While the weather doesn't seem ready to share warmer temperatures, it is technically spring, which for the South Sound means one thing: the Spring Fair in Puyallup.
This 25-year tradition is back at the downtown fairgrounds April 10 to 13 with food, rides, livestock and performances. All military servicemembers, retirees, disabled veterans and their families get in free April 11 with valid identification.
For more information, check out excerpts the news release from the Spring Fair folks below. ...
As you wish, this is Nerd Alert, the Weekly Volcano's recurring events calendar devoted to all things nerdy. I myself am a Star Wars fan, mathlete, and spelling bee champion of long standing, so trust me: I grok whereof I speak.
FRIDAY, MARCH 28
There's something inherently goofy about the story of Noah's Ark. For geeks of a certain age, it calls to mind Bill Cosby making "voopah" sawing noises and wondering, "What's a cubit?" You may be more familiar with Ricky Gervais reading a children's picture-book summary of the Great Deluge. Either way, it's likely nothing about that story made you think, "Hey! Y'know who'd be great at directing the movie version of this? Darren Aronofsky! Yeah, something about Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan just screams Biblical epic to me." And yet here we are. For good measure, let's have Hermione Granger play Noah's daughter. Righteous. Early reviews are mixed, but at least Russell Crowe doesn't sing.
And of course there's Emerald City Comicon, running all this weekend in Seattle's Washington State Convention Center. While San Diego's fable con slides more into the realm of movies and TV, this is one gathering that keeps its primary focus on the comics. Featured writers include Mike Allred, Kurt Busiek, Erik Larsen, Jim Lee (Friday only), Mark Miller and Jeff Smith. Star Wars novelists Kevin J. Anderson and Dave Wolverton will be on hand, as will John Scalzi, whose Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas won the Hugo last year. It's about a security officer aboard the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, Ensign Andrew Dahl, who suddenly realizes his colleagues don't fare well on away missions. Think 320 pages of "Guy" from Galaxy Quest, and if that doesn't make you desperate for a copy then I don't know what.
Have no fear, TV and movie geeks, you haven't been exiled into the Phantom Zone. Celebrity guests include Richard Dean Anderson (who'll fashion a crude Orion vehicle from two paper clips and a Hot Pocket), Michael Biehn (who'll claim to be from the future, then impregnate a coffee shop waitress), John de Lancie (Q who?), Michael Dorn, Eliza Dushku, Cary Elwes, Kelly Hu, Nichelle Nichols, Ron Perlman, Lance Reddick, Alan Tudyk and Karl Urban. I'm tellin' ya, you put those people around a mic for two hours, and you've got a pretty good LEGO Movie sequel. Did LEGO ever make a Hellboy set? Because that'd be awesome.
SUNDAY, MARCH 30
After last week's history-heavy installment, Cosmos explores "A Sky Full of Ghosts." Patrick Stewart voices astronomer William Herschel, best known for his catchphrase "You go, business pro." Also, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson's Ship of the Imagination buzzes the event horizon of a black hole, beating Disney's reboot department by years.
Meanwhile, in the improbably walker-ful woods around Atlanta, Sheriff Rick is in for an even less happy installment than usual in the season-four finale of The Walking Dead. Shortly thereafter, Nerdist Chris Hardwick will admit even he's not sure what's going on with this show anymore.
Next week, of course, it's back to Westeros for season four of Game of Thrones.
Tuesday, April 1
Avoid obnoxious April Fools' Day pranks by hiding in your living room with a fresh supply of cinematic brain candy. New on Blu-ray and DVD this week: 47 Ronin, Anchorman 2 and Knights of Badassdom.
Until next week, may the Force be with you, may the odds be ever in your favor, and may we all be reunited in Terminus.
1. Are you ready to run yourself rugged? The Titlow Mud Run offers you multiple obstacles during a 2-mile run, beginning at noon. During those 10,560 feet, you will crawl through the mud, climb over logs, jump fire, and jump wires. However, all obstacles are optional through the trails and woods of Titlow Park. This run was specially made for all types of people, the ones who love to get down and dirty, and the ones who like to keep their feet dry as they jump over puddles and go around mud. For lots of sweaty fun, register at metroparks.com, to receive a complimentary run towel and guaranteed timing for your little jaunt. For people who don't register but still participate, the towel and timing is not guaranteed.
