Northwest Snowboards Annual Winter Video premieres this Friday, October 26, at the Blue Mouse Theater in Tacoma and next Friday, November 2, at the Capitol Theater in Olympia.

One film will be Unique 8, the titlereferring to the innovative riding of a selected crew of only 8 riders: Gigi Rüf, Marco Feichtner, Arthur Longo, Nicolas Müller, Kalle Ohlson, Teo Konttinen, Chris Sörman and Werni Stock. You decide if less is more!

The other film is Givin’s Too, starring Keegan Valaika, Wyatt Stasinos, Forest Bailey, Alex Stathis and many more.

“It should be pretty cool,” says Mike Cummins, owner of Northwest Snowboards. “There will be riders, filmers and producers there.”

Plus, there will be killer raffle prizes like snowboards, skateboards, gear, and more.

At the Olympia premier, viewers will get an extra special treat with the additional showing of Voodoo Stash, an Oly local video.

Friday, October 26, 7 p.m., tickets available at the stores for $7.00/Doors $8.00, Blue Mouse Theater, 2611 North Proctor, Tacoma, (253) 752-9500

Saturday, November 2, 6 p.m. doors/7 p.m. show, tickets available at the stores for $7.00/Doors $8.00, Capitol Theater, Olympia, (360) 754-6670.

Unique 8 teaser: http://vimeo.com/48364380

Too teaser: http://vimeo.com/43283661

You likely have plans for your Halloween weekend, with so much going on in the South Sound, but what about Halloween itself?

May we suggest partaking in Tacoma’s premiere zombie dinner tour presented by Studio 6 Ballroom? Tours start at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. and include stops at Six Olives, El Guadalajara, the new Legendary Donuts, Studio 6 Ballroom, Wanderlust & Wavelengths Photo Booth, and more 6th Ave businesses!

“I just want the businesses and the customers to have an amazing Halloween like they've never seen on 6th Ave.,” says Natasha Thayer, event curator.

As fun as it will be to walk down the street calling for “braaaiinns,” (while Michael Jackson’s Thriller is playing, nonetheless) the menu for the walking dead will be delicious, eclectic and available vegetarian.

After the crawl, attendees will congregate back at the studio for dancing and socializing with a live band with "Maia's monster mash," Maia Santell and House Blend will be playing blues, rock, jazz and Halloween favorites.

There will be a costume contest and surprises, so get that zombie costume ready for trick or treating and lots of eating!

$35 special if you pay online by October 27: http://www.studio6ballroom.com/progressive_dinner.htm

From a press release received at Weekly Volcano headquarters:

LeMay - America's Car Museum (ACM) is offering a special discount to all of the thousands of purple and gold-clad University of Washington football supporters swarming into Seattle for Saturday night's showdown with the Oregon State Beavers.

Named one of the 8 big world openings of 2012 by USA Today, ACM is giving fans and students of both universities - with tickets in-hand or a student I.D. - $10 admission (a $4 discount) to its four-level, 165,000-square-foot facility.  Located right off I-5 next to the Tacoma Dome, the museum includes a café, racing simulators, a slot car track, a theatre and 350 cars ranging from classic Ferraris to American muscle.

"What better place for a pit stop than America's Car Museum?" said Scot Keller, ACM chief marketing and communications officer.  "UW fans can pull right off Interstate 5, refuel in our café and enjoy our award-winning museum at a special price before heading into Seattle for the game."

ACM is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.  For more information on the museum, visit www.lemaymuseum.org.

Four schools in Tacoma are now part of Tacoma Art Museum's MUSE program. These include Pacific Lutheran University, UW-Tacoma, University of Puget Sound, and Tacoma Community College.

Why does this matter to you? Well, it doesn't if you aren't a student, faculty member, or staff member at one of those schools.

But if you are a student, faculty member, or staff member of one of these schools, you have access to several benefits-free admissions, discounted admissions, discounts on membership, special group tours, and even internship opportunities made available directly through MUSE. Schools can each choose which level of membership they have; higher levels of membership mean more free admissions.

"The whole idea of the MUSE program is to ensure that students have access to original works of art that can help enhance their areas of study," says Thomas Duke, TAM Manager of Membership and Annual Giving. "The MUSE program is in its seventh year. We also are looking to welcome Evergreen State college back into the program shortly (most likely November, if not sooner)."

