THE LOWDOWN ON WHAT'S UP THIS WEEKEND >>>
WEATHER REPORTSaturday: Partly cloudy, hi 67, lo 52
Sunday: Party cloudy, hi 68, lo 52
TRAFFIC ALERT: According to the Washington State Dept. of Transportation, no major roadwork will happen on the major South Sound area highways this weekend.
The perfection of a rose. As any good (or bad) plastic surgeon will tell you, there is always a way to improve on nature. Luckily for the flowers, their improvement doesn't involve extensive surgery or months of painful recovery. It does, however, involve death. Oh well, The Tacoma Rose Society presents its annual rose show with this year's theme is "A Dress Rehearsal." Dress rehearsal for what? A death?
Like cherries, handmade knickknacks, ice sculptures and free parking for your SUV? Then you'll love the Puyallup Farmers Market, a valley institution for nearly as long as cows have been tipped. Engulfing historic downtown P-town every weekend, May through October, and drawing impressive crowds on a regular basis, there's no doubt Ezra Meeker would be proud of what the Puyallup Farmers Market has blossomed into.
Some people like to celebrate the Fourth drinking a case of Pabst Blue Ribbon, munching a bag of pork rinds and getting a tattoo of the American Flag on their nether regions. But if drunken debauchery and in-your-face patriotism seem a little too much for you, check out Grand Old Fourth of July in Steilacoom. Here you'll take in free historical walking tours, ice cream socials, an old-fashioned parade at 1 p.m., street dance at 7 p.m. and fireworks around 10:30 p.m. I doubt the town leaders have any strange tattoos but don't take my word for it; go see for yourself at this wholesome, family-oriented Fourth of July celebration.
Once again it's time to don the red, white and blue and wax patriotic until it hurts. A painless way to revere our nation is with the Meeker Mansion Band Concert and Social – a Puyallup community group hug. A community band will present a late afternoon concert of patriotic and old-fashioned music on the lawn. The Meeker Society, the private nonprofit organization that maintains the 1890-era Victoria Home erected by Puyallup founder Ezra Meeker, will sell hot dogs, soft drinks, ice cream sundaes, and more. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. And let's face it, patriotism is fun. Why? Because we get to sing songs such as "Yankee Doodle Dandy," and if doodle is dandy, we're in a great country.
MATT DRISCOLL Editor and member of the Official John Elway Fan Club
The Driscolls will be making their monthly Costco run this Saturday. What! What! Nothing says Saturday like pallets of toilet paper, samples of bean dip and Kirkland brand athletic socks. It's gonna be dope. Later that night I'll pretend like I'm not the type of person that shops at Costco when Chain and the Gang plays The New Frontier with Basemint and DJ Dub Narcotic (Calvin Johnson) - which should be an utterly amazing show.
PAUL SCHRAG Senior Contributor
I'm wrapping up final edits on a book that will publish in spring, working on a couple of music projects, and re-designing the Web site for Environmental Aesthetics. It's more exciting than it sounds.
NIKKI TALOTTA Feature Writer
I will be working at the bar and dreaming of King Solomon's Reef food, per usual. But then! Furloughs (mandatory day lay-offs) have kicked in and my guy has Monday off, which means an actual Fourth of July par-tay at the neighbors. Finally, state-workers and weekend service industry workers unite! Drink up, we're gonna need empty bottles to shoot rockets from!
STEPH DEROSA Columnist
I will be in Westport indulging in pyromania with my plethora of DeRosa cousins. This weekend will include (but not be limited to) terrorizing my next-door neighbor with childish antics with the hopes of his grouchy ass finally having a heart attack.
THE REV. ADAM MCKINNEY Feature Writer
Another Saturday night, and I ain't got nobody. I got some money, 'cause I just got paid. And I will use that money to get trashed and watch Chain and the Gang and Basemint tear apart the New Frontier. Rock.
KRIS BLONDIN Food/Wine Writer
If the weather holds, we are going boating with Jack and Vicky Winters. Heading to the southern part of Anderson Island to lounge and catch some crab! Then a party or two on Sunday! Happy Fourth!
JENNIFER JOHNSON: Lifestyle/Leisure Writer
Friday at Hell's Kitchen for Tool tribute band 46 & 2 to try and win tickets to the sold-out Tool concert. Saturday at Tempest for IndepenDANCE with DJ dAb, Bilori and Chris Savenetti. Ride bikes down to Freedom Fair for the Fourth on Sunday.
CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL: Theater Critic
That Othello: He's a complicated man, and no one understands him but his woman. I'm stoked for TAO's funkified production, set in New York City, 1968.