Oct 11 Saturday
Sponsored by KNKX. October is Tacoma Arts Month, featuring a wide variety of arts and culture events, programs, and exhibits for all ages all around Tacoma, some of which are free. There is something for everyone to enjoy: music, dance, and theater performances; hands-on experiences; cultural events; visual art exhibits; literary readings; workshops; and film screenings.
All you have to do is choose what you want to enjoy. Take this opportunity to experience something new as we celebrate Tacoma’s cultural community!
The 19th Annual Tacoma Film Festival showcases independent American and foreign films, with a strong focus on documentaries and films produced in the Pacific Northwest. The festival aims to celebrate film as an art form and provide a platform for filmmakers and industry professionals to connect and collaborate.
Opening night film: WTO/99 - An immersive archival documentary that reanimates the clash between the then-emerging World Trade Organization (WTO) and the more than 40,000 people who took to the streets of Seattle to protest the WTO's impact on human rights, labor, and the future effects of continued globalization.
Established in 2006, the Tacoma Film Festival has developed from small regional festival to a welcoming, interactive haven for regional and international filmmakers, industry professionals, students, fans, critics, and creative entrepreneurs.
TFF centers artists and their stories, honoring the contributions of filmmakers as leaders, and building community from a foundation of diverse perspectives and shared stories.
Festival guests from around the world make for a rich networking and collaborative space where new projects are born and inspiration for future work grows.
The Farm Fresh Market, featuring Ayala Farms, run Saturdays October 11 – December 6 from 9 am to 2 pm at the Historic Shell Station. Locals and visitors take advantage of the seasonal flowers and support local farmers. Live music from 11 am to 1 pm.
Echoes of the Floating World features a striking collection of 18th, 19th and early 20th-century Japanese woodblock prints from the Tacoma Art Museum and others, displayed alongside works by contemporary Northwest artists. This exhibition honors the rich legacy of ukiyo-e while exploring its cultural impact on today’s artistic expressions.
Hours-
Monday CLOSEDTuesday CLOSEDWednesday 10 am – 5 pmThursday 10 am – 8 pmFriday 10 am – 5 pmSaturday 10 am – 5 pmSunday 10 am – 5 pm
We are protesting project 2025. TacomaRama marching band will join us for the next 4 years. We will meet each month on the Saturday closest to the 18th each month. Always 10am, always Reconciliation park. Feel loved and supported.
The period from the 1870s to the 1900s, known as the Gilded Age, saw the rise of the railroad, textile industry, and production. It also saw a rise in migration to US cities, providing workers to fill low paying jobs producing many of the fashions of the era. This era marked a turning point in fashion as new technologies and changing cultural norms transformed the ways in which people dressed.
Explore this history and enjoy the rare chance to see clothing, notions, and artifacts of the period from the Washington State Historical Society collections.
Never Turn Back: Echoes of African American Music unveils the profound legacy of Gospel, Blues, Jazz, and Soul artists who shaped the soundscape of American culture and used their music as instruments of resistance, identity, and representation.
Gospel, Blues, Jazz, and Soul embody the profound influence of African American music on culture and history. From the spiritual foundations and transformative movements of Gospel hymns to the revolutionary improvisations of Jazz, the Blues’ Southern roots rising from the Mississippi Delta, and Soul’s powerful amplification of the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, these genres have defined the unique sound and undying spirit of a nation that continues to echo through contemporary Black music today.
Stories are shaped by the ways we tell them. In Shaping the Story: Designs for the Theatre by Carey Wong, go behind the scenes to see how theatre sets bring stories to life. During a career spanning over 50 years, Carey Wong has designed sets and costumes for more than 300 productions, including operas, plays, musicals, and ballets.
This exhibition features scale models of his designs in addition to costumes, set pieces, and stories of Washington’s rich entertainment history. From sketches of an idea to fully realized sets, explore how a designer’s decisions craft the world of a story.
OPEN ADULT BALLET CLASS
Have you always dreamed of dancing ballet?Now’s your chance to step into the studio and move with grace, strength, and joy.
This class is also for you if you are returning after years away from ballet or any other forms of dance.
Saturdays 11:00 AM – 12:30 PMTacoma Urban Performing Arts Center (T.U.P.A.C.)1105 Martin Luther King, Jr Way, Tacoma, WA 98405
A Class Designed for You:- No experience needed—just a curious spirit- Go at your own pace in a supportive, judgment-free space- Build flexibility, confidence, and connection with your body
Wear what feels comfortable.Come ready to move with intention and joy.
Whether it’s your first plié or your hundredth pirouette, this is your time to shine.
Questions? Call us at 253-327-1873
Let’s dance together at T.U.P.A.C.—where every adult belongs at the barre.
Over 100 Tacoma artists welcome you into their working studios. Learn about the artistic process and purchase one-of-a-kind creations. All studios will have a demonstration or interactive activity for visitors. 71 studio locations around Tacoma. Find more details and map your custom tour at www.tacomaartsmonth.org/2025-studio-tour
