Neighborhood News
- The TACOMA Sign Is Back at Titlow
- After almost ten months down for repairs, the TACOMA sign at Titlow Park is back, glowing again. The original came down July 29, 2025, for a long-overdue makeover, and the wait was worth it. Drive by, walk by, or grab a sunset shot. The new glow is the kind of small thing that quietly tells you the city is still investing in itself.
- Fort Nisqually’s Clerk’s House Wins Historic Preservation Award
- The newest building at Fort Nisqually Living History Museum, the Clerk’s House, was completed this spring and has already been recognized with a historic preservation award. The recognition lands during Historic Preservation Month and adds another credit to Parks Tacoma’s expanding interpretive footprint at Fort Nisqually.
- Tacoma DADU Plan Powers a New McKinley Hill Duplex
- Meet Rigo and Tania. The McKinley Hill homeowners used one of the City of Tacoma’s pre-approved detached accessory dwelling unit (DADU) plans to build a new duplex on their property, expanding their family’s financial picture and adding housing supply in their neighborhood at the same time. The pre-approved plans cut design and permitting overhead for homeowners considering a DADU. Plans, cost estimates, and timelines at ow.ly/48su50Z1OYM.
- Brigade 2026 Gets a New Date and Dine We Must at Fort Nisqually
- Parks Tacoma has set a new date for Brigade July 18-19, 2026 and is gearing up for a summer at Fort Nisqually that includes Dine We Must, the museum’s annual farm-to-table dinner held inside the fort walls. “Dine we must,” as the saying goes, “and we may as well dine elegantly.” Get tickets for the June 26th event and the full Fort Nisqually summer schedule through Parks Tacoma.
- Nourish Pierce County Plans Lakewood Market and Connection Center
- After 52 years and 23 distribution sites, Nourish Pierce County is consolidating its work into a permanent 14,705-square-foot campus in Lakewood that will house the region’s first full grocery-style food market, a 1,000-square-foot Connection Center for wrap-around support, and the nonprofit’s first centralized administrative office. The Connection Center will host housing and utility assistance, SNAP and WIC enrollment, health and dental screenings, financial coaching, and employment navigation, with a navigator on-site to route families to the right resource. The new admin office is projected to save more than $70,000 a year across the 23-site network. An orchard and foodscape on the property will anchor nutrition and gardening education, and the location was picked deliberately to serve low-income families, seniors, veterans, and military households from JBLM.
- Paddle to Nisqually Medicine Creek Potlatch | July 31 to August 5
- The Nisqually Tribe is hosting the 2026 Canoe Journey, an intertribal gathering and annual celebration of Northwest indigenous nations that traces its roots to the 1989 Paddle to Seattle. Over a hundred canoes and Canoe Families from across the Pacific Northwest and beyond, including Native American tribes, First Nations peoples, Alaska Natives, Inuit, Maori, Native Hawaiians, and other indigenous peoples, travel by water to host territory each summer, observing centuries-old protocols at each landing. The Nisqually Tribe has participated since 1994 and has used the journey to revive carving, weaving, regalia-making, songs, and gifting traditions. The public is welcome to witness the journey’s landing on July 31 from noon to 6 PM at the Sequalitchew Creek Trailhead in DuPont. Background and full schedule at nisqually-nsn.gov/heritage/Medicine_Creek_Potlatch_Journey.
- The Nisqually Tribe is hosting the 2026 Canoe Journey, an intertribal gathering and annual celebration of Northwest indigenous nations that traces its roots to the 1989 Paddle to Seattle. Over a hundred canoes and Canoe Families from across the Pacific Northwest and beyond, including Native American tribes, First Nations peoples, Alaska Natives, Inuit, Maori, Native Hawaiians, and other indigenous peoples, travel by water to host territory each summer, observing centuries-old protocols at each landing. The Nisqually Tribe has participated since 1994 and has used the journey to revive carving, weaving, regalia-making, songs, and gifting traditions. The public is welcome to witness the journey’s landing on July 31 from noon to 6 PM at the Sequalitchew Creek Trailhead in DuPont. Background and full schedule at nisqually-nsn.gov/heritage/Medicine_Creek_Potlatch_Journey.
Local Governance
- Pierce County Barriers to Homeownership Survey Closes Today
- Pierce County Human Services is gathering community feedback on what’s making it hard to buy a home in Pierce County, with results headed to the County Council on July 1. Tacoma’s homeownership rate sits at 55 percent, well below regional, state, and national averages, and rates are lower still among historically marginalized populations. The county is especially interested in barriers for low- and moderate-income households. Take the survey: cognitoforms.com/PierceCounty2/PierceCountyBarriersToHomeownershipSurvey.
