Glass pumpkins, a Greek fest, and a $40M budget gap

Happy Thursday, Tacoma. This week: glass pumpkins on the Museum of Glass plaza, a proposed city budget that closes a $40 million hole by cutting more than 100 positions, and a long weekend forecast that starts wet before turning sunnier. Ballots are mailed Tuesday, too. Let's get you caught up.

Community Events & Things to Do

• Pumpkin Patch Festival — Saturday, Oct 10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Museum of Glass Grand Plaza (1801 Dock St). Free to attend. Shop a patch of locally made glass pumpkins while the Hot Shop team blows new ones live, plus flameworking demos, face painting, tarot, a bouncy house, and paint-your-own pendants; regular admission applies only if you head inside, and the festival is weather-dependent. Pumpkin Patch Festival
• Tacoma Opera: Die Walküre — Friday, Oct 9 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Oct 11 at 2 p.m., Pantages Theater. We flagged it last week, and now it's here: Part II of Tacoma Opera's Ring Cycle, Wagner at full scale in a historic house. Die Walküre
• Disney Descendants, ZOMBIES & Camp Rock: Worlds Collide — Saturday, Oct 10, 7 p.m., Tacoma Dome. Cast members from all three Disney Channel franchises share one stage. Worlds Collide tour
• Haunted Farmers Market — Sunday, Oct 11, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., S 54th St and S Tacoma Way, South Tacoma. More than 150 vendors of the strange and unusual: crystals, tarot, flash tattoos, taxidermy, horror collectibles, and apothecary goods, in peak season for it. Haunted Farmers Market
• Tacoma Holiday Festival — Thursday, Oct 15 through Sunday, Oct 18, Tacoma Dome (10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday). The annual craft, food, and gift show bills itself as the largest holiday show in the West; yes, it's October, and yes, people start shopping now. Tacoma Holiday Festival
• Tacoma Studio Tour — Saturday, Oct 17 and Sunday, Oct 18, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., studios across Tacoma. Free. The Arts Month staple opens working studios citywide for a self-guided weekend of demos, hands-on activities, and art you can take home. Tacoma Studio Tour

General Local News Roundup

Two men killed in downtown shooting; businesses demand action
Tacoma Police were called to the 800 block of Pacific Avenue just after 12:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct 4, for reports of gunfire and found two men with life-threatening injuries; both died at the scene, and police say a woman was also hurt and took herself to the hospital. No arrests had been announced as of this writing, and downtown business owners told KOMO they have reached their limit after repeated incidents on the block. Fox 13 reports the deaths are Tacoma's 17th and 18th homicides of 2026, matching the city's count at this point last year. Anyone with information is asked to call 911. Read more (City of Tacoma) | Read more (KOMO News)

Arrest in August East Side homicide made in Atlanta
Detectives investigating an Aug 27 shooting that killed a man in the 1600 block of East 68th Street developed probable cause to arrest a 21-year-old suspect, and the FBI's Violent Crime Task Force in Atlanta picked him up on Oct 2. Police expect him to be transferred back to Pierce County; the case remains active. Separately, the department announced a fourth arrest in the Aug 7 shooting in the 2100 block of North 30th Street. Read more (City of Tacoma)

Drop, cover, and hold on: the Great ShakeOut is Thursday
The annual earthquake drill happens Thursday, Oct 15 at 10:15 a.m., and Parks Tacoma says staff at its four community centers, headquarters, and Fort Nisqually will run the 60-second drill. Participating facilities will then conduct a full evacuation except Center at Norpoint, and classes and activities may be interrupted at that hour. Parks notes our region sees roughly 3,000 quakes a year and faces a 1-in-3 chance of a damaging one in the next 15 years, so it's a good minute to practice at home or work, too. Read more (Parks Tacoma)

