The cultural and epicurean phenomena known as Le Diner en Blanc started in Paris 25 years ago as a posh, alfresco dinner for friends. Francois Pasquier arranged to picnic with family and friends in a public park. To easily find one another in the crowd, all participants wore white, and a chic phenomenon was born. Since then it has spread across the globe to major cities like New York, London, Singapore, Sidney and Barcelona - and last night it found its way to Tacoma, thanks to the folks behind the First Night Tacoma celebration who staged the community builder and fundraiser.

Guests donning full white suits and top hats and white evening gowns, including Ryan Loiselle's white "Slut" T-shirt, dined on white tablecloth tables and white picnic blankets in front of the W.W. Seymour Conservatory. Guests brought their own food, white picnic baskets, white cutlery, white stemware and white napkins. The only objects not white were Adam Martin's colorful stars dangling from trees and his large horse of many different colors. Entertainment included acoustic melodies by members of St. Paul De Vence - arranged by The Warehouse folks - fire dancing by L. Lisa Lawrence, the chap portraying an 18th century European who chased away a group of college co-eds, and announcements of what to expect at First Night - including an attempt to break the record for most people clapping coconuts together (Year of the Horse!). My favorite picnic presentation goes to Team Tacoma School of the Arts who didn't have a speck of color in what can only be described as picnic art.   

LINK: More photos from Le Diner en Blanc

See Also

Adam Martin's Oceanic 2013 Lumins Festivus Saturday

FRIDAY, SEPT. 27 2013 >>>

1. Zombies are taking over T-town - and no - not the bath salt eating kind, but the kind that in real life are fun-loving people who want to get gory for a good cause. The Tacoma Zombie Festival and Preparedness Expo is back, with a new name - QZ-CON - and a military-focused sci-fi convention that combines the popular theme of surviving the zombie apocalypse with old school rockabilly punk. For the next three days at La Quinta Inns & Suites, expect a refugee camp military vehicle display, kid's zombie hunter costume contest, zombie freeze tag, open invitational writer's slush party, with music by The Hot Roddin' Romeos and Back Alley Barbers Saturday. This is a benefit for the Wounded Warrior Project.

2. On Erin Island, an idyllic fishing village off the coast of Ireland, the crew of a fishing boat disappears, whales start appearing dead on the shore, a local lobsterman catches a strange tentacled creature in his trap. Soon it becomes clear there's something big out there, and that it's hungry. It's time to rally the villagers, arm the troops ... and head to the pub. Grabbers opens today at The Grand Cinema. Read Jared Lovrak's review here.

3. Jeff Torlina, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology in Utah, will launch the 2013-2014 Saint Martin's University Harvie Social Justice Lecture Series with a talk that will underscore the importance of social justice in creating sustainable peace at 4 p.m. in the University's Harned Hall.

4. Instead of just one weekend, the Broadway Center is expanding its Tacoma Fall Free For All festival throughout the year, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. when Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir performs at the Rialto Theater. A San Francisco based vocalist and percussionist, Tillery has explored African drumming, blues and African American roots music. With the choir, she focuses on spirituals, field hollers and black folk music rooted in the South.

5. Southwest Louisiana-based guitarist, songwriter, and singer Sonny Landreth is a musician's musician. His unorthodox blues slide guitar style comes from the manner in which he simultaneously plays slide and makes fingering movements on the fretboard. Landreth, who has an easygoing personality, can play it all, like any good session musician. Watch how it is done at 8 p.m. in Jazzbones.

LINK: Friday, Sept. 27 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

"You wait. I'm going to make it happen," Diane Wiatr, the City of Tacoma's active transportation coordinator told me at a Green Drinks meeting earlier this year at the Broken Spoke pub on Hilltop Tacoma. "I'm going to convince the city to close down Ruston Way to vehicles and we all are going to have a giant, roving party on bikes and on foot."

Wiatr has been dreaming of a critical mass-like event ever since she witnessed similar community celebrations in Columbia and Mexico. Bogota and Mexico City close down long stretches of popular roadways for Sunday strolls and rides.

Today, in Tacoma, Wiatr's dream happened.