- Governor Ferguson Directs Flags to Half-Staff Memorial Day 5/25
- Governor Bob Ferguson has directed Washington State and U.S. flags at all state agency facilities to be lowered to half-staff on Monday, May 25, in recognition of Memorial Day. Agencies may lower flags at the close of business on Friday, May 22, and flags should remain at half-staff until noon Monday or first thing Tuesday morning. Other government entities, businesses, and individuals are encouraged to join. Curious about future flag directives? Subscribe at public.govdelivery.com/accounts/WAGOV.
- Tacoma City Council Moves to Activate High-Investment Corridors
- The Tacoma City Council has taken steps to further activate and support the city’s high-investment corridors, the major commercial and transit-adjacent strips where the city is concentrating future density and small-business support. The action follows the Home in Tacoma zoning update adopted in February. Full details on what the Council passed are available through the city newsroom at tacoma.gov.
- Washington Adds a Mobile Food Vendor License for Cities
- The Washington State Department of Revenue has rolled out a new “Mobile Food Vendor License” framework that cities can adopt as part of their business endorsement system. About a dozen Washington cities are piloting the endorsement in 2026, with a broader rollout planned for next year through partnerships with the Association of Washington Cities and the Municipal Research and Services Center. The new license is designed to standardize how food trucks and other mobile vendors register and operate across jurisdictions, instead of negotiating separate paperwork for every city they work in. See an example of how Richland is implementing the endorsement at dor.wa.gov/manage-business/city-endorsements/.
- Tacoma’s New Transportation Impact Fees Kick In June 1
- Starting June 1, the City of Tacoma will start charging transportation impact fees on new residential, commercial, and industrial development, joining nearly every other city in the region in making growth pay a share of the infrastructure it demands. The program, authorized by Council last year through Ordinance 29082, is projected to generate about $16 million a year, or roughly $164 million over the next decade, dedicated to sidewalks, bike lanes, trails, and intersection improvements identified in the city’s Capital Facilities Program and prioritized through the City’s Equity Index. Key carve-outs are designed to protect affordability and community services: 80 percent fee reductions for qualifying low-income housing and for early learning facilities where at least 25 percent of children qualify for state-subsidized care; 50 percent reductions for multifamily transit-oriented development near major stations; and full exemptions for alterations, renovations, or replacements that don’t add dwelling units or expand commercial space. Public Works will report annually to Council on revenue, project delivery, and geographic equity outcomes. Fee schedules, exemption applications, and program details at tacoma.gov/government/departments/public-works/transportation/transportation-planning-and-engineering/impact-fees.
- Starting June 1, the City of Tacoma will start charging transportation impact fees on new residential, commercial, and industrial development, joining nearly every other city in the region in making growth pay a share of the infrastructure it demands. The program, authorized by Council last year through Ordinance 29082, is projected to generate about $16 million a year, or roughly $164 million over the next decade, dedicated to sidewalks, bike lanes, trails, and intersection improvements identified in the city’s Capital Facilities Program and prioritized through the City’s Equity Index. Key carve-outs are designed to protect affordability and community services: 80 percent fee reductions for qualifying low-income housing and for early learning facilities where at least 25 percent of children qualify for state-subsidized care; 50 percent reductions for multifamily transit-oriented development near major stations; and full exemptions for alterations, renovations, or replacements that don’t add dwelling units or expand commercial space. Public Works will report annually to Council on revenue, project delivery, and geographic equity outcomes. Fee schedules, exemption applications, and program details at tacoma.gov/government/departments/public-works/transportation/transportation-planning-and-engineering/impact-fees.
- Tacoma Picked for National Legacy Forward Cohort to Support Established Local Businesses
- Tacoma is one of ten U.S. cities selected by the National League of Cities for its 2026 Legacy Forward initiative, a Nasdaq Foundation-funded program designed to help local governments support legacy businesses — companies that have anchored a community for 20-plus years and now face workforce shortages, supply chain disruption, or impending ownership transitions. The program targets “second-stage” enterprises with fewer than 100 employees and revenue between $1 million and $50 million, the unglamorous middle of the local economy that typically generates the bulk of net new local jobs (NLC pegs the figure at up to 80 percent). Other cohort cities include Chino, Fort Collins, Mount Pleasant, Oak Park, South San Francisco, St. Petersburg, Takoma Park, Tempe, and Wilmington. Tacoma’s team will participate in hands-on training, peer learning, and technical assistance through February 2027, culminating in an in-person convening to share what worked. Background at nlc.org.
