TUESDAY, FEB. 11 2014 >>>

1. You can't swing a microphone cable around South Sound's spoken-word poetry scene without hitting William Kupinse. Now the poet, Tacoma's first Poet Laureate and associate professor of English at University of Puget Sound, is teaming up with composer Greg Youtz, professor of music at Pacific Lutheran University, in the performance Poetry Above the Roar: Erin Calata Sings Songs of Gregory Youtzin the Mary Baker Russell Music Building at Pacific Lutheran University. Calata, mezzo-soprano and 2008 alumna of PLU, will sing a cycle of 10 pieces of music composed by Youtz, with words from Kupinse's collection of poems Fallow (2009, Exquisite Disarray). The words should, er, sing around 8 p.m.

2. Kill Your Darlings is the feature directorial debut from John Krokidas. The film focuses on the complicated college days of famed Beat poet Allen Ginsberg (Radcliffe). Ginsberg's writing talents earn him a place at Columbia University, and he has a bright, if a bit controversial, future ahead of him. He gets to wile away his undergrad days in the company of Beat Generation wunderkinds such as Jack Kerouac (Jack Huston) and William S. Burroughs (Ben Foster). Heck, his best friend is Lucien Carr (Dane Dehaan)! Ginsberg is also a homosexual in an era when it is both dangerous and illegal to be so, and he's in love with the malevolently manipulative Carr, who takes advantage of him to further his own ends. Then there's that issue of Prof. David Kammerer (Michael C. Hall), being murdered in Riverside Park. Read Jared Lovrak's review of the film here, then see it at 1:45 and 6:30 p.m. in The Grand Cinema. 

3. Though often unfelt, the South Sound experiences earthquakes often, raising questions of preparedness for the inevitable "big one." You can never be too prepared or too alert when dealing with earthquakes. Geologists Brian Atwater and Pat Pringle will discuss how to prepare for earthquakes, and volcanoes, at 7 p.m. in The Triad Theater in Yelm.

4. Quick! Tell us who played Violet Bickerstaff, Screech's love interest, on three episodes of the television show Saved by the Bell? If you said "Tori Spelling," then going to a trivia night might be for you. There are trivia competitions all around the South Sound on a Tuesday night, where you can unleash your inner Ken Jennings. Two of our favorite Tuesday night trivia are at Fish Tale Brew Pub in Olympia and Farrelli's Wood-Fire Pizza in Tacoma, both start at 8 p.m.

5. The 1230 Room probably has you at "$4 lemon drops," but you also may be interested in the downtown Olympia club's Tuesday deep, tech and progressive house night "Deep Tuesdays." It launches at 9 p.m. with drink specials, no cover and resident DJs Alex Bosi and Evan Mould.

LINK: Tuesday, Feb. 11 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, FEB. 7, 2014 >>>

1. Barney Rubble belted it in the bath. Spongebob stole Squidward's thunder by singing it underwater. And most famously, Bugs gnawed his way through several rounds of "Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!" in the toon classic, "Rabbit of Seville." Between its easily followed romcom plot and a score made universally familiar by the aforementioned pop culture references, Rossini's The Barber of Seville is an ideal introduction to opera. Tacoma Opera's presentation will follow the exploits of Seville's self-celebrating barber, Figaro - a character who literally sings his own praises - at 7:30 p.m. in the Rialto Theater. Everybody shares secrets with their barbers, and this barber is only too happy put what he learns to work.

2. As part of its salute to Black History Month, the University of Puget Sound will screen Pariah at 7 p.m. in the Tahoma Room at Commencement Hall on its campus. Directed by Dee Rees, Pariah, follows the journey of Alike, a young African-American woman struggling to embrace her identity as a lesbian.

3. Two of our Tacoma sons return for a 7 p.m. show at B Sharp Coffee House. Dylan Treleven and Colin Scott Reynolds are touring with their new project, The Silver Dollars. Born out of Treleven's desire to write his own material while out on lengthy tours in other bands, the Silver Dollars feels like a natural extension of what began back at SOTA. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on the Silver Dollars in the Music & Culture section.

