Arts & Entertainment Community
Harbor Happenings | It’s officially spooky season
Halloween celebrations reign supreme this week with pumpkins, parties, costumes and treats from one side of town to the other.
Pumpkin carving and painting
Master pumpkin carver Russ Leno works his magic on a giant pumpkin at the Uptown Gig Harbor shopping center from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30. Leno carves in the Uptown Pavilion near Blue Agave restaurant.
Then trick-or-treaters can grab treats from Uptown merchants from 4 to 6 p.m.
A passerby takes a picture of Russ Leno carving the pumpkin. Photo by Carolyn Bick. © Carolyn Bick 2024
Trick or Treat the Harbor
Businesses along Harborview Drive will hand out treats from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. Harborview Drive will be closed from Pioneer Way to Rosedale Street, and Pioneer Way will be closed from Tarabochia Street to Harborview Drive.
Trick or Treat the Harbor.
Monster Mash Bash
Peninsula Metropolitan Parks District hosts the free Monster Mash Bash from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, at the Recreation Center, 2524 14th Ave. NW. The event includes plenty of indoor activities, treats, music and Halloween spirit.
Pumpkin painting
The Hub Gig Harbor hosts a pumpkin painting party for kids at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, on the restaurant’s heated, covered patio. It’s free, and mini-pumpkins and paints will be provided. The Hub is at the Tacoma Narrows Airport, 1208 26th Ave. NW.
Trunk or Treat
Harbor Life Church, 4417 56th St., will have carnival games, laser tag, a cakewalk, free coffee and hot cocoa and prizes at a Trunk or Treat from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31.
Free day at the museum
Harbor History Museum will celebrate Halloween with free admission from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and a treasure hunt for kiddos. Find the Jack ’o’ Halloween Troll and other hidden creatures and win a spooky prize. The museum is at 4121 Harborview Dr.
Yacht Club Hallow-Wine dinner
The Gig Harbor Yacht Club’s Hallow-Wine dinner and auction starts at 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. Silent and online auction items include travel packages, boat accessories, jewelry and more. It’s open to the public; tickets are $50 per person and include dinner. The Yacht Club is located at 8209 Stinson Ave. Registration is required here.
Community sewing day
Help make patriotic quilts for veterans from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, at the Olalla Grange, 7554 Fragaria Road SE. Red, white and blue cotton fabric, patterns and basic instruction will be provided. Bring your own sewing machine, thread and scissors, and a snack to share.
Fishing experience
Climb aboard the historic purse seiner Veteran on Wednesday, Oct. 28, to experience commercial salmon fishing in Colvos Passage. The Gig Harbor BoatShop will take advantage of one of the final days of this fall’s chum season and host up to six people to join the three- to four-hour trip. The Veteran will depart from the Maritime Pier next to the Tides Tavern at 8 a.m. The fee is $600 for the full boat for BoatShop members; $700 for the full boat for non-members. No individual tickets are available, and the trip is subject to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s schedule, which can change weekly based on catch limits and other factors. Book your trip here.
The Veteran tied up at Skansie Park during the Fishermen Fied the World event on Aug. 22. Photo by Julie Warrick Ammann
Silent reading party
Invitation BookShop will host a silent reading party from 5 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, at Spruce Hill Winery, 5229 Olympic Dr. Bring a book and read in companionable silence, then stay for socializing afterward.
Book launch
Olalla author Gregg Olsen and his daughter Morgan Olsen will celebrate the publication of their book “Ordinary Wife” at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27. It’s the true story of Lyda Southard, a female serial killer who poisoned her husband – and possibly others – with arsenic extracted from flypaper. The free book launch party takes place at Olalla Bay Market, 13965 Olalla Valley Road SE.
KGI Watershed annual meeting
KGI Watershed Council’s State of the Watershed annual meeting takes place at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, at the Civic Center, 3510 Grandview St. It’s an opportunity to connect with watershed partners, reflect on progress and look ahead. The meeting will also be livestreamed via Zoom.
‘Facing turmoil with Integrity’
Humanities Washington presents “Facing Turmoil with Integrity: What Gandhi and Martin Luther King learned from an Ancient Masterpiece,” at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27 at Heron’s Key, 4340 Borgen Blvd. It focuses on how The Kural, a 2,000-year-old Tamil book of wisdom, inspired modern practitioners of non-violence. Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma will lead the conversation about how connections across languages and lands can inspire clarity and courageous action in our own time and place.
