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Tacoma Neighborhood Events: November 2026

November in Tacoma means cozy Saturdays at the market, a thank-you to our veterans, and the first holiday lights of the season. Here’s what’s happening around Tacoma this month.

TIP: Click any event name in green for tickets, maps, hours and more details from the organizer.

Living in Tacoma Neighborhood News: Mid-November

More about each one is below, with the rest of this month’s events.

Proctor District

Every Saturday: Proctor Farmers’ Market

9 AM to 2 PM at N. 27th and N. Proctor in the Proctor District. Fresh produce, flowers, baked goods and holiday gifts from local farms and makers. Open every Saturday through December 19.

Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving morning): Tacoma City Turkey Trot

A 5K run or walk at 9 AM and a 1K kids’ run (ages 12 and under) at 10:15 AM, both starting at Fleet Feet in the Proctor District. Thanksgiving costumes encouraged. Register online ahead of time; prices go up closer to race day.

Stadium District and Wright Park

Now through Sunday, November 29: Autumn Flower Show at the W.W. Seymour Conservatory

10 AM to 3 PM in Wright Park, 316 South G St., near the Stadium District. Step inside the historic glass conservatory for sunflowers, chrysanthemums, ornamental peppers, coleus and other fall plants grown by the Parks Tacoma greenhouse team. $3 suggested donation.

Downtown

Tuesday, November 3: Diwali Lamp Lighting Ceremony

4 to 4:30 PM at the Tacoma Municipal Building, 747 Market St. The City of Tacoma proclaims Diwali, the Festival of Lights, for the second year, joined by the Consul General of India for a community lamp lighting. All Tacoma residents are invited. The City asks guests to RSVP on the event page.

Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15: Arts at the Armory

11 AM to 5 PM at the Tacoma Armory, 1001 S. Yakima Ave. Regional artists sell their own paintings, crafts and handmade gifts, and you can meet the makers. A good start on holiday shopping. Free.

Point Defiance

Saturday, October 31 to Monday, November 2: Día de los Muertos Ofrenda at Point Defiance Zoo

9 AM to 3:30 PM. For Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), the zoo and students from Tacoma’s Science and Math Institute (SAMi) have built an ofrenda, a remembrance altar, honoring the animals who have touched our lives. Bring a photo of a beloved pet or a favorite animal to place on the altar. Included with zoo admission.

Wednesday, November 11 to Sunday, November 15: Veterans’ Appreciation Days at Point Defiance Zoo

9 AM to 3:30 PM. U.S. military veterans and active-duty service members get free admission all five days, and their immediate family members get half off general admission at the zoo’s ticket window.

Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15: Tacoma Book Fair

At the Point Defiance Pagoda, 5801 Trolley Ln. A weekend of author talks, writing workshops and a kids’ corner, with a mystery and crime fiction theme this year. See the schedule for each talk’s time.

Sunday, November 22: Point Defiance Bird Walk

9 to 11 AM, starting at the Five Mile Drive entrance. A guided morning walk to spot the birds that spend the winter at Point Defiance. Free.

Starting Friday, November 27: Zoolights at Point Defiance Zoo

4:30 to 10 PM nightly through January 3 (closed December 24 and 25). More than 1.5 million lights, a tunnel of lights and three of the giant trolls. Online timed tickets are required: $16 Monday to Thursday and $22 Friday to Sunday for ages 3 and up through December 13, less for zoo members. Free parking. Rain or shine.

South Tacoma and the Eastside

Saturday, November 7: Volunteer Morning at McKinley Open Space

9 AM to noon. Join the City of Tacoma and Pierce Conservation District caring for native plants, pulling weeds and spreading mulch. No experience needed; instruction, gloves and tools are provided. The open space is near (but not the same as) McKinley Park on the Eastside.

Saturday, November 14: Volunteer Morning at Lower Wapato Hills

9 AM to noon. Join the City of Tacoma and Pierce Conservation District caring for native plants, pulling weeds and spreading mulch. No experience needed; instruction, gloves and tools are provided. Lower Wapato Hills Open Space is in South Tacoma.

Saturday, November 21: Volunteer Morning at Trafton Slope

9 AM to noon. Join the City of Tacoma and Pierce Conservation District caring for native plants, pulling weeds and spreading mulch. No experience needed; instruction, gloves and tools are provided. Trafton Slope is a hidden natural area in South Tacoma with Northwest forest and a rare Garry oak prairie.

All Around Tacoma

November 18, 23 and 24: 50+ Thanksgiving Potlucks

Noon to 1:30 PM. Parks Tacoma community centers host a Thanksgiving potluck for neighbors 50 and over: Wednesday, November 18 at the Eastside Community Center, Monday, November 23 at People’s Community Center, 1602 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, and Tuesday, November 24 at the STAR Center, 3873 S. 66th St. Bring a dish and meet your neighbors. Free for Center Pass holders.

Saturday, November 28: Small Business Saturday

The Saturday after Thanksgiving is a good day to shop our neighborhood stores in Proctor, Sixth Avenue, Old Town and downtown for holiday gifts.

Dates and times were checked with each organizer on October 26 and November 12. Plans can change, so check the event’s own page before you go.