Halloween Frighthouse opens and a Narrows Bridge closure

Happy Thursday, Tacoma. This week brings two Saturday concerts, a spooky market, and the Tacoma Film Festival. There are also practical dates to keep handy: Narrows Bridge lane closures begin Saturday, voter registration has a Monday deadline, and the first city budget hearing is Tuesday.

Community Events & Things to Do

• Frighthouse Station — October 22–24, Freighthouse Square, 626 E. 25th Street. This week, the haunted house opens Thursday, 7–10 p.m., and Friday–Saturday, 7–11 p.m. Online base tickets are $23 Thursday and $25 Friday–Saturday, plus 5% Tacoma special-event tax and processing fees. Timed tickets are required; recommended for ages 12 and up. The regular haunt runs through Halloween. Tickets and full calendar
• NW Sinfonietta: The Planets — Saturday, October 24, 7:30 p.m., Rialto Theater, 310 S. 9th Street. Mei-Ann Chen conducts a program featuring the Holst/Stephenson arrangement of The Planets, with theremin soloist Arturo Fernandez and visuals by Adrian Wyard. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; tickets are required. Program and tickets
• Tacoma Concert Band: Thriller — Saturday, October 24, 7:30 p.m., Pantages Theater, 901 Broadway. Costumes are welcome at this all-ages Halloween concert. Ages 18 and under can get free tickets in person at the box office. Every attendee, including infants, needs a ticket; adults need paid admission. Concert tickets
• Haunted Farmers Market — Sunday, October 25, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., S. 54th Street and S. Tacoma Way. Browse spooky art, oddities, and other vendors at this independently organized market. Admission is free. Market details

For Families

• Frighthouse Family Friendly Trick O' Treat Night — Wednesday, October 28, 7–9 p.m., 626 E. 25th Street. Brighter lights, friendly monsters, and candy replace the usual scares. Costumes are welcome. Base tickets are $13 plus 5% Tacoma special-event tax and processing fees. Children must be able to walk independently; strollers and carried babies are not allowed. Family-night details and tickets
• Autumn Flower Show — through Sunday, November 29, W.W. Seymour Botanical Conservatory, 316 S. G Street. The display runs October 7–November 29. Visit Wednesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.; the conservatory is closed on Thanksgiving, November 26. Admission is free, with a $3 suggested donation. Details at Parks Tacoma
• Point Defiance Bird Walk — Sunday, October 25, 9–11 a.m. Meet at the Five Mile Drive entrance gate just past the Owen Beach turnoff, 5771 Five Mile Drive. This free, all-ages guided walk covers up to three miles of uneven, unpaved trails. Drop-ins are welcome; bring binoculars if you have them. Walk details
• Fire Station 9 open house and town hall — Saturday, October 24, 1–3 p.m., 3502 6th Avenue. Meet Council Member Jamika Scott, firefighters, and emergency-management staff. Families can see fire engines and enjoy food and games. No RSVP is required. City event details

General Local News Roundup

• Narrows Bridge lane closures begin Saturday, October 24. From 5 a.m. Saturday through November 8, westbound SR 16 across the bridge is scheduled to drop from four lanes to two, and the westbound Jackson Avenue on-ramp will close. WSDOT warns of afternoon delays of an hour or more toward Gig Harbor. Route 100 will detour; westbound stops on 6th Avenue between Mildred and Jackson, including Narrows Park & Ride, will be closed during the work. WSDOT details · Route 100 detour
• Three adults face murder charges in Commerce Street shooting. Police say a juvenile male died at the scene of the October 18 shooting near 1100 Commerce Street, and two men and a woman were arrested October 19. All three pleaded not guilty at their October 21 court appearance, according to KIRO 7. Police update · Court reporting
• Picture Pac Ave: proposed zoning remains under review. The city has posted draft zoning maps and guides for the Pacific Avenue corridor. The broader draft subarea plan and environmental review are expected to go out for public review in early 2027. Review the current project materials

