Latest news with #ParksTacoma
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Free lunches, youth activities available at Tacoma parks, schools this summer
As the 2024-2025 school year comes to a close, several local agencies are offering free events, meals and activities for youth in Tacoma. Parks Tacoma will offer its free Summer Meals program at 12 different parks in town. From Monday through Friday, June 23 through Aug. 29 with the exception of July 4, Parks Tacoma will offer free activities from 10 am to 12:30 p.m. and free lunch from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The activities, which might not occur at each location, will include arts and crafts, games and more. The following parks will offer lunch and activities for youth ages 18 and under: Edna Travis Park, 2301 South J St. Franklin Park, 1201 S. Puget Sound Ave. Lincoln Park, 801 S. 37th St. Manitou Park, 4408 American Lake Blvd. Northeast Tacoma Playground, 5520 29th St. NE Roosevelt Park, 3601 E. Roosevelt Ave. SERA Campus Playground/Sprayground, 6002 S. Adams St. Stewart Heights Park, 5715 Reginald Gutierrez Lane Titlow Park, 8425 6th Ave. Verlo Playfield, 4321 McKinley Ave. Wapato Park, 6500 S. Sheridan Ave. Wright Park, 501 South I St. Tacoma's Summer Teen Late Nights will return for the third year, offering a space for middle and high school students to spend their evenings this summer. Monday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., June 23 through Aug. 29, parents can drop off their kids at one of 10 different locations in Tacoma for a free dinner, art, music and other activities. Parks Tacoma recommends that parents and guardians pre-register their child for the days they'd like to attend the Summer Teen Late Night closest to them, but pre-registration is not required. The programming is open to all students — not just students from Tacoma Public Schools — so long as they have identification indicating their date of birth. The following locations will host Summer Teen Late Nights this year: Al Davies Boys & Girls Club – 1620 S. 17th St. Baker Middle School – 8001 S. J St. Eastside Community Center – 1721 E. 56th St. Giaudrone Middle School – 4902 S. Alaska St. Mason Middle School – 3901 N. 28th St. Meeker Middle School – 4402 Nassau Ave. NE Morgan Family YMCA – 1002 S. Pearl St. Stewart Middle School – 5010 Pacific Ave. Henry T. Schatz Boys & Girls Club – 3875 S. 66th St. Truman Middle School – 5801 N. 35th St.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Spotted the orange flag above the Tacoma Dome? Here's what it means.
On June 4, an orange flag was raised on the Tacoma Dome. Three years ago, Mayor Victoria Woodards declared June as Gun Violence Awareness Month. In June 2023, the annual tradition of raising the orange flag on the Tacoma Dome began to encourage the reduction of gun violence, city spokesperson Maria Lee told The News Tribune Thursday. 'In the State of Washington, there are about 850 gun deaths every year, with a rate of 10.8 deaths per 100,000 people,' according to Mayor Woodards' May 2022 proclamation. In response to those statistics, Tacoma uses one of the city's most iconic buildings to shed light on the issue. The color orange has become a symbol of gun safety as part of the Wear Orange campaign and National Gun Violence Awareness Day, which is June 6. Orange was chosen because that's what hunters wear for safety, according to a previous News Tribune article. The flag will get taken down on Monday, June 9, but efforts to promote safety will continue throughout the month. For example, Tacoma helps fund Summer Late Nights, a program that aims to reduce youth violence, Lee said. From June 23 to Aug. 29, middle and high schools throughout Tacoma will have their doors open on weeknights for students. Students have the opportunity to get dinner and hang out with friends, according to the Parks Tacoma website. 'The City of Tacoma maintains our commitment to end senseless gun violence with evidence-based solutions, and pledge to do all we can to keep firearms out of the wrong hands,' the proclamation said. Editor's note: This story has been updated to include information about the Wear Orange campaign and National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Spotted the orange flag above the Tacoma Dome? Here's what it means.
