Happy Friday Newsletter 7.17.26

Posted on by Ande Dunn

Neighborhood News

  • Tacoma Habitat at Home Pilot Enrollment | Open Through Wednesday, September 30
    • Tacoma Habitat at Home officially launched July 1, and enrollment in the pilot program is open through September 30. The program, run in partnership with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Pierce Conservation District, helps residents turn their yards into vibrant, wildlife-friendly habitats. Participants get free site visits, personalized plant recommendations, hands-on workshops, and certification for creating spaces that support pollinators, boost biodiversity, conserve water, and strengthen connections to nearby open spaces such as Wapato Hills and Trafton Slope. Applications and a waitlist for future expansion across the city are available at tacoma.gov/habitatathome.
  • Scam Alert: Fraudulent Locksmith Stickers Popping Up in Tacoma
    • Tacoma residents are being warned about a nationwide burglary tactic that has landed in local neighborhoods. Scammers are placing suspicious locksmith stickers, usually containing only a phone number, generic “24/7 Locksmith” wording, and no business name or license. Legitimate locksmith stickers exist for tenant lockouts, but scammers replace those with their own, pose as locksmiths when called, and can copy keys that are later used in burglaries. The stickers are often slapped over legitimate ones, and the phone numbers can rarely be traced to a verifiable business online. Sometimes the door locks themselves are tampered with first, so a stuck lock nudges residents into calling the number on the decal. Take a photo, save any door-camera footage, check your locks for tampering, and report the sticker to Tacoma Police at 253-287-4455 or through the city’s 311 system. If you need a locksmith, ask your building manager for the correct number or use a company with clear, upfront pricing that tries nondestructive entry first. Any locksmith who insists on drilling before trying alternatives is a red flag.
  • Future Eagle Scout Preserves State-Owned Buildings From First U.S. Army Post in Puget Sound
    • Two sets of stairs leading to 170-year-old buildings at Historic Fort Steilacoom are safe to climb again, thanks to Eagle Scout Dylan Rousseau and the Scouts and supporters of BSA Troop 299, a boys’ and girls’ troop in Tacoma. The buildings housed men who would go on to fight in the U.S. Civil War, and volunteers at the fort had been quietly worried that a visitor would step through the disintegrating stairs, which citizen volunteers built in the 1980s when the state of Washington was ready to let the state-owned buildings collapse. The state still owns the buildings but does not consistently repair them, so the work falls to volunteer organizations such as the Historic Fort Steilacoom Association. Rousseau’s team put in a long day replacing the worn-out steps with sturdy new construction expected to serve visitors for decades. The Historic Fort Steilacoom Association and Troop 299 chipped in on the lumber, and Gray Lumber gave the project a discount. Timing was tight and important: The fort hosted hundreds of visitors at its open house over the holiday weekend. historicfortsteilacoom.org.
  • Tacoma’s New City Maps Highlight a Walkable Core
    • The latest official Tacoma maps, tied to the 2025 Transportation and Mobility Plan, are redrawing how residents and visitors see the city. New pedestrian and bicycle maps highlight a compact, walkable downtown framed by the Foss Waterway, the Museum District, and the historic core around Pacific Avenue. They also identify priority corridors, high-risk streets for traffic safety, and connections between transit stops and waterfront paths. The T Line extension to the Stadium District and Hilltop, completed in 2023, has become the organizing element for many new map editions, simplifying what used to be a confusing tangle of bus routes for occasional riders and making the streetcar the reference line between the Tacoma Dome, the convention center, hospitals, and Hilltop neighborhoods. Visitor handouts at museums and waterfront attractions now carry inset diagrams of nearby streetcar stops, parking, and walking routes, which has the effect of shrinking the perceived distance between inland sights and the shoreline. Half-day itineraries that used to feel like two separate trips now read like one. Find the latest map through tacoma.gov.
  • Two Tacoma Chefs Compete on Food Network’s Pitmasters
    • Reginald Jacob Howell and Denzel Johnson, the Tacoma chefs behind Grann Restaurant, which serves Creole, Caribbean, and Indian food, are competing on Food Network’s new Pitmasters series for a $50,000 prize. The competition is in its first season, so the challenges are unexpected for all the pitmasters. The pair found themselves cooking outdoors over an open fire for six consecutive days in Utah, with unpredictable weather, elevation changes, and long hours tending a live fire. We can’t wait to see how they represent Tacoma in the competition.

