Joining a parade. Wearing lights. Making art. Walking a candle labyrinth. Writing a poem or story. This year’s Tacoma Light Trail is more than just 55 light art displays around downtown Tacoma from Dec. 31 – Jan. 16. It also includes six evenings of outdoor performance, a New Year’s Eve parade, community art and interactive projects.
Best of all, it’s all free, for all ages, and accessible in-person and online. Here are 10 ways to be the light in a festival whose goal is to uplift and unite the community, and bring light to dark times.
1. JOIN THE LIGHT PARADE
Kicking off the whole festival is a short Light Parade, led by the truck-sized, fire-breathing dragon from the Puget Sound Revels and accompanied by giant illuminated puppets. Meet at 5:30 p.m. in the middle of the big steps at the University of Washington, Tacoma (S 19th Street and Commerce Street). The parade will walk along the Prairie Line Trail to Tollefson Plaza, accompanied by a community band.
2. MAKE COMMUNITY LIGHT ART
During each of the six free outdoor performance nights at Tollefson Plaza (6-8 p.m. Dec. 31, Jan. 1, 7, 8, 14, 15), festival-goers can make DIY light dots, inscribe them with words of light, then hang them in a community artwork led by festival partner Tinkertopia. Free hot teas will also be available in the Community Art Tent on the plaza, courtesy of Mad Hat Tea.
3. PLAY WITH SHADOWS
On the upper level of the plaza each night, another tent will host “Light and Shadow Story,” an interactive artwork by Raven Juarez. As an old-school projector casts a full moon on the nearby wall, festival-goers can play with items and shapes to create shadow stories.
4. WALK A LIGHT LABYRINTH
Walk a meditative, candle-lit spiral in a Light Labyrinth, set up by YogaWild on the upper plaza level.
5. DISCOVER ART AND SOUND ON THE LIGHT TRAIL
Every night from 5-9 p.m., light art displays will light up in windows and buildings around downtown Tacoma. Walk, ride or drive to discover them all via an interactive map at tacomalighttrail.org, also available in printed form at local libraries. Take the bus, Light Rail or Pierce Transit Runner to keep your Trail footprint green. Each light art spot has music or poetry to play on its webpage, accessible via QR code in the windows.
6. WRITE A NEW YEAR POEM
One of the Light Trail displays is a window of illuminated poem tags, letterpress printed by Line Break Studios (1910 Jefferson Ave). Until the Trail begins, email three-line poems (max 7 syllables per line) to info@write253.com to join in. All submitted poems will be displayed.
7. CREATE A COMMUNITY ART STORY
At the Pantages theater, “Touching Down in Tacoma” is a unique scene of giant LED logs, TV and space alien, made by iconic artist Steve LaBerge (whose giant LED UFO lit up Tollefson Plaza on the 2020 Trail). The Tacoma Light Trail is partnering with Creative Colloquy to invite all viewers to invent a story about the scene and submit it to the Creative Colloquy website. Details at tacomalighttrail.org or at the Pantages window from Dec. 31.
8. LIGHT UP YOUR BIKE AND RIDE
On Jan. 5 from 5-6:30 p.m., Light Trail artists and partner Downtown on the Go (DOTG) will host a workshop on turning your bike into a light art display. The workshop is held on the patio at Alma Mater, Trail sponsor and light art location, with food and drink available inside. Then, from 6-8 p.m., DOTG will lead a lighted bike ride through the Trail.
9. PLAY IN THE PROJECTIONS
Artist Ulysses Martin of the Permaculture Lifestyle Institute will have animated projection mapping on each performance night at Tollefson Plaza, and also inside and outside Alma Mater Wed-Sat nights during the Trail. Watch the colored light transform buildings and walls, or step into it yourself.
10. WEAR LIGHT!
This year, wear light on the Light Trail! From glow necklaces and fairy light tutus to light-up shoes or simple flashlights, everyone can become part of the light.
TACOMA LIGHT TRAIL INFORMATION
ART: Light art 5-9 p.m. Dec. 31-Jan. 16 around downtown Tacoma
PARADE: 5:30 p.m. Dec. 31 (route tba ending at Tollefson Plaza)
PERFORMANCES: 6-8 p.m. Dec. 31, Jan. 1, 7, 8, 14, 15 at Tollefson Plaza, 1548 Commerce St, Tacoma
COST: Free