Nov 28 Friday
ABBAFAB is a stunning tribute to the music of ABBA featuring the sensational talents of some of TAD’s most talented and loved artists and musicians! This multimedia production is a tribute to some of the greatest music produced in the 70s and 80s including monster hits such as Waterloo, Fernando, Honey Honey, Dancing Queen and countless others. From ABBA’s earliest hits to Mamma Mia, ABBAFAB will take you on a technicolor journey that is unmatched. Our vocalists and musicians have toured the world as solo artists and band members and have come together to create the most entertaining ABBA tribute on the market today!
Nov 29 Saturday
Supported by KNKX. “When I began, soul was something people had. It wasn’t a style of music,” Taj Mahal says. No matter where we come from, we are all part of the same circle. We all want to dance, to get out of our heads, and tap into ourselves. When delivered by the Taj Mahal Quintet, the blues can take us there. For more than 40 years, Grammy-winning legend Taj Mahal and his band have taken blues on a joyride through reggae, funk, jazz, cajun, and more, leaving a trail of swinging hips and raised palms in their wake. The quintet is made up of internationally renowned bassist Bill Rich and steel drummer Robert Greenidge (Jimmy Buffet’s Coral Reefer Band), revered percussionist/drummer Tony Durham and Hawaiian based guitarist and lap steel master Bobby Ingano. The five match musical virtuosity with downhome grit unlike anyone else: a blend of sophistication and humble familiarity that is equally at home on a shotgun-shack porch or a Carnegie Hall stage. According to Taj, the collaboration extends far beyond the Taj Mahal Quintet themselves. “Music is like theater to a lot of people -- they’re watching it,” he says. “Well, you can watch it, but you’re supposed to participate. The audience is just as much a part of the music as the musicians are.” Taj pauses, then adds with a warm laugh, “I do like it when they dance.”
One of the most prominent and influential figures in late 20th century blues and roots music Taj Mahal is a 2014 recipient of the Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award along side such luminaries as Jackson Brown, Loretta Lynn and Flaco Jimenez. The three-time Grammy winner and one of the most influential American blues is roots artists of the past half-century.
A self-taught musician, Taj plays over 20 instruments including National Steel and Dobro guitars, and his remarkable voice ranges from gruff and gravelly to smooth and sultry. His music remains a well-seasoned gumbo, spiced with influences that originate in the Caribbean, West Africa, the Southern States, and the inner cities of America.
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.
The Gingerbread Jamboree is the sweetest holiday family tradition in the South Sound! This festive event returns with all your favorite family activities including gingerbread house decorating, the candy buffet, Santa Gene, and many more surprises.
Tickets to Gingerbread Jamboree
Single Admission includes one prebuilt gingerbread house, one ticket for a single person, and one ticket to visit the Candy Buffet. Additional admission tickets can be purchased separately or multiple single admission tickets can be purchased for more tickets, houses, and visits to the candy buffet.
Additional Admission is for extra tickets to the Gingerbread Jamboree. This option does not include a gingerbread house or a trip to the candy buffet.
VIP Package is for large families who would like to reserve a private table to the the Gingerbread Jamboree. The VIP Package comes with 10 admission tickets, five prebuilt gingerbread houses, unlimited visits to the Candy Buffet, and a reserved table so you can guarantee seats together for your family and friends.
All attendees to the event, including those accompanying children, must have a purchased single admission or additional admission ticket, as seats are limited.
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.
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 watersWith knowledge comes responsibilitySovereignty 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.