Tacoma Kids Weekly: Week of July 14, 2008

I'm late posting this week's activities. I'm sorry. I've been battling a cold and pregnancy symptoms and they are slowing me down. I wonder why. LOL Here's this week's list:

Tuesday, July 15, 2008
The Hot Shot Tap Dancers will be performing for the kids at Pioneer Park in Puyallup. The show begins at noon but I'd advise getting there early to find a spot among the day campers. There's a playground and wading pool at the park also. When we go, we like to pack a picnic so we can stay awhile. My kids like playing at the playground before the concert and hitting the wading pool as soon as they fill it after the concert.

Regal Cinemas continues with the Free Family Film Festival today and tomorrow. You can visit Regal Cinemas' website for a list was what is playing at your local theater. The Lakewood 15 at S. 84th Street will be showing The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. While the show begins at 10am, I advise getting there no later than 9:15am to get in line. Seating is first come, first serve and with day campers arriving by the busload, late arrival may mean you don't get your movie of choice or any movie at all.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The Point Defiance Zoo will be bringing their Wild Worker Bugs program to the Tacoma Main Library at 11am as part of the summer reading program. Stop by for the show, report your reading, and get some new books to read. If you haven't signed up for the reading program, there's still time. You have until August 16th to read and report 10 books to qualify for two free zoo tickets (1 for the child and 1 for the parent) for Library Day on August 23rd. The Recess Monkeys will be performing for us that day.

Pt. Defiance Zoo and the Tacoma Nature Center will be putting on another Nature Discovery Night. If you like frogs, learning about frogs, and doing frog activities, this is the event for you. It will take place at Manitou Park from 4:30pm to 6:30pm.


Thursday, July 17, 2008
It's Tacoma Farmer's Market day. The market is located downtown on Broadway between 9th and 1th streets. Park at the Tacoma Dome for free and take the light rail to the market for free. Today's entertainment is the Joshua Cain Band. Don't forget to stop by the Tacoma Children's Museum as it is free during market days.

You can see the Valentine Performing Pigs at the Wheelock Library at 11am. These pigs have appeared on The Late Show with Dave Letterman, Oprah, and The Today Show among others. And we get to see them for free.

If you prefer bugs to pigs, the Wild Worker Bugs program will be at the Moore library at 11am.

You could also chose to see the Clay Martin Puppet Theater at Fernhill Library at 3pm. This will be the only Tacoma Library showing of this particular puppet show by Clay Martin. If you can't catch this show, you'll still have one other chance to see the Clay Marting Puppet Theater at the South Tacoma Library on July 23rd at 3pm but it will be a different show.

Puyallup's Concert in the Park series continues this week at Pioneer Park. Tonight's groups will be Dynamik and Alex Duncan. These concerts are very popular drawing well over a thousand people. Concert starts at 6:30pm and go to 8:30pm. There are a few concessions available in the park or you can bring along a picnic dinner.

Friday, July 18, 2008
It is City of Tacoma Night at Wright Park tonight from 5pm-8pm. The event will feature "green recycling games", the EnviroChallanger, fire engines, and police cars.

The Zambini Brothers will be bringing their puppets to Swasey Library at 3pm. They have the coolest puppets.

You get another chance to take the kids to Wild Worker Bugs today at the Mottet Library at 11am.

The Seafair Indian Days Pow Wow begins today and runs through the weekend. It is held at the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center at Discovery Park. It averages 400-600 dancers in full regalia, 25 drum groups, and more than 60 vendors featuring Native Indian arts and crafts. If you have studied or will be studying Native Americans this year, this would be a great event to enhance your studies. Their website does not indicate if there is an admission fee or not but there is a phone number listed that you can call for more information if needed.

Saturday, July 19, 2008
Seafair Indian Days Pow Wow continues. See Friday for details.

Jaydeen Nation's Petting Zoo will be visiting Kobetich Library at 3pm. This little traveling zoo featured about a dozen animals last year. The kids enjoyed petting the animals for about half an hour before we headed inside to report our reading progress and check out some more books.

Puyallup's free movies in the park kicks off today with Shrek 3. The movie is projected onto a giant inflatable movie screen beginning at dusk. Concessions are available for purchase. Based on last year's experience, I recommend bringing a flashlight, camping chairs, and blankets. The flashlight is so you can see in the bathroom after dark; there were no lights in the bathroom last year so it was pitch (and I mean PITCH) black in the bathroms. The chairs are a must because geese are a problem at this park, or they were last year, and their droppings are all over the grass. The blankets are for cuddling up with.

Sunday, July 20, 2008
Seafair Indian Days Pow Wow continues. See Friday for details.