Launching from the Tacoma Dome at 8 a.m. (Tacoma Wheelmen's Bicycle Club started earlier incorporating the route into a larger ride), a registered 800 people made the trek from the Tacoma Dome, along Dock Street to Schuster Parkway, Ruston Way then to the new $60,000 Interim Trail to Point Defiance Park, finishing in the Park's bowl. While it's certain many might have skipped the "Downtown to Defiance: Sunday Parkways" event due to the rain, those who did participate had a blast, enjoying games in the parks along the route, with a festival in the bowl, which included a giant checkers game, music by the Kareem Kandi Band, bounce houses and vendor booths.

Wiatr didn't pull this off on her own. Metro Parks, the city of Tacoma and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department partnered, with U.S. Bank kicking in more than $30,000. Many Metro Parks board members wandered the bowl in rain gear, including Erik Hanberg wearing a city of Tacoma replica helmet.

At 10 a.m. the "Leadership Working In Tadem" rig - pedaled by Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland, Tacoma City Councilmembers and state officials - rolled into Point Defiance Park to fanfare. One-liners from the officials poured harder than the rain, including someone shouting "Let's do the Five Mile Drive!" - which received moans from his fellow pedalers.

See Also

Weekly Volcano's feature story on Downtown to Defiance

SATURDAY, SEPT. 21 2013 >>>

1. Drunken Telegraph brings people together to share stories that build community - or at least make for a damn fine evening. Similar to Tacoma's famous Distinguished Writers night, there will be feature storytellers followed by an open mic for those who sign up to tell their 5-minute story on the night's theme. The Drunken Telegraph #5 goes down at 7 p.m. in Masa centered around the theme "Neighbors." Come hear stories, or share you own, about those who didn't live near Mr. Rogers.

2. The Moon Festival is a popular Asian celebration of abundance and togetherness dating back more than 3,000 years to China’s Zhou Dynasty. Mid-Autumn Festival ("Zhongqiu Jie" in Mandarin Chinese), is a traditional holiday widely celebrated in Aisa, that marks the end of summer and autumn’s equinox, when the moon is supposedly at its fullest and roundest - thus the nickname “moon festival. "From noon to 8 p.m. this family-friendly celebration will bring together businesses, residents, community groups and visitors from all areas of Pierce County and beyond for a safe, fun, cultural experience along Tacoma's Ruston Way.

3. Revered by fans and artists alike for it's fantastic stage, professional lighting and wonderful sound, Louie G's Pizzeria in Fife is loved in numbers. Today and tomorrow, beginning at 1 p.m., marks the venue's 2nd annual Dreamfest. Though the event is only in it's second year, it is shaping up to become the establishment's trademark festival. For complete schedule, click here.

4. As part of its 75th anniversary celebration, the Lakewood Playhouse stages Arsenic and Old Lace at 8 p.m. Joseph Kesselring's script is likewise approaching its diamond jubilee. A few of its then-pop-cultural references whiff, but that's to be expected. What surprises after all these decades is how gleefully amoral the play is. Without giving too much away, let's say it features a pair of charming old aunties, the Brewster sisters, who welcome potential boarders with something more than a casual drink. Read Christian Carvajal's full review of Arsenic and old Lace in the Music and Culture section.

5. OK, yes, there will be punk music. And yes, some of that music will be done by local favorites such as Girl Trouble, Red Hex, Trees and Timber and The Jilly Rizzo. And yes, this is a function that will be held 8 p.m. in The New Frontier Lounge. But look, the real draw here is the film. And not just the film, but also the accompanying interpretive dance. That's right, Isaac Olsen's German expressionist film, Ich Hunger, will be screened with an accompanying performance by the BareFoot Collective.  Olsen's tale of a creature-boy roaming the German wilderness and devouring the village's hapless tourists will be an odd and entrancing pairing with the BareFoot Collective's elegant performance.

SUNDAY, SEPT 15 2013 >>>

1. The city of Lakewood, in cooperation and partnership with the Lakewood Subchapter of the Association of the U.S. Army, the 4/2 Stryker Brigade Combat Team and other community partners, will host two welcome home events for members of 4/2, who have recently returned from a nine-month deployment in Afghanistan.  The morning kicks off at 9 a.m. with a parade to welcome and salute the returning troops.  The route begins at the Lakewood Police Department (Lakewood Drive and 95th Street), and ends at Lakewood City Hall (6000 Main St. SW). The homecoming event continues with a family friendly community party at Fort Steilacoom Park. This event will begin at noon and run until 6 p.m. There is no entry fee, and free onsite parking is available.

