Thursday,
☕ Good morning! It's Thursday August 27th
The 11th Annual Hilltop Street Fair takes over MLK Jr. Way this Saturday with live music, food trucks, and local makers. Plus, this weekend features the LeMay Annual Show, Pete Davidson at EQC, the South Sound Brewers Fest, the Lantern Paddle, and Rainiers baseball.
Here is your quick guide.
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🍻 11th Annual Hilltop Street Fair
Food trucks, beer gardens, live stages, and local shopping along MLK Jr. Way
The Hilltop Business Association brings the neighborhood together this Saturday, August 29, from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM for the 11th Annual Hilltop Street Fair. The free festival centers at People’s Park (900 M.L.K. Jr. Way) and stretches along the Martin Luther King Jr. Way business corridor down to 11th Street.
Food & Drinks: Grab a bite from local food trucks or visit the beer gardens, bakeries, cafes, ice cream spots, pubs, and ethnic restaurants open along the corridor.
Live Entertainment: Check out live entertainment stages featuring music, dancing, and DJ sets throughout the day.
Vendor Marketplace: Shop vendor booths and specialty stores showcasing local makers, treats, and neighborhood businesses.
Family Fun: Free, all-ages celebration featuring dedicated kids' activities and community booths.
Admission is completely free and open to all ages with no tickets required.
📰 Community
Tacoma: Fireside Chat with Simone Gorrindo & Samantha Paige Rosen
Join Grit City Books today, Thursday, August 27 (6:30 pm - 8:00 pm), for a fireside chat with authors Simone Gorrindo and Samantha Paige Rosen, moderated by Joyce Chen. The conversation explores their new anthology, Living, Together: Reimagining Community in the Age of Disconnection, touching on chosen family, adulthood, and modern communal living.
🎟 Events
Thursday 27
Venardos Circus presents "Far Beyond" | Multiple showtimes (Doors open 1 hr prior)
Location: Point Defiance Park, Tacoma
Date: August 20 – September 7
Price: Ticket prices vary online (Ages 2 & under free on lap)
Description: An animal-free, Broadway-style circus featuring aerialists, acrobats, theatrical storytelling, and classic circus concessions under the big top.
The Lakewood Bookstore: Evening Book Club | 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Location: The Lakewood Bookstore (11017 Bridgeport Way SW), Lakewood
Price: Free (RSVP encouraged; BYO snacks and drinks welcome)
Description: A casual monthly community book discussion group meeting to discuss The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Cañas.
Free Thursday Neighborhood Nights | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Location: Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma
Price: Free admission
Description: Free weekly evening admission with access to current exhibitions, hands-on TAM Studio activities, and café specials.
Comics Under the Influence | 7:00 pm
Location: Tacoma Comedy Club (933 Market St), Tacoma
Price: $14.50 - Premium $21.00 (tickets)
Description: A two-round stand-up comedy show where comics deliver their first set sober, then return to the stage for a second round after taking drinks.
Friday 28
Game Night with the Park Guides | 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Location: Multiple locations (Wapato Park, Tacoma - Star Center, Tacoma, and Eastside Community Center, Tacoma)
Price: Free
Description: Casual drop-in board and card game night with an open library, including games with Braille components. Bring your own to share.
Artist Roundtable at the Mothership | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Location: Tacoma Night Market (5407 S Washington St), Tacoma
Price: Free
Description: A casual creative gathering with project discussions, collaborative mural coloring, karaoke, music, and shared snacks.
Dog Nights of Summer | 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm (18+; Last entry 7:15 pm)
Location: Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Tacoma
Price: $20 adult / $40 adult + dog ($10 / $20 for members)
Description: An 18+ after-hours evening at the zoo where guests can bring their dogs through designated habitats for wildlife strolls and summer treats.
Pete Davidson Live | 8:00 pm
Location: Emerald Queen Casino, Tacoma
Price: Starting at $95.50 (Tickets)
Description: Former SNL cast member Pete Davidson brings his unfiltered stand-up to Tacoma for a one-night-only, phone-free show.
Movies in the Park: Zootopia 2 | 8:30 pm
Location: North Park, Orting
Price: Free
Description: An outdoor, family-friendly screening of Zootopia 2 under the stars at North Park; bring blankets, low-back chairs, and movie snacks.
Saturday 29
2026 Tacoma Narrows Half Marathon, 10k & 5k | Starts 7:30 am – 8:00 am
Location: Cheney Stadium, Tacoma
Description: Half marathon, 10k, and 5k road races starting and finishing at Cheney Stadium, featuring routes over the Narrows Bridge; registration includes a finisher medal, tank top, race bib, and free photo downloads.
