Arts & Entertainment Community

Harbor Happenings | Great setting, great time, great cause

Posted on August 18th, 2026 By: Charlee Glock-Jackson

Have a great time supporting a great cause — us — at our upcoming fundraiser at Kopachuck State Park.

The Enchanted Forest fundraiser starts at 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, at the recently renovated park at 10712 NW 56th St. Tickets cost $115 here.

Comedian Dan Rosenberg of Bainbridge Island will perform. Snuffin’s Catering of Gig Harbor will prepare dinner, and auction and raffle items will run the gamut from fine art pieces to local gift card packages.

Funds raised during the auction allow Gig Harbor Now to continue covering the local community.

Tickets for our fundraiser are going fast!

‘Fishermen Feed the World’

Gig Harbor’s Croatian fishing heritage will be on full display Saturday, Aug. 22 in a celebration dubbed “Fishermen Feed the World” at Skansie Brothers Park.

Local commercial fishermen — some retired, some still hauling riches from the sea – will be on hand to share stories, demonstrate how nets are mended and talk about the gear they use for harvesting salmon, crab and squid.

Kids will be entertained by the Balloon Guy, games like the brailer toss (throwing a fish into a net) and getting temporary tattoos of sea creatures.

A person walks aboard the Veteran, during the Wooden Boat Festival at Tides Tavern in downtown Gig Harbor on May 16, 2026. Photo by Carolyn Bick. © Carolyn Bick

The purse seiner Veteran will be docked nearby for free tours, courtesy of the Gig Harbor BoatShop. And plenty of food will be available, including Croatian plješkavice (a pork, beef and cheese sausage), clam chowder, salmon burgers, hot dogs and pastries.

The festivities take place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., hosted by the Skansie Netshed Foundation.

Curtain going down

Ghostlight Performing Arts’ final performances of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged (again)” take place at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 22 and 23, at Sehmel Homestead Park, 10123 78th Ave. NW. It’s fun-filled, slightly bawdy and free, but guests should bring a chair or a blanket for sitting on the grass.

Art show closing

Thursday, Aug. 20, is the last day to see the Hugo Moro art exhibit at Tacoma Community College’s Gig Harbor branch, 3993 Hunt St. Moro grew up in Cuba and learned to make his own playthings out of discards and found objects. The show is open during regular business hours.

The college’s annual Write in the Harbor workshop with author Suzanne Morrison is scheduled for Nov. 6 and 7 on the Gig Harbor campus. Early registration is now open here.

Dock walk

See what creatures lurk in the water when Harbor WildWatch naturalists lead a walk along Jerisich Dock at 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23. It’s free, but donations are welcome. The dock is located next to Skansie Park, 3215 Harborview Drive.

Waterfront walks

The Gig Harbor Downtown Waterfront Alliance’s weekly Skiffs to Spirits walks along the waterfront continue from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on the next two Wednesdays, Aug. 19 and Aug. 26. The guided walks offer a peek into Gig Harbor’s past with stories about the city’s social life before and after Prohibition. Meet at Harbor History Museum, 4121 Harborview Drive at 5:30 p.m. for the walk that concludes at 7Seas Brewing. It’s free, but reservations are required.

The penultimate Wonders of the Waterfront walk starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, at Donkey Creek Park, 8714 North Harborview Dr. Waterfront Alliance guides will talk about the diversity of life and the natural history of the waterfront. Walkers must arrange return transportation at these walks.

Free lunch

Altrusa Gig Harbor and Food 4 All provide free sack lunches every Tuesday and Thursday through Aug. 27 for kids who usually receive free lunch at school. The lunch give-away take place at noon at the Gig Harbor Library, 4424 Point Fosdick Drive.

E-waste recycling day

Old computers, phones, TVs, microwaves, and other electronic devices can be recycled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22, at Swift Water Elementary School for free. This event is for electronics only so do not bring furniture, lightbulbs, mattresses, refrigerators or air conditioners. The school is at 10811 Harbor Hill Drive.

Kelp and eelgrass

Washington state recently designated bull kelp beds as State Marine Forests. Learn more about the remarkable plant from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25, at an open house sponsored by Harbor WildWatch and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. The free event takes place at the Volunteer Vern Pavilion at Sehmel Homestead Park, 10123 78th Ave. NW. Bull kelp is native to the Pacific Coast from Alaska to California. It can grow up to 118 feet (36 meters) long and forms dense, underwater forests that support diverse marine life.

At the Gig Harbor Library

Explore options to costly-to-maintain, labor-intensive grassy lawns, at a free “Reimagine Your Lawn” workshop at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19, at the library, 4424 Point Fosdick Dr. WSU Master Gardener Mike Peronto will talk about easier, more sustainable alternatives.

