Celebrate | Learn | Protect
by Lisa Kinoshita Anna Matejcek is a La Junta, Colorado-based artist who creates soft-sculpture environments out of recycled yarn. For this year’s Ocean Fest, she has crocheted a spectacular, 30’… Continue reading Anna Matejcek – “Spring Tide”
Bring a drink and join textile artist Kelly Lynch on Zoom to learn to crochet a giant barnacle for Tacoma Ocean Fest!
Get out those LEDs – and if you have one, a kayak or paddleboard. On Friday June 2, Tacomans will light up the Thea Foss Waterway with the annual Lantern Paddle for Species, a part of Tacoma Ocean Fest 2022.
With FREE shoreside/inside entertainment from 7-11pm, lantern-making workshop, FREE light art and paddle launch at 9pm, the event isn’t just a cool excuse to rig up lights on your paddlecraft or wave them on land.
You’ll also be helping create a magical twilight moment, celebrating all threatened species – like our own orcas and salmon – and reminding our world what we need to do to protect them from pollution, climate change and extinction.
WHERE: Foss Waterway Seaport, 705 Dock St, Tacoma MAP IT
PARKING: Republic lot north of Seaport
LAUNCH: Launch your SUP or kayak from the Seaport's ramp and dock, or float down from Thea's Park just north.
SCHEDULE
6-11pm: Museum open with hands-on marine science and a sneak peek at this year's Ocean Fest art. Food trucks and beer garden in front parking lot.
7-8pm: PLU Steel Pan Ensemble, plus start of Seventy-48 paddle race (watch them go by!) Make your own glowing ocean-themed DIY lantern inside the museum education area, led by artist Cheryl Rux.
8-9pm: Vuelta La Luna aerial circus
9-10pm: Paddle launch from FWS dock or Thea's Park, and circle in front of Seaport. Wear/bring lights and/or watch on land. Native American flutist Paul Chiyokten Wagner, projection light art and roaming illuminated puppets.
8-9pm and 9:30-11pm: DJ spinning inside the museum
SAFETY
Please stay safe. Wear a lifejacket and know your water limits. Human paddlecraft only, please. Beginners: Stay inside the protected water area beside the dock.
NOTE: Paddling is done entirely at your own risk! We take no responsibility for your safety on the water. If in doubt, stay on land. If sick, stay home.
HOW CAN YOU HELP PROTECT MARINE SPECIES?
WHERE TO LAUNCH?
Explore the fascinating world of low-tide creatures with marine biologist Emily Pinckney! Open for 20 masked, socially-distanced attendees and also livestreamed on Facebook, with replay here. Sign up now for in-person May/June walks at Titlow Beach, Tacoma, WA.
https://tacomaoceanfest.org/beach-walk-sign-up/
Explore the fascinating world of low-tide creatures with marine biologist Emily Pinckney! Open for 20 masked, socially-distanced attendees and also livestreamed on Facebook, with replay here. Sign up now for in-person May/June walks at Titlow Beach, Tacoma, WA.
https://tacomaoceanfest.org/beach-walk-sign-up/
Explore the fascinating world of low-tide creatures with marine biologist Emily Pinckney! Open for 20 masked, socially-distanced attendees and also livestreamed on Facebook, with replay here. Sign up now for in-person May/June walks at Titlow Beach, Tacoma, WA.
https://tacomaoceanfest.org/beach-walk-sign-up/
POSTPONED - POSPUESTA
Están invitados a una clase de yoga muy especial! En esta clase gratis, la instructora Amelia Moore va a enseñarnos posiciones relajandos de yoga, mientras la musica Rosemary Ponnekanti va a tocar su contrabajo con sonidos de ballenas. Esta programa está en persona, pero si no puedes participar en persona, veala en la pagina de Facebook para la Tacoma Public Library.
POSPUESTA
Eastside Community Center, 1721 E. 56th St. 98404. Encuentranos afuera, en la parte de abajo.
Todos los edades son bienvenidos! Por favor, traiga su propia tapete.
Gratefully presented with support from Tacoma Creates.
It's back - relaxing yoga to the deep harmonies of double bass and whale song. Join teacher Amelia Moore and musician Rosemary Ponnekanti for Ocean Yoga with Tacoma Public Library. All levels, age 13+. FREE.
Gratefully presented with support from Tacoma Creates and the Foss Waterway Seaport.
