Arts & Entertainment Community News
Harbor Happenings | Blues, violins, guitars and clowns
It’s said that art is how we decorate space and music is how we decorate time. With that in mind, nearly every day this week looks to be well decorated.
United By Music America wraps up the National Night Out festivities Aug. 4 at Skansie Park with a half hour of blues at 5 p.m. featuring special guests Billy Stoops and Leanne Trevalyan, setting the stage for the Summer Sounds concert by The Mixed Tape, the only band returning from last year’s Summer Sounds lineup.
United By Music America was founded in 2012 by Gig Harbor residents Barbara Hammerman and her daughter Amanda Gresham. The UBMA band comprises talented alter-abled musicians who’re mentored and paired with professional artists for live performances. The UBMA band has performed nationally and internationally, and will give an encore performance on Tuesday, Aug. 25 for the final Summer Sounds concert. The concerts are free and family friendly.
Kathryn Claire and Margo Merah are the Two Drifters
More live music
On Thursday, Aug. 6, the BoatShop will host Kathryn Claire and Margo Merah for a 5 p.m. Two Drifters show of violin and guitar music. Claire is based in Portland, Oregon while Merah calls Amsterdam home. They met in a pub in Amsterdam in 2013 and their musical bond was immediate. Tickets are $37.50 each, available here.
Sarah Saffari provides the music at the Waterfront Farmers Market Thursday, Aug. 6. The market runs from 1 to 6 p.m. at Skansie Park, with food and crafts vendors, children’s activities and more. Park free and take the free shuttle to the market from the parking lot at the Latter Day Saints church on Rosedale Street or from the Methodist church on Pioneer Way.
Also on Thursday, Aug. 6, The Profits play pop, funk and rock at 6 p.m. at the Uptown pavilion. The weekly Uptown summer concerts are free and family friendly.
Jack Parker and the Remedy take the outdoor stage at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7 at PenMet Park’s Recreation Center, 2524 14th Ave. NW for a free, family friendly show.
The Olalla Winery hosts Wildwood Angels, playing covers of tunes from Patsy Cline, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn and other country favorites Friday, Aug. 7. Music starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 here.
Shawn Pratt of NW Chill hosts an open mic at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7 at the Beer Vault, 14004 Purdy Drive. All ages and skill levels are welcome to join in.
Kimball Coffeeshop has an open mic every Thursday, with signups at 5:30 p.m. and performances at 6 p.m. Roeman and the Whereabouts play a gig at Kimball at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7. Kimball events are free and family friendly.
Gig Harbor’s Rockin’ Rhythm and Blues Festival on Saturday, Aug. 8, raises funds for the Permission to Start Dreaming Foundation, a non-profit that supports veterans, first responders and their families who suffer from PTSD. The music goes from noon to 9 p.m. with performances by Cheaper than Therapy, Batuka, Roeman and the Whereabouts, The Shy Boys, The Tim Hall Band, Joel Astley, HD Fusion, The Soulful 88’s, and Heather Jones and the Groove Masters. There will also be food vendors and a beer and wine garden. The R & B fest takes place at the Gig Harbor Sportsman’s Club, 9721 Burnham Drive. Tickets are $33.85 here.
Roeman and the Whereabouts
Bottoms Up plays rock music you can dance to, and dance music you can rock to at 8:30 p.m. Friday at The Float, 14511 Sherman Drive in Purdy.
My Guilty Pleasure plays party rock hits from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s Saturday, Aug. 8 at Zogs, 587 6th Ave. Fox Island. Music starts at 6 p.m. with a $10 cover at the door.
The Harbor Ukulele Group gets together at 11 a.m. every Saturday at the library to share tunes. All are welcome to play or just sing along. The library is located at 4424 Point Fosdick Drive.
Book discussion
The Literary Society will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4 at Harbor History Museum to discuss “The Language of Flowers” by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. All are welcome, whether or not you’ve read the book.
Kids football and cheer fundraiser
The Peninsula High School Sports Association will host a fundraiser for the K-8 youth football and cheer programs from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8 at Skansie Park. The event will feature food from PSB Barbecue, Puget Sound Pizza and IScreamery and live music by The Profits as well as a silent auction including signed Seattle Seahawks gear, vacation trips and more. It’s free and family friendly.
FICRA Fair
The annual FICRA Fair on Fox Island Saturday, Aug. 8 features food trucks, a beer garden, live music, games, arts and crafts vendors and The World’s Shortest Parade. It all takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Nichols Community Center, 690 9th Ave.
