YEARLY COMMUNITY ARTS FEST HAS ARRIVED >>>
Music, laughter, loud conversations: if I close my eyes, the way a Grateful Dead show parking lot sounded comes to mind.

On any given day, a constant mix of noises from bars, businesses and foot traffic floats in my windows. I live directly on Sixth Avenue; hearing my neighborhood live and breathe isn't new. But yesterday was special. The 13th annual Art on the Ave festival meant the noise of cars was replaced by bicycle riders thumbing bells. Kids chasing each other let out squeals of laughter as I stepped outside and joined them on the sidewalk - quickly melting into the throngs of people in front of Dirty Oscar's Annex. DOA's Jake Barth and bartender Teresa Star worked the beer garden, selling moonshine lemonade and Rainier tall boys to an already thirsty crowd at 1 p.m.

(Photo Credit: Pappi Swarner)

Skateboards whipped up and down a ramp next to O'Malley's and bands played on an outdoor music stage. While getting a quick hug from hip-hop promoter Michael Pierce, he broke the news that the CityHall (Todd Sykes, EvergreenOne, DJ Hanibal) set time had been pushed back from 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Nearby, at the intersection of Steele and Sixth, a chalk artist created a vividly-colored picture on the sidewalk of an orange tabby cat looking hungrily at a goldfish swimming in its bowl.

Standing in front of Jewell Day Spa (where she works), Dawn Elizabeth handed out information about the spa. "Can't think of a better way to spend the day if I've got to be working," she tells me.

Mike Hempel, sous-chef at award-winning restaurant Pacific Grill, took this year's Art on the Ave as an opportunity to check out booths of paintings, art and punk pins. "It's a great event for the Ave," he says. "The businesses get so much exposure."

Tempted by foot-long skewers of teriyaki chicken at one booth, my senses were on overload from the rich curry scent coming from Gateway to India's outdoor cooking set-up. I paused to observe henna artist Dagmar Peterson creating gorgeous swirls in mere seconds on the wrist of a smiling woman before moving on to Ryan Loiselle's clothing booth. His newest irreverent and humorous offerings include boy-short panties and hip-hugger sweat pants with "Tacoma Aroma" emblazed on them. Loiselle is very tongue-in-check pro-Tacoma.

(Photo Credit: Steve Dunkelberger)

Streets were closed to vehicle traffic from State Street to Cedar Street for the free, family-friendly event. Despite what festival organizers say was record-breaking attendance, it was still easy to move up and down Sixth Ave for most of the day. That is, until the 3 o'clock hour neared and the entire block from the Jazzbones mainstage down to Oakes Street swam with fans of hometown-girl-done-good Vicci Martinez. Spilling onto side streets and the Tapco Credit Union parking lot, fans jostled for position to see the reality TV show star and music phemon take the stage. And I do mean "take." Though Martinez performed only a handful of songs, she owned it. The sea of people made the community event feel like much more of an outdoor concert than it ever has in the past. As Sixth Avenue business owner Chiara Wood says of Martinez, "She's so 253." Strong, passionate, humble.

Ray Hubberd, retired civic planner, walked in sync with me as I headed for the mellower end of the Ave. "A real sense of community has emerged. It's good to see so many people here," he shares. He knows what he's talking about. Hubberd has lived in the Sixth Avenue area for more than a few decades. He's watched it grow and change much like downtown Tacoma.

As the afternoon inched closer to evening I stopped to see the fellas putting on the first-ever Art on the Ave film festival, held in the Sixth Avenue Baptist Church building. Randy Sparks and John D. Markert were the forces behind the cinematic endeavor. "We've had people come see the films, it's been a good experience though hard to compete with all that's going on out here," says Sparks, gesturing to the crowded street and sunny day.

Anchoring the west end of Art on the Ave, the Maurice the Fish live music stage saw performers all day - though I doubt any surpassed the visual entertainment provided by Ben Union. A shirtless Union played guitar over his head and behind his back for a solid 45 seconds while fans cheered and clapped.

At 6 p.m., with Art on the Ave officially over, I grabbed some chill time with Jaime Kay Jones (owner of Top of Tacoma and soon-to-open Sixth Ave restaurant Marrow) in DOA's alley beer garden (unofficially dubbed "The Glory Hole"). Rockers, foodies, tattoo artists and piercers, musicians, singers, cooks and chefs alike gathered as though seeking refuge from the masses. Referring to the day's festivities, Jones comments, "It's a fully fledged thing now, not just a little neighborhood street fair. There's so much support for Tacoma. I wish we could do this more than once a year."  

LINK: More Art on the Ave photos