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.
The beloved Tacoma Santa Parade is back for its 11th year, bringing holiday cheer, community fun, and endless festive activities to historic South Tacoma Way on Saturday, December 14th. This year’s event promises an unforgettable experience for all ages, with the day’s festivities kicking off at noon and leading up to the exciting parade at 4:30 PM.
Event Highlights:
? Street Festival (Noon – 6:00 PM): South Tacoma Way between 50th and 56th will transform into a bustling holiday street festival, featuring a wide range of vendors selling handmade gifts, bath and body items, home goods, jewelry, including a Creepmas Market and more—perfect for holiday shopping!
? Food Vendors: Satisfy your seasonal cravings with comfort foods from local vendors, including Pacific Islander delicacies, soul food, pizza, kettlecorn, baked goods, hot cocoa, and more. Enjoy the tastes of the holidays while exploring all the festival has to offer.
? Stage Entertainment: A full lineup of live performances will celebrate the season with music and dance. Don’t miss the Ugly Holiday Sweater Contest at 4:00 PM on the main stage—bring your most outrageous festive attire and compete for prizes!
? Parade (4:30 PM): The grand Tacoma Santa Parade will step off in style with local cheer teams, dance clubs, marching bands, decorated floats, and, of course, Santa’s Elves. The parade will end with the arrival of Santa Claus himself, spreading holiday cheer to all in attendance.
Join Us as a Sponsor or Parade Participant:
To make this year’s event truly magical, we are still welcoming sponsors and parade participants who wish to join in spreading holiday joy. Interested businesses and community groups can visit our website at www.tacomasantaparade.org to complete an application and become part of this cherished Tacoma tradition.
Sponsors and Community Support:
This year’s event is proudly supported by local businesses and sponsors dedicated to making the holiday season brighter for the Tacoma community, including Pierce Transit, Stellar Soirees Event Creation, SEO2000, Partytime Parcels, Cascade Home Builders, Tapco Credit Union, Liz Ann Johnson Elder Law, Guild Mortgage and the Asian Pacific Cultural Center. Their support and commitment to community spirit help make this cherished event possible.
Join Us for the Magic of the Holiday Season:
The Tacoma Santa Parade & Street Festival has become a favorite annual tradition, bringing together families, friends, and neighbors to celebrate the holiday season with warmth, joy, and Tacoma’s signature community spirit. With fun for all ages and something for everyone, the 11th Annual Tacoma Santa Parade promises a day filled with festive cheer.
For more information, follow our event updates or reach out to Event Coordinator Jennifer Day at tacomasantaparade@gmail.com. We look forward to celebrating with you and ringing in the holiday season together in the heart of Tacoma!
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
The Evergreen Ballroom story is an immigrant story, a local community story, and a music lovers’ story. From the time it was constructed to the last day that music played, the dance hall saw a number of people cross its stage who would go on to musical fame. In this presentation, Rebecca Sanchez will cover her research from a series of local history articles published on Thurston Talk.
Hybrid Format: Come in person or join online.
Registration required for online attendance only https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lS3QWnAcTpmwaTU6tf5sVQ#/registration
Donate & Win a $3,000 digital gift card – Donate & Win – Bloodworks Northwest
Did you know only 3% of people give blood, yet it takes thousands of us donating every day to ensure blood is available for our community? This January, make a difference with Bloodworks and donate! As a thank you, you have a chance to win a $3,000 prepaid digital gift card!
Go to www.bloodworksnw.org/win to book an appointment near you and complete your online entry.
The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to commit to your next donation and set a goal to donate every time you’re eligible! Join Bloodworks in celebration of National Blood Donor Month!
It takes 1,000 donors a day to maintain a safe and reliable blood supply in the Pacific Northwest.
Donate & Win a $3,000 digital gift card – Donate & Win – Bloodworks Northwest
Did you know only 3% of people give blood, yet it takes thousands of us donating every day to ensure blood is available for our community? This January, make a difference with Bloodworks and donate! As a thank you, you have a chance to win a $3,000 prepaid digital gift card!