2. The Red Hot has added three sausage hot dogs to its menu: The Cowboy ($4.75), Berliner ($4.25) and The Dakota ($4.50). TRH bartender Mitchell gave nod to The Cowboy, a locally made beef/cheddar sausage link on a steamed poppyseed bun, topped with barbecue sauce, chopped onions, slice of bacon, nacho cheese sauce and jalapeños. Giddy up! The Cowboy pairs well with Belgian style ales, which are $1 off on Sundays. Oh, TRH opens at 9:30 a.m. on Sundays for the game.

3. Latin Americans love to party. From Mexican tamales to pizza from Argentina, food is crucial in the holiday mix, as is dance, whether it's salsa, samba or merengue. The moves and beats differ, but they always create a purely Latin rhythm. Taste, feel and see the action at Fiestas Patrias, a celebration of Latin America's Independence Day at the Washington State Fair. From noon to 9 p.m. a collection of Latin entertainment ranging from traditional mariachis to colorful folkloric dancers to Roberto Tapia and other well-known musicians playing on the radio will gather in the Main Grandstand. Plus, expect authentic foods, vendors, artisans and kids activities.

4. Pound the buttons on some old school title, claim the next game by placing quarters on the edge of the screen or just watching other players defeat pixelated villains with killer techniques from 1 p.m. to midnight during Dorky's third-year anniversary party. For $20, you will receive unlimited play, trips to the taco bar and quarterly raffles.

5. The Squeak and Squawk Music Festival has invited indie bands from all over the Northwest and beyond to stop by Tacoma and unleash their magic through Sept. 16. Here is the schedule for today: (6-9 p.m., all ages, Library at Sanford and Son) LAKE, Friends and Family and The Hoot Hoots (9:30 p.m., 21+, The New Frontier Lounge) Not From Brooklyn, Fen Wik Ren and the Wheelies. Descriptions of the bands can be found here.

LINK: Sunday, Sept. 15 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SATURDAY, SEPT. 14 2013 >>>

1. We've often heard it said, "I'd run only if something were chasing me," most often while listening to myself at the gym. We submit that a killer app for the Kinect would be a game in which if a player doesn't run in place fast enough, he or she is overrun by the Walking Dead. But why wait? Wright Park is proud to present its Zombie Tag Takeover! (Exclamation point theirs but understandable.) Ward off the biters and shield your personal flags by lobbing sock bombs and skipping past infested blood splatters at 5:30 p.m. in Wright Park. Then celebrate the zombie apocalypse by knocking back steins in a comforting Hilliard's Beer garden. You'll earn a survivor T-shirt and donate all ordnance to the Tacoma Rescue Mission. Hey, Deputy Rick, you want to quit ogling your dead wife and help out here? Hello?

2. Stadium Fare, Tacoma's original craft market, runs 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the First Presbyterian parking lot across from Wright Park. The Fare offers local food, vintage and artistic wares, and entertainment. It's awesome.

3. The Olympia Independent Music Festival (OIMF) has put on one hell of a shindig the past few years, creating a free block party with all the usual perks of Olympia - killer bands, ladies of burlesque, art, vendors, chin-balancing - all in the name of helping the Olympia Film Society. From noon to 9 p.m., organizers are bringing back all that Oly love, but under a new moniker: OOPS!: The Olympia Outdoor Public Spectacle. And a spectacle it will be. In addition to a lineup featuring The Fabulous Downey Brothers, Fruit Juice, Full Moon Radio, The Hard Way, Horace Pickett, Tangerine and Teardrop City, the event will be hosted by funny women Elizabeth Lord and Lauren O'Neill and there will be an attempt at a Guinness World Record for chin-balancing by Big Sam Miller. There will be an outdoor beer garden for those 21+, a silent art auction in the mezzanine of the Capitol Theater, a cakewalk with the ladies of TUSH! Burlesque, a local business raffle, plus lots of local food and craft vendors. Read Nikki McCoy's full feature on OOPS!: The Olympia Outdoor Public Spectacle in the Music and Culture section.