To gain free entry to Tacoma Art Museum, students must have a valid student ID card with them. To look into internship opportunities, apply through the TAM website under the Membership + Support tab.

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Tacoma will be decked out in all things Celtic on Saturday, October 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The 5^th Annual Celtic Faire is a community event perfect for anyone with interest in Celtic history, arts, music or food. All day long, activities are open to the public to celebrate the Feast of St. Andrew. A marketplace will have Celtic wares, jewelry and treats, or join in a high tea ceremony. Activities will feature traditional Celtic sports like caber tossing (likely not full-sized cabers, though), and a ceilidh-a Celtic party complete with dancers that look like they're holding invisible suitcases, singers and bagpipers.

If you have kiddies in tow, this is an especially great event as there will be plenty of activities to keep them busy.

For lunch or a snack, pick up a traditional Ploughman's lunch or any number of sweet treats. There will be both a Bake Shoppe and a Lunch Shoppe.

Friday, October 26, from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., a unique way to celebrate autumn comes to Museum of Glass. MOGtoberfest is not just a weird word. MOGtoberfest is a delightful pairing of art and beer, Bavarian festivities and fine wine, and-of course-some art glass.

What to expect? For the cost of admission, you'll get a 6-ounce Pilsner glass, four beer or wine tastes, German food to sustain your celebration through the evening, live entertainment in the Hot Shop, and the chance to win two pint glasses. The Hot Shop Team will also have created their first artist growler series and you can check those out, too. All of this will be to the tune of oompa music wafting through the museum.

Get your tickets in advance and save. Advance tickets are $35. At the door costs $40. 21+ only.

The Salon Professional Academy of Tacoma will be hosting "Sticks and Stones," the second annual RAGS to Runway fashion show at The Salon Professional Academy of Tacoma - where fashion, function and fundraising come together in an evening of community enjoyment.

The salon is located at 3702 South Fife Street Tacoma and doors open at 5:30 p.m. this evening. Tickets are on sale now at the Salon Professional Academy front desk.

Proceeds from the show and sale will benefit the YWCA Domestic Violence programs. The fashion show will give Salon Professional Academy students an opportunity to collaborate with local designers of jewelry, clothing, and accessories to create inspired high-fashion hair and makeup looks. There will be an opportunity to purchase the artists' creations that are modeled.

"It's a great opportunity for students to come together, showcase talent, be creative and help benefit the community," says Karen Shea, event facilitator.

A portion of all sales, combined with underwriting from local businesses and individuals, benefits the YWCA's domestic violence prevention and intervention programs. This year's Fashion Show and sale will continue to support and promote the YWCA's comprehensive menu of domestic violence services , which provide clients real tools to change their lives through safety, healing, and empowerment.

The RAGS WEARABLE ART concept developed in 1994 as opportunity to raise money for the YWCA while giving talented local fiber artists and clothing designers a venue to showcase and sell their work. For more information about the 18th annual RAGS Wearable Art Show, visit www.ragswearableart.org or call the RAGS hotline at 253-272-4181, ext. 352. For more about YWCA Pierce County's domestic violence prevention and intervention programs, visit www.YWCApiercecounty.org.

The Salon Professional Academy is an innovative training center and the only beauty school endorsed by Redken 5^th Avenue NYC for Excellence in Education. For more information, visit http://www.thesalonprofessionalacademytacoma.com/.

THE GOLDFISH TAVERN TO CLOSE ITS DOORS >>>

The Goldfish Tavern will close its doors Wednesday, Oct. 31 at the bar’s location for nearly 80 years at 5310 N. Pearl St. Tacoma. Past-due rent and fewer patrons contributed to the decision to close.

The tavern lived a full and interesting life, serving hundreds of patrons, kicking out handfuls of hooligans and providing an atmosphere of a “home away from home.”

“We’ve been able to stay open this long because of the people who care,” says bartender, co-manager and patron Laura Collins. “We’re like a family.”

Collins tells stories of customers coming together in time of need and always being there for one another. Like when the bar needed firewood for the year to keep their fireplace cozy and inviting, regulars got together and rented a wood splitter, chopping and stacking to keep the supply full.

