What to do in Tacoma October 2026
Spooky season is here and Tacoma is full of activities for the whole family! Celebrate Tacoma Arts Month all October long, step back in time for a candlelight tour of Fort Nisqually, dance and jam through Tacoma Honk, celebrate Titlow Park's centennial, eat your way through Tacoma Greek Festival, get spooky at the Tacoma Halloween Parade and McKinley Hill Street Fair, sip on brews at Boo Five Three, and get the kids out for some early trick-or-treating in Downtown Tacoma.
There's always something to do in Tacoma!
Tacoma Arts Month
This month marks 25 years of celebration, collaboration, and appreciation of the arts scene in Tacoma! While Tacoma Arts Month keeps a year-round calendar of local art events from dance classes to glass blowing and theater productions to garden scaping workshops, here are a few specific to this 25-year celebration:
October 3rd: Kaleidoscope
Kick-off Arts Month at this free and family-friendly event where you can enjoy an afternoon of live performances, art displays, interactive art-making, and cultural programming all hosted in the Main Branch Library.
October 6th: AMOCAT Arts Awards
Come recognize the local creators and organizers who go above and beyond for the art community.
October 16th & 17th: Tacoma Studio Tour
Meet the artist that make Tacoma unique right in their own personal studios. The studio takes your all over the city, at your own self-guided pace, allowing you to mingle with the makers and watch their creativity unfold first-hand. Find a studio tour map here.
November 14th & 15th: Arts at the Armory
The celebration concludes with a maker’s market featuring artists of several mediums including ceramics, print, fiber-art, jewelry and more!
October 2nd & 3rd
Bundle up and step back in time to 1859 for a candlelight tour of Fort Nisqually. After parking in the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium lot, you will be transported to the fort aboard a “time machine” shuttle. Along the way, Fort Nisqually experts will share background history and highlight key things to listen for. Once you arrive, wander by candlelight and listen in as more than 100 historical interpreters bring to life the residents of the Hudson's Bay Company, who remain completely unaware of their 21st-century visitors.
October 3rd
Tacoma Honk invites you to dance, groove, and play along with street musicians and cultural performers in the Historical McKinley neighborhood. Four informal stages, including streets and alley ways will be loaded with brass bands, wood winds, and marching percussionists, blowing and drumming their hearts out. This community volunteer lead event is hosted by Grit City’s own Tacomarama marching band and every one is invited to stroll, roll, and wander on through.
October 4th
Celebrate 100 years of nature, community, and history of Tacoma’s beautiful Titlow Park! Hosted by the West End Neighborhood Council, the Centennial Celebration kicks off at 10am with a tree planting ceremony featuring a tree donated by McLendon Hardware. At 11am, dive into the area's rich past with an engaging Titlow History Talk guided by Pretty Gritty Tours. Throughout the festivities, visitors can join in decorating a community-made mural or take on a photo scavenger hunt with fun prizes up for grabs!
October 9th, 10th, & 11th
Saint Nicholas’s beloved Tacoma Greek Festival is back! Enjoy an absolutely delicious array of traditional Greek pastries, snacks, and entrees prepared with love. Peruse the Greek deli, nibble on some calamari, and snag some baklava, karithopita, or ouzo cake to share (or not). The kitchen will be serving up two formal entrees this year including a Greek style chicken dinner and pastitsio, but don’t forget to start with a slice of spanakopita. While you dine, enjoy traditional dance and music performances in the famous festival tent and stick around for a tour of the church and it’s 101-year-old history. While entry is free, this is a cashless event. Please bring your debit/credit card or use a phone pay system. There is an option to load a “spending card” with cash or your debit card to use at the booths, but booths themselves will not be taking cash or handing out change.
October 10th
Get ready for a spooktacular time at the McKinley Hill Haunted Street Fair! This free, family-friendly Halloween celebration transforms McKinley Avenue into an un-a-lively ghostly festival packed with local artisans, delicious food vendors, live music, and fun activities for kids. Wander the haunted market for spooky treasure, stop by one of the stages for some eerie jams, or head to the kid’s zone for face paint, games, karaoke, and more! Hosted in partnership with the McKinley business association, this is a truly spirited event to bring neighbors together.
October 17th
The Tacoma Halloween Parade & Street Fair is taking over Proctor once again for some ghoulishly good fun! This supernatural street fair features a wicked marketplace filled with local vendors, spine-tinglingly delicious food, community booths, and plenty of frightfully fun activities. Plus, local kiddos will be showing off their creative talents at the young entrepreneur’s market, hosted in partnership with Pod Works. Put on your best festive digs for the "Creep It Real" costume contest at 6:15 PM, then grab a spot along the street, as night falls around 7:00 PM, the main parade awakens! Starting at North 29th Street, a bedazzling array of spooky floats, peculiar performers, ghastly ghouls, and bizarre automobiles will weave down Proctor to their final resting spot at North 25th. This free, family-friendly event is open to all goblins, ghosts, and witches alike!
October 23rd
Hauntingly good brews will be pouring as Tacoma’s longest-running beer festival returns with a spooky twist! Hosted on the historic parade floor of the Tacoma Armory, Boo Five Three brings together a stellar lineup of local Washington craft breweries, delicious eats in their Food Truck Alley, and plenty of festive fun. Sip your way through regional brews, check out over-the-top brewery booth decorations, and bring your best Halloween costume to compete for prizes throughout the evening. This is a 21+ event and tickets include eight drink tokens and a souvenir glass. If you’d like to beat the crowds, check out the early entry tickets which get you in a full hour before doors open for general admission. Designated drivers can also join with a discounted ticket that includes a free souvenir glass upon departure and complimentary non-alcoholic beverages (strictly no alcohol service with this pass, just witchy vibes).
October 31st
The Downtown Tacoma Trick-or-Treat returns to Antique Row to "witch" you a happy spooky season! With a nice and early 3pm start, this free, community-favorite event invites ghosts, ghouls, and trick-or-treaters of all ages to don their best Halloween costumes and explore local shops along Broadway for treats, festive music, and fun surprises. It’s the perfect early-evening kickoff to your Halloween festivities!
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