EVENT
Out in the Park
If you’ve yet to experience Out in the Park, 2008 is a great year to pop your gay cherry. Saturday’s celebration is brimming over with events and activities celebrating our city’s queer culture. Whether you love a parade, getting dressed up in uniform or fetish gear, participating in activist causes, or rocking out to live music â€" there’s something for everyone here. Full schedule of events are here. â€" Suzy Stump
[Lincoln-Eldridge Park, July 12, noon to 7 p.m., 801 S. 37th St., Tacoma, outintacoma.org]

LITERATURE
Anarchist’s Book Fair
You don’t have to be an “anarchist” to take part in the second annual TABF held at King’s Books this weekend, but you do have to be ready to read books until your eyeballs catch fire. Not really, but you do have to enjoy some heavy literature. They have a weekend full of workshops that include hot topics such as Herbal Apprenticeship, Creative Writing for Liberation, Existential Psychology, and my favorite â€" Protest Tactics. â€" Steph DeRosa
[King’s Books, July 12-13, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., free, 218 St. Helens Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.8801]

BLUES
Tacoma Old Town Blues Festival
Now in its 16th year, the festival is an all-day event with more blues than you can shake a stick at beginning with a Blueberry Pancake Breakfast with Boston-based blues prodigy Alex Weed. The Mississippi John Hurt-influenced singer will be joined by local harp extraordinaire Jay Mabin. At noon, things kick into high gear at the free Old Town Park Main Stage with another performance by Weeds, as well as local greats such as Loose Gravel & the Quarry and the Tim Hall Band, among others. My pops, Little Bill, will be over at the Mountaineers Legend Stage (with beer garden) at 4 p.m. to perform everything except his 1959 hit, “I Love An Angel.” The day is full of dilemmas. Here’s one: Becki Sue & the Big Rockin’ Daddies will blow the roof off the Slavonian Hall “Blues Café” while Junkyard Jane will be doing the same thing, at the same time, on the Main Stage.

The festival takes place at Old Town Park, The Slavonian Hall, The Spar and The Mountaineers Hall. All afternoon performances in Old Town Park are free to the public. For more information, go to www.tacomaoldtownbluesfest.net. â€" Tony Engelhart
[Old Town Tacoma, 10 a.m. to 1 a.m., $20 all day pass, North 30th and McCarver St., Old Town Tacoma, 253.759.2518]

ART
New Bible
The Tacoma Art Museum opens Illuminating the Word: The Saint John’s Bible today. It’s a contemporary work created in the tradition of handwritten medieval manuscripts using quills and paints hand-ground from precious minerals. The exhibition and its national tour are made possible by Target. â€" Suzy Stump
[Tacoma Art Museum, July 12-Sept. 7 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. third Thursdays noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, $6.50-$7.50, 1701 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.4258]

LINK: Derek M. Johnson and others in the clubs tonight.
LINK: Check out when the movie starts today.
LINK: Let’s eat outdoors today.