South Tacoma Way’s First Friday event is place for people to ‘do their thing’
A South Tacoma event venue has become the hub of a free monthly business vendor fair with musical entertainment.
Edison Square, 5415 South Tacoma Way, is part of the “First Friday” gatherings open to the public, which includes local-area vendors and live music.
Jo Holland is venue manager at Edison Square, which was once the Realart Theater, one of Tacoma’s first movie theaters in the then-Edison neighborhood.
The First Friday event is modeled after similar ones in other cities that feature art, food, music and entertainment.
“That’s what we’re trying to do down here on South Tacoma Way,” Holland said, “working kind of in partnership with the South Tacoma Business District Association.”
Holland said the first First Friday was in February.
“It’s our little way of building everybody up and bringing more people to the South Tacoma Way corridor and creating a community feel down here ... that maybe the rest of the city doesn’t know about yet.”
Edison Square brings in local musicians, who perform from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., and local vendors have booths at the Destiny Market pop-up inside Edison Square.
“It’s super accessible for everybody to get here and be here and do their thing,” Holland said.
The wider business district First Friday event runs all day, Holland added, with special promotions or sales among businesses along the immediate South Tacoma Way corridor between 52nd and 56th streets.
“This is an event for the community, and it’s just to bring people together and provide space for local musicians to be able to show what they can do and for local artisans to bring their product to people,” Holland said, “and just for the community to have a fun thing to do on a Friday night.”
The next First Friday is May 1, with musical performances by Wendell and Haiku Mavericks. For more details, go to Edison Square’s website or visit the South Tacoma Way page on Instagram.