4. Casey Anderson grew up in Montana surrounded by wild animals and spaces, and was nicknamed the "animal magnet" as a kid. After college, he became a trainer at wildlife parks from the United States to Africa. Then a grizzly bear named Brutus was born in an overpopulated wildlife park and Casey rescued him from being euthanized. He went on to build a sanctuary for Brutus that became Montana Grizzly Encounter, a rescue and education facility he co-owns and directs, and the base from which Casey and Brutus teach park visitors about grizzly anatomy and conservation. An enthusiastic and passionate advocate for wildlife as well as an entertaining and thoughtful presenter, Casey Anderson will share the lessons he's learned living and working with wild animals at 7:30 p.m. in the Washington Center.

5. Mozart, Schumann, Infanté, Strauss, and a selection of modern and classical composers will provide the music for the next Jacobsen Series concert at 7:30 p.m. in Schneebeck Concert Hall, which falls a week before Roman mythology's blindfolded Cupid sets to work.

LINK: Friday, Feb. 7 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SUNDAY, FEB. 2 2014 >>>

1. Few things tend to evoke more viscerally polarized reactions in music lovers than this series of words: "they're like a progressive jazz-fusion band." At that point, you absolutely know whether you're in or out. All of those obnoxious people who claim to be into "all kinds of music" - throw that one at them and see how quickly they backpedal. Alex's Hand is a band that can be described as such, though their brand of progressive rock lands more on the Frank Zappa or Captain Beefheart side of things, as opposed to Happy the Man or Gentle Giant (shout out to my dad, that prog-rock-lovin' son of a gun). That is to say, this is progressive jazz-fusion with rough edges, a sort of blend that refuses to let the listener hypnotically drift along. Alex's Hand wants you to feel every hard corner they turn. Catch the band with Trash Heap at 10 p.m. in Le Voyeur.

2. It's Super Bowl time! That's always exciting. The Seahawks are playing! That's even more exciting. Unless, of course, you don't give a crap about football. The local theater companies give a crap. They have moved their 2 p.m. Sunday matinees up two hours so afterward we can race to the nearest bars and root, root, root on the home team. Tacoma Little Theatre will stage To Kill a Mockingbird at noon. Lakewood Playhouse has also moved Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? to noon, which closed today.

3. If you are a South Sound resident and you're feeling deprived of classical music, you're clearly not paying attention. Look under any bush in this region and you're likely to uncover a virtuosic masterwork for cello and piano concert, such as the one Sunday in Schneebeck Concert Hall. David Requiro, a University of Puget Sound artist in residence with a string of prestigious cello performances and prizes to his name, will give a faculty recital with New York-based pianist and guest artist Solon Gordon accompany him. The 2 p.m. performance at Schneebeck Concert Hall will include Pierre Jalbert's Sonata for Cello and Piano, Frédéric Chopin's Sonata in g minor, Op. 65, and Zoltán Kodály's Sonata for Cello and Piano Op. 4. Both of these chaps have awards and prestigious performances up the ying yang.

4. Super Bowl Sunday could be the biggest holiday in Washington state history. When the Seattle Seahawks face off against the Denver broncos today, the South Sound will be awash in blue and green jerseys, seven-layer dips and, of course, lots and lots of booze. Whether you're throwing a party, or just watching the game with some friends, the South Sound bars are an option. Click here to find the nearest bar.

5. In celebration of Black History Month, the University of Puget Sound will screen The Butler at 7:30 p.m. in the Rausch Auditorium at McIntyre Hall. This film tells the story of a White House butler who served eight American presidents over three decades. The film traces the dramatic changes that swept American society during this time, from the civil rights movement to Vietnam and beyond, and how those changes affected this man's life and family.

LINK: Sunday, Feb. 2 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, JAN. 31 2014 >>>

1. The life and career of folk singer Judy Collins is almost too storied to get into without resorting to bullet points: her rise through the ranks of the Greenwich Village folk scene in the early '60s; her discovering of Leonard Cohen (which led to her making the first recordings of the man's songs, back when he was too timid to perform them himself); her political activism, which included testifying in the infamous Chicago Seven trial, during which she participated in the open heckling of Judge Hoffman by singing "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" from the stand; her transition from exclusively performing cover songs to becoming a respected songwriter in her own right - and this just amounts to roughly the first decade of her career as a musician. Read Rev. Adam McKinney interview with Judy Collins in the Music & Culture section before catching her show at 7:30 p.m. in the Pantages Theater.