Three nights of inspiring ocean film, from local to global. Orcas, octopuses, island song, devastating plastic, inspiring communities. Join us for the second annual Tacoma Ocean Film Fest, with filmmaker Q&A every evening.
Held in partnership with the International Ocean Film Fest and The Grand Cinema, this festival celebrates ocean film from around the world and right here at home. Capacity limited. $12 adults/$10 concession/free for all Tacoma students (at the door).
7pm June 15: ISLAND SONG
Rooted (Mia Kami, Tonga)
Voice Above Water (Dana Frankoff, USA, virtual Q&A)
Small Island, Big Song (Tim Cole, Australia, virtual Q&A) – U.S. PREMIERE
From indigenous guardians to song-filled Pacific islands to a 90-year-old Indonesian man who cleans up ocean trash from his canoe, “Island Song” is all about deep human connections to the ocean, and a call to protect both cultures and ecosystems.
7pm June 16: GIANTS OF THE DEEP
The Forest Stands Tall (Abbey Dias, Seattle, in-person Q&A)
2022 Ocean Fest Youth Story Contest film winners (filmmakers in-person)
Giant Pacific Octopus (Samantha Hanna, Gig Harbor, in-person Q&A)
Dive deep to explore towering kelp forests and the elusive giant Pacific octopus with local filmmakers, including the 2022 Ocean Fest Youth Story winners.
7pm June 17: FOR LOVE OF ORCAS
For the Love of Salmon (Jan Vozenilek, Canada)
Coextinction (Gloria Pancrazi, Canada, virtual Q&A)
Journey around the Salish Sea with two Pacific Northwest films that show us how deeply we are all related – orcas, salmon, humans – and how we need to act now to protect all.
Held in partnership with The Grand Cinema, with the support of Tacoma Creates and other sponsors.
JOIN: Tacoma Ocean Fest, VT Radio, the East Tacoma Collaborative, Pierce Conservation District and Metro Parks Tacoma CHIP-In for a community cleanup at Swan Creek Park!
Low-tide walks led by a marine biologist at local beaches. Free! Open to all ages, no sign-up necessary.
11am-12pm June 18 at Titlow Beach, Tacoma.
Park near the lodge, cross the railway line (carefully!) then meet at the picnic tables by the Ocean Fest flag.
Light art downtown, with music or poetry at each stop. At the Foss Waterway Seaport, we bring "Ghosts of the Salish Sea," 40 illuminated lanterns shaped like endangered whales and salmon. Visible from outside the (closed) museum, 5-9pm nightly.
Put on your most creative costume and paddle the Thea Foss Waterway in a fun kickoff for Halloween. All free at the Foss Waterway Seaport, 705 Dock St, Tacoma.
10am-2pm: GHOSTLY MUSEUM! Come inside the Foss Waterway Seaport for FREE fun! Wear your costume, enter a raffle, get treats, do ghostly crafts, spooky science and more. Food trucks outside.
12-2pm: TRASH-FOR-TREAT: Swing by the Ocean Fest tent at the Foss Seaport to pick up gloves and a bag (or bring your own). Then pick up trash along Dock St, and bring it back to the Trashoctopus for a free sticker and Trash Raffle entry!
1-2pm: PADDLE: Launch at the Seaport or Thea's Park, paddle down to the 11th St Bridge for a group photo! Need a kayak? Sign up HERE to join the Metro Parks trip ($15). Or watch from shore and listen to the amazing, astonishing Tacomarama Brass Band!
12-1pm: COSTUME CONTEST: Before you launch, snap a pic of yourself in costume with your board/kayak and upload below or to social media with #gritcitypaddle. (Paddlers only, please.) Upload photo below. We will also be scouting the paddle for costumes, so if you don't upload, don't stress.
CATEGORIES: Most Artsy, Best Ocean Animal and Spookiest. Prizes include a year-long membership to Foss Waterway Seaport, a Grit City Magazine swag bag and an Ocean Fest swag bag with tickets to The Grand Cinema!
2pm: TRASH RAFFLE & COSTUME PRIZES: Announced at the Ocean Fest tent and online. We'll also contact you if you win. Trash Raffle prize: Movie tix to The Grand Cinema!!
NOTE: You are responsible for your own safety. Kayaks, paddleboards and nonmotorized watercraft only. Wear a life-jacket. Dress warmly. Stay home if you’re sick.
