2022 was a year for the record books and we are already looking forward to all that’s in store for 2023! As this year comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect back on some of our top downtown moments of the year.
City of Destiny Award: Earlier this year, the DTP’s Safe and Clean Teams were honored by the City of Tacoma at their annual City of Destiny Awards for their steadfast dedication, service, and hard work to keep our community welcoming and safe for all who live, work, and play in Downtown Tacoma.
The Haul Crawl: This December, we were thrilled to celebrate the 7th annual Holiday Haul Crawl. The Haul Crawl was created as a way to encourage shopping local and supporting Downtown Tacoma’s small businesses during the holiday season.
For twelve straight days, the community was able to enjoy a number of free, family-friendly events and activities ranging from holiday karaoke to pop-up concerts by Tacoma’s resident arts. Families and friends traveled from near and far to take part in the Haul Crawl’s holiday festivities, and many have made a yearly tradition out of the event by choosing to take holiday photos, enjoy carriage rides, and more in Downtown Tacoma each year.
Sound Bites Summer Concerts: Throughout the month of August, we were thrilled to host free weekly outdoor concerts in the evenings complete with great local musicians and performers, delicious food trucks, a beer garden, and unforgettable summer memories. We’re getting geared up for Sound Bites 2023! Stay tuned for more details in the year ahead.
Trashcan Time Machines: Earlier this year, we introduced our new interactive Trashcan Time Machines into the community where users can drop their trash and visit the past. Each trashcan features a QR code that, when scanned, will transport you back in time by pulling up a historic photo from the exact place that you’re standing. We are excited to be working on our next round of new Trashcan Time Machines and are currently curating more stories from downtown’s history that we can’t wait to share with you in 2023.
Concerts Made a Comeback: Downtown Tacoma hosted some of the biggest names in the biz in 2022. From Sir Elton John’s farewell tour to Snoog Dogg, Roger Waters, My Chemical Romance and more, tens of thousands visited downtown to enjoy the Tacoma Dome’s star-studded concert lineups.
New Businesses: This year, we were proud to welcome a number of new businesses to Downtown Tacoma. South Sound Scooters opened up the only exclusive Vespa and Piaggio scooter shop in the Pacific Northwest. Metro Retro’s nostalgia shop is filled with the best toys and games from your childhood. Two Birds Eco Shop brought locally-made goods and gifts to their Pac Ave storefront. Nature’s Twist opened at the end of 2022, offering handmade jewelry and ethically-sourced crystals.
New Food & Drink: Downtown gained some tasty new destinations over the course of the year. Dancing Goats Coffee opened the doors to their new and modern cafe in the Brewery Blocks in early 2022. Pint & Pie Public House moved downtown to serve great craft brews and pies of all varieties. Crisp Greens now offers quick and healthy food options from their restaurant on Pacific Avenue. The Method Skateboards & Coffee opened an amazing cafe with a full service skate shop in-house. And Apizza Little Italy recently celebrated their Grand Opening to share their from-scratch family recipes and Italian cuisine with the community.
New Development: This year, cranes were in the sky downtown and many exciting projects are coming to life. From multi-family housing to the renovation of historic buildings and more, the future of Downtown Tacoma is looking bright.
Downtown BLM Mural: Over the course of this year, a beautiful new mural came to life in downtown’s Tollefson Plaza with a message of support that Black Lives Matter. The BLM mural was funded and coordinated in partnership between the City of Tacoma Government and the Tacoma Art Museum, with support from the City’s Human Rights Commission, Tacoma Arts, and Tacoma Creates.
Continued Safe & Clean Services: From removing thousands of pounds of trash to responding to hundreds of community safety efforts, The Downtown Tacoma Partnership’s Safety and Clean Teams worked hard all year long to ensure that our community is safe, clean, and welcoming for all.