Local Governance

  • Pierce County Primary Election: Ballots and Local Voters’ Pamphlets in Mailboxes This Week
    • Pierce County’s Local Voters’ Pamphlets for the August 4 primary election were mailed last week and were expected to reach mailboxes by July 14. Ballots followed the same week, and the voting period runs from July 14 to August 4. Depending on where you live, your ballot may include races for U.S. representative, state senator, state representative, Pierce County Council districts 1, 5, and 7, Washington Supreme Court justice, and Pierce County District Court judge No. 7. Voters in Carbonado, Fircrest, Tacoma, and Fire Protection District No. 10 in Fife will also see local resolutions on their ballots. Pierce County Elections is asking voters to vote early and use one of the 57 drop boxes rather than mailing ballots back. The county’s drop-box map is linked from PierceCountyWA.gov/Elections. If your pamphlet did not arrive by July 14, call 253-798-8683 or email Elections@PierceCountyWA.gov. Sign up to track your ballot at VoteWA.gov. The 64-page pamphlet is also available online and at library branches across the Pierce County, Tacoma, and Puyallup library systems.
  • Connect Tacoma Proposition 1: Before You Vote | August 4 Ballot
    • Connect Tacoma, the Safe Streets and Sidewalks Levy, is on the August 4 ballot as Proposition 1. The Tacoma Business Council has released a Before You Vote briefing summarizing the levy’s scope, projected costs, and expected work. Tacoma On the Go and others are endorsing the measure and organizing volunteer support. Verify your registration at VoteWA.gov.
  • Washington DOL Opens Rulemaking on Professional Licensing Fee Increases
    • The Washington State Department of Licensing began formal rulemaking on July 1 to implement fee increases across its Business and Professions Division, with the revised schedule set to take effect January 1, 2027. State law requires the department to conduct regular financial reviews of its licensing operations to keep them self-sustaining. The agency’s latest review found that current fees were no longer sufficient to maintain long-term financial stability. The fees fund the processing of new applications and renewals, corporate licensing records, customer service, IT infrastructure, compliance audits, and enforcement. DOL has not yet published exact dollar amounts, but it says affected business entities will receive advance notice before the January 1 implementation. The Business and Professions Division regulates dozens of professional categories in the state, from collection agencies to a long list of trades and services. Full rulemaking documents and updates will be posted through dol.wa.gov as the process advances.
  • Council Members Palmer and Diaz Issue Statement on Data Center Moratorium
    • At-large council members Latasha Palmer and Olgy Diaz released a joint statement on the proposed data center moratorium in Tacoma, laying out their reasoning as the council prepares to debate the pause. The new interpretation of Tacoma’s zoning code clarifies that “stand alone data centers cannot be permitted under current regulations.” Data center development has become a growing flashpoint in cities across the country as electricity demand, water use, and community impacts become clearer.
  • Mayor Ibsen to Hold Office Hours in Lincoln District July 22
    • Mayor Ibsen will hold office hours at Tho Tuong BBQ, 715 S. 38th St., on Wednesday, July 22, from 12:15 to 1:15
      p.m. All are welcome.
  • Fishing Wars Memorial Bridge Closed Through 2033; $7.6 Million Federal Grant Advances Replacement Design
    • Tacoma’s Fishing Wars Memorial Bridge, the key link over the Puyallup River between Tacoma and Fife, is now expected to remain closed until approximately 2033, roughly a decade after federal inspectors ordered its shutdown in October 2023. City engineers have determined that a cleanup-and-reopen approach is no longer realistic, given the extent of the structural problems and the complexity of encapsulating the bridge to protect salmon-bearing waters during any repair work. The city is instead planning a phased replacement of large sections of the span. On July 7, the city announced a $7.6 Million BUILD grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to pay for environmental analysis and final design, moving the project from concept to constriction-ready plans. H.W. Lochner is leading the design work and is expected to reach 30 percent completion by year’s end. The total project cost is currently estimated at $288 million, with the bulk expected to require a larger federal “mega grant” that has not yet been secured. City Manager Hyun Kim credited federal lawmakers for the BUILD award, and Public Works Deputy Director Corey Newton said the city is focused on “the most efficient use of government resources and dollars,” which is why staff is considering faster delivery methods such as design-build. Meanwhile, businesses near the closed span report drops in customer traffic as trucks and commuters continue rerouting around the Dome District. Full project updates are available at tacoma.gov/news.

