☕ Good morning! It's Thursday June 4th

It's a packed weekend across the South Sound, with the Point Defiance Flower & Garden Festival, a boat-building workshop at the Foss Waterway, a new eco-friendly boutique opening on Pacific Avenue, maker markets, lantern festivals, and classic car shows. Here's your guide to what's happening.

💐 Point Defiance Flower & Garden Festival

The Point Defiance Flower & Garden Festival is free to explore this Saturday and Sunday (June 6-7), but you can add a hands-on experience with these pre-registered workshops and tours:

Spaces are limited — click each activity to register before they sell out.

📰 Community

New Eco-Friendly Boutique Opens Downtown

Downtown Tacoma just got a little greener! Eco Repurpose Boutique has officially opened its doors at 1932 Pacific Avenue, right along the UW Tacoma campus. The new neighborhood spot specializes in sustainability, featuring puzzles, books, jewelry, toys, and one-of-a-kind gifts, alongside a thoughtfully curated collection of eco-friendly, fair-trade, and consciously sourced goods from global makers.

🎭 Tacoma Events

Thu 04

  • Airport Tavern Trivia | 7:00 pm

    • Location: Airport Tavern – 5406 S Tacoma Way

    • Description: A weekly themed trivia night hosted by Jared Bogi. Doors open at 4:00 PM with team sign-ups starting at 6:00 PM. Stick around after the competition for karaoke beginning at 9:00 PM.

Sat 06

  • Hiking Vikings Community Walk | 9:00 am

    • Location: Puget Park – 3111 N Proctor St

    • Description: A casual 2.4-mile walk along the Puget Park Trail hosted by the Járnvík Vikings. All experience levels welcome, with the focus on good conversation over exercise. Viking attire encouraged.

  • The Market on 6th Ave | 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

    • Location: Along 6th Ave, Tacoma (at Mission Thrift, 2502 6th Ave & Salon di Stile, 2202 6th Ave)

    • Description: A free street market with 25+ local artists, makers, and crafters selling jewelry, candles, art, and more. Browse the Mission Thrift store on-site, which supports the Tacoma Rescue Mission.

  • Family Boat Building Class | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm (June 6 & 7) (register)

    • Location: Foss Waterway Seaport – 705 Dock St

    • Description: A two-day workshop where teams of 2-5 build an 8-foot rowboat from a pre-cut kit, learn basic woodworking, and launch it on Sunday. Sliding scale registration: $300-$900 per team. Kids 10+ welcome.

  • Tacoma Photo Club Free Photo Walk | 5:00 pm

    • Location: Dusty's Hideaway – 723 E 34th St

    • Description: A casual neighborhood photo walk open to all skill levels and camera types. Family-friendly, with an optional 21+ happy hour after.

  • The Oneness Experience | 7:00 pm (tickets)

    • Location: Pantages Theater – 901 Broadway

    • Description: A 3-hour evening with intuitive teacher Lee Harris, combining channeled teachings, live audience guidance, and healing soundscapes by composer Davor Bozic. Doors open at 6:00 pm. Premium seating upgrades available (no meet-and-greet included).

Sun 07

  • Nothing But The Memory: Artist Talk | 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm (register)

    • Location: Tacoma Art Museum – 1701 Pacific Ave

    • Description: An artist talk with Seattle-based Mary Ann Peters, whose four decades of research-driven work explores dismissed Middle Eastern diaspora narratives through a second-generation Arab American lens. She'll discuss her piece Impossible Monument, currently on view in TAM's Haunted exhibition.

⏭ Outside Tacoma

  • Ocean5 Trivia Night | Thursday 04 - 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm

    • Location: Ocean5 – 5268 Point Fosdick Dr, Gig Harbor

    • Description: Weekly themed trivia with rounds for all skill levels. Order food and drinks from your table and settle in for a casual, competitive night out.

