Pierce County Events Calendar
This calendar is the place to find fun events happening throughout Pierce County, including Tacoma, Puyallup, Lakewood and beyond.
Have an event that isn’t listed? Please email events@SouthSoundTalk.com with the following information:
- Name of Event
- Date, time and location (name of business if applicable and complete address)
- Organizer(s) name
- Cost
- URL to purchase tickets
- Website URL
- SHORT description of the event
- Photo
Our editors will review and post within a few business days.
Rick Smolan will share the inside story of how he documented Robyn Davidson’s epic 1700-mile walk across the Australian Outback.
Word got to National Geographic magazine that a 26-year-old woman named Robyn Davidson was planning a 1700-mile walk across the Australian outback with four camels and no outside support. The magazine sent photojournalist Rick Smolan to interview her. Initially she blew him off, but he persisted and eventually earned her trust—and the invitation to join her a few times along the way.
Shot over nine months, these images would become an unforgettable National Geographic cover story and subject of the award-winning feature film TRACKS.
Rick Smolan is a New York Times bestselling author with over five million books in print. The actor Adam Driver portrayed him in the award-winning movie TRACKS, based on his National Geographic cover story about Robyn Davidson’s 1700-mile camel trek across the Australian outback. A TIME, Life, and National Geographic photographer, Rick created the “Day in the Life” book series, which featured the world’s leading photographers and combined storytelling with state-of-the-art technology.
The Good Fight: America’s Ongoing Struggle for Justice was chosen by TED as the official book club selection, and will become a TV series. Natasha’s Story, his TED talk about an 11-year-old child left to him in a dying Korean woman’s will, has been watched by over 1.4 million people.
Oprah Winfrey featured Rick’s AMERICA 24/7 book on her “Favorite Things” program and Fortune describes Smolan’s Against All Odds Productions as “One of the 25 Coolest Companies in America.” In 2023, Rick was awarded the “Ellis Island Medal of Honor” presented to individuals who “embody the spirit of American patriotism, tolerance, brotherhood and diversity.” Rick’s latest undertaking is a dramatic TV series based on famed Science fiction author Robert Heinlein’s Tunnel in the Sky, in partnership with Miles Dale, Oscar-winning producer of The Shape of Water and the producer of Guillermo del Toro’s films.
Enjoy a rainbow of colors and bushels of fun at the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden’s Fall Foliage Festival and Plant Sale on October 26-27
Join us for this free event featuring garden tours and plant talks, kids’ scavenger hunt, a food truck, or search for the perfect spot to take that quintessential fall photo. Also shop RSBG’s biggest sale of the year! Discover an immersive wonderland of sights, sounds, and sensations – from cool breezes to rustling leaves and the quiet swaying of golden-brown maple trees.
The garden’s annual Fall Foliage Festival and Plant Sale is sure to please garden enthusiasts and nature lovers of all ages. For plant hunters looking for something special, featured pop-up vendors will bring their cultivated collections to the Rutherford Conservatory terrace.
Dig into a savory dish from a food truck before heading to the Gift Shop for unique garden gifts or peruse the books in the Visitor Center to learn about the beloved Rhododendron species and the natural history of the Pacific Northwest. Our collection of Japanese maples, deciduous azaleas, and other deciduous species never fails to produce a large range of bright colors right before we head into the dark and grey of winter.
Enjoy a rainbow of colors and bushels of fun at the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden’s Fall Foliage Festival and Plant Sale on October 26-27
Join us for this free event featuring garden tours and plant talks, kids’ scavenger hunt, a food truck, or search for the perfect spot to take that quintessential fall photo. Also shop RSBG’s biggest sale of the year! Discover an immersive wonderland of sights, sounds, and sensations – from cool breezes to rustling leaves and the quiet swaying of golden-brown maple trees.
The garden’s annual Fall Foliage Festival and Plant Sale is sure to please garden enthusiasts and nature lovers of all ages. For plant hunters looking for something special, featured pop-up vendors will bring their cultivated collections to the Rutherford Conservatory terrace.
Dig into a savory dish from a food truck before heading to the Gift Shop for unique garden gifts or peruse the books in the Visitor Center to learn about the beloved Rhododendron species and the natural history of the Pacific Northwest. Our collection of Japanese maples, deciduous azaleas, and other deciduous species never fails to produce a large range of bright colors right before we head into the dark and grey of winter.
The City of Tacoma, Tacoma Public Schools, and Korsmo Construction invite the local
media and the community to T-Town: City Services Expo & Job Fair at the Tacoma
Dome. This free, family-friendly event offers a unique opportunity for Tacoma
residents to interact with City departments, explore career opportunities, and engage
in hands-on activities. For the second year, T-Town will once again feature the Tacoma
Public Schools (TPS) and Korsmo Construction Trades & Hiring Fair.
The event introduces a new element, “Truck-Or-Treat,” a fun twist on a Touch-ATruck event, where attendees can enjoy trick-or-treating in the Tacoma Dome Arena. Family-friendly costumes are encouraged as participants explore vehicles from City departments, including Environmental Services Solid Waste, Tacoma Power, Tacoma Rail, Public Works, TV Tacoma, Tacoma Fire, and Tacoma Police, among others.
More than 2,000 students are expected to attend the Trades & Hiring Fair on Friday,
November 1. Attendees can “Try-A-Trade” which includes activities where students and
job seekers can test out various trades and interact with some heavy duty equipment
while exploring career pathways with more than 100 companies in industries like
maritime, transportation, logistics, and construction.
