This Thursday is Third Thursday and 253 Collective has a little something special for anyone who stops by-a solo show by their featured artist, Lisa Mereddy. Her solo show is called "Skagit Valley and other new works" so expect plenty of tulips and happy spring images, but also images from around the Northwest. This may be the perfect way to escape what may well be a dreary and rainy evening!

Mereddy was born in Oregon and grew up in Oregon and Texas, but just recently returned to the Northwest. She works with oil on stretched canvas with brushes and knives. Chunky, crosshatching strokes create serene landscapes or images of storms moving across the water.

253 Collective is located at 1901 S. Jefferson Street, just at the top of the UWT staircase if you're walking about. The ART BUS will also stop by the Collective.

Want to win tickets to the Seahawks home game, November 4, against the Minnesota Vikings?

Get over to The Swiss tomorrow night to watch Thursday night football on the big screen, when the Hawks take on the 49er’s and be entered into a raffle for tickets to the game.

There will be drink specials all night long, including Bacardi drink specials with keepsake mugs for $5. After the game, the Bacardi girls will be giving out prizes while a DJ helps keep the party going.

“Everybody come down and have fun,” says Jack McQuade, co-owner. “Say ‘hi’ to bartenders James and Monkey.”

Winner will be announced following the game.

Game starts at 5:20 p.m. The Swiss, 1904 S Jefferson, Tacoma, (253) 572-2821.

"Chicago" is at the Tacoma Musical Playhouse until October 21, but if you really want to make an evening of going to the show, go see it on October 20. Why? Because you can dine upon an Italian buffet catered by Chef Bette Anne Curry.

Tickets for the buffet are $30 and get you the full dinner and dessert. The menu includes a mixed green salad; platters with roasted veggies, meats, and olives; fried calamari; farfalle alla primavera; tortellini alla Panna Montana with green peas and prosciutto; and potatoes with Italian sausage. For dessert, there will be tiramisu bites with chocolate ganache.

There are two shows on October 20-the matinee is at 2 p.m. and the evening show at 8 p.m. There are two seatings of the buffet to coordinate-5 p.m. for matinee goers and 6:15 p.m. for the evening show.

You can book tickets online and call the theatre for questions at 253-565-6867.

Giraffe-a store new to Tacoma-is opening up in downtown. The plan is to have a soft opening on Thursday, October 18, and then a fuller opening on Saturday, October 20.

But this is not Giraffe's only location. Dedicated fair trade shoppers may recognize the store from Vashon Island. Now, Tacoma shoppers can also explore this store's collection of fair trade furniture, home items, gifts, textiles and more.

"[Our new store] will have our regular inventory made up of Fair Trade sourced products from over 50 countries," says owner Priscilla Schleigh, "but with more of a home focus with a higher inventory in furniture from our friends at Tropical Salvage. The beautiful furniture is made of reclaimed woods in Indonesia."

The store strives to offer fair trade items that are high quality, beautiful, but also practical.

The store will be located next to another relatively new face on the block, Dwelling, at 622 Saint Helens Ave, Tacoma, WA 98402.

Halloween activities abound throughout the Sound region-haunted houses, creepy costume contests, and Halloween parties. If you want to celebrate, but none of that is exactly your style, then a hike through Priest Point Park might be right up your alley.

Tale of the Disappearing Forest is a "haunted" hike through Priest Point Park at 2600 East Bay Drive in Olympia. Guided hikes take you through a forest haunted by forest creatures that might be a bit quirky, but remain completely family friendly (don't expect any zombies to jump out at you). Collect clues about how to save the dying forest along the way. Kids ages 6 and up are welcome and costumes are encouraged.

There are hikes every 10 minutes to join in between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m., but show up a little early so you can sign in at the Rose Garden and secure your spot. If there's a wait to join your hike, there are plenty of arts and crafts and other activities to keep you busy. Hikes last about an hour and are a half-mile long.

MikeDrastic is a veteran in the music game and although he's been in a face in the local hip-hop scene for 15+ years, it's not what you think. He's a veteran in life and it shines through on his new project that came out Oct. 11 on Itchy Metal Entertainment. MikeDrastic, whether he knows it or not, has quite the lane that's wide open for himself in that he's a true, honest, hip-hop bluesman. I'm not talking twangy guitars, smokey juke joints and songs about your dog dying kind of blues, I'm talking the real essence of the blues: Stories of hardship and struggle that your average Joe or Jane no matter what their genre preference or skin color can relate to. These honest stories are spun in a way that you know it's 100 percent authentic and not fabricated. Melancholy throughout, this is if nothing else, a window to his soul.