Go to www.bloodworksnw.org/win to book an appointment near you and complete your online entry.
The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to commit to your next donation and set a goal to donate every time you’re eligible! Join Bloodworks in celebration of National Blood Donor Month!
It takes 1,000 donors a day to maintain a safe and reliable blood supply in the Pacific Northwest.
Join Dupont Parks & Recreation for an exciting Speed Puzzle Competition on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at 6:00 PM! Gather your team of four (ages 10 and up) and race to assemble puzzles for a chance to win some awesome prizes! With a diner-themed dinner included, it’s just $40 per team—sign up today at dupontwa.gov/195/events!
Prizes will be distributed on the evening of the event. Please distribute amongst your team.
Please bring a puzzle to swap, this is a really fun opportunity to share your love of puzzles with others!
Ages 10 & up.
Stop by Rebuilding Hope’s new Hilltop headquarters to enjoy celebratory refreshments, tour the building, and learn about expanding healing services for victim-survivors.
Join us for the 4th Annual Irish Festival at Freighthouse Square
Over 40 Vendors, Beer Gardens, Leprechaun Photo Booth, Sweet Treats,
Food Trucks & Entertainment.
Joining us on the main stage are Celtic Treble, Clan Gordon Bagpipers & Jeweled Scarab Belly Dancers.
Free Parking in the parking garage across the street. Enter by the Escape Room/Defiant Fox Games entrance. Food trucks will be out front on the street!
Join Tacoma Historical Society for our Golden Gala at the Rust Mansion. Enjoy a magical night at the historic residence, complete with live music, drinks and a curated selection of local foods.
Special guest Peter Altmann will speak about his great aunt, Adele Bloch-Bauer, who was Gustav Klimt’s Woman in Gold. Learn about the person, the painting, the artist, the movie and its journey through time. He will talk about his mother, Maria Altmann, who escaped the Nazis and then had to fight for the return of her painting.
Peter graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a minor in Art History and has spoken at museums, schools and organizations around the globe.
Guests are encouraged to wear formal attire. Thematic gold is admired, but not required.
The evening will also include a silent auction. All proceeds from this event support Tacoma Historical Society’s mission to preserve, present, and promote Tacoma’s history by connecting generations to the many stories of our city’s past.
The 14th Annual Pierce County Bike Swap is a FREE family-friendly community event put on by Ride Together Pierce, where anyone can sell or buy used bicycles and bicycle parts. We encourage you to bring a helmet if you plan on test-riding bikes.
At the Bike Swap, Ride Together Pierce is planning on providing:
- ??BIKE CORRAL: Buy a bike or sell a bike at our Bike Corral. If you have 1-2 bikes to sell, this is the recommended route. There are no listing or selling fees. You do not need to sell a bike to buy, or trade. Come find your new-to-you ride!
- ?QUICK FIX: Make sure your future bike is safe to test ride by taking it through a quick safety check first by a professional bicycle mechanic. A mobile bike repair shop will also be onsite for more complex repairs.
- ??BIKE TEST RIDE AREA: Test out your potential new ride on a secure, short route through the Swap.
- ??LOW-COST HELMETS: Provided by Downtown on the Go, bicyclists can purchase affordable helmets and get a proper helmet fitting.
- ??BIKE MAP MASTERS: Discuss best biking routes with seasoned local riders at the Bike Map Masters station.
- ?BIKE SKILLS PRACTICE AREA: Folks of all ages and abilities can practice safe riding skills such as balancing, scanning, stopping, turning, and more.
- ?FOOD TRUCKS: Enjoy delicious sweet and savory food from local food trucks.
- ?BIKE INDEX AND BICYCLE BENEFITS STICKERS: With a Bike Index sticker, you can add security to your bike by registering it to the Bike Index directory. A Bicycle Benefits helmet sticker can be used to receive discounts at participating businesses in Pierce County (and nationwide).
- ??VENDORS: We are inviting local bike shops and bike-related organizations to show off their products and share the latest information with you on bicycling in Pierce County. If you have several bicycles or bike parts to sell, we recommend you register as a vendor. There are no vendor fees. Registration open now!