Arts & Entertainment

  • Tacoma Bon Odori Festival @ Tacoma Buddhist Temple | Saturday August 1, 4 to 8 p.m.
    • Japanese dance under twilight skies, live taiko drums, and lanterns strung above the street outside the Tacoma Buddhist Temple. The Tacoma Bon Odori Festival returns Saturday, August 1, with dancers in traditional yukata and happi coats performing easy-to-follow dances that anyone is welcome to join between taiko sets. On festival day, expect a beer garden, kids’ activities, and booths selling kimonos, accessories and other Japanese goods. Temple-made food is the sleeper draw: teriyaki bowls, cold somen noodles, daifuku mochi, Obon dogs, mochi-wrapped strawberry trifles. Get them early before they’re gone. Credit cards are preferred. The festival is rooted in Obon, the Buddhist tradition of remembering those who have passed while enjoying the present moment together, also known as Kangi-e, or “Gathering of Joy.” The Obon service is at 4:30 p.m., and the candlelight memorial follows at 8 p.m. Both are open to the public. 1717 S. Fawcett Ave., Tacoma. Learn more at tacomabt.org/obon-festival.
  • Amanda Knox @ Tacoma Little Theater | Tuesday, July 28, 7:30 to 9 p.m.
    • Amanda Knox brings her first full-hour one-woman show, Mama Goes to Italy, to Tacoma Little Theater for one night only. Nearing forty and navigating motherhood, she revisits years of wrongful imprisonment in Italy, the chorus of voices that told her to move on, and the doubts that still trail her, all while figuring out how to eventually tell her daughter the story she calls Mama Goes to Italy. The show turns candor and humor toward protection and vulnerability and toward what parents can and cannot shield their children from. Knox has become an author, journalist, and exoneree. Her memoir, Free: My Search for Meaning, and podcast, Hard Knox, are part of a growing creative catalog. All seats are $40. Recommended for ages 16 and older. More info at tacomalittletheater.com.
  • Decades in the Making: 10 Years of SOLA Awardees @ Tacoma Art Museum | July 18 to November 15
    • Tacoma Art Museum opens Decades in the Making: 10 Years of SOLA Awardees this Saturday with a free public reception from 11a.m. to 1 p.m. The exhibition celebrates a decade of Support Old Lady Artist honorees, recipients of peer-selected awards for established female artists over 60 whose sustained practice, experimentation, and vision have shaped the Pacific Northwest’s cultural landscape. SOLA was founded in 2016 by Ginny Ruffner and Marge Levy as a single $1,000 award and has grown into a statewide movement offering five annual $5,000 awards, professional Video Spotlights, and a digital archive dedicated to preserving these artists’ stories. The show runs through November 15 and pairs with community gatherings and public programs developed with TAM. “This exhibition honors the remarkable women artists selected by their peers,” said SOLA Executive Director Nichole DeMent. “It reflects SOLA’s core belief in celebrating artists for their lifelong dedication to creative practice and ensuring their work is seen, valued, and remembered.” More info at tacomaartmuseum.org.
  • Cruise the Narrows Car Show @ Gig Harbor | Saturday August 1
    • The Gig Harbor Cruisers Car Club rolls out its 2026 Cruise the Narrows Car Show at Uptown Gig Harbor, 4701 Point Fosdick Drive, on Saturday August 1, with more than 200 vehicles, vendor booths, a silent auction, music, and family programming. Founded in 1997, the Cruisers have spent nearly three decades pairing car culture with community fundraising, and this remains the club’s largest annual push. Since launching the Gig Harbor Cruisers Scholarship Fund, the club has awarded more than $125,000 to students at Gig Harbor High, Peninsula High, and Henderson Bay High who are pursuing automotive careers. Last year’s event raised $12,000 in scholarships. Admission is free for spectators. Vehicle entry is $20, with no preregistration. Donations to the scholarship fund are welcome at the gate. More info at gigharborcruisers.com.
  • Washington State Fair Tickets On Sale Now
    • The Washington State Fair in Puyallup has opened advance ticket sales for the 2026 fair, which runs throughout September and includes concerts, rides, food, and animals. Advance tickets offer the best value, so grab them now at thefair.com.
  • 2026 SALT Mixer @ ANTHEM Coffee | Thursday July 30, 6 to 9 p.m.
    • Foster’s Creative hosts the annual SALT Mixer at ANTHEM Coffee in Downtown Tacoma, 1911 Pacific Ave., on Thursday, July 30. The pitch is intentional slowdown time for Tacoma leaders, movers, shakers, and creatives to trade notes on what it takes to thrive through post-pandemic recovery, the rise of AI, and a shifting economy. Business owners, nonprofit leaders, artists, and other creatives are welcome. Anthem is pouring coffee, beer, and wine; Financial Vision Bookkeeping is co-hosting; and DJ Baloogz is spinning ’90s and early-2000s vinyl. Details and RSVP at fosterscreative.com/saltmixer.
  • Relay for Life Night at the Rainiers | Friday, July 17
    • Want to watch a baseball game and fireworks while supporting cancer research? You can, because Relay for Life is hosting a Night at the Park with music, community programming, and cancer research fundraising. A portion of ticket sales benefits the American Cancer Society. Each ticket includes reserved seating ad a ballpark meal with a hot dog, chips and water.

