 Ruston Way, Tacoma

  • Free

  • First-ever Tacoma Spring Fest hosted by Urban Craft Uprising

  • 75+ booths with artists, makers, a face painter, and all manner of fun surprises to discover

  • 5 food trucks with a variety of delicious food and treats from bbq style to Vietnamese food

Image from 2nd Cycle

Image from 2nd Cycle

8. Bike Stories: A Benefit for 2nd Cycle!

Saturday, June 8th
6 - 9 pm
Courthouse Square, 1102 A St, Tacoma

  • $35 admission - find your tickets here (they’re going quickly!)

  • Fundraising event to benefit 2nd Cycle Tacoma’s Community Cycle Center

  • Storytelling! Come here bike-themed stories ranging from 5 to 10 minutes - stories with meaning - stories from the biking community

  • Live auction, live music, drinks, snacks (like NW Lumpia!), and lots of stories

Image from Tacoma Ocean Fest

Image from Tacoma Ocean Fest

9. Tacoma Ocean Fest 2019

Sunday, June 9th
10 am - 5 pm
Foss Waterway Seaport, 705 Dock St, Tacoma

  • Free

  • An educational celebration on the waterfront for all ages - learn what threatens our oceans and how to protect them

  • Art, science, music, dance, aerial circus, film, poetry, eco-booths, hands-on learning, paddle tryouts, and food trucks

10. U.S. Citizenship Info Sessions at Tacoma Community House

Monday, June 10th (+other dates below)
4 - 6 pm
Tacoma Community House, 1314 S L St, Tacoma

  • Free informational session

  • Tacoma Community House’s team of Department of Justice Accredited Immigration Specialists and trained instructors will host Citizenship Classes in partnership with the Pierce County Library System to prepare people for the citizenship interview and civics exam required for citizenship

  • Attendance at a U.S. Citizenship Info Session is required before enrolling in Citizenship Classes

  • Info sessions repeat on Wednesdays, June 12th & 19th, and Tuesday, June 25th with further dates in July

  • Bring Photo ID/Driver License, Lawful Permanent Residency (Green) Card

11. Tacoma Public Library - Summer Reading Club: A Universe of Stories Begins!

Saturday, June 15th
10 am - 6 pm
Tacoma Public Library - All Branches

  • Free

  • Summer Reading Club is for all ages!

  • Pick up your Summer Reading Club bingo card at an TPL branch - read and complete activities to fill-in 5 squares in a row on your bingo card

  • Show your bingo card at your local library branch for prizes and to be entered for the GRAND PRIZE

  • Books, eBooks, magazines, graphic novels, and audiobooks are all eligible, so read the ways you like best

  • Don’t miss launch events on Saturday, June 22nd

12. La Paloma Marketplace Opening Day

Saturday, June 15th
10 am - 3 pm
N 27th & Proctor, Tacoma

  • Free

  • Opening day of this weekly Saturday market across the street from the Proctor Farmers’ Market

  • Shop vintage vendors, crafters, junkers, local handmade booths, food stalls, and more!

  • This is a creative marketplace with a mission: "La Paloma Marketplace celebrates and welcomes people of all cultures, backgrounds, and abilities" - so get on out there and celebrate!

  • Come back every Saturday through September 14th

13. Tacoma Night Market: June Edition

Saturday, June 15th
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 been going strong for over a year now, so keep your eyes open for the July & August markets too!

14. Hilltop Pop-up Market

Sunday, June 16th
10 am - 2 pm
People’s Park, 1100 S 9th St, Tacoma

  • Free

  • Shop for handmade goods, art, and food, and take in live performances

  • This market features artists, businesses, and performers rooted in the Hilltop community and culture

  • Hosted by the Hilltop Action Coalition and Tacoma Housing - learn more at Activate Hilltop

  • Don’t miss the next Hilltop Pop-up Market coming up on July 21st!

15. History Happy Hour: Trivia Night

Wednesday, June 19th
6 - 8 pm
The Swiss Restaurant & Pub, 1904 Jefferson Ave, Tacoma

  • Free

  • All ages welcome

  • Test your Tacoma and WA State history knowledge and win prizes!

  • Hosted by: Washington State History Museum, the City of Tacoma’s Historic Preservation Office, Historic Tacoma, Fort Nisqually, Tacoma Public Library, and Tacoma Historical Society

16. 2nd Annual Summer SOULstice

Thursday, June 20th
5 - 8 pm
Tacoma Art Museum, 1701 Pacific Ave, Tacoma

  • Free

  • Celebrate the approach of summer solstice at this TAM event featuring artists from marginalized communities

  • Witness performances, visit interactive art stations, view the TAM’s current exhibit, and shop at the local makers market on site

Image from Yoga Wild

Image from Yoga Wild

17. Yoga Wild’s Seasonal Workshop: Summer Edition

Friday, June 21st
6:30 - 8:30 pm
Yoga Wild Studio, 1102 A St, Suite 3, Tacoma

  • $20 - find your ticket here

  • Celebrate the solstice, the change of season, through movement and reflection

  • 1st hour - journaling, discussion, options for daily rituals to encourage balance and ease

  • 2nd hour - yoga postures to honor the sun (beginners welcome)

18. June Fix-it Fair - Salishan

Saturday, June 22nd
1 - 4 pm
Salishan, 1724 E 44th St, Tacoma

  • Free

  • Volunteers are going to be 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 Fix-it Fair can’t offer to fix: gas powered items, cellphones, glass or anything leaking fluid - sorry!

Image from City of Fircrest

Image from City of Fircrest

19. Fircrest’s Strawberry Festival & Band Concert

Sunday, June 23rd
6 - 8 pm
Fircrest Park, 555 Contra Costa Ave, Fircrest

Friday, June 28th
6 - 9 pm
Fort Nisqually, 5400 North Pearl Street # 11 Point Defiance Park, Tacoma

  • $20 - get tickets here, ages 21+

  • This is a “make and take” event featuring 19th century crafts like scrimshaw, candle making, leatherwork, tinsmithing, and felting!

  • Food sampling, cash bar (free soda for designated drivers), live music

  • Explore Fort Nisqually and get into the spirit of 19th century times with the fort’s period enactors

  • Homespun Happy Hour comes back once more this summer, so stay tuned!

21. Dog-A-Thon: The Human Society’s 29th Annual Walk for Pets in Need

Saturday, June 29th
9 am - 2 pm
Fort Steilacoom Park, 8714 87th Ave SW, Lakewood

  • Adults $25, Children (17 and under) $10 - register here

  • Help the Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County take care of the over 10 thousand animals they support each year

  • 1-Mile scenic (and flat) dog-friendly walk around Waughop Lake, animal demonstrations, educational activities, informational booths, food vendors, and more!

  • Registered walkers receive Dog-A-Thon t-shirt and those who raise $25 or more get a doggie bandana too!

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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.