BY MATT KITE for WEEKLY VOLCANO 8/22/25 |
When the Hilltop Street Fair kicks off Saturday, August 23, at People’s Park in Tacoma, fairgoers can thank one group of people in particular for ensuring the day’s success: volunteers. Countless hours are spent organizing the event each year, and those hours are largely donated by people willing to volunteer their time.
“That’s a lot of work on a lot of different fronts,” said David Combs, president of the Hilltop Business Association, “from securing vendors to getting city permitting. Volunteers take on the responsibility of someone who should be getting paid, but luckily, we have a lot of folks who want to see this thing go on and prosper, and we do get a lot of help from the city itself, so that has been advantageous to us as well.”
This year’s fair, the tenth annual, begins at 11 a.m. and runs until 7 p.m. It will feature 130 vendors, three stages, a beer garden, and plenty of youth-oriented activities. Bar Rosa and The 1111, two mainstays in the neighborhood, will be pouring drinks in the beer garden, and performers such as comedian Boe Blast and musicians Seaan Brooks and Wax the Producer will entertain on three separate stages.
“Boe is a local Tacoma guy who has been working hard for many years,” Combs said. “He’s kind of the essence of the Hilltop Street Fair. We want to support not just businesses but artists and vendors.”
As part of the festivities, the Tacoma Children’s Business Fair will take place in the People’s Park amphitheater. Approximately fifty youngsters between the ages of five and seventeen will be marketing and selling their wares and services from noon to 3 p.m. But kids’ activities won’t be limited to the open-air market.
“That’s something that kind of differentiates us and sets us apart from other events and fairs,” Combs explained. “We’re really trying to be family-centered. There will be lots of children’s activities throughout the day. It will be centralized in People’s Park, which already has the playground for the kids. There will be four or five bounce houses and the Tacoma Children’s Business Fair featuring young vendors, and the kids who come to play at the park will be able to check those folks out and maybe even be inspired and want to do their own things like that.”
A food court just outside the park, on 11th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way, will feature several local vendors, plus shade and seating to keep fairgoers comfortable. The logo for this year’s edition incorporates the statue of People’s Park to highlight the event’s tenth anniversary.
“Ten years is a good milestone for an event like the Hilltop Street Fair because it’s volunteer-run,” Combs said. “There can be a lot of turnover with this style of event. Luckily, we’ve had a lot of people who have volunteered in the last ten years and continued the tradition. It started out with a bunch of community members who wanted to do something for the community to bring them together, and throughout the decade it’s been the one constant for Hilltop.”
Combs recommends walking or biking to the fair if you live nearby or taking the Link Light Rail if you plan to travel from another neighborhood. “That way you don’t have to fight for parking,” he said. “Definitely come hungry. We’ll have a variety of food vendors and food trucks in the food court. Just come ready to spend a few dollars and support the local businesses. We do get a lot of nonprofit service providers who come and provide information about what they do in the community. Definitely take some time to learn what those folks do, because you never know—you might be able to utilize some of the services they offer.”
Turnout is expected to be somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 people, and volunteers will be accepted right up until the day of the event. Those hoping to learn more are encouraged to visit the fair’s website at www.hilltopba.org/hilltopstreetfair or email organizers directly at info@hilltopba.org.
Hilltop Street Fair, Aug. 23, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., at 11th Street and MLK. Free.