City Government & Council News

City Manager's proposed budget closes a $40M gap with 100-plus position cuts
City Manager Hyun Kim presented the 2027–2028 proposed biennial budget to the council on Tuesday, Oct 6: a $5.3 billion plan that addresses a $40 million structural deficit in the $696 million General Fund. The plan eliminates more than 100 positions (over half already vacant under a hiring freeze), redesigns business license fees so 80 percent of licensed businesses pay the same or less while those grossing over $5 million pay more, and, per the City's own summary and Fox 13, cuts the HOPE Team and Community Service Officer programs while proposing a new 10 percent commercial parking tax on paid parking facilities. Detailed budget presentations begin at the Tuesday, Oct 13 study session. The first public hearing is scheduled for Oct 27, followed by a second hearing and expected first reading on Nov 10; final adoption is expected Nov 17. Read more (City of Tacoma) | Read more (Fox 13)

Renter-protection initiative draws outside money ahead of November
The Safe Homes for All measure on Tacoma's Nov 3 ballot would push the City to enforce the tenant protections voters narrowly approved in 2023; backers say private lawsuits are currently the only recourse for most renters. KNKX reports real estate interests are spending heavily against it, and Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson stumped for it at a Seattle fundraiser last week. Ballots are mailed next week, so it's worth reading both sides in your voters' pamphlet. Read more (KNKX)

Quick reminder from last issue: downtown on-street parking goes from $1 to $1.50 an hour starting Tuesday, Oct 13.

Weather & Seasonal Notes

A mixed start to the long weekend, followed by improving weather. Thursday turns mostly sunny with a high near 66, but rain is likely late tonight. Friday brings rain mainly before noon, a high near 60, and gusts as high as 24 mph. Saturday has a slight chance of morning rain before turning partly sunny near 57. Sunday and Monday look sunny, with highs around 59 and 60. Rain chances return Tuesday and linger slightly into Wednesday. Overnight lows fall into the low-to-mid 40s after Friday, so bring a jacket for evening plans. NWS Tacoma forecast

Local Business & Real Estate Spotlight

City seeks a partner for a $500,000 micro-retail pilot
Tacoma's Community and Economic Development department has issued a request for proposals for a Micro-Retail Marketplace Pilot Program, with a project estimate of $500,000. Submittals are due at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Nov 10, and a pre-proposal meeting is set for Wednesday, Oct 21, 3 to 4 p.m., in Room 248 of the Tacoma Municipal Building, 747 Market St. If you run a small-space retail concept or want to operate a marketplace, this is the notice to read. Read more (Tacoma Daily Index)

Seattle home searchers look outward as Tacoma's price gap holds
A Tacoma Realtor's October rundown for South Sound Business says more Seattle-area shoppers are looking south for greater value. Separately, Redfin ranked Seattle second nationally for net outflow among its home-search users in the first quarter of 2026, with 26,349 more users searching outside the metro than into it. That data does not show how many ultimately moved to Tacoma, but the affordability contrast is real: Redfin's recent median was about $879,000 in Seattle versus about $500,000 in Tacoma. Read more (South Sound Magazine) | Redfin migration report

New on the books
Fresh City of Tacoma business license records show several storefront-type registrations: Goldie and Mae, a book retailer at 3818 N 26th St in the Proctor district (lists an Oct 1 opening date); Social Karma Collective, a gift and novelty shop at 743 Broadway downtown (lists Oct 25); Hair on 6th, a salon at 3501 6th Ave (lists Oct 1); and Alber Watch Services, a watch and household goods repair shop at 5006 N 12th St (lists Oct 3). A registration isn't a ribbon-cutting, so call ahead before you visit. Tacoma business licenses

Food & Drink

Tacoma Greek Festival this weekend. Gyros, loukoumades, pastries, and dancing return to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Friday, Oct 9 through Sunday, Oct 11. Bring an appetite. The festival is cashless at the point of sale; cards and phone payments are accepted, and visitors carrying cash can load it onto a festival spending card. Festival guide.

Chopan Restaurant and Cafe plans a November opening. A restaurant representative told What Now Seattle the halal restaurant will serve dishes influenced by Afghan, Middle Eastern, Central Asian, and Persian cooking somewhere in Tacoma; an address, hours, and exact opening date haven't been announced. Chopan Restaurant and Cafe

A bakery wave in the license data. City records show three new retail bakeries registered this month: Bread by Anne at 2802 Narrows Pl (lists an Oct 1 opening date), 14th Street Bakery at 3113 S 14th St (lists Oct 16), and Coves Bakery at 766 St Helens Ave (lists Nov 1). Also registered: El Sol Cafe, a limited-service restaurant at 5615 South Tacoma Way in the South Tacoma district, listing a Nov 1 opening date. Carb season, officially.

