The wonderful Grand Cinema, our local non-profit “art-house” cinema at 6th & Fawcett downtown, is partnering with Click Cable to offer FREE family movies every 3rd Saturday from March 21, 2009 to August 15, 2009, 10:30 AM-12:00 PM.
How’s that for great local support in the current economy?!!
They start March 21st with the Princess Bride. Here’s what’s showing subsequent months.
And if you missed Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire, it’s playing there now. Support the grand!
Spring is just around the corner, and if it ever stops SNOWING, it’ll be time to head up to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Like the Sequim Lavender Festival (see previous post under July 2008), this is a primo day trip and great photo op. Located off of I-5 near Mount Vernon and Burlington, several large bulb farms feature special events during the Tulip Festival, which lasts from April 1 - 30th and features fields of daffodils and tulips stretching as far as the eye can see.
Bloom times obviously vary depending on Mother Nature, but you can check what’s going on in the fields with the “Bloom Map” on the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival website to determine when is a good time to go. Weekends get pretty crowded, so if you go on a weekend be prepared for lots of traffic. It’s lovely to go on a week day and I have friends who have taken bikes and ridden from field to field and had a great time (note: there is a lot of traffic and riding is on narrow farm roads so this may not be a great riding situation for younger/novice bikers).
Check the website for maps to the farms, driving directions, and other community events going on, as well as tips on places to eat and stay if you want to make it an overnight trip. This is definitely a feast for the eyes, not to be missed!
Northwest Trek Animal Park is running a special deal Valentine’s/President’s Day weekend, February 14-16 2009. They are offering FREE admission for up to four children (regularly $10.50 each) with one adult or senior paying full admission.
It’s part of their “Kids n Critters” annual wintertime celebration. We have never actually been to Northwest Trek, but have always wanted to go, and I think this will be the time we check it out! More info available on their website: www.nwtrek.org.
Santa train time is here again! They are starting this weekend (Dec 6-7) and run the 13 & 14 and 20 & 21st. This has become our favorite local holiday tradition, and we will definitely be riding again this year. There is nothing that says quintessential northwest Christmas like riding the train through the old growth forest in Point Defiance Park, and the Santa experience on the train cannot be beat. See last year’s post (December 2007) for more info.
The Santa Train is run by the Tacoma Chapter of the National Historic Railway Society out of the Camp 6 Logging Museum and all the info you need is on the website. Happy Holidays!
The School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts (SANCA), which is based in Seattle, is now offering classes in the Tacoma area — this sounds like real fun!
In class students will learn to walk on a tight wire, balance on a rolling globe, juggle, and tumble. We have not actually tried this, but have a friend who has been wanting to get her daughter into this for the longest time. Hopefully this will take off and they will expand their schedule in the future. Definitely something different!
Classes take place on Wednesdays in the Safety First Protective Personal Strategies space at 8307 27th Street W, University Place, WA 98466. (more…)
Garfield Book Company at Pacific Lutheran University has story times every Saturday at 11 a.m. If you have not ever been to this bookstore, it has a small but complete children’s section with a small slide/play structure in the middle and a neat store attached that sells cool goods from all over the world.
The following titles will be featured at upcoming Story times: (more…)
Here’s a great day trip: the Sequim Lavender Festival July 18-20th.
There’s a street fair in downtown Sequim, but the real draw here are the farm tours, which consist of walking through the lavender fields cutting your own lavender bouquets. Reilly had a ball doing this last year. Many of the farms feature their own mini-fairs, with food booths, music, and all kinds of lavender products. (more…)
Well, it looked like many of the rest of you kid-totin’ gritty Tacomans were already there, but if you missed it, the new 6th Ave Farmer’s Market started yesterday on Pine Street off of 6th Ave, and it’s a good one!
We weren’t sure what to expect, with two already thriving Farmers markets going in/near the North End (Proctor and Downtown), but this little 2 block extravaganza is my new favorite. OK, it’s closest to home, so I’m a little biased, but it did not hurt that we could have a beer at Engine House #9 (one of our old favorites) and fill Reilly up on mini corn dogs and fries before heading home, either.
There were LOTS of great plant/nursery vendors, several flower stands, berry, produce and cheese stands, AND a really rockin’ girls (like 12 year-old) band! I did not catch the band’s name, because I was too busy shopping and chasing Reilly — but I wish I had because they were GREAT. (If anyone knows who these girls were, please post a comment. I’d like to find out more about any gigs and give them a little formal recognition. They were cool.)
The market is Tuesday afternoons (3:30 to 7:30) July 15 to September 30. The space is tight and it was a little hard to navigate with a big stroller (we had our jumbo jogger), so travel light if possible. See you there!
There is a wide offering of camps this summer — though most of these seem to start at age 5 or 6 there are a few for toddlers. Check out the metro parks website - “Summer Camps” tab - for an array that ranges from sports and art camps to Harry Potter and Mad Science.
Here’s the link: Metro Parks Tacoma
Although we have many friends who are members and go regularly, the Children’s Museum has been a special destination for daddy & son bonding for our family, so I never realized before that the Children’s Museum offers free admission on the first Friday of each month. If you have never been in before, mark your calendar for the first Friday and check it out. March 7 is the next free admission day!
They will also offer free admission Thursdays in June, July and August in conjunction with the Farmers Market, and they offer half-price admission 3 to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.
All that fun and great deals too! Check out their website for more info: www.childrensmuseumoftacoma.org