MikeDrastic is a gentle giant and if you've had the pleasure of meeting the man, you don't have much of a choice but to relate to the music. He's an avid motorcyclist as member of the Ruff Ryders crew, part comedian, part conspiracy theorist and all- around good guy. He's the guy you'd want to have escort you down the darkest alley of the seediest neighborhood and in the same breath the guy you'd trust with your kids and wife while you were away on vacation. The beautiful thing about MikeDrastic's music is all of those elements come out in his music. Even the "club" anthem tracks on his CD are in every way 100 percent MikeDrastic, and while that's a good thing, it's the one spot on the CD I could do without. Even when prefaced by an interlude that was an audio collage of fan voicemails urging him to drop a club joint, I'm still not sold. In this instance, MikeDrastic's attempts at club music is like asking an NBA center to nail a couple 3-pointers every game. Sure, he can do it and do it pretty good all things considered, but do you REALLY want that from him? MikeDrastic's game is better suited down low on the blocks where it's gritty, physical and rough.

MikeDrastic will celebrate with a release party 9 p.m. Saturday night at The Lochs, 928 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma. The bill also includes Carl Roe & Produktive's (Roe & Pro) Mini tape with DJ No Mercy spinning.

For more information, visit www.Mikedrastic.com

Get ready to get spooked, Halloween fans, Tacoma has a new haunt in town.

From Oct. 25 to 27, the Washington State History Museum hosts "Creepshow," which organizers hope will terrify Tacoma with scenes straight out of a movie.

Marcel Banks, a Hollywood special effects artist who worked with museum staff and a team of film professionals to make Creepshow come alive.

Banks, a Tacoma native, has honed his special effects and makeup skills in Hollywood on a host of zombie films, the Syfy Channel TV show Face Off, and The Chronicles of Riddick. He is here to ensure that the ghosts and ghouls of Creepshow don't look like they bought masks at the local Spirit store. He is here to make you feel like you're walking through a museum full of real, live (or dead) zombies, ghosts, mutants and worse.

"The special effects involved are Hollywood quality makeup and scenes, live actors, mechanics and typical Halloween effects such as smoke and eerie lighting," says Kimberly Ketcham, marketing and communications director at the museum.

Being set in a museum makes Creepshow unique. Museums are already naturally creepy, if you think of it: Items from the past; things dug out of the ground; hallways left empty and echoing all night long. The marriage of haunts and a museum - especially a history museum - is bound to thrill.

"Creepshow will take visitors through a historical representation of horror through the last century with graphic details and special effects," Ketcham says.

What are exhibit halls by day will be filled with live actors and created scenes by night. Some of the scenes will be from classic horror movies, some will be straight out of the imagination of the devilish minds of the haunt designers - stumble away from mutated dogs snapping at you and straight into a radioactive wasteland; meet the evil Pumpkin King; and enter the haunted movie theater. Hauntees will enter via the outdoor amphitheatre and wind through the various rooms of terror before exiting at the loading dock. There are some stairs involved.

"It will be a realistic, graphic haunted house chronicling horror through the decades," Ketcham says. "This haunted house will have scenes from Hollywood scares like Psycho and Frankenstein, but also real-life scares as well. It's pretty graphic and designed for teen/adult audiences."

On the museum mezzanine will also be a Boo-Teek set up by Goodwill. Visitors can shop for unique costumes and masks and dress right onsite, if they so please. There will also be complimentary make-up artists to help you get into the act.

Creepshow admits teens 13 and older.

(Creepshow: Terror in Tacoma will be at Washington State History Museum Oct. 25, 26, and 27 from 7 to 11 p.m. Admission is $13 for regular admission and $20 for the VIP line. Tickets are $10 for WSHM members, seniors, military and disabled persons.)

Friday ya'll can just chill and recoup from the hell that is working a 9-5 - Cause Saturday there is plenty of good events to choose from. I will run them down for ya.

                  Probably the biggest event this weekend is the Alliance Battle League's "Flying Guillotine" Battle. This is a huge night, where Alliance is flying in battlers from all over the country to face some of Tacoma's best battle-rappers.  It's $15 to get in, which really is not that much for such a stacked-night. There are 8 battles that night. Catch Hipnosis, Mic Phenom, Jimmy James, Starr Struck, Cannonz, and more. These are the best battle-rappers in Tacoma Alliance has, so if battling is yo thing, than this would be the local-event for ya to check-out. The show is at Backstage Bar and Grill and the festivities start at 1pm.

                  After that at 9pm, if you are in the Spanaway area, ya could go see Abom at The Blackout Sound Session Party at Krickett's. This event is put on by Darius Alexander. Darius is also DJing that night after the performances - So, there will be plenty of time to shake-it. It looks like this is a benefit for Team Blakout Youth Sports Organization - as all the proceeds from the night are going to them. So, this is actually a positive thing to do. Have fun and help someone - nice.