Book discussion
The Gig Harbor Literary Society will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 3, at Harbor History Museum to discuss “The Return of Ellie Black.” The thriller by Emiko Jean is about Detective Chelsey Calhoun, whose life is upended when Ellie Black, a teenager missing for two years, suddenly reappears. Book discussions are free and open to everyone whether or not you’ve read the book. The museum is at 4121 Harborview Dr.
At the library
The Gig Harbor Library’s non-fiction book club will meet from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, to talk about this month’s selection. The Chess Club meets from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, for kids ages 9 through 12. The library is at 4424 Point Fosdick Dr.
Fun and games
The Beer Vault, 14004 Purdy Dr., hosts music bingo at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, with your favorite tunes as part of the fun. The Vault will have all-day Trick or Treats on Halloween day.
The Float, 14511 Sherman Dr. NW in Purdy, has Tank’d Up Trivia every at 7:15 p.m. Wednesdays, with prizes for the top three finishers. The Float hosts karaoke from 8 p.m. to midnight Fridays. The Float’s Halloween Party starts at 8 p.m. Saturday, with live music by My Guilty Pleasure and Vlad the Impaler.
The Hop Pharm, 3216 Judson St., has bingo at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28. On Friday, Oct. 30, the Pharm will show Halloween-themed movies all day. Wear a costume and get a discount on drinks.
Ocean5, 5268 Point Fosdick Dr., hosts family-friendly bingo at 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Let’s Get Quizzical Trivia at 6 p.m. Thursdays.
Hidden Harbor Wine Library, 8805 N. Harborview Dr. Suite 204, has bingo every Monday and canasta every Thursday, all starting at 4:30 p.m.
Live music
Gig Harbor Audio hosts the Gig Harbor-based string trio of violinists Gwendolyn Taylor and Mary Manning and cellist Margaret Thorndill at 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30. They’ll play Cole Porter’s “Begin the Beguine,” traditional fiddle tunes and other works, plus some fun, seasonal tunes like “Monster Mash” with accordionist John McMillian. The free show is at 3019 Judson St.
Kimball Coffeeshop hosts an open mic every Thursday, with signups at 5:30 p.m. and performances at 6 p.m.
Finholm’s Market and Deli, 8812 N. Harborview Dr., has an open mic every Friday at 7:30 p.m., with instruments and equipment provided. All skill levels and talents are welcome.
Stevenson Brooks provides the tunes from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, at Curated, 7807 Pioneer Way.
The Gin Creek Trio, a three-time nominee for Washington Blues Society’s Best Blues Band, brings their music to the Olalla Winery loft at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30. The trio includes Mark Lewis on piano, Katie Malike on vocals and Rene LeMesnager on guitar. Tickets are $20 here.
Ocean5 has music by Fan Halen, billed as “the World’s Most Authentic Tribute to Van Halen,” at 8 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, for a 21+ show. Location is 5268 Point Fosdick Dr. NW.
At the movies
The Flashback Cinema movie at the Galaxy Theatres in Uptown on Wednesday, Oct 28, and Saturday, Oct. 31, is “Scream,” Wes Craven’s original slasher movie. Showtimes are 6 p.m. Wednesday and 8:45 p.m. Saturday. Starting Sunday, Nov. 1, the Flashback flick is “The Shawshank Redemption,” with Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. Showtime is 3:15 p.m. Flashback tickets are $7.
The Friday Night Fright film on Oct. 30 is “The Bride of Frankenstein” (1935) starring Boris Karloff. Showtime is 8:45 p.m. with tickets $6.
The Galaxy Classic on Monday, Nov. 2, is “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane” (1962). Bette Davis and Joan Crawford star in the story about a former child star who torments her paraplegic sister in their decaying Hollywood mansion. Showtime is 10 a.m. Classic movie tickets are $5.
The Galaxy will also show a Mystery Movie at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 2. It’s a secret screening of a surprise film, with no title reveal until showtime. Tickets are just $5.
Civic engagement
The Gig Harbor City Council meets for a study session at 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, in the Civic Center, 3510 Grandview St. Tentative agenda items include discussions about special events, Commercial Fishing Homeport regulations and the municipal code. The council will also hear the annual crime report from the police department and review agreements regarding aquatic programming at Peninsula School District pools and Pierce County’s Urban Growth Area annexations.