☕ Good morning! It's Thursday, September 24th
Race Beethoven to the finish line this Saturday at Wright Park for Symphony Tacoma’s musical 5K. Plus, this weekend brings the 13th Annual Cider Swig, Lakewood’s Fiesta de la Familia, Elks Temple Oktoberfest, the Gig Harbor Film Festival, and a downtown puzzle hunt.
Here is your quick guide.
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🏃 2nd Annual Beat Beethoven 5K
Finish the 5K before Beethoven’s 5th Symphony ends to win free symphony tickets
Symphony Tacoma's musical 5K takes over Wright Park this Saturday, September 26. The goal: cross the finish line before the roughly 30-minute symphony wraps up.
Schedule: Race starts at 9:00 AM (packet pickup opens at 8:00 AM) at Wright Park.
Perks & Prizes: Finish before the final note to win a free ticket to a 2026–2027 Symphony Tacoma Classics concert. All participants receive a finisher medal.
Cost: $60 for late/day-of registration (benefits Symphony Tacoma). Open to all ages and paces.
🎟 Events
Thursday 24
Gig Harbor Film Festival | 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Location: Galaxy Theatres Uptown, Gig Harbor
Date: Thursday, September 24th – Sunday, September 27th
Price: $50 (General Admission 4-day pass) / $500 (VIP pass with priority seating & party access) (tickets)
Description: A four-day independent film festival showcasing 87 features and shorts, kicking off Thursday with the cheese competition documentary The Big Cheese, alongside filmmaker events and afterparties.
Friday 25
Do It Like Dolly: Queen of Country Night | 6:00 pm – Late (Dance lesson at 8:00 pm, Contest at 11:00 pm)
Location: Steel Creek, Tacoma
Price: Free cover from 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm with a new or gently used children's book donation; standard cover applies otherwise (21+)
Description: A Dolly Parton tribute night with a 100.7 The Wolf radio party, free dance lesson, specialty menu items benefiting the Imagination Library, and book donations for Tacoma Public Library. Look-alike contest at 11:00 pm with a $500 cash prize.
Cadaveret: A Vampiric Game Show and Burlesque Revue | 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Location: Urban Grace Church, Tacoma
Date: Friday, September 25th, 2026
Price: $25 (tickets)
Description: An interactive variety night blending comedy, horror, and burlesque, featuring themed stage games with vampire characters from What We Do in the Shadows, The Lost Boys, and Twilight.
Saturday 26
Elks Temple Oktoberfest | All Day
Location: McMenamins Elks Temple, Tacoma
Description: An all-day harvest celebration featuring live music in the Spanish Ballroom, house-brewed Oktoberfest Lager, and German pub specials like currywurst and sausage plates.
Fiesta de la Familia | 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Location: Fort Steilacoom Park, Lakewood
Price: Free
Description: Hispanic culture and community festival featuring live mariachi and salsa, dancing horses, a community ofrenda, car show, food trucks, and a children’s parade.
Tacoma Puzzle Hunt | 12:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Location: 917 Broadway, Tacoma
Price: Free (Online registration required)
Description: An outdoor, escape-room-style downtown adventure featuring code-cracking, brainteasers, and physical challenges, with teams competing for a $500 cash prize.
13th Annual Cider Swig | 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Location: Haub Family Field, Tacoma
Price: $18–$167 (tickets)
Description: Washington's biggest one-day cider fest, with 130+ regional ciders, craft beer, mead, food trucks, live music, and a pop-up bottle shop. Proceeds benefit the Lu Winsor Environmental Grants program.
Non-Profit Day: Sunny Sky's Animal Rescue | 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Location: The Redd Dog, Puyallup
Description: A community meet-and-greet with Sunny Sky's Animal Rescue, highlighting their work with senior pets and animals with medical needs. A portion of every beer sold all September goes to the cause.
Like a Rhinestone Cowboy: Bedazzled Outfit Contest | 9:00 pm
Location: Steel Creek, Tacoma
Price: Free cover before 10:00 pm with bedazzled outfit; cover applies otherwise (21+ after 9:00 pm)
Description: Country dance night with mechanical bull rides, drink specials, and a rhinestone outfit contest with $500 in cash prizes across individual and group categories.
🎸 Music
🧑🌾 Farmers’ Markets
☀ Weather
🖖 Before we go
Raise a Glass for National Drink Beer Day
Looking for an excuse to hit your favorite local taproom early next week? Monday, September 28 is National Drink Beer Day. Landing right as Oktoberfest wraps up and sharing a birthday with Arthur Guinness—it's the perfect nudge to grab a seasonal pour, split a flight with friends, and toast the local brewers and bartenders keeping the taps flowing! Cheers 🍻
Thank you for reading, and I'll see you next Thursday.