Downtown Tacoma will host back-to-back free festivals starting Friday, Aug. 14, with three days of live blues and a Caribbean cultural celebration closing out Sunday, Aug. 16.
The Downtown Tacoma Blues Festival runs Aug. 14-16 across multiple venues along Broadway, according to Tacoma Arts Live's events calendar. The Caribbean Queens Festival takes over Theater Square at 917 Broadway on Sunday, Aug. 16, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Both are free.
Blues on Broadway
The Blues Festival kicks off Friday, Aug. 14, with "Pre-Funk Friday" at Tacoma Centre, 1145 Broadway, from 5 to 9 p.m. The lineup includes Mark DuFresne and David Kosins, Terry Hanck and Kid Andersen, the Joel Astley Band, and Alvon Johnson with Ben Rice and Derrick D'Mar Martin. Beer and wine will be available. An afterparty featuring the T-Town Aces follows at Hotel Murano.
Saturday, Aug. 15, is the festival's big outdoor day. Two stages on Broadway between 11th and 13th streets run from noon to 7 p.m., headlined by Vanessa Collier, Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, and Tommy Castro & The Painkillers. A Saturday afterparty at Hotel Murano features Mark Hurwitz & Gin Creek with Tanya Hodel.
Sunday wraps with "Soul Sunday" at Hotel Murano, featuring Darelle Holden, the James Lee Murray Band, and Marcel Smith and Lisa Andersen with Kid Andersen, followed by an all-star invitational jam. The festival ends at 8 p.m., according to Tacoma Arts Live.
VIP passes are sold out, but general admission remains free. A portion of proceeds benefits Tacoma youth music education, according to Visit Pierce County. Hotel Murano is offering discounted rates for festival-goers.
Caribbean Queens Festival
While Soul Sunday plays at Hotel Murano, the Caribbean Queens Festival fills Theater Square a few blocks south. Tacoma Arts Live describes it as a family-friendly celebration of Caribbean culture featuring live music, dance, cultural performances, cooking demonstrations, local vendors, family activities and a carnival-style parade.
It runs 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It's free.
Planning your weekend
Both festivals are walkable from each other along Broadway. The Blues Festival is presented by LTD Presents Live, and reservations are available at LTD Presents Live. No registration is required for general admission at either event.
