Community Calendar

Supported by KNKX. A noted pianist, composer and leading figure in the Northwest jazz scene, Marc Seales has shared stages with many of the great players of the last two decades. He has played with nearly every visiting jazz celebrity from Joe Henderson and Art Pepper to Benny Carter, Mark Murphy, and Bobby Hutcherson. With the late Don Lanphere he performed in such places as London, England; Kobe, Japan; The Hague in the Netherlands; and the North Sea Jazz Festival.

Two-time Grammy award winner Ernie Watts is one of the most versatile and prolific saxophone players in music. It has been more than 50 years, since he first picked up a saxophone, and from age 16 on, he has been playing professionally, initially while attending school. Watts has been featured on over 500 recordings by artists ranging from Cannonball Adderly to Frank Zappa, always exhibiting his unforgettable trademark sound. In 2014, Watts received the prestigious Frankfurt music prize, given by the city of Frankfurt, Germany. It is presented to both classical and non-classical musicians. Of the 32 current winners, only six have been jazz musicians. Per the Frankfurt music prize foundation, Watts was “selected for his strikingly, melodic, saxophone style, and his original tone language,” with which he has already enriched several generations of musicians. Previous jazz honorees include Chick Corea, Paquito de Rivera, and John McLaughlin. In 2015, Watts was selected as guest of honor at the Telluride, jazz festival in Colorado, and played on the Ernie Watts main stage with his own quartet.

Li - written by Wei He Directed by Christie Zhao. A comedy set in Inner Mongolia about a thief who gives away more than she gets, Li may have to reconsider her career choice. But along the way, she discovers a quirky cast of characters that make life just a little less lonely. This world premiere play with heart, humor and original music provides a glimpse into the lives of a thief, her family, an old lady she tries to steal from, plus a friend and his chicken.

Evening and matinee performances.

Get your deerstalker cap on—the play’s afoot! From multi-award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig (Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood) comes a fast-paced adventure about everyone’s favorite detective solving his most notorious case. The male heirs of the Baskerville line are being dispatched one by one. To find their killer, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson must crack the mystery of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” before a family curse dooms its newest heir. Watch as our intrepid investigators try to escape a dizzying web of clues, silly accents, disguises and deceit as five actors deftly portray more than 40 characters. Does a wild hellhound prowl the moors of Devonshire? Can our heroes discover the truth in time? Join the fun and see how far from elementary the truth can be.

Luther Dickinson is the lead guitarist and vocalist for the North Mississippi Allstars and the son of record producer Jim Dickinson. He is also known for being a guitarist for the Black Crowes.

JD Simo is a guitarist, songwriter and producer/engineer, and has worked with the likes of Jack White (Beyoncé Lemonade sessions), Phil Lesh, James McCartney, Tommy Emmanuel, David Kahne, Cowboy Jack Clement, Dave Cobb, Paul Worley, George Porter, Anson Funderburgh, Peter Collins, Joe Bonamassa, Chris Isaak, Kirk Fletcher, Devon Allman, Samantha Fish and Tal Wilkenfelt.

In 2024, Dickinson and Simo announced they were part of a new band. An album, Do The Rump was released in the fall.

Kate Dinsmore is a singer-songwriter based in Seattle, WA. A dynamic performer and vocalist, Dinsmore brings her songs to the stage with an undeniable presence. Her music is powerful and emotional, with influences ranging from Jazz to Rock to Americana.

Got a big dream of playing the Tiny Desk? Send us a video of you playing one song behind a desk of your choosing. If you win, you'll get to play your very own Tiny Desk concert and go on tour with NPR Music. When you enter the 2026 Tiny Desk Contest, you join a nationwide community of music-makers and creators. Get started on your video now! GET ALL THE DETAILS HERE.

Here's what you do:
Create a new video that shows you playing one song you've written.
Do it the way you'd perform a Tiny Desk concert: at a desk. (Any desk!)
Upload your video to YouTube.
Fill out the entry form after it opens at 10 a.m. ET on January 13 and before 11:59 p.m. ET on February 9, 2026.

The winner will:
Play a Tiny Desk concert at NPR in Washington, D.C.
Be featured on NPR’s All Things Considered
Headline NPR Music's Tiny Desk Contest On The Road tour

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.

This is a permanent exhibition. Since time immemorial, Tribal nations have existed in this place we call Washington. This Is Native Land invites visitors to understand Washington State through the lived experiences and voices of its Native people.

Tribal nations are sovereign nations. Today, Native history, culture, and community thrive in our state. Through everyday acts of sovereignty – big and small – Indigenous peoples demonstrate they are still here, they have persevered, and they will always be here.

This Is Native Land is guided by three teachings:
We are of the land and waters
With knowledge comes responsibility
Sovereignty protects people, lands, and waters

These teachings are shared through multimedia, artwork, and interactive objects designed for guest engagement. They represent a contemporary continuation of Tribal stories and traditions.

Over 100 Native contributors from more than 60 Tribes shaped the exhibition’s stories and content. We thank the Native Advisory Committee and all community participants for their contributions.