THURSDAY, OCT. 24 2013 >>>

1. FLAVOR, a night of dining at immigrant-owned and immigrant-supporting restaurants will be held tonight with participating restaurants kicking back 25 percent of food sales to Tacoma Community House. Participating restaurants include El Toro downtown, Indochine, Lele, Gateway to India, El Guadalajara, Adriatic Grill, Il Lucano, La Crème Brulee, La Fondita and others. To add excitement to the night, TCH will offer several prize packages, including a seven-day Mexico trip, Keurig B70 Platinum Brewing System, restaurant gift cards and cookbooks. Read Kristin Kendle's full story, including participating restaurants, here.

2. The annual Beautiful Tables Showcase, in Lakewold Garden's Wagner House, evokes the gracious spirit of entertaining while offering the visitors ideas to continue the tradition at home. The event showcases more than 30 table decorators from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

3. Two highly distinctive, contemporary artists, Jeanne van Heeswijk and Randy Bolton, will be featured in free public events this fall as part of University of Puget Sound's Living Art visiting artist series. The events include presentations, conversations, a reception and art exhibit. At 5:30 p.m. in the University's Kittredge Art Gallery, van Heeswijk will discuss how art can promote urban renewal and participation, as well as the strategies that she employs in creating her socially engaged art.

4. Today, low-income people and the middle class are now in the same boat - living near poverty, or an illness, lost job, or disaster away from poverty. Eight low-income and middle class families living in and around Portland, Ore., each of whom called 211info, a nonprofit referral organization, in search of help with paying bills, finding housing, or getting advice on how to weather the current financial downturn, are profiled in the documentary, American Winter, directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Joe and Harry Gantz (Taxicab Confessions, The Defenders). Shot over the winter of 2011-12, this powerful film reveals the human impact of budget cuts to social services, rising poverty and economic inequality and the fracturing of the American Dream. Catch it at 6:45 p.m. in The Grand Cinema.

5. The frights are upon us once again, and there are, as always, plenty of ways to spend the Devil's holiday. The Weekly Volcano has compiled a giant list of Halloween parties, theater performances, haunted houses, kids fare and music - it's up to you to decide where you'll go, and, of course, what you'll wear. It all starts today. Boo, South Sound.

LINK: Thursday, Oct. 24 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

Filed under: 5 Things To Do, Benefits, Food & Drink, Gig Harbor, Tacoma, Arts, Lakewood, Holidays, Word, Screens, Arts, Lakewood,