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.
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!
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.
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 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.
Community Event
Sweet Treat
Exploration & Adventure
Local Love
Volunteering & Sharing
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!
If you’re looking for ways to get outside in and around Tacoma this summer, take a look at our list of local beaches (plus some favorites a bit farther afield), our Tacoma neighborhood guide to patio dining, and a few opportunities for volunteering in the great outdoors. Even if you don’t get away for a vacation, you can find some ease and fun nearby in these treasured weeks of summer near the Salish Sea.
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).
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.
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.
