Holiday hangs? Local restaurants go all-out with candy-cane ceilings, weekly snow

With exclusive drink specials and over-the-top holiday decorations, two Tacoma-area bars might just erase the bah-humbug from even the Grinchiest among us.

On Sixth Avenue, the rock-and-roll-themed Busy Body! has embraced the red, white and green as part of an international “Christmas cocktail pop-up bar,” and in the foothills of Mount Rainier, Simple Goodness Soda Shop hosts holiday film screenings every Friday — with the crazy bonus of “snowfall” in the patio at 6 p.m.

MIRACLE POP-UP BAR IN TACOMA

▪ Where: Busy Body!, 2717 6th Ave., Tacoma, busybodytacoma.com

▪ When: daily 4 p.m.-2 a.m.

▪ Why go: exclusive cocktails in funky mugs, festive decor, actually good Christmas tunes and Musangtino’s for dinner

Dozens of inflatable candy canes surrounded by strands-on-strands of twinkle lights cover the ceiling. There are copious stockings and an artsy display of paper lanterns, densely packed. Green tinsel square off every picture frame. Even the back bar, anchored by a Looney Tunes-style arch, has been attuned to the season, its LED lights sporting bright red and pine green. The bartenders are wearing Christmas sweatshirts and Santa hats.

Guests, meanwhile, are sipping Jingle Balls Nog and Christmas Crickets out of kitschy ceramic mugs. The Marshmallows and Unicorns — gin with vanilla and cherry, cardamom, lemon and black pepper — arrives in white unicorn-shaped mug with a red mane, topped with a marshmallow and Luxardo cherry.

Why all the holiday spirit at a bar that fashioned itself as a modern tribute to overlooked Tacoma rock bands like The Sonics and The Ventures? And that serves delightfully messy Filipino bar food by Musangtino’s, a project of acclaimed Seattle chef Melissa Miranda?

For one, said co-owner Dave Flatman, “When you come in the door, it’s kind of hard to be in a bad mood.”

It’s also part of a larger cause known as Miracle, whose elevator-pitch he described as “a fully immersive, nonsecular holiday cocktail pop-up!”

The idea originated at Mace, a renowned cocktail bar in the East Village of New York City that, prior to officially opening in 2015, decked the halls with “over-the-top Christmas decorations” and, for just a few short weeks, exclusively served holiday-themed drinks. Crowds ensued. Industry friends asked Mace owner Greg Boehm how to spark such cheer, leading to four participating bars and then pop-ups in three other countries by 2016.

Now in its 10th year, more than 200 bars around the world offer the Miracle experience.

Getting a young little Tacoma bar “accepted,” so to speak, involved a bit of friendship and charm, but most of the outfits are known for their strong cocktail programs.

Two of Budy Body’s owners, Flatman and Chris Jones, run Screwdriver Bar in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood, where respected cocktail bar Rob Roy stirs and shakes just around the corner.

“They suggested it, kind of sold it to us,” recalled Flatman. “You know what? I think something like this would really work in Tacoma. People love an event.”

Co-owners Nathan Chambers and DJ Maxwell Edison, who created the cool playlist you’ll hear, enlisted a team of supporters to hop on ladders, bravely, after Thanksgiving dinner. Since the transformation, customers have flocked to this nook of Sixth Ave.

Some of the decorations accrued from friends’ garages, while Jones and some friends made the giant papier-mâché snowman heads you’ll see bobbing around. Much of it was an investment, though, for this and hopefully future years of Miracle in Tacoma.

“We definitely want to do it again next year,” said Flatman. “It’s been fun. I’m not a huge Christmas person usually, but seeing people’s reactions when they come in, and how over the top it is — it’s a nice bit of escapism.”

As for the mugs: They’re for sale, ready for your own holiday parties. A portion of proceeds benefit the Seva Foundation, a global nonprofit that supports local eye-care providers in under-served communities.

HOLIDAY HOOTENANNY IN WILKESON

▪ Where: Simple Goodness Soda Shop, 533 Church St., Wilkeson, simplegoodnesssisters.com

▪ When: Thursday-Saturday noon to 8 p.m., Sunday noon to 7 p.m.; movie and snow Fridays at 6 p.m. through Dec. 17

▪ Why go: a perfect PNW holiday outing, with fresh bites, fun drinks and activities for the whole family

Though it’s in the foothills of Mount Rainier, it’s not always snowy in Wilkeson.

Sisters Belinda Kelly and Venise Cunningham have set out to change that this year with their first “Holiday Hootennany” at the Simple Goodness Soda Shop. They, too, were inspired by pop-ups like Miracle.

The family-friendly bar is always a worthwhile destination for creative paninis, scoops of ice cream as well as floats and cocktails (the real deal) made with the sisters’ own line of bottled syrups. Starting Thanksgiving weekend through Dec. 17, the shop adds festive decor, special drinks both boozy and spirit-free, and holiday fare to the menu.

The Holly Dolly Christmas cocktail comes with a take-home disco-ball ornament, and the Thank God for Christmas Vacation — in addition to being a smoked milk punch — gives you a chocolate squirrel. There’s also homemade hot chocolate.

Wilkeson “feels like a world away,” said Kelly, “but we have to give people a reason to make the drive. So we figured we’d give people a whole lot of very cozy, very festive reasons.”

Order at the counter and snuggle into the rustic dining room for a Christmas-y movie every Friday at 6:20 p.m. Arrive early, by 6, to catch the “snow” outside.

Other holiday-related events include a pop-up market Dec. 17 (noon-5 p.m.) and an all-ages New Year’s Eve party (6-8 p.m., “countdown” at 7:30). A $25 ticket to the latter admits four people and includes toasts for kids and adults, plus various confetti poppers.

The shop is regularly open Thursday-Sunday.

Correction 1/3/2024: This story has been updated to reflect year-round hours at Simple Goodness Soda Shop.

This story was originally published December 6, 2023 at 3:06 PM.