On June 4, an orange flag was raised on the Tacoma Dome. Three years ago, Mayor Victoria Woodards declared June as Gun Violence Awareness Month. In June 2023, the annual tradition of raising the orange flag on the Tacoma Dome began to encourage the reduction of gun violence, city spokesperson Maria Lee told The News Tribune Thursday. 'In the State of Washington, there are about 850 gun deaths every year, with a rate of 10.8 deaths per 100,000 people,' according to Mayor Woodards' May 2022 proclamation. In response to those statistics, Tacoma uses one of the city's most iconic buildings to shed light on the issue. The color orange has become a symbol of gun safety as part of the Wear Orange campaign and National Gun Violence Awareness Day, which is June 6. Orange was chosen because that's what hunters wear for safety, according to a previous News Tribune article. The flag will get taken down on Monday, June 9, but efforts to promote safety will continue throughout the month. For example, Tacoma helps fund Summer Late Nights, a program that aims to reduce youth violence, Lee said. From June 23 to Aug. 29, middle and high schools throughout Tacoma will have their doors open on weeknights for students. Students have the opportunity to get dinner and hang out with friends, according to the Parks Tacoma website. 'The City of Tacoma maintains our commitment to end senseless gun violence with evidence-based solutions, and pledge to do all we can to keep firearms out of the wrong hands,' the proclamation said. Editor's note: This story has been updated to include information about the Wear Orange campaign and National Gun Violence Awareness Day.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Point Defiance garden festival will impact traffic this week. Plan ahead.
The annual Point Defiance Flower & Garden Festival will take place on Saturday, June 7, and Sunday, June 8, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Starting Thursday, June 5, traffic will be impacted in and around Point Defiance Park in Tacoma. On Thursday, the Pearl Street entrance, Roberts Garden Road and Marina tunnel will be affected, according to a Wednesday news release from Parks Tacoma. The Pearl Street entrance will be closed at 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. During the festival, the gate will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Normal operations will resume on Monday. Roberts Garden Road's left fork that leads to the Pearl Street entrance is scheduled to close from Thursday to Sunday. Crews will reopen it on Monday by 2 p.m. The Marina tunnel will also be closed starting Thursday, and will return to normal operations on Monday by 2 p.m. Throughout this period, drivers entering Point Defiance must exit the park through the marina, according to the news release. Those who wish to visit the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Owen Beach and the Fort Nisqually Living History Museum during this time have to use the Mildred Street Entrance. Other than that, entrance to the Point Defiance Marina, boat launch or Vashon Island ferry won't be affected. The festival is free to the public, but experiences like guided garden tours, workshops, lectures and happy hour vary in price, according to the Parks Tacoma website. Free parking is limited, but available in the boat launch parking lot and on neighborhood streets. Paid parking can be found above the boat launch parking lot for $16 and at Point Ruston. Attendees can pre-pay in the Point Ruston garage and walk across the Wilson Way pedestrian bridge to enter Point Defiance Park. Reserved parking is available for visitors with disabilities near the lodge crosswalk at Point Defiance. Visitors can also take public transportation to the park, including Pierce Transit buses 10 and 11.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Local beach is popular with seals. Parks Tacoma starts program to protect them
Parks Tacoma this summer is bringing in volunteers to help protect seals and seal pups on a local beach. The program will train and facilitate volunteers to keep an eye out for wildlife that hauls out on Owen Beach at Point Defiance Park to protect it from predators and well-meaning members of the public who might be curious about the animals, program coordinator Desiree Kennedy told The News Tribune. The Marine Mammal Health Watch is part of Parks Tacoma's Point Defiance Park Watch program, in which volunteers patrol the area to serve as an extra set of eyes on park rule violations. 'These people really will be the eyes and ears out in the park to let us know what they're seeing so that we can record it appropriately,' Kennedy said of the program at Owen Beach. Kennedy said a team of volunteers will be dispatched along Owen Beach in two-hour shifts to ensure that a volunteer will be on site in the event of reports of seal appearances. Volunteers will help educate people about the animals and ensure that passersby keep a safe distance so the animals remain unharmed. The program will focus on Owen Beach since it's a known hot spot for seal activity, Kennedy said. 'They also use that space at Owen beach naturally to mate, to give birth to their babies, to molt and to warm up or potentially cool off,' Kennedy told The News Tribune. 'So it's just really part of their natural behavior to come onto shore.' Parks Tacoma decided to create the program after noticing the need for such volunteers over the years. 'Just the amount of questions that come from the public, we knew that we needed to be able to help answer those,' Kennedy said. The program kicked off on May 21 when Parks Tacoma hosted its first orientation for interested volunteers. Kennedy said about 40 volunteers attended the event, and Parks Tacoma hopes to assign all of them two-hour shifts at Owen Beach to keep a volunteer presence on site at least during peak hours on weekends. Volunteers will likely be stationed at Owen Beach starting around mid-June, Kennedy said. Interested volunteers can contact Desiree Kennedy at to learn more or get involved.