2. Dream on stepping inside one of the Woolworth Windows installations in downtown Tacoma? Today is your lucky day. From noon to 1 p.m. Artist Acataphasia ("Cat") Grey will open her window to you and your brown bag lunch then chat about her art. Get in on the lunch party at the corner of 11th and Commerce.

3. North Shore Golf Course hosts a Deschutes Brewery Beer Tasting Night at 6 p.m. A Deschutes representative will introduce new brews, accompanied by live music, raffles and prizes and paired with tasty nibbles for $20.

4. Like emotions? Like, REALLY like emotions? Then you just might go nuts for the "Got Opera? Arias, Duets, and Ensembles" at 7:30 p.m. in Schneebeck Concert Hall. University of Puget Sound voice faculty members Michael Delos, bass-baritone; Christina Kowalski, soprano; Kathryn Lehmann, alto; Dawn Padula, mezzo-soprano; and guest artist Gino Luchetti, tenor will bust out big operatic singing, adding a lot of comedy and a dash of drama. 

5. The majestic feeling of unity is captured quite well in the harmonies of Camp Wisdom. The band takes folk rock and imbues it with the kind of riled-up enthusiasm that's necessary to unite those singular voices into one. Catch Camp Wisdom with Lure and Generifus at 8 p.m. in Northern.

LINK: Friday, Jan. 31 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, JAN. 25 2014 >>>

1. In the early ‘80s, Donald Glaude filled Lakes High School house parties with Funkadelic, Commodores and underground hip-hop. While the dudes played REAL quarters the women flocked around Glaude. His musical knowledge, good looks and outgoing personality made him king of Lakes High School. From there, he emerged himself in the Seattle house and rave music scene before becoming one of the most traveled international DJs of our time. Always a smile, and women on both side of his decks, Glaude still commands the worldwide house music scene, in front of the turntables and behind the studio mixing board. Glaude returns home for a night at Jazzbones, with Skeemer and Mr. Clean opening, and the Northwest DJ roster before him. Respect.

2. The Proctor Art Gallery celebrates its fifth anniversary from 1-5 p.m. Drop by and chat with the artists, take advantage of sales, enjoy refreshments, entertainment and door prizes. 

3. In its 12th year and for the seventh straight year in Olympia, the community is invited to take part in an active weekend of highlighting the plagues of poverty, discrimination, inhumanity and homelessness while simultaneously celebrating the spirit of togetherness during the annual Hip-Hop 4 The Homeless benefit. For the cost of donated items such as food, clean clothing, hygiene items and cash, the 5 p.m. family friendly concert in The Olympia Ballroom features Afrok & The Movement, Speaker Minds (Portland), AKA & The Heart Hurt Goods, The Sharp Five and Real Life Click, plus the annual 25360 Awards celebration.

4. A few decades ago, the term "early music" (generally speaking, any music written before J.S. Bach) had the same cachet as brown rice or granola: esoteric stuff that was vaguely good for you, but none too tasty or easy to digest. And as for performing early music, only specialists need apply. Nowadays, performances of Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque music on period instruments - not to mention instrumentalists and vocalists versed in early performance styles as a matter of course in their studies - are the very enjoyable norm, and a lot of great, previously unknown music has become popular and beloved by audiences. At 7 p.m. in Tacoma's Trinity Lutheran Church, the Salish Sea Early Music Festival will focus on the musical styles during the reign of Louis XV, who became king in 1715 at the age of five upon the death of his grandfather Louis XIV.

Producing Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is like saddling a dragon. We caught struggles for lines, most adroitly concealed. The blocking isn't great for performance in the round. There are patrons who won't know what to make of all its profanity, carnality and perma-drunk savagery. What unnerves most, though, is the fact that this drama has no hero or heroine for us to cheer. There's no tragic downfall, as its characters bring misery on themselves. Yet the acting in this Lakewood Playhouse production, on all four counts but especially from Deane and Garman, is extraordinary, some of the best we'll see all year. Read Christian Carvajal's full review of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in the Music & Culture section, then catch the 8 p.m. show.

