Park(ing) Day

Art takes to the streets today in Park(ing) Day, a global event where citizens and artists take back metered parking spaces and transform them into temporary tiny public parks – everything from a Buddhist shrine to a picnic table to a palm-fringed tropical garden. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. today. Free. Downtown Tacoma streets (mostly Pacific Avenue). parkingday.org

Sing with Revels on the Bridge of Glass

The Puget Sound Revels bring music outside tonight for the autumn equinox at Tacoma Sings, an annual sing-along of folk music on the Bridge of Glass in downtown Tacoma. 6:30-8 p.m. Free. Begins on Museum of Glass side of the bridge, moves over to Pacific Avenue plaza side. 253-756-1804, pugetsoundrevels.org Read more »

Who doesn’t like free dance, theater and music? The Broadway Center knows it’s pretty hard to resist a free show, let alone a free weekend of shows, and for the second year around is kicking off its season with the Fall Free for All weekend of free arts events this Saturday and Sunday to entice newbies into the downtown theaters and give us all a taste of what’s coming up. Headlining the weekend is Tacoma indie singer Vicci Martinez, playing the Pantages Saturday night.

You can download the program pdf on the Broadway Center’s website, but here are some highlights:

-       New this year is Vicci Martinez, the Tacoma native singer/songwriter who went big on NBC’s “The Voice” and has found it hard to schedule her adoring hometown into her gig schedule ever since. She didn’t make it to Art on the Ave – but she’s booked in at the Pantages, so get in line early. 9 p.m. Sat.

-       Also new this year is a scheduled dinner break. No, they’re not giving you a free meal, but at least there’s a two hour break in the performance schedule to allow everyone to refuel at some of downtown T-Town’s great eating places (Two Koi, Matador, Maxwell’s, The Old Spaghetti Factory, El Gaucho, Corina and The Office), where your FFFA wristband will get you discounts. 5-7 p.m. Sat., 4-6 p.m. Sun. Read more »