Arts & Entertainment Community
Harbor Happenings | Tree-lighting flips the switch on the holidays
The holiday season shifts into full swing this week with the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree in Skansie Park on Saturday, Dec. 6.
The celebration begins at 4 p.m. with the Gig Harbor High School choir caroling, followed by more seasonal tunes from The Profits at 4:30 p.m. Santa arrives on a fire truck at 5 p.m. and Mayor Mary Barber will light the tree shortly after.
Holiday vendors will have hand-crafted items for sale and the Gig Harbor Downtown Waterfront Alliance will provide free cocoa and cookies for everyone.
Dancing to Christmas music at the city of Gig Harbor’s 2022 Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. Julie Warrick Ammann
Find the gnomes
The Gig Harbor Downtown Waterfront Alliance has hidden dozens of gnomes in the downtown area. Find them all and you could win an I Love Gig Harbor blanket and a $50 gift card to a waterfront business.
Nearly 30 businesses are participating. Get a passport at any participating business, and hunt for gnomes now through Dec. 31.
St. Lucia Festival
Saint Lucia is revered in Italian and Scandinavian cultures, beloved for providing food to Christians hiding in the Roman catacombs, lighting her way with a candlelit wreath on her head.
Gig Harbor will celebrate the good saint and our town’s Scandinavian roots from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5 at the Harbor History Museum’s St. Lucia Festival – with a traditional children’s procession, games, craft activities, Swedish treats, and live music provided by the Gig Harbor High School choir. Admission is free to museum members; $6 per person age five and up. The museum is located at 4121 Harborview Drive.
The St. Lucia Festival is Friday, Dec. 5, at Harbor History Museum.
Holiday village
The Waterfront Alliance’s Holiday Village welcomes visitors to the Ancich Waterfront Park netshed from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on these days: Dec. 6 and 7, Dec. 11 through 14 and Dec. 18 through 21. Bring your camera for photos with Santa from noon to 2:30 p.m. Dec. 13, 14, 21 and 22.
TideFest
Gig Harbor High School’s annual TideFest arts and crafts fair takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7. More than 100 artisans and craftspeople will sell glass art, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, clothing, wood and leather products, paintings and more. Admission is $5.
TideFest raises money for school activities and athletic programs like the speech and debate team and the school newspaper. The GHHS jazz band and choir and the Goodman Middle School band will perform during the event. GHHS is at 5101 Rosedale St. NW.
Items for sale at TideFest.
Studio show
Sculptor Mardie Rees will host a studio Christmas show Sunday, Dec. 7. Browse her work and enjoy refreshments from 2 to 6 p.m. at 13515 82nd Ave. NW.
Living nativity
Discovery Bible Church hosts The Living Nativity, a free walk-through Christmas experience from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 6 and 7. The church is at 4902 Gustafson Dr.
Santa on a fire truck
Gig Harbor fire trucks will drive through neighborhoods every day through Friday, Dec. 5, collecting food and toy donations and handing out holiday treats. Get route information here. Donations can also be delivered to fire department headquarters at 10222 Bujacich Road weekdays during regular business hours.
Santa in a fire truck. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann
Santa’s BoatShop
The Gig Harbor BoatShop becomes Santa’s BoatShop from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. Kids 3 and older (accompanied by an adult) will build and paint model boats. The cost is $20 per child for members; $25 for non-members and includes all materials. Reserve your child’s space here.
Also at the BoatShop on Dec. 6, kids 4 and under can hear stories about boats – like “Old MacDonald Had a Boat” by Steve Goetz, and “Let’s go to the Hardware Store” by Anne Rockwell and maybe even “The Cajun Night Before Christmas” — as BoatShop volunteer Cynthia Hackett presents a special edition of Tales at the BoatShop. There will also be a craft-making activity. Tales takes place at noon and 2 p.m. It’s free, but kids should be accompanied by an adult.
Boat tours
Take a tour of the harbor aboard a private 42-foot sailboat to view the holiday lights from the water. Cruise Hobbes hosts the tours from Dec. 6 through 23.
They launch from the Maritime Pier and last about an hour and a half. Prices start at $295 for four people and include refreshments. Two-day advance bookings are requested. Get more information here.
Wine tasting
Join members of Gig Harbor Kiwanis to taste a variety of holiday wines, plus charcuterie and small-bite selections starting at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6 at the Gig Harbor Yacht Club, 8209 Stinson Ave. Festivities include silent and live auctions and a dessert dash. Tickets are $70 per person and support the Kiwanis Cares for Kids programs.
Ethereal Arts fundraiser
Ethereal Arts will present two performances of “An Ethereal Dream” at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 5 and 6, with special guest artists from aerial groups in Seattle.
Proceeds from the shows will support the organization’s effort to build a new permanent home. Both performances will take place at the Ethereal Arts studio 3201 Jahn Ave. NW, Suite 104. There will also be a silent auction.Tickets are pay-what-you-wish donations. Order tickets for Friday, Dec. 5, here; or for Saturday, Dec. 6, here.
A Christmas Carol by Ghostlight
Ghostlight Performing Arts presents their interpretation of Charles Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol” Dec. 5 through 7 at the Nichols Community Center on Fox Island.