The FICRA Fair on Fox Island.
Wild Feminine Faire
The Wild Feminine Wellness Faire Sunday, Aug. 9 at Crescent Creek Park will include live music by Sweet Mary, Lankin and Linda Nicole Blair, a market place with more than 30 vendors, wellness workshops, kids activities, food vendors and more. The festivities run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with free shuttle service all day from the Kimball Street park and ride. To learn more and register for the workshops go here.
Fun and games
Locust Cider, 3207 57th St. Ct. (next door to the Inn at Gig Harbor), has Trivia games at 6 p.m. every Wednesday.
The Beer Vault, 14004 Purdy Drive, has Trivia at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday. On Monday, Aug. 10, the Vault will host line dancing, with $10 lessons at 6:30 p.m. and dancing at 7 p.m.
Ocean5, 5268 Point Fosdick Drive, also has Trivia from 5 to 6 p.m. every Thursday. All ages are welcome. On Wednesday, Aug. 5, Ocean5 hosts an easy build-a-birdfeeder workshop for kids, starting at 6 p.m. Workshops are $15 per child. Sign up here.
The Float, at 14511 Sherman Drive in Purdy, has karaoke from 8 p.m. to midnight every Friday. Join the fun and sing your heart out.
Hidden Harbor Wine Library has bingo every Monday and canasta games every Thursday, all starting at 4:30 p.m. The Wine Library is located at 8805 N. Harborview Drive, Suite 204.
At the library
Teens can make their own menagerie of tiny animals, bugs or imaginary critters using polymer clay Tuesday, Aug. 11 at 4 p.m. during the weekly Teen Creative Space at the library, 4424 Point Fosdick Drive.
At the movies
This week’s SummerFest film at the Galaxy Theatres in Uptown is “The Lego Movie,” showing Tuesday through Thursday, Aug. 4-6 at 9:45 a.m. and 12:20 p.m. Starting Friday, Aug. 7, it’s “The Wild Robot” about ROZZUM Unit 7134 – Roz for short – that’s shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and must make friends with the resident animals in order to survive. Showtimes are Friday, Aug. 7 at 10 a.m. and 12:40 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 8 and 9 at 10:15 a.m.; Monday, Aug. 10 at 10 a.m. and 12:40 p.m.; and Tuesday, Aug. 11 at 10 a.m. SummerFest movies are just $3.50.
Wednesday’s Flashback Cinema movie is “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” showing at 6:15 p.m.
On Sunday, Aug. 9, it’s “The Goonies,” Steven Spielberg’s adventure comedy with music by Cyndi Lauper and REO Speedwagon. It’s about a group of friends who find a pirate’s map and go searching for buried treasure. Showtime is 7 p.m. Flashback movies are just $7.
Also on Wednesday, Aug. 5, opera lovers will enjoy the Met’s encore performance of “Aida” with soprano Angel Blue singing the title role of Verdi’s Egyptian drama and tenor Piotr Beczala as the warrior Radamès. Yannick Nezét-Séguin conducts. Showtimes: 1 and 6:30 p.m.
The Friday Night Fright movie on Aug. 7 is “The Cabin in the Woods” (2012). While visiting a quaint cabin in the woods, a group of friends scratch the surface of something so massive and horrific that they can only begin to fathom it as time runs out for them. Showtime is 8:45 p.m. Fright Night films are just $6.
The Galaxy’s classic movie on Monday, Aug. 10 is “Cabaret” (1972). It’s about a girlie club entertainer in Weimar Republic-era Berlin who romances two men while the Nazi party rises to power around them. Liza Minelli stars. Showtime is 10 a.m. Classic movies are just $5.
Deadheads around the country will “Meet-up at the Movies” Saturday, Aug. 8 and Monday, Aug. 10 to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Grateful Dead’s June 17, 1991 concert at Giant’s Stadium. Showtimes are 6:15 p.m. Saturday and 7:15 p.m. Monday.
Civic engagement
The city’s Planning Commission will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6 to discuss the city’s housing code. The City Council is scheduled to meet at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 10. Tentative agenda items include the first reading of an ordinance adopting a Multi-Family Tax Exemption (MFTE) program, a resolution rejecting all bids for rewiring the splash pad in Skansie Park, and approval of public works contract for construction, materials testing and construction support for the Commercial Fishing Homeport. City meetings are held at the Civic Center, 3510 Grandview St. and also can be viewed online.