I needed to be pinched yesterday, I was having one of those “am I dreaming?” moments. 
So there I was, at the University of Washington-Tacoma, where they were setting up the Chihuly beer garden spot, and I was looking across Pacific Avenue, and I saw people.  Not just one or two stragglers, but a bona-fide crowd.  I heard the primal sounds of drums, and had to go to their source.
The Washington State History Museum's 10-year anniversary fete, combined with the Chihuly In Tacoma festivities, made for a really cool city-like experience: the drummers had booties shaking; there was a climbing wall, and a pitching cage (a kid was throwing a respectable 30 miles per hour) and an archaeological dig-site (a blow up pool with dirt in it, and kids digging for treasure) and last but very not least, in case we thought historical-society-types were staid, there was a beer garden.
Inside the museum a respectable number of people milled about looking at the exhibits, and  I noticed a fair amount of them had Museum of Glass stickers on their chests. Cari Sherman with the history museum reported attendance at 1077 at 3 p.m., over anticipated numbers, and mentioned she thought a fair amount of attendees might have been initially in the museum district for Chihuly.
Whatever the reason they came there, they were enjoying the Kitsap Live Steamers train rides out in front of the museum, where a steam-powered mini-train took riders on a route even shorter than the Link.
As the entertainment changed to Asia Pacific dancers in crazy hair (note: if it’s a crowd you want, get bright-colored bubble wigs!) I let, wanting the savor the “crowded Tacoma” experience.  Carpe Diem! â€" Jessica Corey-Butler