The Five Spot: 5 true or false things about Tacoma Elf Storage

Five facts and/or myths about Tacoma Elf Storage in honor of its 10th anniversary this year.

1 The annual tradition at the Tacoma Self Storage building started by accident in 2007 when a bird tripped the switch on the neon “S.” (Fact.)

2 The building is stuffed to the rafters with green and red tunics, pointy hats and shoes, and magic elfin undergarments dating back to the Middle Ages. (Myth.)

3 Some Chicago musicians once released a “Tacoma Elf Storage” holiday CD of six songs including “the Elfin Labor Workforce Song” and “Elfin Love Song.” (Fact.)

4 Forget elves. It’s really a safehouse for radical environmentalists from the Earth Liberation Front. (Myth.)

5 Elf storage was a joke in a “Pearls Before Swine” comic strip in 2015, but cartoonist Stephan Pastis denied stealing the idea from Tacoma. (Fact.)

This story was originally published December 17, 2017 at 4:44 PM with the headline "The Five Spot: 5 true or false things about Tacoma Elf Storage."