Arts & Entertainment Community

Harbor Happenings | Paddlers Cup runneth over both days this weekend

Posted on April 21st, 2026 By: Charlee Glock-Jackson

The 13th annual Paddlers Cup is Saturday and Sunday, April 25 and 26, at Skansie Park and Ancich Park on the downtown Gig Harbor waterfront.

It’s a weekend of paddle-powered events with races for canoes, kayaks, outriggers, para-canoes, stand-up paddleboards and dragon boats.

The Gig Harbor Canoe and Kayak Racing team organizes the event and proceeds benefit the team. The team has won 11 national championships since 2012.

Kayakers race during the 2025 Paddlers Cup. Photo by Vince Dice

On Saturday, racing begins with a 2.5K fun paddle for ages 13 and younger, adults older than 60 and new paddlers. Then come 5K and 10K races for competitive and recreational paddlers, followed by head-to-head 100-meter sprint knock-off races. These inner harbor races are open to all ages and experience levels.

Sunday starts with the first 1,000-meter technical course for stand-up paddleboarders. The race includes eight buoy turns and up to eight paddlers on the course at a time. Each paddler will race as many as three times.

Dragon Boat races take place Sunday. Event organizers will provide training and all the equipment (including dragon boats) for these events. As of late Monday, April 20, organizers had only one slot available for the dragon boat races. Registration is $750 per team. Find race rules and registration forms here.

Poetry in the Harbor

April is National Poetry Month and local poets Peter Ludwin, Michael Spence, Katherine Threat and Chris Vega will share their work and talk about their creative processes at Poetry in the Harbor from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 23, Tacoma Community College’s Gig Harbor campus. The poetry readings are free but registration is required. TCC Gig Harbor is at 3993 Hunt St.

Also at TCC, work by painter by Artist Emily J. Won is on display in the lobby through June 2, with an artist reception from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, April 30.

Humanities in the Harbor

Muckleshoot artist and former tribal leader John Halliday (Coyote) will discuss Native resilience and his personal journey during a presentation called “Beyond Treaties: Native Stories of Survival and Strength” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23, at Harbor History Museum.

John Halliday (Coyote)

He’ll talk about surviving a near-death experience and losing much of his sight, and turning to traditional Native values of endurance and adaptation to remake his life through art, music and storytelling. He uses a blend of drumming, flute music, painting and lived history to share how Native communities have survived after the signing of treaties. The lecture is sponsored by Humanities in the Harbor; registration is recommended here.

The museum is at 4121 Harborview Dr.

Sports fields dedication

The city of Gig Harbor and the Tom Taylor Family YMCA will host a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newest fields at the Sports Complex at 6 p.m. Friday, April 24. The new facilities include two lit, synthetic turf fields and 100 parking places. The YMCA will manage the fields.

Both fields are striped for soccer, football, softball, lacrosse and more.

Free trees

In honor of Earth Day, the city of Gig Harbor will give away free trees starting at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 25, at Donkey Creek Park, 8715 N. Harborview Dr. The give-away ends when all trees are gone.

Several species of trees appropriate to our area will be available. Tree specialists will be on hand to help with selection, planting and care guidelines. In past years, all the trees have been claimed quickly. The give-away is sponsored by the city, the Greater Gig Harbor Foundation and the Tacoma Tree Foundation.

Beach clean up

Volunteers will gather at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 25, to clean up the area around Burley Lagoon. The clean-up area includes Purdy Creek up to Purdy Drive, Burley Lagoon along Highway 302 and the west shore, time and tide permitting. Meet near Bridgeway Market and dress for the weather.

Friends of Burley Lagoon, Ocean Blue Corp. and neighbors are organizing the clean-up. They will work on foot and via kayak.

Volunteers hauled bag after bag of trash out of Burley Lagoon on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. Photo by Vince Dice

National Bookstore Day

Invitation Bookshop at 3119 Judson St., Unit A, will join other book stores around the country to celebrate National Bookstore Day on Saturday, April 25. Customers who purchase $50 worth of books will get a free tote. Anyone who makes a purchase will receive a free gift of some kind.

Invitation is participating in the South Sound Book Crawl April 25 through May 3. Pick up a passport, get it stamped and get a 20% discount on a single transaction at any participating store.

Rainbow Roller Disco

Skaters of all ages are invited to join the third annual Rainbow Roller Disco from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at the Key Peninsula Civic Center, 17010 S. Vaughn Road.

The event includes a bake sale, all in support of the Pride in the Park celebration in June.

If you want to contribute items to the bake sale, drop them off at the Key Peninsula Civic Center Thursday or Friday. Cookies, brownies, cupcakes and other grab-and-go treats are welcome. Homemade baked goods are preferred, and individually wrapped portions are especially appreciated.

Sasquatch hunt

PenMet Parks’ Great Sasquatch Hunt moves to McCormick Forest Park, 10301 Bujacich Road NW, starting Wednesday, April 22. Find the five sasquatches hiding in the park and use their stamps to mark your passport. When you’ve found all five sasquatches, turn in your passport at the PenMet Recreation Center, 2524 14th Ave. NW, for a prize. Get a passport at the park, or download one here.

The hunt ends Thursday, April 30. The parks are open from 7 a.m. to dusk.