The City of Tacoma, Tacoma Public Schools, and Korsmo Construction invite the local
media and the community to T-Town: City Services Expo & Job Fair at the Tacoma
Dome. This free, family-friendly event offers a unique opportunity for Tacoma
residents to interact with City departments, explore career opportunities, and engage
in hands-on activities. For the second year, T-Town will once again feature the Tacoma
Public Schools (TPS) and Korsmo Construction Trades & Hiring Fair.
The event introduces a new element, “Truck-Or-Treat,” a fun twist on a Touch-ATruck event, where attendees can enjoy trick-or-treating in the Tacoma Dome Arena. Family-friendly costumes are encouraged as participants explore vehicles from City departments, including Environmental Services Solid Waste, Tacoma Power, Tacoma Rail, Public Works, TV Tacoma, Tacoma Fire, and Tacoma Police, among others.
More than 2,000 students are expected to attend the Trades & Hiring Fair on Friday,
November 1. Attendees can “Try-A-Trade” which includes activities where students and
job seekers can test out various trades and interact with some heavy duty equipment
while exploring career pathways with more than 100 companies in industries like
maritime, transportation, logistics, and construction.
Guest Speaker – Terry Rishel
Terry’s photography began in 1980, shooting abstracts in nature and soon progressed to medium and large format cameras, photographing commercial, architecture, nature, weddings, etc. He then opened a photo studio with friends in Tacoma, WA. Over the years, Terry has received multiple photographic awards with noted companies, such as Nikon, Polaroid, Hasselblad, Illford, etc. From 1991-2009, Terry became Dale Chihuly’s head photographer, as well as studio manager for Chihuly Studio One (TS-1). Traveling with Chihuly for many years, he photographed over fifty fine art books, as well as hundreds of thousands of photos from around the world. Terry and his crew mocked up and built many installations and complex lighting scenarios. With the onset of digital photography and an intense interest in florals, the work continues.
Join us for the Family History Quilt Show featuring 150 beautiful quilts made by local Puget Sound quilters. We will be honoring Veterans with a special program at 11AM along with a Patriotic display of red, white, and blue quilts.
Unique to this Quilt Show is our Family History theme with volunteers dressed up sharing stories. Travel back in time to meet Oregon Trail pioneers, a WW I Fighter Pilot, American Civil War Union soldiers and more.
Come learn some new quilt making skills during our all-day demonstrations.
Help us tie charity quilts to be donated to a local women’s shelter.
If you would like to participate by displaying your quilts in the show or volunteering, please contact: Elizabeth Thomas at elizabethquilts@hotmail.com.
This is a one-day Quilt Show- you won’t want to miss!
THE VIKINGS ARE COMING! We are happy to present our 2nd annual Viking Days. You’ll find Vikings, crafts, gifts, music, dancing, meatballs etc…! Did anyone say meatball sundaes? Aquavit, mead, wine & spirits tastings. Full lineup to be shared later. All Veterans enjoy a free food punch card on Sunday for your services. Show your ID. Two floors of fun for the whole family!
THE VIKINGS ARE COMING! We are happy to present our 2nd annual Viking Days. You’ll find Vikings, crafts, gifts, music, dancing, meatballs etc…! Did anyone say meatball sundaes? Aquavit, mead, wine & spirits tastings. Full lineup to be shared later. All Veterans enjoy a free food punch card on Sunday for your services. Show your ID. Two floors of fun for the whole family!
An affordable event for families: Experience an 1861 Christmas at Historic Fort Steilacoom on Dec. 14
Step back in time and experience Christmas as it was celebrated in 1861! Join Historic Fort Steilacoom in Lakewood on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, from 4:30 to 8 p.m., as living historians bring the holiday season to life in the same buildings where it was celebrated 163 years ago.
Visitors will walk through candlelit scenes of re-enactors singing, dancing, dining, and exchanging gifts, just as the residents of Fort Steilacoom might have done in the first U.S. military post in Puget Sound. Visitors from 2024 will walk past and witness scenes as if the visitors are silent time travelers.
Though 1861 marked the beginning of the U.S. Civil War, Christmas at Fort Steilacoom was a time of celebration and social gathering, where soldiers, families, and friends came together in a festive spirit.
Ticket Information
Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for youth. A family of up to two adults and four youth pays $12. Proceeds support the maintenance of Fort Steilacoom’s historic buildings. Tickets are available in advance through Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/christmas-at-historic-fort-steilacoom-1861-in-2024-tickets-1086615178249?aff=oddtdtcreator
This popular event often sells out, so advance purchase is highly recommended. You can check the Fort Steilacoom Facebook page for updates about tickets.
The final tour group departs at 7:10 p.m.
Fort Steilacoom is on the grounds of Western State Hospital, located at 9601 Steilacoom Blvd. SW, Lakewood, WA 98498. Be sure to use this address to locate the fort, as GPS may direct you to nearby Fort Steilacoom Park. After entering Western State, turn right, and look for the cannon shelter and lights. Tours start at the building furthest right of the four.
About Fort Steilacoom
Fort Steilacoom was the first U.S. Army post in Puget Sound, operating from 1849 to 1868. Now managed entirely by volunteers, it holds an essential place in the settlement and early history of Washington Territory. The Historic Fort Steilacoom Association is dedicated to preserving this heritage, acknowledging the complex history of the Fort, and including diverse perspectives in its storytelling.
Learn more at www.historicfortsteilacoom.org