Frugal Tacoma

• Free Thursday Neighborhood Nights — Tacoma Art Museum, downtown. Every Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. admission is free, and this week's lineup (Oct 8) includes a live painting session with barry johnson at 5:30 and a Mo' Motion dance workshop at 6; next Thursday, Oct 15, adds a free teen open studio making LGBT+ nichos with Vaquero Azul. Neighborhood Nights
• Third Thursday at the Washington State History Museum — Pacific Avenue, downtown. Admission is free on Thursday, Oct 15, and this month it coincides with Ani: The Harvest of History, a free Filipino American History Month program (3 to 7 p.m.) with historical presentations, a live performance, a panel with members of labor leader Larry Itliong's family, and a community reception. Ani: The Harvest of History

Community Spotlight

Since 1912, the Tacoma Rescue Mission has provided emergency shelter, hot meals, and longer-term recovery and housing support for people experiencing homelessness and hardship. October is Socktober, a month-long community sock drive the Mission is running with the Tacoma Dome. New, unused socks can be dropped at designated collection bins at the Tacoma Venues & Events booth on the Tacoma Dome Plaza and at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center. Clean, warm socks are among the most requested items at shelters. You can also give, volunteer, or learn about the Mission's services directly. Socktober details | Tacoma Rescue Mission

Sports

Kraken open a three-game East Coast swing. Seattle visits Detroit on Friday, Oct 9 at 4 p.m. Pacific (Prime Video, KING, KONG), then plays Washington on Sunday, Oct 11 at 2 p.m. (Prime Video, KONG) and Philadelphia on Tuesday, Oct 13 at 4 p.m. (Prime Video, KING, KONG). Afternoon puck drops make these easy watch-party games for a long weekend. Kraken schedule

Baseball is done for the year. The leagues' official schedule data lists no Tacoma Rainiers games at Cheney Stadium and no Seattle Mariners games in the past week or the next ten days, so the diamond is quiet until spring. Rainiers schedule

This Week in Tacoma History

On October 13, 1965, the Tacoma Mall opened its doors on South Steele Street, and the city's shopping center of gravity shifted south of downtown for good. Sixty-one years later it remains Tacoma's largest shopping center, roughly 1.3 million square feet with 131 stores and services, now owned and run by Simon Property Group. The building has absorbed every retail era since: anchors have come and gone (Sears closed in September 2018 after a 72-store national cutback), and the former Sears footprint has been reborn as outward-facing shops and restaurants in the lifestyle-center mold, part of a multimillion-dollar refresh that included new flooring, a new food court, and a new play structure. If you grew up riding the escalators or getting your first job at the food court, raise a pretzel this Tuesday. Tacoma Mall history

Deadlines & Public Notices

• Community's Police Advisory Committee meeting — Monday, Oct 12, 6 to 8 p.m. — open to anyone interested in how TPD policy is shaped — CPAC meeting
• Ballots mailed for the Nov 3 General Election — Tuesday, Oct 13 — every registered Pierce County voter; watch your mailbox and your voters' pamphlet — Pierce County Elections
• Council public hearing on three surplus Tacoma Water properties — Tuesday, Oct 20, no earlier than 5:15 p.m., Council Chambers, 747 Market St — public comment on declaring three properties in the Midland area surplus and transferring them to Pierce County for affordable housing — Upcoming agenda items
• Picture Pac Ave Code Update Open House — Tuesday, Oct 20, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Moore Branch Library, 215 S 56th St — residents and business owners along Pacific Avenue who want a say in the subarea plan and code changes — Picture Pac Ave open house
• Last day to register to vote online or by mail — Monday, Oct 26 — new Pierce County voters and anyone who has moved; in-person registration continues through 8 p.m. on Election Day — Register to vote

Before You Go

That's the week. Now a this-or-that for your Saturday: glass pumpkins on the waterfront or gyros at the Greek Festival? Hit reply with your pick (and your strategy if the answer is "both"). If this issue saved you a search or two, forward it to a Tacoma neighbor so they're caught up as well.