Good morning, Tacoma! In today’s weekly events roundup: Samoa cultural day, a haunted tour, and Jeff Dunham + all the other noteworthy events happening around town this week.
Quick reminder: As a premium member of BaseLocal Club, you can update billing info, email frequency preferences, active locations, and/or downgrade to free anytime in your Club account → |
01 — Best of the best Our favorite events this weekThese are the happenings we're most excited about over the next seven days.
🇼 Samoa Cultural Day @ Asia Pacific Cultural Center | Thursday (7/23) at 6:30 PM – Ready to trade gray skies for island vibes? The 16th annual Samoa Cultural Day brings three days of food, dance, gospel, and community here in Tacoma, bouncing from APCC to Mt. Tahoma. Bring an appetite, your aunties, and elastic-waist pants, then call it cultural cardio.
🛋 Beyond the Bin - 4th Fridays: Furniture Collection @ Tacoma Recovery & Transfer Center | Friday (7/24) at 9:00 AM – Fourth Friday means clearing space without landfill guilt. Beyond the Bin, a free community reuse series, teams with Northwest Furniture Bank at the Transfer Center to take usable furniture, give it new life, keep your garage walkable. First come, trucks fill quick, no broken recliners.
🍝 Mangia Tayo: An Filipino Italian Dinner @ OBK (On Blended Knee) Winery | Friday (7/24) at 5:00 PM – Two chefs, five courses, and the sweet spot where lumpia and linguine stop pretending they do not know each other. At OBK Winery, Jan Parker teams with San Diego's Ashley del Rosario for a one-night feast with thoughtful pairings, stories, and zero pretense.
👻 Haunted Tour @ Foss Waterway Seaport | Friday (7/24) at 7:00 PM – Whether you believe in ghosts or just want an excuse to carry a flashlight, tour after dark through Foss Waterway Seaport’s Balfour Dock, with shipwreck lore, sea monsters, staff encounters, and historic artifacts. Peek into locked archives, support Seaport’s programs, and spend $30 doing it.
🏃 BFL 14th Annual T&T Run for Kids with Cancer @ Dawson's Bar & Grill | Saturday (7/25) at 9:00 AM – Patio weather calls for doing some good, so the 14th annual T&T Run for Kids with Cancer rolls out from Dawson's. Expect friendly faces, a little sweat, and a lot of heart, plus the satisfaction of day drinking for charity if you must.
✊ I Respect Black Festival @ Wright Park | Saturday (7/25) at 11:00 AM – Nothing beats a day in Wright Park that actually feels like community. Expect live music, Black-owned vendors, food trucks, art, youth activities, and genuine connection, with space for healing, faith, and public safety chats. Big heart, good eats, familiar faces, and real respect.
🏺 Tiny Clay Village Hand Building Workshop @ Dusty's Hideaway | Sunday (7/26) at 12:00 PM – Build a neighborhood you can afford at Dusty's Hideaway, sipping while you craft a tiny clay village. Make up to five houses with beginner techniques, choose from three glaze combos, then pick up your fired creations in three weeks, all supplies and one drink included. |
02 — No-cost things to do Free upcoming eventsA selection of upcoming events that cost nothing to attend.
🧓 Senior Day @ Emerald Queen Casino Tacoma | Tuesday (7/21) at 8:00 AM – Tuesdays in July at EQC Tacoma and Fife mean one thing, seniors get the good stuff. If you’re 55+, enjoy $10 in Free Play and a Crave Cookie, because wisdom should pay in credits, sugar, and smug satisfaction.
🎶 Guilded Lilly @ Old Town Park | Wednesday (7/22) at 6:30 PM – Grab a lawn chair and head to Old Town for Guilded Lilly, Tacoma’s award-winning indie folk, blues, rock with raw, emotional punch. Free, family-friendly, and part of our 12-summers-strong Wednesday ritual, it delivers good neighbors, better snacks, and high-quality music without the tab.
🌹 Weekly Deadheading Session @ Rose Garden | Thursday (7/23) at 9:00 AM – Thursday mornings at Point Defiance Rose Garden mean snipping spent blooms with the Tacoma Rose Society, picking up a few tricks, and enjoying the park before the weekend stampede. Rain or shine, bring pruners, gloves, a bucket, sunscreen, water, and whatever keeps you comfy.
🎤 The Summerween Neighborhood Karaoke BBQ @ TBD | Saturday (7/25) at 2:00 PM – Summerween means one thing around here, a neighborhood karaoke BBQ where patience for October is nonexistent. Expect free barbecue, sides, and drinks, door prizes, and just enough spooky extras to justify singing Thriller with your neighbors, then blaming the smoke machine for your pitch.
