The 12th annual “Art on the Ave” art festival will take over Tacoma’s Sixth Avenue on Sunday. The free festival will feature live music, dance stages and activities for children.
Musicians including Vicci Martinez, Ten Miles of Bad Road and Heidi Vladyka of Maurice the Fish will play on three outdoor stages.
“Every year, we try to do something different,” said Carla Hall, events coordinator for the festival.
New to this year’s festival is the family/kid stage, located near Cedar Street. This section will feature family-friendly performances by Mario Lorenz, The Filucie’s musical duo and others – and a pogo stick workshop, taught by New York City street performer Adam Brock.
Attendees looking for something a little more extreme can check out skateboarders on the half pipe near O’Malley’s Irish Pub. The Dockyard Derby Dames also will do a roller derby demo at this location.
This year’s “Venue Under the Trees” – which debuted last year in front of Sixth Avenue Baptist Church – will feature performances by the Evolution Dance Irish Dance Troupe and The D.A.S.H. Center, among others. Performers also will teach dance steps to audience members so they can join in.
Art booths include pencil artist Anne deMille Flood and Westwind Tie-Dye Company.
A celebrity dunk tank will be near Northwest Costume, where attendees can try to dunk local politicians and Sixth Avenue business owners. The cost is three shots for $1.
Beer gardens will be open to attendees 21 and older at SAX, Jazzbones, O’Malley’s and The Red Hot. Masa will sell tacos in support of the Breast Cancer Research Center of Tacoma.
Festival sponsors include The Tacoma Arts Commission, the Central Tacoma Neighborhood Council, MultiCare and Tapco Credit Union.
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