Notice that picnic party behind us? Sometimes, all it takes is showing up at Owen Beach to find yourself immersed in community. We came to enjoy the scenery, and as beautiful as it is, ended up enjoying the people-scene just as much. People gathered for birthdays, reunions, potlucks, photos, and just to hang out in the water. Since it’s October now, the beach is quieting down. We’ll recommend some other ways to get out where the people are.
We’ve rounded-up and narrowed-down a dozen ways to get out into community this October. We could have just said “12” but “dozen” has so many good connotations—a dozen doughnuts, a dozen croissants, a dozen cookies, a baker’s dozen (meaning even more than a regular dozen, which is good news in my book, especially when baked goods are under consideration, and if you add up the items in this list it really is more like a baker’s dozen!). Okay, all our connotations seem pretty bakery related, and this list is not really about baked goods. But it is about goods in the sense of the goods the Tacoma community has to offer, and the good you can offer in return when you get involved.
October is a big month in Tacoma. It’s Tacoma Arts Month, Hispanic Heritage Month continues, and it’s time for the Tacoma Film Festival. That’s just the beginning. Find ways to support a healthy environment through volunteering, eat bratwurst and sing to the Beatles, write in the company of others, head to the museum for a trip through Mexico, and celebrate Halloween by (or on!) the water.
Image from Tacoma Public Library
1. Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month With Tacoma Public Library
Hispanic Heritage Month spans the 15th of September to the 15th of October. If you haven’t taken any time to celebrate or honor this month yet, don’t worry! The library has you covered.
Events: Looking for ways to get involved with other people? Visit the Tacoma Public Library’s series of events ranging from story times to crafts, film screenings to scavenger hunts.
Books & Learning Resources: Or maybe seeking education and getting immersed in a book is more your speed. In that case, take a look at the Latine/X Heritage Month reading lists the library staff curated for all ages:
Image from Tacoma Arts Commission
2. TACOMA ARTS MONTH
Tacoma Arts Month is celebrating 21 years! We won’t tell you exactly how to celebrate, because there’s so much to do, and part of celebrating art means celebrating exploration, and finding new ways of seeing. But we will tell you to link up with the astonishingly wide array of arts events and experiences on the Tacoma Arts Month Events page. Choose a day and just see what’s happening, or commit to one arts experience each week, or go wild and crazy, make it a variety show and try to see a film, hear a concert, watch a dance, take in an exhibit, and create something of your own.
Can’t narrow it down? Here are 2 places to start:
Postcards, coasters, and prints from one fine day of Studio Tours.
Kaleidescope
Wednesday, October 5th
6:30 - 9 pm at the STAR Center
Think of this as the opening ceremony, the kick-off party, the “let’s get it started” festival for Tacoma Arts Month. It’s an awards night, a free party, and an arts exhibition with dancing, food, and fun.
Studio Tours
Saturday & Sunday, October 15th-16th
11 am - 5 pm
Visit artists in action in the studios where they work, and get your hands on some interactive art pieces. It’s fun, it’s a tour of Tacoma, and it’s worth taking some time. We’ve come home with wonderful prints from some of Tacoma’s excellent letter press artists, and really good memories too.
Image from Tacoma Film Festival
3. 17th Annual Tacoma Film Festival
Thursday, October 6th - Thursday, October 13th
TFF is happy to be back with in-person screenings, parties, and panels. The online version of the film festival kept things going, but a return to theaters filled with the scent of popcorn is something to celebrate! This year’s festival offers 32 feature films and 140 shorts from over 29 countries.
Prices Vary - Purchase Individual Tickets - Buy Passes - Don’t miss the FREE STUDENT PASS!
