THURSDAY, NOV. 15, 2012 >>>

1. Tacoma's Third Thursday Artwalk is awesome ... the only trouble is it's completely unwalkable. Thankfully, for the last two-plus years Tacoma has had the Art Bus to rely on - the creation of T-Town's own Angela Jossy, and pretty much the bestest idea there ever was. Each Third Thursday the Art Bus shuttles riders from gallery to gallery, and from museum to museum, accomplishing more than any one person could ever dream of on foot, and at the same time building a communal vibe that's worth its weight in gold. Tonight's Art Bus celebrity host Sen. Jeannie Darneille will help guide you through such stops as Poppy & Co., 253 Collective, Creative Forces/Hotel Murano, Nine Lives Vintage, Anew Thyme, Merlino Arts Center and The Social. Tickets are $10 regular admission and $20 for VIPs. VIPs get gift bags with items from lots of local businesses and participate in a raffle. The Bus pushes off from the Tacoma Art Museum at 6 p.m.

2. The Tacoma Historical Society hosts its 6th Annual Membership Meeting & Reception at 7 p.m. inside the Old Post Office at 1102 A St. in downtown Tacoma. Yes, the organization will discuss business and it's plans for the coming year, but it will also include architectural and historical chats about the Old Post Office. Believe us, no one will mail in this talk. Arrive early for at 6:30 p.m. tour of the joint.

3. Olympia Coffee Roasting Company is one of Olympia's Godsends. The roasting house helps state workers crank through Excel files, it adds bounce to college students' steps and it puts a smile on everyone's face that comes through its front door. OCR will celebrate its major awards, and second year in business, tonight with a bash featuring Olympia indie garage band duo, The Maxines.

4. It's semi-finals week of the 33rd annual Seattle International Comedy Competition, and the field has been narrowed. Producers officially announced the 10 comics from Week 1 who will be going on to the semi-finals that takes over the Washington Center's Comedy In A Box slot at 7:30 p.m. Nate Abshire (Minneapolis), Ryan Clauson (Hanover), Ricarlo Flanagan (Detroit), Solomon Georgio (Seattle), Joe Klocek (San Francisco), Landry (Atlanta), Justin Leon (Kansas City), Michael Malone (Los Angeles) Elliot Maxx (Seattle) and Tacoma's Tyrone Hawkins will bust out 10 minutes of their best bits in hopes of grabbing some sweet prize money.

5. The Java Jive Appreciation Society hosts a Jive Turkey Disco karaoke night beginning at 8 p.m. at, you guessed it, the Java Jive. Dress in your favorite duds from the '70s.

LINK: Thursday, Nov. 15 arts and entertainment events in the South Sound