2. The Spring Fairy Festival, the yearly "magical weekend of fae," returns to the Freighthouse Square in Tacoma from noon to 5 p.m. Celebrating fantasy, magic and, of course, faeries, this annual event of pixie dust and gossamer wings provides everything a faer-folk enthusiast could want. Host Crescent Moon Gifts gathers artists, musicians, performers and 45 vendors to cater to the varying tastes of those who adore the faerie realm - meaning tricksy goblins, faeries, beguiling bellydancers, lost boys, steam punks and horned ones.
3. These days, thanks to streaming services like Netflix, there are more people than ever lazily consuming documentary films. What was once viewed as a wasteland of heart-rending Shoah's has been transformed into an easygoing world of pop-docs. Still, the art of the documentary is growing, as technology expands and allows more filmmakers the ability to carry out their vision. As a result, the cream is increasingly rising to the top. Documentaries of merit are coming out of the woodwork, and they're spreading ... including today at The Grand Cinema.
4. Saxophonist Kareem Kandi's sound is virtually unrelated to the roomy traditions of soul saxes, honking saxes or deep-chested boudoir ballad saxes. It derives from the classic, free, often enthusiastic tradition of Joshua Redman as filtered through Dexter Gordon and Sonny Stitt, all of whose shadows can be traced-Redman in Kandi's funky organicism, Gordon in his dynamic harmonics, Stitt in the intensity that coats his every note with a Gritty City finish. Kareem Kandi will be joined by bassist Osama Afifi and drummer Andre Thomas at 6:30 p.m. in the Cliff House Restaurant.
5. The Tacoma Comedy Club presents Bundt Cake Comedy, a carefully curated snapshot of Seattle's sprawling standup scene featuring only the best emerging and established comics and sprinkled with sketches, storytelling, videos and other amusements, beginning at 8 p.m.
1. Does anyone else feel like planet Earth, and South Sound specifically, has a beer/food/music/book/art/film/fairy/cupcake festival every week? This week is no exception. The Spring Fairy Festival, the yearly "magical weekend of fae," returns to the Freighthouse Square in Tacoma from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Celebrating fantasy, magic and, of course, faeries, this annual event of pixie dust and gossamer wings provides everything a faer-folk enthusiast could want. Host Crescent Moon Gifts gathers artists, musicians, performers and 45 vendors to cater to the varying tastes of those who adore the faerie realm - meaning tricksy goblins, faeries, beguiling bellydancers, lost boys, steam punks and horned ones.
2. Mike Mignola's Hellboy comic book series is turning a cool 20 this week. What amounted to the quintessential '90s comic book - self-aware, stylized, coolly violent - has come of age in a time that has largely failed at adapting comics of the kind. Punisher, Spawn and The Crow have all been blessedly forgotten failures as adaptations. Come rejoice at the victory of the comic form as Olympic Cards & Comics celebrates with a sampler comic of new Mignola stories beginning at 10 a.m.
3. Bill Holm, esteemed authority of Northwest Coast Indian Art, will give a special presentation "The Northwest Gun in NW Coast Indian Art" at 1 p.m. at Fort Nisqually.
4. Ann Hampton Callaway presents The Streisand Songbook featuring many of Barbra Streisand's most popular hits. Beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Pantages Theater, she'll bust out songs from "Don't Rain On My Parade" to "People."
5. Tropical breezes, the scent of coconut oil mixed with blooming plumeria wafting under your nostrils, the salty ocean waves gently rolling on shore, inches from your bare feet - ah, Hawaii, how we wish we were there. Since we're not, and the pleasantness of spring in the Pacific Northwest is just barely here, we'll go with Plan B: Keola Beamer and Moanalani at 8 p.m. in the Capitol Theater.
