This weekend in Tacoma: Oktoberfest, a Corvette show and a waterfront fall festival
The leaves are starting to turn red and orange, which means we need to soak up the last warmish days before rain takes over once more next week. We can’t think of anything better to do than explore the fall festivals and events happening this weekend in Tacoma.
Friday: Greek festival and Oktoberfest
If you’re a lover of Greek food, be sure to check out the 60th anniversary of the free Tacoma Greek Festival all weekend. Friday afternoon kicks off the event at the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at 1523 S. Yakima Ave., Tacoma. Our food writer Kristine Sherred dove into the work hundreds of volunteers do to prepare for the festival, including the many hours spent making traditional pastries and dishes. Enjoy dancing and music from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Get out your lederhosen because The Hosen Ones are back to rock the largest Oktoberfest event in the state at the Puyallup Fairgrounds this weekend. Although the Seattle-based band will wear traditional German garb and mix in a few stein-raising sing-alongs, its speciality is creating Oktoberfest versions of songs from AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Heart, Queen, Scorpions, Guns N’ Roses, and more. They’ll be playing at 8:50 p.m. both Friday and Saturday at 110 9th Ave. SW, Puyallup. Oktoberfest activities at the fairgrounds start at noon and include a large variety of German foods, wiener dog races, Bavarian Bier-lympics and the Hammerschlagen Tournament of Champions. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door.
Saturday: Corvettes and poetry open mic
LeMay — America’s Car Museum is unveiling its newest exhibit, Corvette Creativity: An Automotive Canvas and Saturday marks the first day it’s open to the public. Explore 70 years of designs and visions, and learn how the Corvette has become “the halo car of the American automotive landscape,” through engineering revolutionaries like Zora Arkus-Duntov and others. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 2702 E. D Street, Tacoma. Adult tickets start at $22.
Local literary arts and printmaking organization Write253 is partnering with Tacoma Reads to host an open mic night for teens and young adults to share short poems related to the themes of home and belonging, as inspired by the Tacoma Reads title, “Genesis Begins Again” by Alicia D. Williams. You can sign up to read at the event or simply come to “enjoy and be inspired” from 4-6 p.m. Saturday at Parable, 3502 McKinley Ave., Tacoma.
Sunday: Waterfront fall festival and Tacoma Film Fest
On Sunday head over to the Waterfront Market at Ruston for the annual fall festival from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Family and pet friendly activities are advertised, including arts and crafts, live music, hot apple cider, food trucks and many vendors. The address is 5101 Ruston Way, Ruston.
If movies are more your thing, be sure to check out the Tacoma Film Festival, which runs a variety of independent films at The Grand Cinema and Blue Mouse Theatre, among other locations in Tacoma from Oct. 5 through Oct. 12. You can buy an all-access entry pass or a ticket for each film you want to see. Sunday will show a variety of films, including dramas, documentaries, comedy and horror. Watch some of the film trailers online. This year’s festival theme is “Turn The Town Upside Down,” exploring new angles of storytelling, featuring a total 27 films and more than 180 short works by filmmakers from 28 countries.
This story was originally published October 5, 2023 at 11:48 AM.
