Activities in Tacoma

Everybody loves a parade (especially when the grand marshal is George Takei), but it’s not the only way to show your pride this weekend. Below, we’ve highlighted some other ways to celebrate, from family-friendly fests to clothing-optional dance parties. Friday, June 27 Pride Shabbat | 6:15 p.m. Temple Beth Am, 2632 NE 80th St. Open to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer guests, as well as their friends and families, this service will feature klezmer music and guest speakers. Afterward, everyone is welcome to attend a free Shabbat dinner. While there, check out the exhibit of same-sex marriage ketubahs, or traditional illustrated marriage contracts. Trans* Pride Seattle March | 6 p.m. Kick-off at Broadway and East Howell Street This march to the Trans* Pride Seattle Celebration will travel south down Broadway to Pike Street and then east on 11th Avenue, ending at the rally at Cal Anderson Park. Starting at 7 p.m., the rally will feature several trans* speakers and a performance by The Nasty Habits, a local transgender cover band, who will play a mix of '80s and '90s glam rock and pop. Theatre22's The Lisbon Traviata | 8 p.m. 1634 11th Ave. The play is the first production in what is slated to become an annual Pride series. Theatre22 offers up its take on Terrence McNally’s play about the relationship between an aging gay man, his longtime boyfriend, and his flamboyant, opera-singing bestie. ($22; additional performances Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.) Midnight Pole Cabaret: Pride Edition | 11:59 p.m. Can Can Burlesque, 94 Pike St. Billed as a “vertical cabaret,” this show features a combination of classic and modern burlesque and pole-dancing techniques. The Pride edition will feature guest star Suwasit, winner of several national medals in pole-dancing competitions and the first male pole dancer to be featured on the Vegas Strip. ($25) Saturday, June 28 Family Pride Day | 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Museum of History and Industry, 860 Terry Ave. N This all-day, all-ages celebration will feature games, crafts, performances by Seattle Pride Idol winners, family portraits, bingo with Lunch Lady Mama, and more. Also worth a visit: temporary exhibit Revealing Queer, which features photographs, artifacts, and documents chronicling the LGBT community’s journey from the 1969 Stonewall riots to the passage of a marriage-equality law in Washington in 2012. (Family Pride Day is free with museum admission) Capitol Hill Pride Festival | 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Broadway and Harrison Street This family-friendly prelude to Sunday’s Seattle Center festival is in its sixth year and bigger than ever. Besides food vendors and live musical acts, this year’s fest will feature a mochi-making demo, pony rides, and a performance of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Need more incentive? Three words: doggy drag show. Interfaith Pride Service | 1 p.m. All Pilgrims Christian Church, 500 Broadway E In addition to its special Pride Week service, All Pilgrims will also host a Rainbow Health Fair from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Traditional and holistic healthcare providers will be on hand to offer free screenings and other services tailored to the needs of the LGBT community. Prom Dress Rugby | 2 p.m.–4 p.m. Cal Anderson Park, 1635 11th Ave. The men of the Seattle Quake take on the OPSB Breakers women's rugby team for a good-spirited game in formal dress. Spectators can buy points to help their team or vote for prom king and queen; proceeds benefit The Northwest Network. Anything But Clothing Art Show | 7 p.m. Highline Bar, 210 Broadway Ave. E Feeling bold? Ditch your clothes and dress up in body paint courtesy of artist Brandon McGill, who will be painting models before Highline Bar’s clothing-optional dance party. ($10) Sunday, June 29 KEXP Pride Party | 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Tilikum Place Park, 2701 5th Ave. This free post-parade party is conveniently located at the end of the parade route. KEXP DJs will spin tunes all day, and a beer garden, cash bar, and pig roast help fuel revelers throughout the event.