48th LeMay Annual Show | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Location: 14601 4th Ave E Tacoma
Price: Free general admission ($20 advance / $25 day-of for shuttle access to the LeMay Private Garages)
Description: Large-scale automotive show featuring over 1,000 vintage and collector vehicles from museum collections and regional car clubs across the Marymount grounds.
Kiwanis Club Mini Golf FUNdraiser | 10:00 am, 12:00 pm & 2:00 pm
Location: PenMet Parks Mini Golf Course, Gig Harbor
Price: $20 individual / $70 foursome / $15 kids 12 and under (Raffle tickets $5)
Description: An 18-hole shotgun-start mini-golf tournament benefiting the Kiwanis Club, featuring wave prizes, gift basket raffles, and a complimentary lunch for participants.
Mi Centro Open House Art Contest | 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Location: Mi Centro (1208 S 10th St), Tacoma
Price: Free
Description: An art show and open house held during the Hilltop Street Festival featuring works by local creatives, community open house tours, and a People's Choice voting contest across multiple age categories.
Cornhole Tournament | 1:00 pm
Location: North End on Pearl (5037 N Pearl St), Ruston
Price: $20
Description: An outdoor parking lot and extended beer garden cornhole tournament featuring a cash prize for 1st place, raffle prizes, and food specials.
The Mothership Community Mural | 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Location: Tacoma Night Market (5407 S Washington St), Tacoma
Price: Free
Description: A community mural painting afternoon hosted by Tacoma Night Market and the Artist Roundtable. No experience needed — just show up, paint, and connect. Snacks provided.
29th Annual Polynesian Luau Fundraiser | 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Location: Asia Pacific Cultural Center, Tacoma
Price: $100 (tickets)
Description: APCC's annual fundraiser celebrating Polynesian culture with an island-style dinner buffet, live music, cultural dance, Samoan fire knife dancing, and special guest Kap Tafiti Te'o.
🎸 Music
🍺 Food & Drinks
Thursday 27
Brunch on Broadway | 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Location: Steel Creek Tacoma (1114 Broadway), Tacoma
Description: Weekly Thursday brunch and lunch alongside the Broadway Farmers Market featuring smoked salmon benedict, French toast, tacos, burgers, and a full bar with cocktails and mimosas.
Flank & Frites | 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Location: The Mill Steakhouse, Milton
Description: Weekly steak night special featuring sliced flank steak served with a generous portion of frites.
Saturday 29
South Sound Brewers Fest | 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Location: McMillin Farm, Puyallup
Description: An outdoor craft beer festival featuring pours from local South Sound breweries, including Odd Otter, Firemind, Top Down, Griffin, and McMillin Farm Brewhouse.
Patio Party: Bites, Booze & Beats | 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Location: Woven Seafood & Chophouse (3017 Ruston Way), Tacoma
Price: $30 per person + tax
Description: A waterfront patio event with DJ Sean the Shamon, three curated tasting stations (Prosecco, High Noon, and spiked iced tea pairings), $40 High Noon buckets, and a raffle.
Serial Killer Speakeasy | 10:00 pm (21+ | 90 minutes)
Location: The Press Room, Tacoma
Price: $55 (tickets)
Description: An immersive 90-minute true-crime theatrical experience featuring live storytelling exploring the stories of Bundy, Dahmer, Gacy, and Gein, each paired with a themed craft cocktail.
🎤 Karaoke & Trivias
⚾ Sports
Tacoma Rainiers
Thursday 27: Salt Lake Bees at Tacoma Rainiers 7:05 pm (Tacoma Public Utilities Night)
Friday 28: Salt Lake Bees at Tacoma Rainiers 7:05 pm (Friday Night Fireworks)
Saturday 29: Salt Lake Bees at Tacoma Rainiers 7:05 pm (R Grateful Dead Night)
Sunday 30: Salt Lake Bees at Tacoma Rainiers 1:35 pm (K9 Innings)
🧑🌾 Farmers' Markets
☀ Weather
🖖 Before we go
Lantern Paddle on the Foss Waterway
Foss Waterway Seaport's annual Lantern Paddle returns this Friday, August 28 (7:00–9:00 pm). Paddlers decorate kayaks, paddleboards, and canoes with lights and lanterns to celebrate threatened marine wildlife.
Festivities start onshore at 7:00 pm with live music, kids' lantern-making, community booths, and access to the museum's exhibits and touch tanks. The illuminated paddle launches at 8:00 pm. Free and family-friendly — bring your own human-powered craft, a life jacket, and lots of lights.
Thank you for reading, and I'll see you next Thursday.