City Government & Council News

• Budget public hearings: Tuesday, October 27, and Tuesday, November 10. Both hearings on the proposed 2027–2028 operating and capital budgets will begin after regular agenda items, no earlier than 5:15 p.m. Regular Council meetings start at 5 p.m. Attend in Council Chambers, 747 Market Street, or via Zoom. Budget adoption is currently expected November 17. Official hearing notice · Budget materials and attendance links
• Help identify accessibility barriers — Tuesday, October 27, 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m. The city is seeking input on sidewalks, curb ramps, traffic signals, bus stops, and other public-space barriers for its ADA plan. Attend at People's Community Center, 1602 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, or join by Zoom. Session details and Zoom link
• Hear about proposed utility rates — Monday, October 26, 6–7 p.m. Tacoma Public Utilities representatives will present the 2027–2028 utility-rate proposals at the Hilltop Action Coalition meeting, Bryant Neighborhood Center, 1615 6th Avenue. Meeting details

Weather & Seasonal Notes

Thursday, October 22, is forecast to be partly sunny with a high near 57°F. Friday looks mostly sunny near 55°F, and Saturday partly sunny near 52°F. Rain chances arrive Saturday night: 30% after 11 p.m., followed by a 40% chance Sunday, mainly before 11 a.m. Sunday’s high is near 55°F. Monday and Tuesday bring slight rain chances and highs near 56°F. Check the NWS Tacoma forecast before heading out.

Food & Drink

• Look ahead: Juke Garden plans a November 7 soft launch in Hilltop. The new cocktail lounge at 1016 Martin Luther King Jr. Way has announced its CANOPY soft-launch event for Saturday, November 7, with doors at 8 p.m. The venue is 21 and over. An RSVP does not guarantee entry; admission is subject to capacity. Launch details and RSVP

Frugal Tacoma

• Free Thursday Neighborhood Night — October 22, 5–8 p.m., Tacoma Art Museum. Admission is free for the evening at 1701 Pacific Avenue. Museum details

Community Spotlight

The Grand Cinema, a nonprofit founded in 1997, is hosting the 20th Tacoma Film Festival October 22–25 at 606 Fawcett Avenue. Browse the festival program and screening tickets for independent films and local work. Sunday’s festival awards ceremony is free, with no ticket required, from 2:30–3:30 p.m. in the Grand Lounge.

Sports

• Rainiers and Defiance are in the offseason. Both Tacoma teams have finished their 2026 seasons.
• Seattle Kraken: three home games in this issue’s week. At Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, the Kraken host Utah on Thursday, October 22, Minnesota on Saturday, October 24, and Toronto on Wednesday, October 28, all at 7 p.m. Thursday: ESPN+, Hulu, Disney+. Saturday: KONG and Prime Video for Washington Prime members. Game-by-game broadcast schedule
• High school football: Franklin Pierce at Orting — Thursday, October 22, 7 p.m. The Cardinals play away at Orting High School in Orting. School athletics schedule
• Puget Sound homecoming football — Saturday, October 24, 1 p.m., Baker Stadium, Tacoma. The Loggers host George Fox. Admission is $10 general; $7 for ages 6–18, seniors 55 and over, and military; free for children 5 and under and Puget Sound students, faculty, and staff. Homecoming schedule and ticket information

Tacoma History

Tacoma’s merger happened in two steps. The territorial legislature passed a law on November 28, 1883, joining Tacoma City, also known as Old Tacoma, with New Tacoma. The merger took effect January 7, 1884. New Tacoma had developed around the Northern Pacific Railroad’s terminus; the legislation brought the neighboring towns under one city government.

Read the full story at HistoryLink.org.

Deadlines & Public Notices

• Voter registration — Monday, October 26. For the November 3 general election, October 26 is the deadline to register online or for mailed registrations to be received. In-person registration remains available through 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 3. Pierce County registration options
• Tacoma Public Schools early release — Thursday–Friday, October 22–23. All grades have conference-related early release. Specialized preschool and playgroups have no school on those dates. Check your school’s dismissal time. District calendar
• Tacoma Public Library branches closed — Friday, October 23. All branches will close for staff in-service training. Library closure notice
• Budget hearing reminder — Tuesday, October 27. The hearing follows regular Council agenda items and begins no earlier than 5:15 p.m. See City Government above for the location and second hearing date. Official notice

Before You Go

There’s plenty to choose from this weekend, and Halloween falls on Saturday, October 31. What’s your Tacoma Halloween tradition: a haunted house, a neighborhood trick-or-treat route, or something else? Hit reply and tell us. And if a neighbor would enjoy this newsletter, forward it along.