Opportunities

  • Tacoma Special Events Funding Applications Open | Deadline Tuesday August 4
    • Tacoma Venues & Events is accepting applications for its Special Events funding program to support events benefiting the public in 2027. Cultural celebrations, neighborhood gatherings, community festivals, and one-off original ideas are all fair game. The program is funded by revenue from city-owned venues that TVE reinvests into local events, cultural programming, and community grants, aligned with the city’s Access & Belonging for All framework. Applications close August 4. Full guidelines and the application are available through tacomavenues.org.
  • Working Design Seeks Two Muralists for 6th Avenue in Tacoma
    • Working Design is looking for two artists from Tacoma and the surrounding area to create original murals along 6th Avenue. The artists will create the murals in front of a crowd during Art of the Ave on Sunday August 9, from noon to 7 p.m. near the main stage. If you’re interested, send a short bio and three examples of your work to stein@theworkingdesign.com. Artists will be compensated.
  • Volunteer for Safer Streets at Porchfest and Connect Tacoma Proposition 1
    • Tacoma On the Go is recruiting volunteers to support Connect Tacoma: Safe Streets and Sidewalks Levy, which is on the August 4 ballot at Proposition 1. Volunteers are especially needed for Porchfest presence on Saturday and Sunday, July 18 and 19, as well as sign-waving events and door-to-door canvassing. More info at tacomaonthego.org.
  • Volunteer Call: Human Nature @ The Mecca | Saturday July 18, shifts 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    • Spaceworks Tacoma needs volunteers for Human Nature, an immersive, participatory experience produced in collaboration with Leslie Davenport as part of PNW Climate Week. Attendees move through four elemental stations, each paired with an emotional landscape and hands-on activities designed to help participants feel what the climate crisis is like in their bodies rather than just read about it. The experience runs from 1 to 4 p.m. at The Mecca, 760 Commerce St. Volunteer shifts run between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Each shift is a minimum of three hours and involves checking in attendees and orienting them to the activities. Sign up through Spaceworks Tacoma.
  • WA BizFair 2026 | September 19
    • BizFair 2026, Washington state’s largest small-business resource fair, returns this fall with keynote speaker Lewis Rudd of Ezell’s Famous Chicken. The Washington Small Business Fair 2026 will be held in Puyallup on September 19 at Pierce College. Register at eventbrite.com/e/puyallup-bizfair-2026-tickets-1987845174428.
  • Chamber Manufacturing Incubator Applications Opening Soon
    • The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber has announced that applications for its Manufacturing Incubator will open soon, offering support services and space for early-stage manufacturers in the region. Are you ready to turn your product idea into a manufacturing business? Applications for the inaugural Tacoma Manufacturing Incubator cohort provide at 12-week program designed to help makers, inventors, and entrepreneurs build and launch with confidence. Watch tacomachamber.org for the opening date.
  • Community Accelerator Grant: $10 Million for Washington Arts & Culture | Applications July 15 to August 21
    • ArtsFund, in partnership with Allen Family Philanthropies, has open the fourth round of its Community Accelerator Grant, a $10 million investment in Washington state’s arts and culture sector. Applications opened at noon Wednesday, July 15, and close at 5 p.m. Friday August 21. Full eligibility parameters, application details, and the portal are available at artsfund.org/accelerator.