1. Jack and Diane sucked on chili dogs outside the Tastee-Freeze. Danny and Sandy, they went strollin' and drank lemonade. And you? Was it over something in a cone or on a stick, deep-fried or double-dipped? Were you roadside or seaside, at a stand or a shack, a hut, a cart, a parlor, a fountain or an emporium? How many of you became foodies not while nibbling foie gras at some haute downtown hot spot, but as a teenager hanging out at the annual Puyallup Rotary Crab and Oyster Stew Feed? Ready to revisit it? The Rotarians offer all-you-can-eat Dungeness crab, clam chowder, oyster stew, potato soup, coleslaw, potato salad and, of course, hot dogs. Expect a DJ, raffle prizes and impromptu Four Way Tests at 6 p.m. at the Washington State Fairgrounds.
2. The Grand Cinema has long been a ground zero of cinematic art in Tacoma, and that title has only grown with the addition of its fourth screen. With that new screen, The Grand Cinema is able to showcase films every Tuesday that would otherwise not be able to sustain a full week run. Here is where the Documentary Week comes in.
3. Raised in Scandinavia, independent quirky folk meets alternative rock on a day off getting lost Annie Woodward will perform at 8 p.m. in Metronome Coffee in Tacoma.
4. Armed with washboards, spoons, buckets and banjos, slide and stomp, Portland's junkbox blues duo Hillstomp bring an assault of high-energy backwoods punk. How the hell does a person yell harmonious twang without sounding like a drunken hillbilly? Maybe the duo do sound like drunken hillbillies. For this talented twosome, it's charming. Local draw Oly Mountain Boys adds their bluegrass flair to the 9 p.m. show at the new Rhythm and Rye club in downtown Olympia.
5. With big beats and playful narratives, San Francisco's Double Duchess transcends genres and genders through their live experience and high-energy delivery. Catch the duo's 9 p.m. show at Le Voyeur.
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds practice aerial maneuvers above Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The Air Force's premier flying team will headline SkyFest 2014 May 31 and June 1. Courtesy photo
Airman 1st Class Sam Fogleman of the 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs office has the latest on the SkyFest airshow at Fairchild Air Force Base, May 31 and June 1.
Returning to Fairchild for the first time since 2010, the event will be headlined by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team.
Static aircraft volunteered to be on display include a B-1 out of Ellsworth Air Force Base, a T-38 and T-6 from Sheppard AFB, a F-15E from Mountain Home AFB, Fairchild's own UH-1 and KC-135, a C-17 from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, a firefighter version of C-130 out of Wyoming Air National Guard Base at F.E. Warren AFB, and a KC-10 from Travis AFB.
More performances and public figure appearances are still being coordinated at this time.
"We do not have a complete list of performers and static displays since we are still in the planning phase," said Maj. Robert Aikman, SkyFest 2014 director. "We are finalizing the list now. We have a tentative list of performers. We have several in the works."
SkyFest's tentative schedule is planned for the airfield opening to visitors at 9 a.m. both days, with performances beginning at 12 p.m.
1. The Academy Awards are tonight. There's plenty of speculation about who's likely to win, along with conversation about who's worthy of the awards. Team Walkie Talkie has our money on American Hustle or 12 Years A Slave. Speaking of the golden naked dudes, there are not one but two local venues at which you can put on your Oscar Sunday best and savor the festivities with hundreds of other cineastes. The Olympia Film Society rolls out the red carpet at 4 p.m. in front of the Capitol Theater. The Grand Cinema opens its Oscars party at 5 p.m. in Tacoma's Theatre on the Square.
While many are feeling anxious over the proposed Pentagon budget cuts, U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, the Democrat out of Gig Harbor, wants students to consider the armed forces. Kilmer will host a Service Academy Night Wednesday, March 19 at Foss High School in Tacoma.
"As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I'm looking forward to extending this exciting opportunity to students in our region who are considering a top-tier education with service to our nation in our armed forces," stated Kilmer in a news release.
The night is dedicated to those students attending high school - public or private - in the Tacoma and Peninsula school districts, and who live within Kilmer's 6th Congressional District.
Those in attendance will also see bright and shiny faces from U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and ROTC representatives.
We haven't confirmed the rumor of a post-event screening of Taps at nearby Cheney Stadium. It's unlikely.