4. The Oly Funk Fest is an overnight break down to celebrate the end of summer with the proper booty-shaking, beer-drinking, boom-shaka-lakin, finger-snapping, jiving, locking, popping and electric boogalooing that it deserves. At 3 p.m. in a field at 4326 Shincke Rd. NE, Funk Agency, DBST, Polyrythmics, and Eldridge Gravy and the Court Supreme will set the mood for this festival that benefits Safeplace of Olympia. Camping is encouraged and food will be available from Al Forno Olympia Sicilian Cuisine.

5. The Squeak and Squawk Music Festival has invited indie bands from all over the Northwest and beyond to stop by Tacoma and unleash their magic through Sept. 16. Here is the schedule for today: (6-9 p.m., all ages, Library at Sanford and Son) Tender Forever, La Luz, Margy Pepper; (9:30 p.m., 21+, The New Frontier Lounge) I Will Keep Your Ghosts, Man Plus, Future Bass Dance Party. Descriptions of the bands can be found here.

(6. Dale Chihuly, James Mongrain and Pino Signoretto are collaborating in the Museum of Glass's Hot Shop today.)

LINK: Saturday, Sept. 14 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

SUNDAY, SEPT. 8 2013 >>>

1. Tacoma takes care of its own, as we like to say. Today will provide an opportunity for us to prove that we can extend this affection to one of our area's beloved musicians. Jho Blenis needs help paying his medical bills. Enough said. A benefit will be held from 1-10 p.m. at The Swiss featuring a full day of awesome blues: Spin Cycle, Randy Oxford Band, Big Nasty, Dean Reichert Band, Little Bill and the Blue Notes, Tim Hall Band, Jerry Miller Band and Bump Kitchen anchoring at 8 p.m. Ted Brown Music is providing a bass rig and drum kit/cymbals. All-Star Guitar is donating major gear for guitarists. Robert Richholt is donating a Hammond XK3 with a Leslie for back line.

2. Roller derby fans and skaters no doubt celebrated the sports' 78th anniversary last month with an elbow to someone's chest. The latest out of the Dockyard Derby Dames' camp is an early start. The league will hit the flat track for season eight Saturday, Oct. 5. Also look for more out-of-league play, as well as appreciation nights. Need a breakaway from sorting books at the library? The Dockyard Derby Dames Boot Camp runs every Sunday in September. For $40 you will learn the basic skills and have fun, too. In no time you'll be transformed into Anna Scar-enina! Hurry! Camp opens at 9 a.m.

3. Luminasia - described on the Washington State Fair's website as "an exquisite take on the timeless tradition of Chinese lantern making, combining high-tech material and state-of-the art lighting and production techniques." "It really is one of the most amazing attractions we've had in years," said Karen LaFlamme, media relations representative for the fair. "We have 40 artisans from China working on it. The theme is "East meets West," so there will be dragons and pagodas and things like the Space Needle, a ferry boat and totem poles ... it really is a magical 2-acre event." Catch Luminasia from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Fairgrounds.

4. Paesan Kitchen and Bar's patio is a lovely spot to while away a weekend afternoon, sipping cocktails and old world red wine and watch condo residents walk their dogs. Come Sunday afternoon, tables mean nothing as resident DJ Mr. Melanin and rotating guests spin an eclectic and extremely tasteful selection of lounge, bossa nova and electro soul music 2-6 p.m. This quadruple threat of delicious pizza, booze, sun and hip tunes is known as Tacoma's only daytime summer party, "Dayclub." Today marks the last Dayclub of the season. Mr. Melanin says it's going to be off the hook.

5. Jazz Live at Marine View kicks off its fall season with a celebration of jazz entitled Jazzaganza. It's an anthology of jazz, with a look at how jazz has changed and grown from its humble beginnings. Gospel, R & B and jazz vocalist Josephine Howell joins the Buckshot Jazz Band with Buck Chandler on percussion, Eugene Bien on keyboards and Cliff Colon on saxophone for Jazzaganza from 5-6:45 p.m. at Marine View Church - for free.  In addition, modern dance instructor Monica McEthy-Ballet will add a theatrical element to the evening.  