LINK: Saturday, Jan. 25 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 14 2014 >>>

1. At the age of 22, violinist Benjamin Beilman has made a name for himself, winning several major prizes, including first prize at 2010 Montreal International Musical Competition. He is the recipient of both a 2012 Avery Fisher Career Grant and a 2012 London Music Masters Award. His numerous accolades have thrust him onto stages across North America and Europe as a soloist with the Edmonton Symphony, L'Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal; and the Kansas City Symphony as well as the Tonhalle Orchestra in Switzerland. See the phenom perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Washington Center.

2. The "Bohemian Boudoir" opens today at the Museum of Glass. Highlighting more than 40 glass crystal perfume bottles and bedroom accessories, hand-crafted in the Bohemia region of Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic) in the 1920s and 1930s - home to more than 600 companies creating glass items for the boudoir. Objects in the exhibition exemplify the creativity and technical prowess of Czech craftsmen. Doors open at 10 a.m.

3. This second free lecture in a series of symposia focuses on the role of leadership and the importance of international political perspectives in shaping relations between the United States and the Asia-Pacific will go down from 4-6 p.m. at Philip Hall on the University of Washington-Tacoma campus.

4. Charles Goodrich - author of three books of poetry including A Scripture of Crows - will be the feature reader at Olympia Poetry Network's gathering at 6:30 p.m. in Traditions Café. An open mic will precede the featured reader.

5. Lyon Pride will host Hempfest tryouts featuring Amanda Hardy, Twang Junkies, Dumbpop and Under Sin at 8 p.m. in Jazzbones.

LINK: Wednesday, Jan. 14 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

TUESDAY, JAN. 14 2014 >>>

1. You're exchanging trail mix recipes at 7 p.m. with the Mountaineers Club folks when this mellow, Spanish transcendental lullaby creeps through the club's doorway and swirls around your soul. Instantly, thoughts of Madrid at midnight lighten your spirits. You drop your pen and waterproof notepad, and like a zombie saunter out the door and float into the neighboring Slavonian Hall. Award-winning British classical guitarist Michael Partington strums his acoustic guitar, showcasing his innate rhythmic understanding and sense for tonal color to form some of the most memorable phrasing you have ever heard on the guitar. You slip away into another world. After an hour, you re-enter this world. You wander back to the Mountaineers, but your head is in the clouds capping Mount Teide. You've been Partingtoned, as they say.

2. Imagine this scenario: You're happy. You have everything you could really need or want and if things continued this way for the rest of your days, you'd call it a pretty good life. Then, early one morning, you wake up to discover a hydroelectric dam in front of your house. It's big, it's loud and it's totally unwelcome, (like Roseanne Barr, only made of concrete). Every aspect of your life is negatively impacted by this thing. Running low on groceries? Good luck getting to the store; the dam's blocking your car in. Want to do a little gardening or mow the lawn? Your yard's flooded. Need to feed your pets? You haven't seen Genghis Dog or Chairman Meow in days. God only knows what happened to them. That's essentially the situation with which the Inuit people of Canada's Hudson Bay live as documented in the film People of a Feather screening at 2 and 6:55 p.m. in The Grand Cinema.

3. Oh, who doesn't love secrets? From now until Feb. 14 Brix 25 in Gig Harbor is having a secret envelope giveaway. Every time you dine in the fine-dining restaurant, you will receive an envelope. Don't tear it open! Upon your return visit between Feb. 15-April 15, the restaurant staff will tear open the envelop at the end of you meal to discover your discount. Prizes vary from $15 gift cards to $500 in value.

4. If hearing the sound of your own cackling voice echoing off the walls of your shower stall has you craving the sound of something a bit more harmonious, check out the local songbirds at Victory Music Open Mic at the Antique Sandwich Co. from 7-10 p.m. It's guaranteed to be jam-packed with gorgeous sounds and humbling verses, as the South Sound's greatest up-and-coming acoustic musicians bare their souls impromptu-style.

