Tacoma Community
Michael Duggan
What's New, Tacoma? 17 New Businesses + 3 ...

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!

What's New, Tacoma? 17 New Businesses + 3 Coming Soon
Tacoma Community
Michael Duggan
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.

Tacoma Community: 15 Things to Do in October
Puget Sound Day Trips
Michael Duggan
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!

Get Out of Town: Puget Sound Day Trips
Tacoma Community
Michael Duggan
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 High 5 - July 2024
Tacoma Food & Drink
Michael Duggan
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!

Tacoma Outdoor Dining Guide

Local Events

What's Happening? 15 Local April Events

What's Happening? 15 Local April Events

Things are happening. Happening in Tacoma, happening nearby in Puyallup and Gig Harbor. Things like live music, like night markets, Black & BIPOC markets, community late nights for teens, a queer storytelling event, a Daffodil Festival as old as your grandma (if you’re lucky), film screenings, poetry readings, a 5k from a brewery and back, printmaking and paper arts, a chance to shred paper (not the arts kind), a chance to pick-up litter with a bunch of nice people. You can even celebrate the birthday of a certain old building if you want. 15 things to get you started, and we know there’s so much more.

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Tacoma Community: 10 Ways to Connect in October

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Tacoma Community: 10 Ways to Connect in October

This month we have 10 ways (actually 14, we threw is some special extras) to connect to Tacoma community! It’s a truly Tacoma mix of events and gatherings from storytelling to free community meals, from workshops to develop your recording artist skills to domestic violence and racism education and advocacy, from classes in watercolor to classes on how to use tools, from women in business to women and the vote (by the way: vote!).

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Staying Together, Keeping Apart: 15 Things To Do in Tacoma in June

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Staying Together, Keeping Apart: 15 Things To Do in Tacoma in June

Here we are in June, continuing the balance of staying together while keeping apart. This month we’ve created another list of 15 things to do in Tacoma. You’ll find ways to give to the community, resources for anti-racism work, farmers’ markets, art projects, a scavenger hunt, bike rides, story times, nostalgic Tacoma music to stream, and an opportunity to write or record your story for the library’s Northwest Room archives.

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Corona Tacoma: 15 Things To Do in May

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Corona Tacoma: 15 Things To Do in May

Staying together while keeping apart; that’s life these days. This month we’ve created a list of 15 things to do in Tacoma including online cooking classes and story times, virtual open mics, farmers’ markets, home yoga, opportunities to give and share, window decorating, scavenger hunts, and getting creative at home (with paper! Geez!).

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September Edition: 25 Tacoma Events

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September Edition: 25 Tacoma Events

We’ve rustled up 25 events around Tacoma throughout September. There are gatherings to wake us up and guide us toward equity. There are events to call for action, calls to deepen our understanding of diversity, to demand solutions for our beautiful Salish Sea, to hear and acknowledge Native voices, to celebrate our immigrant community. And there are events that invite you to dance all night to ‘90s jams or to eat Norwegian pancakes until you can eat no more. They’re all mixed up together in this list, because that’s what life is like. At least, that’s what it’s like here in Tacoma.

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The June Edition: 21 Tacoma Events

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The June Edition: 21 Tacoma Events

It’s Tacoma events round-up time again and we’ve gathered 21 June events for your consideration. You can dance your heart out to ‘90s jams, walk for the Humane Society, sit-in on storytelling, salute the sun on Summer Solstice, join the Summer Reading Club, and shop so many fresh, local, outdoor markets! Take a look, Tacoma.

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The April Edition: 22 Tacoma Events!

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The April Edition: 22 Tacoma Events!

It’s spring in Tacoma; the season of damp dirt, delicate blossom, deep digging, seed scattering, light jackets, unbuttoned cardigans (oh my!), the season of the Lincoln High School Plant Sale, the season when the daffodils go on parade. What else? How about the opening day of the McMenamins Elks Temple, a big Norwegian pancake feed, the Tacoma Sister City Film Festival, and the 4th Annual Black Earth Celebration. Take a look!