SERVICE ADACEMY NIGHT, 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, Foss High School Auditorium, 2112 S. Tyler St., Tacoma, 253.272.3515
1. What does your mind go to when you hear the names Miss Massive Snowflake and Rainstick Cowbell (two bands currently nearing the end of month-long west coast tour)? If you were picturing a pair of twee indie bands or cutesy folk-rock, you'd be wrong. Miss Massive Snowflake and Rainstick Cowbell are Shane de Leon and Scott Arbogast, respectively - two fiercely idiosyncratic Portland performers that manage to find common ground together. Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on Miss Massive Snowflake and Rainstick Cowbell in the Music & Culture section, then check out with Dionvox at 10 p.m. in Le Voyeur.
2. Well holy crap. Honestly, we see an event title like "Sewing & Stitchery EXPO" and our eyes instantly glaze over. Sounds like about 11 old ladies in a double wide crocheting death certificates, right? Wrong. Completely false. As it turns out, the Sewing & Stitchery EXPO overtaking the Washington State Fairgrounds through Sunday is freaking gigantic - "the nation's largest event for sewing enthusiasts," according to hype. Apparently, "The Expo is the foremost venue for the home sewing industry attracting leading authorities including Susan Beck, Michelle Muska, Lisa Shaw, and Pati Palmer." Do we have any clue who those people are? Of course not. But they sound important. And we're not in the home sewing industry. Maybe, just maybe, after this weekend we will be. It runs 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. today.
3. The city of Olympia and The Washington Center for the Performing Arts will celebrate the new renovations at The Washington Center beginning at 5 p.m. The celebration is open to the public. Featured entertainment includes Ballet Northwest, Masterworks Choral Ensemble, Student Orchestra of Greater Olympia and Ed Echtle, Historian, which begins at 6 p.m. if the whole program isn't funny enough for you, stick around for the Center's popular Comedy in the Box show at 7:30 p.m.
4. The folks at Valhalla Coffee Co in Tacoma take their roasted bean biz seriously and prove it by hosting #TNTNW - aka Thursday Night Throwdown Northwest - showcasing local barista talents making latte art from 7-9 p.m. The $5-buy-in-winner-takes-all event is open to the public. Festivities include beer, pizza, prizes and like-minded individuals for those who appreciate the fine art of coffee.
5. South Puget Sound Community College's production of Playboy of the Western World isn't about Hugh Hefner's life. Turns out this Playboy is a satirical look at Catholicism and Irish peasantry, and the "playboy" in question is actually a character named Christy Mahon who, true to the early-20th century meaning of the word, is a trickster or hoaxer. The original 1907 production supposedly caused a riot in Dublin when it was first performed, but don't expect the same reaction at 8 p.m. in the Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts Black Box Theatre.
Military children make up a very special part of our region's population. Although young, these brave sons and daughters stand in steadfast support of their military parents through moves and deployments. To honor their unique contributions and sacrifices on behalf of the South Sound, The Ranger and Northwest Airlifter, with support from child car seat manufacturer Diono, have planned a free day of fun for the military kids at Pierce College. Old McDebbie's Petting Zoo, The Reptile Man, a gym full of inflatable toys, Starbucks treats, A Princess Party with hair designs, a Home Depot building craft center, games, prizes, a kids' game show, the Pierce College's Planetarium and much more will be available to the military dependents.
There are a lot of things more important than following live-blogging of our Salute To Military Kids event today at Pierce College - but none of them are things you have to do today. That's right, we're doing us some live-blogging.
11 a.m.: Doors are open at the Pierce College Health Education Building. The whole building and nearby parking lots are loaded with stuff to do. A bit disappointed the weight room is closed. Today was chest and triceps day.
11:05 a.m.: The kids have found the At A Simple Wish princesses.
Have no fear, TV and movie geeks, you haven't been exiled into the Phantom Zone. Celebrity guests include Richard Dean Anderson (who'll fashion a crude Orion vehicle from two paper clips and a Hot Pocket), Michael Biehn (who'll claim to be from the future, then impregnate a coffee shop waitress), John de Lancie (Q who?), Michael Dorn, Eliza Dushku, Cary Elwes, Kelly Hu, Nichelle Nichols, Ron Perlman, Lance Reddick, Alan Tudyk and Karl Urban. I'm tellin' ya, you put those people around a mic for two hours, and you've got a pretty good LEGO Movie sequel. Did LEGO ever make a Hellboy set? Because that'd be awesome.
11:05 a.m.: The kids have found the 
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