- Tacoma is one of ten U.S. cities selected by the National League of Cities for its 2026 Legacy Forward initiative, a Nasdaq Foundation-funded program designed to help local governments support legacy businesses — companies that have anchored a community for 20-plus years and now face workforce shortages, supply chain disruption, or impending ownership transitions. The program targets “second-stage” enterprises with fewer than 100 employees and revenue between $1 million and $50 million, the unglamorous middle of the local economy that typically generates the bulk of net new local jobs (NLC pegs the figure at up to 80 percent). Other cohort cities include Chino, Fort Collins, Mount Pleasant, Oak Park, South San Francisco, St. Petersburg, Takoma Park, Tempe, and Wilmington. Tacoma’s team will participate in hands-on training, peer learning, and technical assistance through February 2027, culminating in an in-person convening to share what worked. Background at nlc.org.
Arts & Entertainment
- NCN Collective: Two-Week Residency @ Museum of Glass
- Museum of Glass has announced a two-week collaborative residency with the NCN Collective, with after-hours programming layered on top of the daytime Hot Shop sessions. A historic lineup for the Hot Shop, with extended public access in the evenings. Schedule and ticketing at museumofglass.org.
- 2026 Northwest Folklife Festival | Memorial Day Weekend 5/23 – 5/25
- If you’re looking to stay mostly local this weekend, just head north where the Northwest Folklife Festival lands at Seattle Center over Memorial Day weekend, three days of free, community-powered music, dance, food, and craft drawn from the cultural communities across the Pacific Northwest. The festival’s been doing this since 1972 and remains one of the largest free folk and ethnic arts events in the country. Schedule, stages, and getting-there info at nwfolklife.org.
- JBLM Gas Guzzlers 2nd Annual Show and Shine at Griot’s Garage 5/23
- The JBLM Gas Guzzlers Club brings its second annual Show and Shine to Griot’s Garage’s flagship retail store in Tacoma on Saturday 10am to 2pm. Free, open to the public, and any make or model is welcome to display. Active Duty service members, veterans, retirees, and their families get a particularly warm welcome, and Griot’s is offering 15 percent off liquids for Active Duty, veterans, retirees, and show participants. On-site: sodas from Uncle Sam’s Sodas, sweets from Liv of Lavina Sweets, and pies from the Just A Pizza My Mind food truck.
Opportunities
- Parks Tacoma Youth Sports League Registration | Deadline Tuesday, May 26
- Parks Tacoma’s summer youth sports league registration closes May 26. Sign up for basketball, baseball, softball, t-ball, or coach pitch. Spots fill fast and the deadline isn’t a soft one. Register at parkstacoma.gov.
- Passport Fair at Norm Dicks Government Building in Bremerton | Saturday, May 30, 10 AM to 3 PM
- Congresswoman Emily Randall is partnering with the Seattle Passport Agency on a Passport Fair at the Norm Dicks Government Building, 345 6th St. in Bremerton. Passport staff will accept first-time applications, renewals, minor passports, and expedited processing requests on-site. Appointments are required; RSVP through Eventbrite. First-time applicants should bring a completed DS-11, citizenship evidence plus a photocopy, a 2×2 passport photo from the last six months, valid photo ID with photocopies of the front and back, and payment. Government and official passports are not accepted at this event. Application details at travel.state.gov.
- Public Art Call: Portland Avenue Park Sprayground | Deadline June 8
- Parks Tacoma is looking for a Pierce County artist or artist team to design site-responsive digital vector graphics for the new sprayground and spray park at Portland Avenue Park, with the work expected to land as concrete stamps, metal inlays, and similar small interventions throughout the water play area. Budget is $10,000 for design and consultation. The selected artist will coordinate with architecture firm Mithun and will work with Parks Tacoma staff, local residents, and the Puyallup Tribe; final fabrication is handled by the Park District. Portland Avenue Park is a 13.4-acre community park on the Eastside, sits within the boundary of the Puyallup Reservation, and is just blocks from the Tribe’s administrative offices. Artists from Puyallup, Coast Salish, and other Pacific Northwest tribes, and from other historically disenfranchised communities, are explicitly encouraged to apply. Applicants must be Pierce County residents, over 18, and not employees, advisory council members, or Park Board commissioners. Full call and master plan at parkstacoma.gov/project/portland-avenue-park.
