Fun things to do in the South Sound this week

The new year is here and now might be the best time to start planning your own home improvements. If you’re looking for great ideas, expert advice and products to enhance your home, head out to the Puyallup Home, Remodeling and Garden Show Meet experts including Ciscoe Morris, Bill Peregrine and others at the three-day event. Hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $8, $7 seniors and military, but if you arrive really early, the first 100 attendees will get in free. It’s happening at the Washington State Fair Events Center, 110 Ninth Ave. SW, Puyallup. Go to Puyalluphomeshow.net for more information.

If you’re planning a wedding you’ll want to take time to explore the Tacoma Wedding Expo at the Tacoma Dome this weekend. It will be filled with expert vendors, venue options and of course tons of wedding gowns. There will be informal gown modeling throughout the expo. Hours are 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $16 with discounts available. Go to bridesclub.com/Tacoma-January-Wedding-Expo.

Calling all horse lovers, come out for a day of lectures, forums and a wide variety of vendors at the Northwest EquestFest at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center, 1500 Broadway, Tacoma. There will be a variety of seminars on equestrian sports and horse training, management, health and business topics; everything you need to know to improve your equine experience. It will be 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. Saturday followed by the Region 4 Year End High Point Awards Banquet. The day’s events are free and open to the public. To find out more go to tinyurl.com/yaf5canm.

With a love of film and the arts and Tacoma, Finley Mimbles has produced and made a bunch of short films over the years. A few times a year they showcase them at The Backyard Theater. Come out for the first showing of the year on Saturday (Jan. 5) starting at 6 p.m. It’s a collaborative and competitive showcase where Finley Mimbles and friends make a smorgasbord of short films, each varying in genre, story, and style. The hot-off-the-press films are showing at Fawcett Hall, 1322 Fawcett Ave., Tacoma. Admission is $10. For more information, go to tinyurl.com/ydhy2xu2.

Kicking off the new year, Fools Play Improv returns to the Tacoma Little Theatre, 210 N. I St., Tacoma, for its first monthly show. Inspired by each other and the audience, the cast performs two long-form improvised stories following just two rules: Have fun and be fearless. No two stories are ever the same creating a new experience each time. The January show is Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10. Material is unscripted and uncensored and is recommended for mature-minded audiences. Go to tacomalittletheatre.com

Breaking onto the music scene with debut album “Anthem of the Peaceful Army,” Greta Van Fleet has had three number one singles on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts. Hit singles include “Highway Tune,” “From the Fires” and “When the Curtain Falls.” Recently nominated for four Grammy Awards — Best New Artist, Best Rock Performance, Best Rock Song and Best Rock Album, the group is a hot commodity. They will be performing in two concerts, 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at the Paramount Theatre, 911 Pine St., Seattle. Tickets are $33.50 in advance or $36 day of show and are available online at stgpresents.org

Showcasing the talents of high school musicians from across the region, the Northwest High School Honor Band brings together 250 students from Idaho, Oregon and Washington for two days of rehearsals with guest clinicians. The student-musicians are selected from recommendations by high school band directors and the event culminates in two concerts at Lagerquest Concert Hall, Pacific Lutheran University, 121800 Park Ave. S., Tacoma. Concert times are 5 and 6:30 p.m. Saturday and are free to the public. For more information call 253-535-7621.

Bundle up and venture out into the night to discover the creatures that inhabit local waters at the Pier Into the Night Featuring a Live Dive at Jerisich Dock, 3215 Harborview Drive, Gig Harbor. Join Harbor WildWatch to watch a live dive equipped with an HD underwater camera. Naturalists and experienced volunteers are on hand to answer questions and interpret what you see on the screen. It is 5-7 p.m. Saturday and a suggested donation of $2 per person or $5 per family is requested. Life jackets are available for use. 253-514-0187 harborwildwatch.org