The Companion Plants collaborative photo/painting art show, featuring works by painter Henry Caserotti and photographer Gay L. Johnson, continues at the library through Sept. 30.

Fun and games

The Beer Vault, 14004 Purdy Dr., hosts music bingo at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19. The Vault has trivia at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, and line dancing lessons for $10 at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24.

Ocean5 has all-ages-welcome trivia at 6 p.m. Thursdays. At 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19, Ocean5 hosts the summer’s final kids workshop with kids creating their own mini-worlds in glass jar terrariums to learn how ecosystems work. The cost is $15. Sign up here.

Locust Cider, 3207 57th St. Ct. has trivia at 6 p.m. Wednesdays, a monthly pinball tournament at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, and music bingo at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21. The bingo theme is cover songs with a twist.

Hidden Harbor Wine Library has bingo at 4:30 p.m. Mondays and canasta at 4:30 p.m. Thursdays.

The Float, 14511 Sherman Dr. in Purdy, has karaoke from 8 p.m. to midnight Fridays.

Live music

In another “penultimate,” Brian James Was Here plays originals and covers of country tunes at Tuesday’s next-to-the-last Summer Sounds concert at Skansie Park. Music starts at 6:30 p.m. for the free, family-friendly show.

Friday, Aug. 21 is The final concert in Peninsula Metropolitan Parks District’s summer music series starts at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21. The Shy Boys take the stage at the PenMet Recreation Center’s Harborstone Field, 2524 14th Ave. NW.

The Mistakens and Kevin Cummings provide the tunes at the Waterfront Farmers Market on Thursday, Aug. 20. The market runs from 1 to 6 p.m. with dozens of vendors selling fresh produce, baked goods, flowers and more. Park free at the Church of Latter Day Saints on Rosedale, or the United Methodist Church on Pioneer Way and ride the free shuttle to and from the market.

Gig Harbor-based pianist Elijah Bossenbroek will play his original compositions at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22 in the inaugural “Garden of Peace” session in the forested outdoor music space at the home of Zach and Rebekah Blue. The site was included in this year’s Gig Harbor Garden tour and will host several concerts in the coming weeks. Tickets are $25 here.

Elijah Bossenbroek plays piano during a concert at Lise Kristiansen’s home on Saturday, March 14, 2026. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann

Two Macs and Friends play acoustic pop and Latin Jazz in the vineyard at Olalla Winery at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21. Tickets are $25 here.

Kimball Coffeeshop hosts an open mic every Thursday, with sign-ups at 5:30 p.m. and music at 6 p.m. Joel Astley plays at Kimball at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21. Doors open at 6 p.m. for the free, family-friendly show.

Indie singer-songwriter Ralph Flick’s music project LowLightRoom plays at Locust Cider at 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22. Locust is at 3207 57th St. Ct., next to the Inn at Gig Harbor.

Robbie Vee plays at Hidden Harbor Wine Library, 8850 North Harborview Dr., at at 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22.

At the movies

The Galaxy Theatres in Uptown is collecting school supplies and new, un-worn back-to-school clothes. Especially needed: backpacks; notebooks; pens, pencils and highlighters; crayons and markers; folders; glue sticks; pants, jackets, shirts, socks and underwear. The drive ends Thursday, Aug. 20. All donations will go to Gig Harbor Peninsula FISH Food Bank, and donors will be entered for a chance to win free movies for a year, movie posters and gift baskets.

The Gig Harbor Film Festival’s Monday Movie for August is “Steal this Story, Please!” showing at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 31. It’s the story of journalist Amy Goodman who has reported on some of the most consequential stories of our time.

This week’s SummerFest movie at the Galaxy is “Wonder,” playing at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 18; 10 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 19 and Aug. 20; Starting Friday, Aug. 21, it’s “Trolls.” Showtimes are 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 21, 24, 25 and 26; 10 am. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 22 and 23. SummerFest movies are just $3.50.

The Flashback Cinema movie Wednesday, Aug. 19 is “Dirty Dancing” starring Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze, showing at 4 p.m. Starting Friday, Aug. 21 it’s “The Fast and the Furious 25^th Anniversary.” Showtimes are 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Aug. 21 and 22; 12:40 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23; at 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Aug. through 27. Flashback movies are just $7.

The Friday Fright Night film on Aug. 21 is “Cape Fear” (1991) starring Robert di Niro, Nick Nolte and Jessica Lang. Showtime is 8:45 p.m. Fright Night movies are just $6.

“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” is the Galaxy Classic on Monday, Aug. 24. Showtime is 10 a.m. Galaxy Classic tickets are just $5.