Wine tasting

Join fellow oenophiles for a wine tasting from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 22, at the Beer Vault to sample a Conundrum White Blend, Elouan Rosé, Belle Glos Pinot Noir, a Caymus Red Blend and a Once & Future Mataro (Mourvèdre). There’s a $10 tasting fee. The Beer Vault is at 14004 Purdy Dr.

‘The Odd Couple’ on Fox Island

Ghostlight Performing Arts’ production of Neil Simon’s 1985 female version of “The Odd Couple” opens at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25 at the Nichols Community Center, 690 Ninth Ave. on Fox Island.

The comedy runs for four weekends, including a special Mother’s Day performance that includes brunch. Performances are also scheduled for Sunday, April 26; and May 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 15, 16 and 17.

Tickets cost $20 for adults or $15 for seniors 65 and older or kids 12 and younger. Mother’s Day brunch tickets are $35. Order tickets here.

At the Library

The Gig Harbor Library, 4424 Point Fosdick Dr., has activities for all ages this week.

Representatives from the Tacoma-Pierce County Genealogical Society will be on hand from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, to help with questions about genealogy research.
Also Tuesday, April 21, teens can learn to create fashionable clothes using sustainable and unconventional materials at a Recycle Fashion Show from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Geared to ages 13-18.
A professional herbalist will discuss how plants can be used as medicine at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 26. Register here.
Elementary age Tech Explorers meet at 4 p.m. Monday, April 27, for a coding workshop led by Code Ninjas.
A songwriting workshop for teens is from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 28.
Seniors get together to explore Five Keys to Retiring Fearlessly at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 29.

Call for student art

U.S. Rep. Emily Randall, D-Bremerton, is looking for artwork created by high school students for this year’s National Congressional Art Competition.

High school students in Washington’s Sixth Congressional District, which includes the Gig Harbor area, can submit paintings, photography, collage, prints, mixed media or computer-generated artwork no larger than 26 inches by 26 inches by 4 inches including the frame. Drop off artwork at Randall’s Bremerton office (in the Norm Dicks Building at 345 Sixth St., Suite 500) or at her Tacoma office (1102 A Street, Suite 326). Questions? Email Kaila. Deadline is Friday, April 24.

Diaper drive

The Kiwanis Club of Gig Harbor is sponsoring a KidVantage High Five Diaper Drive now through May 19. Diaper sizes 4 through 7 are the most needed.

Unopened packages of diapers can be dropped off at the YMCA, Galaxy Theatres, Kimball Coffeeshop, PenMet Recreation Center, Walgreens and other locations. Cash donations are also welcome. For more information email [email protected].

Fun and games

Gather your team and test your knowledge about pop culture, history, science and more at Ocean5’s Trivia Night, from 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday. All ages are welcome. Ocean5 is at 5268 Point Fosdick Dr. NW.

The Beer Vault, 14004 Purdy Dr., hosts music bingo at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 29.

Hidden Harbor Wine Library, 8805 N. Harborview Dr. Suite 204, has bingo at 4:30 p.m. Mondays and canasta at 4:30 p.m. Thursdays.

Live music

The Harbor Ukulele Group meets from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays at the Gig Harbor Library, 4424 Point Fosdick Dr., to share tunes. Newcomers are welcome.

Kimball Coffeeshop hosts an open mic at 6 p.m. Thursdays, with sign-ups at 5:30 p.m. The coffee shop is at 6659 Kimball Dr.

David Cathers plays tunes from John Denver, Garth Brooks, Neil Diamond, James Taylor and more at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 24, at the Olalla Winery. Tickets are $20 here.

Hidden Harbor Wine Library, 8805 N. Harborview Dr. Suite 204, has music by Steven Brooks at 4 p.m. Saturday, April 25.

Olympia-based pianist Scott Cossu brings his award-winning music to Fox Island’s Chapel on Echo Bay, 400 Sixth Ave. at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 25. Cossu is a NAMA award winner for Best New Age artist, and a two-time nominee for a Lifetime Achievement Award from One World Music Radio. Tickets are $15 here.

Jonathan Sherrill plays a blend of folk, rock, blues and crowd-favorite covers. at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 25, at the Beer Vault 14004 Purdy Dr.

At the movies

The Gig Harbor Film Festival’s Monday Movie Night on April 27 at the Galaxy Theatres in Uptown features the Oscar-nominated documentary “Come See Me in the Good Light.” It’s the story of two poet lovers who embark on an emotional exploration of love, mortality and life’s precious moments when one of them is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Monday Movies have become so popular that the Film Festival is now scheduling two screenings, at 6:30 and 6:35 p.m. Click here to buy tickets.

The Flashback Cinema movie at the Galaxy on Wednesday, April 22, is “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” showing at 1:15 p.m. On Sunday, April 26 the Flashback movie is “Speed Racer.” Showtime is 11 a.m. Flashback movies are just $5.

The Galaxy’s Classic Movie on Monday, April 27 is “Babes on Broadway” starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland showing at 10 a.m. Classic movies are just $5.

Civic engagement

Gig Harbor Public Works Director Jeff Langhelm is Engage Gig Harbor’s featured speaker at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 21. Langhelm will discuss city utilities, particularly its water service. The discussion takes place at the Eddon Park Boatyard House, 3805 Harborview Dr.

The Gig Harbor City Council meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 27, aat the Civic Center, 3510 Grandview St. Tentative agenda items include authorization of two grant applications for the North Creek culvert replacement project and a discussion of representation to the South Sound Military Community Partnership. Council meetings can also be accessed via Zoom.