                  Also, Saturday night, if you are trying to stay in Tacoma, go see Mike Drastic at the new venue, Loch's. It's his album-release party, so the vibe should be right. This event also begins at 9pm.

                  That'll do it, there is so much to do Saturday night, ya might just have to rest-up Sunday and get ready for the grind. Peaces and loves My Family!

Crisp, healthy and surprisingly versatile, pumpkin seeds are perhaps the finest snack food of the fall season. In fact, I’m eating handfuls as I write this.

Here are some twists on classic recipes to make your season a little more “seasoned.”

After carving your pumpkin, (tips here) rinse the seeds under cold water to get rid of extra pulp that’s trying to cling on. Then, pat them dry.

Perhaps the simplest way to prepare the delicious, flavorful seeds is with good ole fashioned salt and oil (or butter). Just coat the seeds with ingredients in a bowl, and then spread them evenly in a shallow pan to roast around 300 degrees for about an hour, depending on desired crispiness. This method can be easily altered by adding cayenne, ranch powder, cumin, garlic, or any other powdered or minced seasoning.

Some people allow the seeds to set for the night in whatever desired seasoning they’ve chosen. Me, I like the instant gratification of sticking them straight in the oven. Either way is fine.  

Most pumpkin seeds prepared in a salty savory way can easily be kicked up a notch by drizzling bacon drippings on them. Or to add a twist to spicy seeds, throw in a sweetening agent such as maple syrup or brown sugar.

Speaking of sweet - try mixing with cinnamon, sugar, cloves, ginger and nutmeg for a pumpkin pie flavor.

Or throw a handful of pumpkin seeds into pumpkin muffin batter for added texture and nutrients like fiber, anti-oxidants and vitamins B and E.

Perhaps my favorite though, are drunken pumpkin seeds, where seeds are simmered in a whiskey, bacon dripping and brown sugar mixture before going into the oven to roast. Use about a half cup booze and a few teaspoons of the rest, throw all the ingredients in a pot on the stove a let simmer for 20 minutes before roasting. For an added bonus, use the remainder of the bottle of whiskey as an accompaniment to your delicious fall snack.

1. Come on down to Poison Apple's first annual Halloween Spook-Tacular. They will have refreshments and spooky tunes. The festivities include raffles for fun and fantstic prizes fom local buisnesses and artists! Costume contests for little AND big kids! Pumpkin coloring contest! Poison Apple spooky coloring contest! There will also be a few vendors showing off their frightening products! The Pinups Against Cancer will also have a creepy bake sale! This is an all ages event - don't be afraid to bring the kiddies. Costumes are strongly encouraged. Time Kids will also be here with their buttons and fun stuff. Raffle will be held the date of the event at 4 p.m. sharp. Noon - 6 p.m., free, 907 Pacific Avenue, Tacoma, Washington(253) 304-1874.

2. Put on your best costume and join in a fun, fall-themed weekend at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. Come watch the animals enjoy special pumpkin enrichments and see how creative our keepers are at designing their jack-o-lanterns! *Everyone in costume will receive a $2 discount off the general zoo admission rate. The popular event features indoor and outdoor activities, as well as treats, photos and more. 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Free with Zoo membership or admission $6.25-$14.50, 5400 North Pearl Street
Tacoma,(253) 591-5368.

3. Help welcome Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) to Tacoma Art Museum for the eighth consecutive year. Observe or participate as artists create a tapete, or sand painting, in the museum’s lobby, while school and community groups and individuals install thematic altars remembering loved ones and raising social awareness on the atrium. This year’s tapete is an exploration of flowers, in honor of the marigolds so important to the Día de los Muertos celebration, as well as the upcoming exhibition Andy Warhol’s Flowers for Tacoma, opening November 3. Tapete and altars remain on view through the free community festival, Sunday, November 4. 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Free with museum membership or admission $8-$10, 1701 Pacific Ave.(253) 272-4258.

4. With Prank War, Adjustment To Society, Vex, Michael Jackson and Perjury, all money will directly benefit the grand jury resistors. Rock for a cause. For more information, go to saynothing.info and NoPoliticalRepression.wordpress.com 6:30 p.m., $7-$100, Le Voyeur, 404 4th Avenue East, Olympia,(360) 943-5710.

5. New Frontier knows how to throw a good rock show. Tonight is no exception and the bands even have a Halloweeny name theme. Shrouded In Veils with Midnight Graves 9 p.m., The New Frontier Lounge, 301 East 25th Street, Tacoma,(253) 572-4020.