- Parks Tacoma is looking for a Pierce County artist or artist team to design site-responsive digital vector graphics for the new sprayground and spray park at Portland Avenue Park, with the work expected to land as concrete stamps, metal inlays, and similar small interventions throughout the water play area. Budget is $10,000 for design and consultation. The selected artist will coordinate with architecture firm Mithun and will work with Parks Tacoma staff, local residents, and the Puyallup Tribe; final fabrication is handled by the Park District. Portland Avenue Park is a 13.4-acre community park on the Eastside, sits within the boundary of the Puyallup Reservation, and is just blocks from the Tribe’s administrative offices. Artists from Puyallup, Coast Salish, and other Pacific Northwest tribes, and from other historically disenfranchised communities, are explicitly encouraged to apply. Applicants must be Pierce County residents, over 18, and not employees, advisory council members, or Park Board commissioners. Full call and master plan at parkstacoma.gov/project/portland-avenue-park.
Recreation
- Walk Tacoma: Lincoln District Food, Culture & Community in The Lincoln District | Wednesday 6/17
- Tacoma On the Go’s June Walk Tacoma heads to the Lincoln District for an evening of food, culture, and community on one of the city’s most distinctive commercial strips. Free, registration through Tacoma On the Go. Sponsored by MultiCare. downtownonthego.com.
- FairyFest at Lakewold Gardens | June 13 – 14
- Lakewold Gardens turns into a fairy-themed playground for two days in June, with magical activities and interactive discoveries built around encountering the gardens as a place of wonder. Family-friendly, costumes encouraged. Ticket info and schedule at lakewoldgardens.org.
- Parks Tacoma’s Late-May Lineup: Plant Swap, Low Tides, Pickleball, Camp Sign-ups
- Parks Tacoma is queuing up a busy end to May and start to June. Highlights include Kids to Parks Day, a community plant swap, a guided shoreline walk timed to the season’s lowest tides, ongoing pickleball drop-ins, and summer camp registration that’s getting busier by the week. Full events calendar at parkstacoma.gov.
- Tacoma Trails Challenge: Bingo, Parks, Prizes | June 1 to 30
- The Tacoma Trails Challenge is back for its sixth year, and this time it’s a bingo card. Sign up free, complete at least five challenges from nearly two dozen options between June 1 and 30, and you’re entered to win. Some squares are self-guided so you can knock them out at your own pace at any Tacoma park; others are tied to specific Park Guide walks, the Swan Creek Trail Run, or volunteer days. Cards are downloadable from the website or available at community centers, Tacoma Nature Center, the Parks Tacoma main office, and from Park Guides on-site at Point Defiance and other parks. A five-in-a-row line bingo qualifies you for the prize drawing; a full blackout earns an exclusive iron-on patch, triple entries, and bragging rights. Grand prize this year is a getaway package to the Silver Cloud Hotel at Point Ruston with a Copper & Salt restaurant credit. Runner-up prizes include AirPods Pro and gift baskets from Proliance, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, and the Tacoma Parks Foundation. Tag @ParksTacoma on social and upload favorite photos to the event page for bonus entries. The challenge has drawn close to 2,000 participants a year since launching in 2021. Free, all ages. Register at parkstacoma.gov/trails-day.
- The Tacoma Trails Challenge is back for its sixth year, and this time it’s a bingo card. Sign up free, complete at least five challenges from nearly two dozen options between June 1 and 30, and you’re entered to win. Some squares are self-guided so you can knock them out at your own pace at any Tacoma park; others are tied to specific Park Guide walks, the Swan Creek Trail Run, or volunteer days. Cards are downloadable from the website or available at community centers, Tacoma Nature Center, the Parks Tacoma main office, and from Park Guides on-site at Point Defiance and other parks. A five-in-a-row line bingo qualifies you for the prize drawing; a full blackout earns an exclusive iron-on patch, triple entries, and bragging rights. Grand prize this year is a getaway package to the Silver Cloud Hotel at Point Ruston with a Copper & Salt restaurant credit. Runner-up prizes include AirPods Pro and gift baskets from Proliance, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, and the Tacoma Parks Foundation. Tag @ParksTacoma on social and upload favorite photos to the event page for bonus entries. The challenge has drawn close to 2,000 participants a year since launching in 2021. Free, all ages. Register at parkstacoma.gov/trails-day.
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