5. The Place Isn't So Bad and Walter & Perry rock Le Voyeur at 9 p.m.

LINK: Tuesday, Jan. 14 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

MONDAY, DEC. 23 2013 >>>

1. In the same way that sharks must keep swimming to keep breathing, it seems Melanie Owen andJoseph Barton must spread their talents across various musical projects in order to stay alive. Owen travels between Denver and Seattle with her band, The Groovetramps, fronts Cedar Avenue Blues Band in Denver and does duo work with other blues players. She guest fronts with The Thommy Knoxvilles in Denver, the Armed & Dangerous Blues Review in Seattle and plays bass for the Joseph Barton Trio - yes, her musical partner. Barton has played for numerous Denver bands such as The Clam Daddies, The Train Wreckers and Tempa & the Tamtrums. Currently, in addition to The Groovetramps and his trio, Barton and plays bass with Armed & Dangerous Blues Review and other Seattle and Denver bands. These frequent flyer points freaks will showcase their old school blues and Americana at 8 p.m. in The Swiss - if they don't collapse first.

2. Whether you want to channel your inner Winter Olympics sports nerd, capture the magic of the season in a vibrant urban venue or just have a wintery and sporty adventure, break out the ice skates, people, because the Franciscan Polar Plaza, in partnership with the Tacoma Art Museum, is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Bring family and friends to Tacoma's holiday ice rink for holiday fun and a good time right in the heart of downtown Tacoma.

3. Make Monday the day you check out Zoolights or Fantasy Lights - both South Sound institutions. Zoolights, the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium's holiday light show and extravaganza, offers a stroll through more than half a million lights, crafted whimsically throughout the zoo from 5-9 p.m. Take a driving tour of Fantasy Lights in Spanaway Park, where carloads of travelers can see more than 300 stunning displays of lights and imaginative animation over a two-mile stretch of Spanaway Lake Park from 5:30-9 p.m. 

4. See the ultimate sad sack Charlie Brown and his sad sack little Christmas tree find the holiday spirit in the Christmas classic, A Charlie Brown Christmas, at a dreamy locally renowned theater. Break out the "peanuts" to take in this charming Tacoma Musical Playhouse production, and watch young and aspiring local actors from the theater's innovative and premiere education program show their stuff in this quaint and heartfelt little show, which begins at 7 p.m. 

5. We all love to sing. Singing is fun; singing is cool. However, life is cruel, and as much as we all love to sing, well, we can't.  We suck.  Or, to put this in a positive manner, there are those who can sing solo and there are those who should always, always, sing in groups. The larger the better. For those of you who fall into the second category, head to Olympia. The Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia present a "Messiah Sing-Along" so you can sing to your tone-deaf little heart's content at 7 p.m. in the Washington Center.          

PLUS: Holiday Events Calendar

PLUS: South Sound Holiday Command Center

LINK: Monday, Dec. 23 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, DEC. 20 12013 >>>

1. So the tree and the fairy lights are up, you have enough booze and unhealthy snacks to sink the Titanic, and your television is about to explode in a flurry of consumerism and romantic schmaltz. But there's something missing. That's right, folks: it just wouldn't be a happy holiday without some singing about God. And for that, there's no beating Handel's "Messiah," a piece for choir, orchestra and soloists that has delighted audiences worldwide for more than 270 years. As 18th-century music historian Charles Burney once said, "Messiah" has fed the hungry and clothed the naked, fostered the orphan, and enriched succeeding managers of Oratories more than any single musical production in this or any other country." We're not totally sure what that means, so check it out at 7:30 p.m. in the St. Charles Borromeo Church when the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra presents its version with soprano Maria Mannisto, mezzo-soprano Melissa Schiel, tenor Eric Neuville and baritone Peter Tuff.

2. Where The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol and other traditional holiday shows have a plot, The Alternative Holiday Show does not. It's not a play, but instead a variety show with multiple acts determined to keep you giggling. Acts range from musical numbers to skits and even to poetry readings. Still, the acts are not random. There is a clear message that ties them all together. The Alternative Holiday Show seeks to poke a little bit of fun at the current state of our highly commercialized and a bit crazy holiday season. But don't count on finding any anti-Christmas scrooges here. The show is all in good fun. Catch it at 7:30 p.m. in the Midnight Sun Performance Space in downtown Olympia.