Collins tells other stories of back in the day, about 45 years ago, when all the tables were goldfish tanks and bikers and college kids would make bets until someone ended up having to eat a goldfish, and at the end of the night, there would be goldfish puked out in the parking lot.

Or another time, when Collins was going through a family loss, and the bar got together to bring her food and comfort.

"It really is a cool dive bar, one of the last in Tacoma," says Collins.

So come out sometime before Nov. 1, order a beer from their 36 varieties and pay homage to a bar that will be greatly missed.

“We want to show gratitude to the people who have been coming here for years,” says Collins. “There are a lot of good memories.”

What are your memories of The Goldfish Tavern?

OMINPRESENT RAPPER >>>

Jon Salt is a rapper that you can't nail down. You can't quite put your thumb on it. He does not sound like anything you are used to. He does not sound like he came from a specific locale or that he is even repping a certain style. He is his own. MC Salt obviously loves the great MCs of the game. You can tell he has been a student of the greats for a long time. However, Salt does not sound like he came from the East Coast or the West Coast.

This is a good thing.

Who wants to be pigeonholed anyway? Even when you look at Salt, you are not quite sure what you are seeing. He looks like he could be from anywhere and everywhere. When you listen and look at Salt, you see a mixture of places and styles. He's Hawaiian and black. He was born in Europe. He is a military brat so he has lived many places all over the globe. He has an accent - but it is just an international sounding one. You can hear Hawaiian and other far-off global tones in his speech. Listen hard enough and you can even hear a European-accent from his time living there.

With all this in mind, Salt is also extremely relatable. His music and songs have an Everyday Man's vibe that is pretty familiar. He's a little street, but not too tough acting at all. His songs are mostly about the industry and all its traps. His songs can be conceptual but not overbearing with messages. Think Atmosphere from The Hood. He has lyrics but not in a heavy on the punch line or dropping lots of knowledge tip. He is just a skilled MC who spits his rhymes crisp, loud and clear.

Salt is not one of the top or most popular local/regional artists. He was not born around here. He still is a relative newcomer to the Northwest. What he does have on his side is Itchy Records and a tight-knit family and team of manager/friends. Itchy Records and Ed Fassio have nominated Salt's single "Eyes So Low" to be in the Best Rap Performance category at this year's Grammys.

"(The Grammys) is a tiered process," explains Salt. "First the single is selected out of hundreds that applied. My single was selected as a possible finalist. So, there are no guarantees that the single will be in the running for the Grammy - but there is a possibility. I know it is a long shot. I'm in a category with the likes of Kenderick Lamar - and other top known national artists."

It is clearly Salt's team that got him the nomination - not necessarily Salt's buzz.

Salt knows this: "I freely admits I'm still trying to get to the level of Sol, Grynch or Macklemore."

Salt is taking the experience of The Grammys for everything it is worth.

"I'll be going to stay in Los Angeles for the Grammy weekend - where we'll be going to and networking at as many industry-mixers as we can."

Even just the possible nomination has given Jon's career a little boost. He has been offered more sponsorships, endorsements and contracts.  

Jon has two albums out now: My Beautiful Insanity and Darker-Side of Happiness. Give them a listen before the rest of the country does.

WE SCENE IT >>>

Last night the spirit of Halloween took over Olympia with bar parties, lots of live music and a flash mob marching band!

The Olympia Artesian Rumble Arkestra Band - decked out in marching band costume, or their instruments and clothing lined in glowsticks - came rolling through the streets in downtown Oly into The Brotherhood Lounge where unsuspecting patrons were distracted from their conversations and drinks as the band astounded everyone with their glorious noise.

The opening song was the classic, "When the Saints Go Marching In," followed by a break where a small lady with a big loudspeaker announced the band's name and encouraged enjoyment, before the band pounded, blew and shook their way into a rendition of the Ghostbuster's theme song.

Totally. Awesome.

The crowd burst into cheers as the band marched their way out the front door, playing a tune I didn't recognize, leaving the bar smiling and chatting about how great it is to live in Olympia.

LINK: Saturday, Oct. 27 live music in the South Sound