Halloween haunts, bar crawls and dog costume contest on tap for Halloweekend in Tacoma
Dust off your costumes and bring out the candy. The News Tribune found the best things to do this weekend to get you in the Halloween spirit. (Listen, we know that pun was corny, but we just want you to have a gourd time.)
Friday: Bar crawl and haunted house
Friday kicks off the sixth annual 21+ Halloween Bar Crawl at Steel Creek Tacoma. More than 1,000 crawlers are expected this year. A $20-$25 ticket (with discounts for groups) gets you access to the bar crawl Friday and Saturday, a free drink or shot and various drink and food specials. There will be a costume contest with a $1,000 grand prize. Check-in is from 4-6 p.m., the crawl is 4-10 p.m. and the after party goes from 10 p.m. to midnight. Participating bars (which will have spooky specials) include Dorky’s Arcade, Pint and Pie, Poquitos Tacoma, Puget Sound Pizza, Rock the Dock Pub and Grill, Rusty Goat, Stadium Golf and the Axe Academy. Puget Sound Pizza will be home to the after party both nights. Purchase tickets online or with cash the day of the event, if it’s not sold out.
If you’re looking for a more frightening evening, visit Frighthouse Station, advertised as Tacoma’s ultimate haunted house near the Tacoma Dome. It’s located in a 15,000-square-foot concrete basement that once was used to store corpses during World War II. Haunts will be going on from 7-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday for about $20 a ticket. Expect the haunted-house activities to take about an hour. The haunt walk itself takes 10-15 minutes. Address: 626 E. 25th St., Tacoma.
Saturday: Spooky petting zoo and distillery festival
Visit the Tacoma Boozaar Petting Zoo from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and bring your kids. There will be free Halloween candy passed out, goats in Halloween costumes, bunnies, face painting, pumpkin painting and more than 36 local vendors, as well as espresso and a food truck. The event goes until 4 p.m. You can feed the goats and bunnies for $2. Address: 3025 S. Union Ave., Tacoma.
Tacoma Arts Live is hosting a 21+ Distillery Festival at the Armory from 2-6 p.m. Saturday. Embrace your inner witch and sample spirits of all kinds from Northwest distilleries, including gin, whiskey, vodka, bourbon, aperitifs, brandies and more. “Join the monster mash to meet the makers, learn special secrets to blending magic and even get a head start on your holiday shopping,” Tacoma Arts Live said. Halloween costumes are encouraged and prizes will be awarded to the best dressed. Included in your $45-$55 ticket are six tasting tokens and a souvenir shot glass. Address: 1001 S. Yakima, Tacoma.
Sunday: Waterway paddle and dog costume contest
This Sunday is the annual all-ages Halloween Party at the Foss Waterway Seaport. Don your best Halloween costume and enjoy a day paddling the Thea Foss Waterway with other local ghosts and ghouls. Launch at the Seaport or Thea’s Park and paddle south to the 11th Street bridge for a group photo. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with the Grit City Costume Paddle starting at 1 p.m. You can also enjoy free museum admission, trick-or-treating, crafts, spooky science projects and more. Kayaks, paddleboards and non-motorized watercraft only.
Also happening Sunday is a dog Halloween costume party and contest at the Waterfront Market at Point Ruston. From 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. “get ready for a paw-some howl-o-ween event,” the market says, with a judging panel ready to give out prizes for the best costumes. Owners are encouraged to dress up and match their pups as well. Address: 5101 Yacht Club Road, Tacoma.
