Tacoma weekend to-do: midday fiesta, Tinder-inspired improv and a pinball tournament
With a warm and sunny finish to the week, the News Tribune found plenty for you to do in Tacoma this weekend, no matter if your interest is food and music, comedy, theater, pinball, glass blowing or dance.
After all, we need to enjoy summer before it ends.
Friday: Capoeira and improv
Join an introductory class (ages 12 and up) about Capoeira Culture and Music at Urban Grace Church 6-7 p.m. or 7-8 p.m. Friday night. Capoeira is described as an Afro-Brazilian martial art and game that includes elements of dance, acrobatics, music and spirituality. The Washington Capoeira Center teaches “an African cultural art of resistance from Brasil” through techniques passed down from generation to generation, from master to disciple, according to its website. The first class is free to new students, and you can learn more at https://seattlecapoeiracenter.com/calendar/.
Is online dating getting you down? They say laughter is the best medicine, and Brandit Theater is putting that idea to the test. From 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday night, an improv comedy show will be hosting, “Swipe Right,” inspired by online dating. Two brave souls from the audience will plug their dating profile into a projector and allow the comedians to critique their online presence and do a set of improv comedy based on the profile. “You’ll laugh, you’ll judge, you’ll fall in love,” is the promise. General admission to the show at Grand Cinema (at 606 Fawcett Ave.) is $15 plus fees and you can get your tickets here.
Saturday: Fiesta and glass-blowing
Celebrate the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month with a free block party at the Waterfront Market in Ruston from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. There will be folk dancing, live music, games, prizes, art and food vendors. A Mariachi band will be playing after noon, and there will be classic low-rider cars and six immersive exhibits for attendees to explore, brought to you by the Hispanic Business Association of Ruston and its sponsors.
If you’re looking for an indoor activity, take a hands-on glass workshop class at the Museum of Glass and create your own art inspired by the museum’s current exhibitions. Activities range from glass making and fusing to sketching and painting. On Saturday you can make a glass mosaic, and reserve a time on the museum’s website. The price is $40 (not including museum admission), and it’s a suitable activity for anyone 6 and up.
At 1 p.m. you can also take a 45-minute walking tour through the outdoor art and architecture of the Chihuly Bridge of Glass, Thea Foss Waterway and museum. A museum expert will tell you some little-known facts along the way. Tickets are $10/person.
Sunday: Theater matinee and pinball tournament
Tacoma Little Theatre is putting on “The Play That Goes Wrong” from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon at 210 N I St. The show will run weekends until Sept. 24. This award-winning comedy is a global phenomenon, a 1920s whodunit where accident-prone actors “battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call” despite many mishaps along the way, according to the theater. Tickets are $29 for adults, $27 for students/seniors/military members and $22 for children ages 12 and under. Get your tickets online.
If theater isn’t your thing, check out the weekly pinball tournament at Airport Tavern this Sunday from 6 p.m. until midnight. Sign-ups are at 6 p.m. and the tournament begins at 7 p.m. at 5406 South Tacoma Way. It costs $5 to play and the format is three strikes. If 10 people play, the bar will put in an additional $25 to the winnings, and if 20 people play, the bar will put in $75, according to Airport Tavern.
