THURSDAY, APRIL 18 2013 >>>

1. Local saxophonist Kareem Kandi presents a musical gift to the South Sound at 7 p.m. Get this: Boarding a plane in New York bound for the Puyallup campus of Pierce College are trumpeter Lew Soloff (Blood, Sweat & Tears, Gil Evans, Tito Puente, Manhattan Jazz Quintet), bassist Essiet Essiet (Horizon, Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard, Blue Note All-Stars) and drummer Sylvia Cuenca (Joe Henderson, Clark Terry) for a concert/workshop next Thursday. Plus, the respected guitarist/educator Milo Petersen from Seattle's Cornish College of The Arts will be in the house too. Those who hold jazz dear to their hearts know this is the real deal - especially when these talents will perform, tell stories and teach through questions. Oh yea, it's freakin' free.

2. The Puyallup Spring Fair opens at 2 p.m. today for a four-day run. Organizers say that this year's edition, while shorter than its late summer edition, is crammed with more attractions than ever. For urbanites who need convincing, here's a handy checklist: Monster Trucks Friday, demolitions Saturday-Sunday, Aussie Kingdom, KMPS Showcase featuring American Young, KidZone, James Wesley, Fiesta Mexicana, garden show, rides, fried foods and more. Go ahead: Leave your laptop behind, shimmy into that old pair of Wranglers, pull on those dusty cowboy boots, slap on a 10-gallon hat and prepare to spend yourself a day - or four - at this year's wingding.

3. Today marks the last day of Olympia Restaurant Week. Check out the list of restaurants; or flip through the menus. Ten Thurston County restaurants will be serving up special $25 three-course dinners, with some eateries offering a three-course lunch menu for $15.

4. It's the third Thursday of the month. In Tacoma, that's means an extra emphasis on the arts. Tonight's quest for art will lead you directly to the steps of science. That's right, the University of Puget Sound and Tacoma Art Museum have teamed up to present an Art+Science Salon - an evening of artists and scientists hugging it out at 6 p.m. inside the Tacoma Art Museum. Tonight, guest eco-artist Jackie Brookner will lead a panel discussion on art and ecological issues.

5. Speaking of third Thursday, tonight is the Tacoma Art Mingle, which was formerly called the Third Thursday Artwalk. Whatever the name of the special night, it's still very hard to walk the damn thing. 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, venue to venue 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 Tacoma City Councilperson Ryan Mello will help guide you through such stops as FabLab, 253 Collective, Embellish Multispace Salon, Crescent Moon Gifts, Proctor Arts Gallery, Throwing Mud Gallery and Catwalk. Tickets are $10 regular admission and $20 for VIPs. VIPs get gift bags with items from lots of local businesses. The Bus pushes off from the Tacoma Art Museum at 6 p.m.

LINK: Thursday, April 18 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area