5 Things To Do Today: Tacoma Old Town R&B Festival, Lakewood Summerfest, Out in the Park, World Cup Finale Party ...

By Ron Swarner on July 12, 2014

SATURDAY, JULY 12 2013 >>>

1. The Tacoma Old Town Rhythm and Blues Festival will add more rhythm to the annual beloved blues festival. From 9:30 a.m. to midnight you'll find the festival back for the pancake breakfast at the Slavonian Hall, free all-day outdoor music stage (with beer garden) in Old Town Park and night headlining shows. Here's the Tacoma Old Town Rhythm and Blues Festival schedule.

2. Love Rhubarb? Sumner hosts Rhubarb Days from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. loaded with a pancake breakfast, kids' games in Heritage Park, tractor display, petting zoo, pie-eating contest, entertainment and more rhubarb than you have seen in your life. There will also be a community bake-off at 11 a.m. Here's the Sumner Rhubarb Day's schedule.

3. Free stuff is good. Better yet, let's talk about free stuff for the entire family - Lakewood Summerfest 2014 at Fort Steilacoom Park. Tons of food, craft and nonprofit vendors will be on hand. (Read: more glass jewelry, organic food petitioners, and meat on a stick than your mom could ever dream of.) If you don't feel like indulging in drippy foods and knitted caps, then there's also going to be pain on triathletes faces to watch, Army Strong vehicles, a kids zone, and an outdoor cinema featuring Jurassic Park. Sound good? We're not done. There's also our favorite part of any event - the live entertainment! Expect country, blues, New Wave, Southern rock and more. And remember: Minus the angioplasty you're going to need after all the funnel cakes, most of it is free. Here's the Lakewood SummerFest schedule.

4. Tacoma's annual, awesome LGBTQ Pride celebration, Out in the Park, will be fabulous from noon to 5 p.m. on Broadway between Ninth and 11th streets. Afterward, until 4 a.m., The Mix throws one helluva block party. Here's the full Tacoma Pride week schedule.

5. After throwing the largest and longest World Cup party in the, er, world, Doyle's Public House will party even more hosting a world Cup Finale Party with The Staxx Brothers and Mighty High at 8 p.m.

LINK: Saturday, July 12 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area