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Garfield Street Fair offers a lot in a small package

By Matt Nagle

Tacoma Weekly
mattnagle@tacomaweekly.com
Published on: August 14, 2008

While most summertime street festivals in Tacoma are sprawling affairs taking up numerous city blocks, others like the Garfield Street Fair offer a much more intimate, laid back and less crowded environment where families can enjoy themselves without being elbow-to-elbow in throngs of people.

The Garfield Street Fair, now in its fifth year, takes place Aug. 16, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Garfield Street South in Parkland, right in front of Pacific Lutheran University between ‘C’ Street South and Park Avenue South. “You can easily see it all in a couple of hours,” according to Harry Blaisure, the event’s music and stage coordinator and owner of Disc Connection, a compact disc and record store at 405 Garfield St. S. Blaisure also plays in The G Street Band, which will be performing 10-11 a.m. on the Farrelli’s Pizza main stage, just one of several top-notch bands playing throughout the day.

While a couple of hours may satisfy the curiosity of some, Blaisure said music lovers will want to stick around longer, as music is a highlight of the fair. Performers include multi-talented singer/songwriter Sean Bendickson 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Joel Hagman playing Americana/root rock originals and covers 2:30-3:30 p.m.; Parkland reggae band Laborer 1-2 p.m.; and headliner The Kim Archer Band playing their crowd-pleasing brand of soul and funk 4-5 p.m.

More than 60 vendors will be lining the street selling arts and crafts, jewelry and more, and LeMay Auto Museum will return again this year to show off some awesome classic cars. A children’s zone will offer inflated Superjump bouncy houses and other fun things to do, and Trinity Lutheran Church at 12115 Park Ave. S. will be holding a children’s story time.

Food will be available from a variety of vendors, and local restaurants will be offering specials in honor of the day. Northern Pacific Coffee Company (401 Garfield St. S.) will have a beer garden and sandwiches, and Reyna’s Mexican Restaurant (411 Garfield St. S.) will be selling quick Mexican foods and will also have a beer garden.

A new attraction this year will be local artistic and industrial metal spinner Jack Davis of Rainier Metal Craftsmen, who will be at the fair working on an old-time lathe from the 1800s. “This is something people will want to see,” Blaisure said.

The Garfield Street Fair is presented by the Garfield Street Business Association. For more information, visit www.garfieldstreetfair.com.

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