Three nights of inspiring ocean film, from local to global. Orcas, octopuses, island song, devastating plastic, inspiring communities. Join us for the second annual Tacoma Ocean Film Fest, with filmmaker Q&As every evening.
Tickets: $12 general/$10 members, seniors, students/FREE all Tacoma students
7pm June 15: ISLAND SONG
Rooted (Mia Kami, Tonga)
Voice Above Water (Dana Frankoff, USA, virtual Q&A)
Small Island, Big Song (Tim Cole, Australia, virtual Q&A) - U.S. PREMIERE
From indigenous guardians to song-filled Pacific islands to a 90-year-old Indonesian man who cleans up ocean trash from his canoe, "Island Song" is all about deep human connections to the ocean, and a call to protect both cultures and ecosystems.
7pm June 16: GIANTS OF THE DEEP
The Forest Stands Tall (Abbey Dias, Seattle, in-person Q&A)
2022 Ocean Fest Youth Story Contest film winners (filmmakers in-person)
Giant Pacific Octopus (Samantha Hanna, Gig Harbor, in-person Q&A)
Dive deep to explore towering kelp forests and the elusive giant Pacific octopus with local filmmakers, including the 2022 Ocean Fest Youth Story winners.
7pm June 17: FOR LOVE OF ORCAS
For the Love of Salmon (Jan Vozenilek, Canada)
Coextinction (Gloria Pancrazi, Canada, virtual Q&A)
Journey around the Salish Sea with two Pacific Northwest films that show us how deeply we are all related - orcas, salmon, humans - and how we need to act now to protect all.
Held in partnership with The Grand Cinema, with the support of Tacoma Creates and other sponsors.
Join us for a dynamic lunch conversation with artist/scientist Kristian Brevik, maker of the whale lantern art installation "Ghosts of the Salish Sea." We'll ride the lift 20ft up to see the lanterns close-up in real time! Then watch how they were made and installed on the 100-year-old beams of the Foss Waterway Seaport, and hear the deeper ecological story behind Kristian's work, and about endangered Puget Sound whales and salmon. With Ocean Fest director Rosemary Ponnekanti and Seaport education director Julia Berg.
“Ghosts of the Salish Sea” is supported by Tacoma Creates, with special thanks to Filson Outfitters for the six giant orcas.
Three nights of inspiring ocean film, from local to global. Orcas, octopuses, island song, devastating plastic, inspiring communities. Join us for the second annual Tacoma Ocean Film Fest, with filmmaker Q&As every evening.
Tickets: $12 general/$10 members, seniors, students/FREE all Tacoma students
7pm June 15: ISLAND SONG
Rooted (Mia Kami, Tonga)
Voice Above Water (Dana Frankoff, USA, virtual Q&A)
Small Island, Big Song (Tim Cole, Australia, virtual Q&A) – U.S. PREMIERE
From indigenous guardians to song-filled Pacific islands to a 90-year-old Indonesian man who cleans up ocean trash from his canoe, “Island Song” is all about deep human connections to the ocean, and a call to protect both cultures and ecosystems.
7pm June 16: GIANTS OF THE DEEP
The Forest Stands Tall (Abbey Dias, Seattle, in-person Q&A)
2022 Ocean Fest Youth Story Contest film winners (filmmakers in-person)
Giant Pacific Octopus (Samantha Hanna, Gig Harbor, in-person Q&A)
Dive deep to explore towering kelp forests and the elusive giant Pacific octopus with local filmmakers, including the 2022 Ocean Fest Youth Story winners.
7pm June 17: FOR LOVE OF ORCAS
For the Love of Salmon (Jan Vozenilek, Canada)
Coextinction (Gloria Pancrazi, Canada, virtual Q&A)
Journey around the Salish Sea with two Pacific Northwest films that show us how deeply we are all related - orcas, salmon, humans - and how we need to act now to protect all.
Held in partnership with The Grand Cinema, with the support of Tacoma Creates and other sponsors.
Mark your Calendars! 🐟 Attend the Salmon Send-Off – Community Salmon Celebration at Swan Creek Park on March 26th!
The Foss Waterway Seaport salmon celebration starts with cleaning up the park and participate in activities with Tacoma Ocean Fest, Pierce Conservation District, and Foss Waterway Seaport’s salmon art project!
