JB Lewis-McChord, WA (JBLM) Festivals Arts

Art museums in the Seattle area include the aptly named Seattle Art Museum, the Seattle Asian Art Museum, the Museum of Northwest Art, and the Frye Museum (which is free, thanks to an endowment). There are several other museums in the area - a little looking around should turn them up.

The Broadway Center for the Performing Arts, in Tacoma, is a venue for various live performances, including music, comedy, and plays. Their website will be happy to tell you what's currently available.

The Tacoma Film Festival is held in October in downtown Tacoma at The Grand Cinema, and features northwest and other films, generally films not available in the mainstream market. The Grand Cinema generally features arthouse and non-mainstream films.

The Lakewood Playhouse features live theater and in summer hosts theater camps, including performance and tech tracks.

The Puyallup Fair is one of the largest fairs in the country, and has to be seen to be believed, with lots of rides, vendors, exhibits, and general fun. Puyallup is also well known for antiquing and the many local antique stores, for people with a love of the old and well-preserved.

The Daffodil Festival and Parade is a major local event in Puyallup featuring daffodils, daffodilians, a parade, and Marines. The parade marches in August, and is basically a local agriculture festival and reason to have some fun.

Each year, downtown Olympia features a parade known as the Procession of the Species, in which members of the community don elaborate animal costumes and take to the streets. A local tradition, it is not to be missed.

Olympia also plays host to the annual Olympia Film Society film festival, as well as an active music scene.