Follow miserly and cold-hearted Ebenezer Scrooge as he is visited by the ghost of his late partner, Jacob Marley, and by three spirits who show him his unpleasant past, present and potential future. The play will also be presented Dec. 12, 14, 19 and 21. Tickets are $20 general admission; $15 for seniors and kids under 12. Purchase them here.
At each performance, Ghostlight is partnering with Trees of Hope to raffle plastic trees, decorated by local organizations.
Trees being raffled during Ghostlight’s performances of “A Christmas Carol.”
Book club discussion
The Gig Harbor Literary Society meets at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3, at the Harbor History Museum to discuss “Falling from Horses” by Molly Gloss. Set in 1928, it tells the story of 19-year-old cowboy Bud Frazer and his dream of becoming a stunt rider in the movies.
Gloss is also the author of “The Jump-Off Creek,” winner of both the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award and the Oregon Book Award; “The Dazzle of Day,” a New York Times Notable Book and winner of the PEN Center West Fiction Prize, and “Wild Life,” winner of the James Tiptree Jr. Award.
All are welcome at Literary Society discussions, whether or not you’ve read the book. Consider bringing a non-perishable food donation for FISH, or taking a name card from the tree in the museum lobby to return with an appropriate gift.
Emergency preparedness
Gig Harbor Fire and Medic One and the Peninsula Emergency Preparedness Coalition will lead a winter readiness workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4 to talk about preparing your home, vehicle and yourself for potential winter hazards. The class will take place at GHFMO headquarters, 10222 Bujacich Road. Registration is required.
Members of South Kitsap Fire and Rescue will discuss risk reduction and emergency preparedness from 9 to 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at Olalla Bay Market, 13865 Crescent Valley Road SE.
Salmon tours and beach monitoring
Join Harbor WildWatch biologists at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, for an informative walk from Donkey Creek to txʷaalqəł Estuary and learn about the fascinating species of salmon that call our local waters home, and their importance in our ecosystem. Meet at the restrooms at Donkey Creek Park.
The WildWatch team will be checking several beaches during the nighttime low tides to collect data on how beaches change over time. This week they will be at these local beaches:
- Tuesday, Dec. 2: Tacoma Narrows Park, 11502 Lucille Parkway. Meet at the gate at 6:45 p.m.
- Wednesday, Dec. 3: Kopachuck State Park, 10712 56th St. NW. Meet in the parking lot beyond the entrance gate at 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 6: Penrose Point State Park, 321 158th Ave SW, Lakebay, at 9:45 p.m. Go past the first gate, then take a right at the “T” to the general parking area. If you arrive late, walk across the grassy field to the monitoring site on the beach to the left.
- Sunday, Dec. 7: Purdy Spit, 7726 Highway 302, 10:30 p.m. The monitoring site is midway across the spit near the lone madrona tree on the public side of the spit.
- Monday, Dec. 8: Sunrise Beach, 10015 Sunrise Beach Dr. NW, 11:15 p.m. Meet in the parking area before heading to the beach There is a short hike down a grassy hill to the beach.
In winter the lowest tides are at night, which adds to the adventure. Dress for the weather and bring a headlamp; toe and hand warmers; thermos of warm beverage.
Fun and games
The Float, 14511 Sherman Dr. NW, has Trivia Night at 7 p.m. Wednesdays.
Hidden Harbor Wine Library, 8805 N. Harborview Drive Suite 204, has music bingo from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturdays.
The Beer Vault, 14004 Purdy Dr., has music bingo at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3.
Make a festive holiday wreath at the Beer Vault at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. The $65 ticket includes one drink, a 14-inch grapevine wreath frame, all supplies and guidance in crafting your one-of-a-kind wreath. Make reservations here.
Olalla Winery also has a wreath-making workshop at 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 6 and 7. Fresh-cut noble fir and incense cedar greens, a 12-inch wire wreath frame and instructions are included in the $45 cost, along with cookies and a glass of mulled wine. Reserve your spot here.
Live music
Wounded Mic plays hits from the 1960s and beyond at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5 at the Olalla Winery. Reserve tickets here.
Kimball Coffeehouse hosts an open mic Thursdays, with signups at 5:30 p.m. and music at 6.
The Beer Vault, 14004 Purdy Dr., has an open mic at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. All ages and skill levels are welcome.
At the movies
For opera fans, the Met presents “Arabella” on the big screen at the Galaxy Theatres in Uptown at 1 and 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 3.
Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” plays at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. The cast includes tenor Matthew Polenzani, baritone Nathan Gunn and bass René Pape.
The Flashback Cinema movie on Wednesday, Dec. 3 is “The Holiday” playing at 11 a.m. On Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 6 and 7 it’s “Elf” starring Will Ferrell as Buddy. Showtimes are 12:15 pm. and 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday. Flashback movies are just $5.
The annual Polar Express Extravaganza at the Galaxy raises funds for Toys for Tots. Showtime is 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. $5 tickets.
Always confirm showtimes with the theatre, as films and times can change.
Civic engagement
The city of Gig Harbor hosts a reception for outgoing city council members at 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 8, followed by a regular council meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tentative agenda items include swearing in of new councilmember Julie Martin, graduation ceremonies for Harbor Rising students, adoption of the 2026 legislative agenda and approval of a utility extension for Lagunas on the Bay.
Attorneys from Tacoma ProBono will have a legal aid popup from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, to offer free advice on issues such as eviction, landlord-tenant relation and family and consumer law concerns.