After a presentation by David Sway-La Duenas, Puyallup Tribe Cultural Department and Lushootseed teacher, join in to help release salmon fry into the stream (numbers limited).
We'll be bringing the Trashoctopus at a pop-up ocean art tent.
More information here: https://fb.me/e/2kOcFqHYF
WANT TO SAVE SALMON? Come to the Stop Salmon Extinction Rally & Procession that morning!
Speak up to save salmon from extinction! Join local environmental groups to rally for the removal of Snake River dams to save wild salmon. Speakers, swag, video ops and more. (We'll bring our orca lanterns!!)
We have never had such a historic opportunity for salmon and orca. U.S. Senator Patty Murray and Gov. Jay Inslee have committed to providing a comprehensive draft plan by mid-May for replacing the services of the dams. Then they will decide if they support the removal of the dams by July 31, 2022. They need our support. This will be the largest wildlife restoration project in the United States today.
Come hear:
At the event, please consider adding your voice to our short video testimonials to say why you care about removing the lower Snake River dams or why this moment is so urgent. We have a professional videographer waiting to record your 10-second testimonial.
Rally led by Save our Wild Salmon, with the Sierra Club, 350 Tacoma, Earth Ministry, Washington Environmental Council, Communities for a Healthy Bay, Indivisible Tacoma, Good Old Broads for Wilderness, Backbone Campaign, Washington Conservation Voters and Tacoma Ocean Fest.
Learn how to make TikTok-style videos that grab views and encourage action. Find free software and clips. Led by filmmaker Chhay Mam. Grades 6-12.
5-6pm March 14, 21 and 25 on Zoom.
Sign up here: https://tacomaoceanfest.org/home/youthstory/story-resources/workshops-discovery/workshop-sign-up/
Learn how to make TikTok-style videos that grab views and encourage action. Find free software and clips. Led by filmmaker Chhay Mam. Grades 6-12. FREE!!
5-6pm March 14, 21 and 25 on Zoom.
Sign up here: https://tacomaoceanfest.org/home/youthstory/story-resources/workshops-discovery/workshop-sign-up/
Learn how to make TikTok-style videos that grab views and encourage action. Find free software and clips. Led by filmmaker Chhay Mam. Grades 6-12. FREE!!
5-6pm March 14, 21 and 25 on Zoom.
Sign up here: https://tacomaoceanfest.org/home/youthstory/story-resources/workshops-discovery/workshop-sign-up/
Learn new techniques, be inspired by prompts, share work and get the courage to write a poem. Led by poet and educator Gloria Muhammad. Grades 6-12. FREE!!
5-6pm March 17, 23 and 31 on Zoom.
Sign up here: https://tacomaoceanfest.org/home/youthstory/story-resources/workshops-discovery/workshop-sign-up/
Learn new techniques, be inspired by prompts, share work and get the courage to write a poem. Led by poet and educator Gloria Muhammad. Grades 6-12. FREE!!
5-6pm March 17, 23 and 31 on Zoom.
Sign up here: https://tacomaoceanfest.org/home/youthstory/story-resources/workshops-discovery/workshop-sign-up/
Learn new techniques, be inspired by prompts, share work and get the courage to write a poem. Led by poet and educator Gloria Muhammad. Grades 6-12. FREE!!
5-6pm March 17, 23 and 31 on Zoom.
Sign up here: https://tacomaoceanfest.org/home/youthstory/story-resources/workshops-discovery/workshop-sign-up/
Low-tide walks led by a marine biologist at local beaches. Free! Open to all ages, no sign-up necessary.
1-2pm Sun. March 20, 5-6pm Fri. March 25 and 1-2pm Sun. April 3 at Titlow Beach.
Park near the lodge, cross the railway line (carefully!) then meet at the picnic tables.
Low-tide walks led by a marine biologist at local beaches. Free! Open to all ages, no sign-up necessary.
1-2pm Sun. March 20, 5-6pm Fri. March 25 and 1-2pm Sun. April 3 at Titlow Beach.
Park near the lodge, cross the railway line (carefully!) then meet at the picnic tables.
Low-tide walks led by a marine biologist at local beaches. Free! Open to all ages, no sign-up necessary.
11am-12pm June 17 at Dash Point beach, Tacoma.
Meet near the beach by the Ocean Fest flag.
