June is here, the sun is up far longer than it is down, we are seeing more of our friends and family, and there is a glimmer of a Tacoma summers on the horizon. Places are starting to open up but we aren't quite to the other side yet. So for this month, we've found just a couple events, a few local businesses we love, a chance to make history, and more ways to help your fellow Tacoman. We see you Tacoma, and we're ready for this next season.
June 11th – 13th
2pm – 6pm
Tacoma Arts Live is partnering with Emergency Food Network for a drive-up food drive! Food pantries all over Pierce County are being frequented more during this time. EFN sees the need and is doing all they can to collect food for the 80+pantries they serve. Urgently needed at this time are protein rich items like canned meat, chili, soups, and peanut butter. Head down to the Tacoma Armory this weekend with a donation, and they’ll wheel a bin right out to your car for easy socially distant pick-up.
June 21st
Tacoma Art Walk is hosting a mini Tacoma Art Market! Stretching the few short blocks of 6th Ave between O’Malleys and Jazzbones, this socially distant market will give some of your favorite vendors a retail option during these crazy times. There will be hand sanitizing stations readily available for all guests, 6ft distancing markers, and all vendors will be wearing masks. Consider this a warm up for the main event, which is an extended market on July 19th. That being said, please be patient will all vendors, staff, and volunteers. We love our Tacoma artists, bakers, chefs, and makers and are excited to see them thriving again. Full vendor list will be confirmed later this month, but you can check out Tacoma Art Market's website for more details!
It’s very apparent that 2020 is a year that will live on in history. How would you like to be recorded as a part of Tacoma's history? Tacoma Public Library in partnership with Grit City Magazine would like to collect YOUR stories of this time. Simply submit a “Dear Tacoma” letter, digital message, voice recording, voicemail, or email, and you will be recorded in the TPL archives. TPL has provided a broad range of prompts for yourself or to interview others, like “What was the most unexpected part about being in Tacoma during the pandemic?”, “I love Tacoma because…”, “What memory sticks out in your head the most about the pandemic?”, and “When this is over I will…”. Check out the submission options as well as what’s already come in.
Local SWAG
Here for Good 253 is a fundraising campaign that sells apparel featuring the beautiful Mt. Rainer and the classic Murray Morgan Bridge to benefit Sound Sound businesses. $10 from every T-shit and $20 from every hoodies sale goes to a local business of YOUR choice. With a dozen businesses so far, including The Grand Cinema, Hilltop Artists, Food Is Free Tacoma, and the Hob Nob, you’re sure to find one you love and miss. Apparel is printed weekly, so shipping times may vary. Check the website for the next printing date and follow along with their $20,000 goal ticker. Catie has her eye on the Murray Morgan pull over!
Check out local Tacoma artist and hair dresser Rebecca Gahm's Etsy store, The Velvet Tangerine! Catie recently purchased these beautiful emerald earrings and adores them. The best part though? For the month of June, Rebecca will be donating all proceeds to
Black Live Matter, King County Chapter, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Black Visions Collective, and Campaign Zero. Each week a different organization will be featured. Follow her Instagram to check out her latest projects and see which organization is being highlighted that week.
Dinner Time!
The Red Hot: It's Back!
It’s finally happening, those delicious hot dogs (and vegan not-dogs) are at our finger tips. We are so thankful and excited that our favorite neighborhood spot was able to re-open and we have already made a couple of visits. While sit down service is not available yet, you can pre-order online or over the phone and get your dogs to-go at the sweet new pick-up counter. We’ve already had a classic Red Hot with spicy brown mustard, the Bahn Mi sausage with sriracha mayo, and the vegan Goodfella with marinara and “cheese”. Don’t forget, you can fill a crowler (can growler) to-go with whatever they have on tap!
The Spar is one of the oldest restaurants here in Tacoma and it certainly gives off that hometown feel. Catie has several fond memories of enjoying live music over a plate of the famous Spar Chips with her mom. Being the PNW coastal citizens we are, we come here for the fish. What's better than enjoying a giant flaky halibut fish n' chips with a beautiful view of the water, the sounds of blues guitar, and a frosty local ale in hand? Catie always opts for the fish tacos and a draft IPA. It's such a treat! Recently, they opened up for dine-in service, with limited seating. Their take-out menu is still available during their regular business hours every day between 11am and 8pm.
Eastside & Point Ruston Now Open!
There’s something about being outside in the fresh air with the sun kissing your cheeks that makes “grocery shopping” less mundane. Thankfully, the Tacoma Farmer’s Market season is officially in full swing! Your favorite farmers, chefs, and makers are all ready to serve you, with some healthy guidelines of course.
Eastside: 3500 McKinley Ave. E
Tuesdays: 3pm – 7pm
Point Ruston: 5005 Ruston Way The Grand Plaza
Sundays: 10am – 3pm
Broadway: 9th and Broadway
Thursdays: 10am – 3pm
BONUS: We'd like to do a brief shout-out to Mogoso Noodle Shop, who opened up this year at the Broadway Market. Our sweet former clients now friends have been working on this idea for several years and have finally been able to see it come to fruition. So give them a visit and grab a bowl of knife cut noodles with beef or tofu and a side of handmade chicken dumplings. Get there early because they are known to sell out. Congrats again, Sun & June!
Saturdays: 9am – 2pm
Not to be forgotten is the wonderful Proctor Farmers Market. Fresh produce, beautiful bouquets, tasty empanadas, all in one place. As with the others, there are a few new guidelines in place and ways to make shopping safer and easier, including requiring face mask, designating entry points, and requesting that you let the vendors handle any produce you plan on purchasing. Find the complete list here!
One helpful hint is to check out the list of Pre-Pay and Pre-Order Vendors (Scroll to “ Special Vendor Offers”) and place your orders for pick-up. You'll find our friend Reverend Al's Bona Fide Potents on that Pre-Order list. The Rev is offering 15% off web orders for his Proctor Market pick-ups as well as free Tacoma deliveries. In a time of drinking at home more, his potents have made for some seriously tasty cocktails. Check out his line of potents here. Don't know what to make? Don't worry, he has the recipe too ;)
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