A benefit for Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital is being held on June 7th. The Stadium District is sponsoring its Art and Wine Walk. Drop by 19 local businesses and sip Washington wines while enjoying the work of local artists. $25 ticket price includes 10 tastes (you can get more for one dollar each), appetizers and a commemorative glass. Get info here.

–James

Once upon a time, at the historic bebop jam sessions in New York and New Orleans of the 1930s and ‘40s, you could see greats like sax legend Charlie Parker swinging alongside newcomers, old-timers, has-beens and never wases. That was the beauty of those jams. You never knew where the next surprising talent would come from. That’s what the Tacoma Urban Arts Festival is like. It’s free, it’s all ages, and it gives artists specially discounted booths to encourage them to make the leap from talented amateur to pro. The music line-up also gives an inside track to newer musicians.

Date: June 29
Time: 12 p.m. to dusk
Where: Fireman’s Park at 803 ‘A’ St.

Although the website was unavailable last time I checked, try clicking here for more info.

–Dale

Not too long ago, Wright park went by another nickname. The park, which had fallen to neglect and incursions from unsavory characters, was known as Fright Park. Now, a multimillion dollar restoration project has turned all that around, and this public space is a real jewel. Here are a few of the improvements, noted at Tacoma Daily Index:

– Refurbishing the iconic maiden and lion statues donated to the park by Clinton Ferry in 1891 and prominently placing them at the park’s entry ways

– Initiating Master Plan designs to re-establish the long view corridor which historically ran through the center of the park

– Relocating the basketball court from the center of park to a more visible location for improved safety

– Adding 97 trees and rerouting pathways to protect the root system the park’s Champion Sugar Maple

– Renovating the 1930’s brick restroom constructed by the Works Progress Administration (WPA); retaining the historic exterior of the building while modernizing the interior for safety and efficiency

– Renovating the Bowling Green and horse shoe pits that have been part of the park for nearly 80 years

Good Stuff,
–James