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The February Edition - Over 30 Tacoma Events!

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The February Edition - Over 30 Tacoma Events!

We’re back for the 9th month in a row to spread the Tacoma love all around! With over 30 events in this list there’s something for lovers of the indoorsy and outdoorsy, lovers of music, of film, lovers of peace and quiet, lovers of local makers, of discussion, of disruption, of justice, lovers of literacy, of gal pals, lovers of lovers (all kinds), lovers of Tacoma!

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Now It's November! 19 Tacoma Events

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Now It's November! 19 Tacoma Events

November is for curling up with a good book and a warm drink, but it’s also for getting out the door for community fundraisers, holiday markets, concerts, tree lightings, fix-it fairs, Tarot readings, and volunteer opportunities. There are so many ways to give back, get involved, and get to know Tacoma!

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Oh, October - 16 Tacoma Events!

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Oh, October - 16 Tacoma Events!

October, the month of harvest fests and haunts, of chilly outdoor escapades, of art and film extravaganzas. Seasons change, but community continues, it never ends here in Tacoma, so take a look at over 16 opportunities to be part of it.

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Celebrate September - 10 Tacoma Events

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Celebrate September - 10 Tacoma Events

Ready or not September is upon us and we have a list of 10 worthy Tacoma events for you! Something for cyclers, old-timey harvest fest enthusiasts, dog lovers, community activists, human rights advocates, beer drinkers, golfers, and anyone ready for a talent show gala on the waterfront.

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Welcome to August - 21 Tacoma Events For You!

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Welcome to August - 21 Tacoma Events For You!

August has arrived. The final month of what constituted summer vacation when we were youngsters. Don’t despair. Just take each day at a time, and when the mood strikes, check our list of 21 August events all over Tacoma. Listen to music under the open sky, join the Native American Traditional canoe gathering, explore a street fair, or maybe enter a beard competition (seriously).

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It's July in Tacoma - 15 Community Events You'll Love!

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It's July in Tacoma - 15 Community Events You'll Love!

It’s July. What?! Yes, we can’t escape time moving forward, so let’s embrace it. Here’s our list of 15 July events all over Tacoma. Take a historical walking tour, celebrate the birthday of Tacoma's weirdest most beloved dive bar, enjoy story time with your kid, strengthen and focus with some outdoor yoga, or settle in for live music in the park. Or don’t. You’ll be just fine.

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Tacoma Summer Markets

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Tacoma Summer Markets

Summer is outdoor market season. Say goodbye to fluorescent lights, muzak, and plastic. Join the general delight created by people selling directly to people with dogs, strollers, weather, and live music in the mix. This is our list of Tacoma Markets (not just Farmers Markets, either!), plus 2 select out of town markets well worth a visit.

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What's Happening, Tacoma?

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What's Happening, Tacoma?

Not as in “Oh no! What’s happening?” but as in “What’s going on around town?” This is our roundup of 15 super-duper-sweet happenings around Tacoma this June. You’re going to want to read this!

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Lincoln Students Growing Life Skills, Community, and Lots of Plants Too!

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Lincoln Students Growing Life Skills, Community, and Lots of Plants Too!

It’s the Lincoln High School Plant Sale this Wednesday, May 2 - Sunday May, 6. Last week we visited Abe’s Golden Acres to interview Mr. Iverson and some of the LHS students working, learning, and growing at the farm. We were impressed and charmed. You will be too.

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What's Happening? Tacoma Wayzgoose! AND...

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What's Happening? Tacoma Wayzgoose! AND...

It’s what? It’s Tacoma Wayzgoose weekend (we’ll explain). AND 2 more events you don’t want to miss (if you like dogs, plants, sweet people, or community togetherness).

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Tacoma Arts Like Crazy!

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Tacoma Arts Like Crazy!

Thursday-Sunday it's all the arts in Tacoma! Literary readings, local makers, installations, performance, musicians, and you. It's here for you! Maker, Vintage & Fair Trade Pop Up Market, Creative Colloquy Readings, and Homecoming at Alma Mater.

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.