Recreation

  • Tacoma’s First Paddleboard Rave @ Commencement Bay | Sunday July 19, 1 to 4 p.m.
    • Tacoma’s first Paddleboard Rave lands on Commencement Bay Sunday afternoon. Someone looked at the bay and said, “Yes, this needs bass,” and the plan is to run three DJs: Artistic, Lit with Lydia, and Decoded. Everyone will float around on paddleboards, kayaks, tubes, and whatever majestic floating contraptions they can rig up. Pack your own life jacket, sunscreen, snacks and a floating crew. Commencement Bay has real wind, real waves and real cold water, so common sense is not optional. Organizers do not provide life jackets or alcoholic beverages and no one boards their boats except private guests. The launch location will be released to followers via direct message on the day of the event. Weather permitting. Bring a camera; the seals, eagles and if you’re lucky, orcas will be part of the party.
  • 2026 Fall Junior Toptracer League @ Meadow Park | Registration Open
    • Meadow Park Golf Course is opening registration for its 2026 Fall Junior League, an in-house program for young players of any skill or experience level. Newcomers are welcome alongside kids returning from previous Junior League season. Players compete on the Williams 9 course and build fundamentals through team practices led by PGA professionals, associates, and First-Tee certified coaches at the practice facility. Practices run Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m.; matches are Sundays at 3 p.m. Register at pgajrleague.com/junior-league-events/8835ce80-4b8b-443c-973c-433eb76e1c3d.
  • Loop Trail Phase 2 Opens at Point Defiance | Opening Celebration Friday, July 31
    • The second phase of the Loop Trail at Point Defiance Park wrapped up July 2, adding 1.6 miles of paved path, linking some of the park’s biggest draws: the Pagoda, Wilson Way Bridge, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, the Environmental Learning Center, and Owen Beach. Both the Pearl Street and Mildred Street entrances, which were closed during construction, are open again.
    • Parks Tacoma is celebrating with a ribbon-cutting behind the Pagoda on Friday, July 31, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., followed by a guided walk down the new trail to Owen Beach. More than 3 million people visit the 760-acre park each year, and anyone who has tried to push a stroller past the zoo entrance on a busy Saturday knows exactly why a safer pedestrian route has been in demand. The push started in 2015, when neighbors flagged pedestrian-vehicle conflicts around the zoo. The two-phase, roughly $6 million project was funded largely by a 2014 voter-approved bond measure and includes a new sidewalk in front of the zoo connecting the Park Avenue trail segment. Full event details are available at parkstacoma.gov/event/loop-trail-opening.
  • Walk Tacoma: McKinley Hill Season Finale | Wednesday, August 12, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
    • Tacoma On the Go closes out the 2026 Walk Tacoma season with an evening of exploration of McKinley Hill, one of the city’s most distinct and evolving neighborhoods. The walk spotlights local businesses, community character, neighborhood history, and the ongoing energy shaping McKinley’s future. The walk wraps up with a neighborhood social featuring food, drinks, and time to connect. Free; all are welcome. Register through Tacoma On the Go at downtowntacomaonthego.com.
  • Owl Together Now 3-Mile Run and 1-Mile Walk @ Point Defiance | Sunday, July 26
    • Parks Tacoma hosts the Owl Together Now 3-Mile run and 1-Mile walk at Point Defiance on Sunday July 26. The evening event follows a course through Five Mile Drive and finishes as the light fades, followed by an outdoor party after the finish line. Register at parkstacoma.gov/event/owl-together-now/.

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