LINK: Sunday, Sept. 8 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

FRIDAY, SEPT. 6 2013 >>>

1. Every year, more than a million people pour into the Washington State Fair (previously the Puyallup Fair) not only as a tradition, but also for the fresh and innovative experiences the fair offers, like this year's feature, Luminasia - described on the fair's website as "an exquisite take on the timeless tradition of Chinese lantern making, combining high-tech material and state-of-the art lighting and production techniques." Other new highlights are the Bavarian Beer Garden and SillyVille Soda Shoppe. Also for the kiddies are two free interactive experiences: Tractor Tracks, where kids pedal antique tractors through a maze, and Crazy Worlds 5D Adventure, where participants navigate through an imaginary world while wearing 3D glasses. The latest ride to show up at the fair is Rainier Rush, which can be described as a looping inversion coaster and "a nice contrast to the classic wooden roller coaster." Today, the Fair runs 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Read Nikki McCoy's full feature on the Washington State Fair in the Music and Culture section.

2. Dirty Oscar's is joining forces with Team Hammock to help kick cancer's ass! This is Team Hammock's first year participating in the "Light the Night Walk," a 2-mile walk Sept. beginning at Marine Park in Tacoma where every dollar raised goes to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Drop By Dirty Oscar's between 4-6 p.m. for happy hour and help kick cancer's ass.

3. The Sundance Institute's Film Forward series continues today with The Loving Story screening for free at 6 p.m. in Jason Lee Middle School. The film tells the story of Richard and Mildred and examines the drama, the history and the current state of interracial marriage.

4. Two ardent supporters of the analog movement are touring up the West Coast, and will find their way to Olympia's Northern venue at 8 p.m. Calling their tour "Analog Resurgence," Rakehell and Go Pills are traveling with their salvation show, preaching the gospel of low-tech. Musically, they could reductively be described as pop-punk or New Wave, with quirky lyrics and unpredictable style shifts. Go Pills, in particular, might play around with twisted '50s novelty music like the kind Bobby "Boris" Pickett would play ("It Came From Outer Space"), and then jump over to lo-fi punk anthems ("I'm So Tired [It's Not Funny]"). Read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature on the Analog Resurgence in the music and Culture section.

5. Tacoma band Strangely Alright, who recently signed to Maurice the Fish Records, and released a hot-seller debut album, The Time Machine is Broken, will be shooting a video for their song, "If I Don't Laugh I'm Only Going To Cry" at Tacoma's antique store Rampart Sept 14. The band requests folks to come in costume and have a good time. There aren't any criteria for costume; coming as you is cool by the band. If you need a Strangely Alright fix before the shoot, the band hosts an all-ages CD release party with Sleepy Pilot and Stone Age Thrillers Friday at 8 p.m. tonight in Louie G's in Fife. Read Nikki McCoy's full feature on Strangely Alright in the Music and Culture section.

LINK: Friday, Sept. 6 arts and entertainment events in the greater Tacoma and Olympia area

The West Central Park, a privately owned park that opened in May at the corner of Division and Harrison in west Olympia, has spent the summer living up to its goal of being an open community space to gather, relax and network.

Saturday, from 1-5 p.m., the park hosts a Sustainable Living Exposition, bringing in more than 20 local businesses and organizations, including GRuB, Intercity Transit, city of Olympia and Native Plant Salvage Project.

Read more...

For those not in the know, Fab-5 created the L.I.F.E. Program (Living In Free Expression) in 2005 as a means of providing "relevant creative outlets" for our area's young people. The L.I.F.E. Program is described as, "an intensive series of urban arts workshops designed to allow youth to develop and explore their unique voices through a variety of different mediums," such as DJ-ing, breakdancing, visual arts and creative writing. Sunday afternoon in Tacoma's 21st Street Park, Fab-5 celebrated the culmination of L.I.F.E.'s summer program with AFTERLIFE, an event featuring a 2x2 breakdance competition, live painting graffiti fleet, food and happy smiles. Fab-5's Chris Jordan's spontaneous dancing and rapping brought cheers, as DJs Sav1, DigOne and others keep the groove going until 8 p.m. After several hours, the final two breakdance crews were members of F2D (Fresh Descendants) and Massive Movement. Each member danced three rounds and at the end, F2D took home the title.

There was good sportsmanship all around. Crews shook hands before and after each battle. People were cheering on the sidelines and dancing in their own side ciphers.

Read more...