THE LOWDOWN ON WHAT'S UP THIS WEEKEND >>>
WEATHER REPORTFriday: Mostly cloudy, hi 58, lo 38
Saturday: Mostly sunny, hi 57, lo 39
Sunday: Mostly sunny, hi 54, lo 41
This weekend the third annual Gig Harbor Film Festival will prove once again there's plenty of life across the Narrows by welcoming a variety of locally-made films, independents, documentaries, shorts and more to the Galaxy Theatres Uptown. Upping the ante, special guests scheduled to appear at the Gig Harbor Film Fest include Hal Linden, Karen Black and an unnamed special mystery guest that's not Hal Linden or Karen Black. Awesome!
Oh, you said herpetology? Whew. Hundreds of reptile enthusiasts gather for a series of seminars and demonstrations containing homages to cold-blooded creatures this weekend. Snakes, spiders, lizards and much more featured in more than 100 exhibits, and a variety of books and supplies, slither into the Puyallup Fairgrounds for this annual event. The main attractions, however, are the giant boa constrictors. After all, who doesn't love a good cuddle at night?
For far too long, this country's notion of the fruits of the sea began and ended with fish sticks, or, far worse, Red Lobster. But if you live in the Northwest and don't know your fellow salmon, shame on you. You need a little schooling. You need Donkey Creek Chum Festival. The mature salmon are finding their way back to Donkey Creek so local environmental groups and fish enthusiasts will join together for a day of everything salmon, plus kayak races and art.
The Weekly Volcano will join all those who worship Thor, Odin and other Norse gods Sunday at the Sons of Norway's annual Lutefisk Dinner & Bazaar. While loaded with crafts, games and music, we really attend the festival for the food. We will dive in to some big slabs of yummy jellied pressed fish called Lutefisk while reading from the Rigsbula: The Lay of Rig from the Poetic Edda. Afterward, we'll take a nap and dream of large sledgehammers and cute pointy helmets and enormous women shaped like huge pomegranates belting out Wagner.
MATT DRISCOLL Editor and Longtime Weekend Hustle Procrastinator
Honestly, I'm not sold people care what the hell I'm doing this weekend. Also, I'm one hundred percent certain what I do on the weekend is far less glamorous or exciting than people probably assume. Does laundry excite you? Hell yeah! I have some of that shit on tap this weekend! Do trips to Target make you hot? Damn straight! I go to Target AT LEAST TWICE every weekend! Is it intriguing to you that, much like Seahawks fans, I have nearly every Sunday of the fall and winter ruined by an inept football team and its failings, only my team is called the Broncos? Well hot shit! It just happens to be true!
Also, if you really must know, there's talk in the Driscoll household of finally checking out the Gig Harbor Film Festival this year, and spending Saturday making fun of the Gaither Homecoming Tour stopped at the T-Dome. Happy now?
PAUL SCHRAG Senior Contributor
I am furiously editing the final draft of The Suppressed History of America, available in June from Inner Traditions/Bear&Co.; going dancing at an as-yet undecided Seattle spot; and interviewing people for a couple of potentially awesome Weekly Volcano cover stories. I will be listening to Nate Dogg and Lamb of God the entire time.
NIKKI TALOTTA Features Writer
This weekend I am in the holiday spirit. Decorating the house with cobwebs and candles, pumpkin carving, (or in my son's case, bumkin carving, 'cause he found one that totally looks like it has butt cheeks!) and my favorite - roasting pumpkin seeds. Yum! By the way, if anyone has any roasting recipes, I'd love to try something new. ...
JOE IZENMAN Music/Theater Critic
If you're looking for me or any of my co-workers on Friday evening after work, I suggest you try Dorky's Arcade. Possibly around the pinball or Ms. Pac-Man machines. Saturday night we might be found at the Creative Education Experiences auction in the Primo Grill event space. Sunday? Probably in a basement somewhere eating chips and playing Dungeons & Dragons with other assorted pillars of the community. It seems like something we'd do.
KRIS BLONDIN Food/Wine Writer
Heading to The Office (downtown Tacoma) for their official grand opening, and then to Seattle Saturday night for dinner at Peso's Kitchen. Sunday, nursing the hangover I'm sure.
JENNIFER JOHNSON: Lifestyle/Leisure Writer
Possibly attend a fashion designer's birthday soiree before Zombie Prom on Friday night - yay for fake blood! Saturday morning 16-mile bike ride (please no rain) followed by huge brunch at The Office Grand Opening party, then swing by Tacoma Harvest Fair at Sanford & Sons in the afternoon. Watch Reefer Madness at a Burien theater to end the night. Sunday, I will attempt to sleep in before going to church.
JOANN VARNELL Theater Critic
It's a Saturday night party hopper. First up - birthday dinner with a bacon wrapped sausage roll filled with bacon. Second - a vegan murder mystery dinner party circa 1950.
REV. ADAM MCKINNEY Features Writer
Friday, if I'm finally over this cold/flu/whatever, I'm going to head down to The New Frontier and try not to breathe on people so much. Tarek Wegner and Spencer Kelly (plus others?) will be DJ'ing, so that ought to be fun. Saturday, regardless of whether I'm healthy, I will be carving pumpkins with my friends before going to see Sugar Sugar Sugar at The New Frontier. Missed them the first time they came around, so I don't want to make that mistake again. You should pick up their album, Can't Get Enough. It's great.
CHRISTIAN CARVAJAL: Theater Critic
Having ventured Into the Woods at Capital Playhouse, I'm ready to spend one final weekend in The Midnight Sun, where I'm currently demonstrating the Meisner acting technique's indistinguishability from making shit up.
STEVE DUNKELBERGER Meat Market Correspondent
Well, I will be out and about for Joe's Diner at Tacoma Little Theatre and then Voxxy's birthday at Jazzbones on Friday. Saturday might bring dinner at a benefit auction to aid a young East Pierce County girl with Dravet Syndrome. The benefit at the Buckley Eagles lodge will have a special performance by Aces Up! I'll end the night at the soft opening show of the Tacoma Comedy Club.
ALEC CLAYTON: Visual Arts Critic
I'm going to a Pride open house shindig.