🧶 By The People: Traditions in Dialogue— Indigenous Pacific Northwest Weaving @ Washington State History Museum | Sunday (7/26) at 2:00 PM – Skip the throw pillows and hear from six Indigenous weavers at the Washington State History Museum, free with registration. They will dig into cedar bark and Raven’s Tail techniques, materials, and meaning, plus apprenticeships that keep them alive. Real craft, real culture, no hot glue. |
03 — Fun for the fam Family-friendly things to doEvents your kiddos and grandkiddos will love.
🕷 Thursday Family-Friendly Spiderman Trivia @ Puget Sound Pizza | Thursday (7/23) at 6:00 PM – Thursday nights call for Spider-Man trivia at Puget Sound Pizza in Downtown Tacoma, family friendly with cocktail specials for you and a chance to finally out-nerd your teenager. Four rounds, cool, nerdy prizes for first each round, and in-house baked cookies for second and third.
🎭 Madagascar A Musical Adventure KIDS @ Tacoma Musical Playhouse | Friday (7/24) at 5:00 PM – Take a break from errands and cheer on CampTMP’s 1st through 3rd graders in Madagascar KIDS. Expect tiny lions, big heart, and jokes that land better than your aunt’s potato salad. Tickets are $7, which is cheaper than babysitting and twice as adorable.
🎉 Tanoa Festival 2026 @ Mt.Tahoma High School | Saturday (7/25) at 9:00 AM – Summer in WA means Big Uce Radio firing up year six of Tanoa Festival, celebrating Samoa Cultural Week with Asia Pacific Cultural Center. Expect siva, songs, island eats, and plenty of family time, not influencer nonsense, just the good stuff.
🚗 Tacoma Cars & Coffee @ LeMay - America's Car Museum | Saturday (7/25) at 9:00 AM – Third Saturdays at LeMay mean one thing, a morning caffeine convention where Tacoma Cars & Coffee takes over the museum lot. Park your pride and joy, sip something hot, and trade stories. Keep the throttle civil so our coffee stays in the cup. |
04 — Treat yourself Fun for grown-upsConcerts, workshops, and other fun events for adults.
🎭 Bedroom Farce @ Tacoma Little Theatre | Thursday (7/23) at 7:30 PM – Head to Tacoma Little Theatre for Ayckbourn’s Bedroom Farce, a comedy where three bedrooms, four couples, and one long night produce more pillow talk disasters than a PTA gala. Sharp, fast, delightfully messy, with a pay-what-you-can night and an ASL-interpreted performance.
🎸 The Queen Street Gang @ Cider & Cedar | Friday (7/24) at 7:00 PM – At Cider & Cedar, Lorenzo Farrell of Rick Estrin and the Nightcats runs the organ, the Queen Street Gang hits stride, and yes, it’s his birthday. Expect bluesy detours, a few classics you know, Bryan Davis on guitar, and Zak Stoldt keeping time, swagger intact.
🎭 Jeff Dunham @ Emerald Queen Casino and Hotel | Friday (7/24) – Ventriloquist legend Jeff Dunham hits Emerald Queen Casino with his unruly cast of puppets, punchlines, and perfectly timed eye rolls. It is the rare night you can laugh at a dummy without feeling guilty, and yes, the casino carpet still dazzles.
💃 Specialty Class Dancing Milonga @ Backstreet Tango | Saturday (7/25) at 4:00 PM – If you’ve been waiting for a sign to trade small talk for close embrace, this milonga class is it. All levels welcome, including two left feet, lapsed tango flirts, and curious wallflowers. Expect authentic rhythm, patient instructors, and fun your knees will forgive.
🎸 Daniel Donato's Cosmic Country @ Airport Tavern Music Hall | Monday (7/27) at 12:00 AM – Line up your boots for Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, a two-night residency at Airport Tavern Music Hall, because one night would be rude. It’s roadhouse twang, tie-dye, and serious guitar chops from a road-tested band. Expect deeper cuts, different setlists, and that elusive you-had-to-be-there crackle. |
05 — Noteworthy happenings Events this weekendAny other cool events we didn't cover in other sections.
🔮 Northwest Metaphysical Market @ Northwest Metaphysical Market | Saturday (7/25) at 11:00 AM – Tacoma’s metaphysical market brings crystals, candles, tarot, healers, and a curious mix of small-biz treasures, plus food trucks and live performances. It is where your aura gets read, your tacos get blessed, and your wrist leaves with permanent jewelry, maybe a tooth gem. |
06 — Concerts, shows, and more Live tunes & entertainmentOne-stop shop for upcoming shows, performances, and game nights.
|
07 — Plan ahead Sneak peak at next weekA quick look at local events going on next week.
Thea's Park @ Thea's Park | Wednesday (7/29) at 11:00 AM
Proctor Arts Fest @ Tacoma Public Library - Wheelock Branch | Saturday (8/1) at 10:00 AM
|
Thanks for reading! Need to update, manage, or cancel your Club subscription? Click here → |
|
| |