Follow Tacoma Film Festival on Facebook for news and updates
Image from Liz Lamoreaux
4. Write Here: journaling as self care
Every Thursday
9:45 - 11 am at Lauda
Bring your pen or pencil (or, your favorite 12 of each), bring something to write in, bring yourself. Drop-in once in a blue moon, or dedicate time every Thursday. This is what it’s like: a small group of people gather in the back room at Lauda and write. We follow a prompt, often from a poem read aloud by Liz who leads us. We share or we don’t share. We read what we wrote or we don’t read. We say something about what came to us as we wrote, or we don’t say anything. We listen if someone else shares, and we listen as the next poem or prompt comes our way. It’s not about “being a writer” or “being creative” but it is about being yourself. Usually we visit for a little while when it ends because no one’s ready for it to be over. Then we wander out to the shop and browse everything at Lauda and sometimes choose a pen, or a card, or a notebook because we still aren’t ready for it to be over.
Cost: $20 per session, or $100 for 6, or check-in about the sliding scale fee because you are welcome.
5. Green Tacoma Day Volunteer Opportunity
Saturday, October 8th
At parks all across Tacoma
Images from Forterra NW
Public parks and green spaces make life in the city better, and help from volunteers makes parks and green spaces better. If you can swing it, choose a park close to your neighborhood or close to your heart, and sign-up to work with a crew of volunteers on Green Tacoma Day.
Volunteers will remove invasive weeds and work on planting trees. Sign up here and be sure to scroll through until you find the park you have your heart set on (only the first couple show on the front page).
If you want to get friendly ahead of all the hard work, head to Church Cantina on South Tacoma Way for a social on Thursday, October 6th.
Image from Tacoma Art Museum
6. Luces y Sombras Opening Event at TAM
Friday, October 14th
5 - 7 pm at Tacoma Art Museum
Register ahead to attend this opening night of an exhibit featuring 28 photographers whose work portrays Mexico over the last century. The few images we’ve seen are stunning. The evening includes appetizers, music, a no-host bar, and dancing by the local Mexican Folklorico Youth Group. Free to museum members, $10 for non-members.
Image from Oscar’s Enemies
7. Oscar’s Enemies Litter Pick-up
Saturday, October 22nd
9 - 11 am (meet at 8:45 am)
Location TBD
Oscar’s Enemies is meeting up for another neighborhood litter pick-up and you are invited!
Register here, bring a litter-grabber and Oscar’s enemies will provide the rest (gloves, bags, organization, raffle prizes + a free litter grabber for the first 5 volunteers who show up). Tip: We like to bring a 5-gallon bucket and line it with the provided bag. We’ve seen kids using salad tongs for litter-grabbers—seems to work really well for shorter arms.
We don’t make it every month, but we keep on coming back; this group is organized, rewarding, friendly, and the impact is important. See you there!
Image from L’Arche Tahoma Hope
8. Brews, Brats, & The Beatles
Saturday, October 22nd
5 - 9 pm at William Bischel Social Hall
We’d say the name pretty much explains it, but here goes. Brews means there’s beer and other beverages. Brats is for bratwurst and other German-inspired foods. The Beatles are represented by 5 friends in a tribute band called Shabby Road. What the name doesn’t mention is dancing (yay!), raffle prizes (fun!), and the good news that your ticket and presence support the L’Arche Tahoma Hope community (groovy!).
Register here and then just plan to have fun. Tickets are $75.
Image from Foss Waterway Seaport
9-12. Halloween Weekend at Foss Waterway Seaport
9. Museum Party
Saturday, October 29th
10 am - 2 pm
Come on in kids! And come in costume! Trick-or-treat, play games, try a science project, and get crafty.
10. Grit City Costume Paddle
Saturday, October 29th
12 - 2 pm
Paddle in Halloween style, turn in trash for treats (save the waterway from litter!), win prizes, visit the food trucks, enjoy some music, and maybe even win the costume contest! Get all the details from Tacoma Ocean Fest.
Grit City Costume Paddle - Image from Tacoma Ocean Fest
11. Tacoma Night Market
Saturday, October 29th
5 - 10 pm
You’re probably already BFFs with the Night Market. If not, come make friends. It’s all about meeting people who make things, browsing vintage, eating food, and hanging out with anybody you brought along or bumped into on the way.
12. Sunday Brunch Market: Drag Edition
Sunday, October 30th
11 am - 4 pm
See the above, because this is the Tacoma Night Market turned brunch market with a drag show extravaganza. It’s fun.
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