  • Light the Lake Lantern Festival at Spanaway Park | Saturday 06 - 4:30 to 10:00 pm (tickets)

    • Location: Spanaway Park - 14905 Bresemann Blvd S - Spanaway

    • Description: Light the Lake at Spanaway Park this Saturday (June 6, 4:30-10 pm). Food trucks, vendor booths, live reggae from Two Story Zori, and hundreds of floating LED lanterns at 8:30 pm. Tickets include a lantern kit and LED wristband: $25 adults, $15 youth, group bundles available online.

  • Waves and Wheels Classic Car & Boat Show | Saturday 06 - 8:30 am to 12:00 pm

    • Location: Harbor History Museum – 4121 Harborview Dr, Gig Harbor

    • Description: A classic car and boat show in the museum parking lot, featuring vintage vehicles, local classic boats, and a display of the Porpoise, a recently restored 1989 replica longboat.

  • Roy Pioneer Rodeo | Saturday 06 to Sunday 07, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

    • Location: Roy Rodeo Grounds – 8710 Higgins Greig Rd, Roy

    • Description: A classic community rodeo with live events starting at 1:30 pm and doors open at 11:00 am. Free parking, covered beer garden, souvenirs, and concession food on site. Official service animals only.

  • Thriftapalooza | Saturday 06 to Sunday 07, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm (tickets)

    • Location: Washington State Fair Event Center – 110 9th Ave SW, Puyallup

    • Description: A massive garage sale and secondhand market filling a 100,000 sq ft warehouse with curated vintage finds. Sunday brings a "Secret Sale Day" with restocked booths. Food, coffee, a secret bar, ATMs, and shopping carts are welcome.

🎸 Music

Events marked with ($) are paid events

Thu 04

  • The Talbott Brothers | McMenamis Spanish Ballroom - Tacoma - 7:00 pm ($)

  • The Mike Pierce Project | Cockrell Cider Farm - Puyallup - 5:00 pm (free)

Fri 05

  • 2000's Dance Flashback | McMenamis Spanish Ballroom - Tacoma - 8:00 pm ($)

  • Back To The Future: A Future Tribute Party | Airport Tavern - Tacoma - 10:00 pm ($)

  • Lawn Darts, No Leaders, Please!, Dearest Ones, Concrete Island | Real Art Tacoma - 6:30 pm ($)

  • Raucous Band | Cockrell Cider Farm - Puyallup - 5:00 pm (free)

  • The Locals | Ocean5 - Gig Harbor - 7:00 pm ($)

  • Stevie & The Blue Flames | Kimball Coffee House - Gig Harbor - 7:00 pm (free)

Sat 06

  • Tacoma Porchfest Benefit Show | The Mothership - Tacoma - 6:00 pm (free)

  • Big Blue Van + Checkered Record | McMenamis Spanish Ballroom - Tacoma - 7:00 pm ($)

  • Shafty: Portland's Tribute To Phish | Jazzbones - Tacoma - 9:00 pm ($)

  • Diesel Boy | Airport Tavern - Tacoma - 7:00 pm ($)

Sun 07

  • Silver Saturn | McMenamis Spanish Ballroom - Tacoma - 5:00 pm ($)

  • Nathan James with Mad Kelly, AyoDylan, Hotbox, Maybe Not Safe | Jazzbones - Tacoma - 8:00 pm ($)

  • Sunday Jazz Session: Rich Wetzel’s Grooving Higher Orchestra | Airport Tavern - Tacoma - 4:00 pm ($)

  • Nothing Lasts Forever Tour: Cold Hearts, Cinder, Gouged, The Upchucks | Real Art Tacoma - 6:30 pm ($)

☀ Weather

🖖 Before we go

Duck Daze Returns to University Place this Saturday

University Place’s favorite summer kick-off tradition returns this Saturday, June 6. The festivities start at 10:00 AM with the Duck Daze Parade, marching down Bridgeport Way from 29th Street to 37th Street.

After the parade, head over to the Village at Chambers Bay for live music, food trucks, family activities, and the South Sound Makers Market featuring over 50 local artisans. Make sure to stop by West Pierce Fire & Rescue Station 31 between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM for their annual open house, featuring a display of emergency vehicles alongside free hot dogs and refreshments.

Thank you for reading, and I'll see you next Thursday.

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