Seattle is an active town, but during the gray wet days of winter, it can be difficult to get motivated to head outside for a walk or jog. But for the outdoorsy type, fun in the fresh air can be crucial to counteract the winter blahs. This is where snowshoeing comes in. It’s a less risky winter sport than downhill skiing, and a more accessible one, too. And fortunately, here in Seattle, we have many resources to help the novice get started. Free lectures Outdoor emporium REI is the spot to pick up gear and clothing, but they also offer a ton of free public programs as well. Each winter, their calendar is full of free talks on winter sports, including snowshoeing, and these are a great way to learn more about the sport before committing to heading out to the cold. These are usually offered weekday evenings, and rotated through their various Seattle-area locations (downtown, Alderwood, Issaquah, Southcenter, Redmond, even farther afield to Tacoma, Silverdale and Olympia). The programs usually require registration and do fill up, but often they can accommodate walk-ins, so it’s worth giving the local store a call even if an event does appear to be full. Organized outings After learning the basics indoors, it’s time to head out! But as a novice, one might not want to invest in pricey equipment or venture out on the trail without a little onsite guidance from experts. Puget Sound parks and recreation departments can help with both of those. The parks departments of several Puget Sound-area cities – including Everett, Edmonds, Bellevue, and Bainbridge Island – offer a wide array of snowshoe expeditions throughout the winter. They can range from beginner outings to more strenuous intermediate trips.  Snowshoes and transportation to the site are usually included in the overall cost, and most event listings include the acceptable age range for participants to help target family-friendly events. Event info and registration can be found on each parks department’s program registration site or in seasonal program brochures. REI, in addition to their free lectures, also offers outings, although theirs can be a little pricier than the parks events. Like the park events, equipment and transportation are usually provided. On one’s own Once up to speed on the process, and after getting some real-time instruction from the experts, now it’s time to plan one’s own trips. The Washington Trails Association website is the best place to check first. Their Winter Recreation Info page tracks weather conditions and has safety tips.  They also have listings of great snowshoe trails, and fellow users leave trail reports to keep others up to date on conditions and considerations.

The best part about the international festivals that happen throughout the year in Seattle is that nobody’s ever actually crashing—the whole city is invited to these parties. Wherever they come from, immigrants and their descendants carry on the traditions of their native lands, recreating the celebrations they remember, usually in the form of dancing, music, and (everyone’s favorite) food. Seattle is not a very diverse city, but all of the small communities that throw the festivals open the door to their friends and neighbors, sharing their culture, their holiday, their traditions, and their snacks with anyone who wants to join. In general, the events are free, fun, family-friendly, and a great way to learn more about fellow Seattleites. Wondering where to start? Here are a few perennial favorites: Bon Odori Seattle’s Japanese community celebrates this mid-July festival with a huge dance party that basically takes over the street, with all comers encouraged to join in—no experience necessary. In addition to the dancing and music in the street, the booming Taiko drums are played, crafts displayed, martial arts demonstrated, and of course, Japanese snacks are on offer, such as yakitori (fried noodles) and onigiri (rice balls). Pista sa Nayon Almost three percent of Seattle is Filipino (the tenth largest Filipino population in the country), and this is their festival—which is the largest outdoor Filipino festival in the country. Each summer, Pista sa Nayon (“town festival”) takes over Seward Park in south Seattle for a day in the end of July, offering professional and amateur entertainment (singing and folk dancing), food booths, and information about community services. Look for stands frying up lumpia (spring rolls) and cooking longanisa (sausage). Syttende Mai The Ballard neighborhood is not as Scandinavian as it once was, both in culture and in population, but the Syttende Mai parade (literally, the 17th of May) is a tradition that remains. The holiday celebrates Norway’s Constitution Day, and Ballard’s celebration is the largest outside of Norway. Along with music and dance, there is a lunch at which Norwegian dignitaries speak, and the centerpiece of the event, the parade. Ethiopian New Year Ethiopian restaurants are extremely popular in Seattle and the population is large; however, their community festivals are just getting started. Ethiopian New Year is the biggest one—2014 will be its fifth year. It is an informal event put on by the Ethiopian Community Mutual Association in September, featuring music, dancing, games, and food. Missed the festivals? Don't worry, there's always something to do in Seattle.