3. Danny Barnes and Matt Sircely, friends for more than a decade, reside on the Olympic Peninsula. When Barnes and Sircely play together, they swap original songs and showcase their love of many music forms - both roots-oriented and forward-thinking. Poetic songwriting framed with guitar, banjo and mandolin traverses the unexpected, conjuring great traditions in American music right before launching into something that's never been heard. Catch the duo with the Oly Mountain Boys at 8 p.m. in Southbay Dickerson's BBQ's Pig Bar.

4. Brad Upton in a past winner of the Las Vegas Comedy Festival and appeared recently at Caesar's Palace as part of the HBO Comedy Festival. Twenty-six years and 5,000 shows have made this Seattle based comic a much sought after performer and earned the respect of his peers. At 8 and 10:30 p.m. Tacoma Comedy Club celebrates Upton's new CD.

5. Metcalf Manor is a bed and breakfast on more than 6 acres of property located five minutes from downtown Olympia and downtown Lacey. There is a huge backyard with a fire pit and spa, but much of the property is wooded and there is a network of nature trails running through the woods. Quite lovely. Tonight at 9 p.m. No Body, Full Moon Radio, The Celestials and Trash Heap will turn the Manor into a rock and breakfast.

PLUS: Holiday Events Calendar

PLUS: South Sound Holiday Command Center

LINK: Friday, Dec. 20 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

TUESDAY, DEC. 10 2013 >>>

1. This year's Classical Tuesdays Wine & Song Benefit in Old Town Tacoma will feature operetta selections from Offenbach and Gilbert and Sullivan, and some Kurt Weill to represent the Berlin operetta style that crosses over to cabaret. It will also feature mezzo-soprano Dawn Padula accompanied by pianist Denes Van Parys - doling out tunes by Edith Piaf, William Bolcom and songs from Kander and Ebb's musical, Cabaret. Equally important, the night will feature lovely Cabernets, which kicks off at 7 p.m. inside the Connelly Law Offices. This annual event benefits the free Classical Tuesdays in Old Town chamber music series. 

THIS IS NEXT WEEK: 1. Tacoma native Erik Hanberg is a man who wears many hats. One day, you may see him fulfilling his duties as commissioner of Metro Parks Tacoma; on another, you may spy him petitioning to pay tribute to legendary scribe and fellow Tacoman Frank Herbert, author of the Dune series, by loaning the same moniker to a local park. More recently, you may have spied him signing copies of his newly released novel, The Lead Cloak, Book One of the Lattice Trilogy,which he'll do again at 7 p.m., Dec. 17 at the Tacoma Public Library Main Branch. Read Jackie Fender's Q&A with Erik Hanberg in the Music & Culture section.

2. If you prefer to purchase your daddy issues in bulk, you might buy into the paterfamilias misery of Gilles Legrand's unnerving drama You Will Be My Son, offering heavy value in the I-Hate-You-Dad Department. Exacting in his work and uncaring in everything else, Paul (Niels Arestrup) pours every ounce of love and attention he's got into his successful Saint-Émilion winery, leaving nothing for his son, Martin (Lorànt Deutsch). Yikes. See how it plays out at 2:30 and 6:30 p.m. at The Grand Cinema.

3. How do you escape the pressures of the holidays, like, really quickly? Bundle up, drop your packages in the trunk, pinch your cheeks until they glow and strap on a pair of silver skates, Hans Brinker, for a glide across the frozen expanse at Tollefson Plaza. The Franciscan Polar Plaza, located on the corner of Pacific Avenue and South 17th Street. The covered outdoor rink is about half the size of a hockey rink. It will have real ice and hold about 150 skaters at a time. It's open from 4-9 p.m.

4. Spanaway has some similarities with Texas. For one, Spanaway likes to go big - in the drive-thru line, and when it comes to holiday light displays. In its wattage-chowing 18th year, Fantasy Lights offers oohers and ahhers a night of blinking and glowing bliss from 5:30-9 p.m. The two and a quarter mile long parade of lit-up scenery has its own peculiar sense of majesty, and it goes without saying that it's the perfect treat for a family to soak up the holiday spirit.

5. Berkeley singer/songwriter Ryan Dishen will perform at 9 p.m. in Le Voyeur in downtown Olympia.

PLUS: Holiday Events Calendar

PLUS: South Sound Holiday Command Center

LINK: Tuesday, Dec. 10 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area