Create a poem or film about the ocean for pizza, prizes and to inspire action. Open to middle and high schoolers in Pierce County, WA through April 15. Free workshops and beachwalks - see events calendar.
Entry and info here: https://tacomaoceanfest.org/home/youthstory/
Join Ocean Fest and South South Surfrider to clean up a beach! As part of Ocean Fest month, we'll be picking up trash on Ruston Way beaches to protect ocean animals.
AND: Hunt for handblown glass eggs along the shore! Local glass art group Fire It Forward will be hiding over 50 of these ocean treasures for trash pickers to find and keep...gorgeous!
PLUS: Make a trash art whale! Vibe with Hawaiian ukuleles...Free, all ages. BYO gloves or use ours. We have buckets.
WHEN: 10am - 12pm Sat. June 3, 2023
WHERE: Les Davis Pier, 3427 Ruston Way, Tacoma (Look for the tents!)
Come together with your community through arts, science and water fun to celebrate the ocean, learn about its threats and get inspired to protect it! Wander past ocean music, island dance, aerial circus and immersive, interactive art; do hands-on science at the eco-booths on the esplanade; learn about ocean issues from OceanX speakers; hear ocean stories; and learn how to stop pollution, slow climate change and save species with the Ocean Action Card passport.
It's FREE, open to everyone, for all ages and FUN! Food trucks, kayak/SUP tryouts and more.
WHERE: Outside and inside the Foss Waterway Seaport museum, 705 Dock St, Tacoma MAP IT
WHEN: 10am-5pm Sunday June 4, 2022
PARKING: In the Republic lot just north of the Seaport
DETAILS: Find the festival line-up on our pages: ART, MUSIC & DANCE, OCEANX TALKS, ECO-BOOTHS, WATER FUN.
Bring a drink and join textile artist Kelly Lynch on Zoom to learn to crochet a giant barnacle for Tacoma Ocean Fest! Kelly will walk you through crochet basics, then guide you through making a soft yarn barnacle for inclusion in the Ocean Story Trail or festival artwork. Perfect for beginners, but with extra inspiration for advanced crocheters.
WHO: All ages (under-18 must have accompanying parent or camera off). Please note: This Zoom will be recorded for public viewing.
BRING: One skein of medium worsted weight (#4) wool yarn in grey, tan or white (cotton/bamboo/linen are all ok- just no acrylic, the ocean doesn’t need any more plastic in it!). Plus scissors and a crochet hook size 5-6mm or H, I, or J. Beginners might like to watch this short intro video first.
THEN: Drop ocean crochet creations with the host at Alma Mater, 1322 Fawcett Ave, Tacoma WA 98402 (or mail them) by May 30 for inclusion in outdoor Trail. Grab a drink or yummy meal at the same time – open Wed-Sun 9am – 8pm. Find the menu here.
OR bring them to Ocean Fest June 6 at the Foss Waterway Seaport, 705 Dock St, Tacoma, and add them yourself to the ocean crochet installation!
Picking up trash off a beach is a good thing. But if you can count it for science, then toss it into a giant octopus sculpture, it’s even better.
That’s exactly what Tacomans can do at the annual Tacoma Shoreline Survey & Cleanup. Centered on Jack Hyde Park on Ruston Way, the event actually stretches around the 13 miles of Tacoma’s shoreline.
Doing the TSS Cleanup is easy. First, download the Ocean Conservancy's Clean Swell app (Apple or Android), allow GPS location and create an account. Then start tracking the trash you find. After submitting, choose “Share” and email a copy to ken@ikkatsuproject.org to get your count included in the Tacoma Shoreline Survey.
Then comes the extra-fun part! Pick your trash as you go, and if you're near Jack Hyde Park from 9am-1pm, get it weighed and put it into the Trashoctopus! A giant metal sculpture by Tacoma artists Nichole Rathburn and Ed Kroupa, the Trashoctopus is also a trash can that will be roaming Tacoma's beaches all month. Fill it with trash and protect our waters!
You can cleanup and submit data all day long from any shore in Tacoma. Please wear a mask and social-distance. Stay home if you’re sick.
The Tacoma Shoreline Survey & Cleanup is a partnership between The Ikkatsu Project, South Sound Surfrider and Tacoma Ocean Fest.
Sign up here: ikkatsuproject.org/volunteer