Gay bar downtown tacoma
Rainbow Center
Tacoma Pride Festival Returns to Wright Park on July 12, 2025
The Rainbow Center is thrilled to announce that the Tacoma Celebration Festival will come back to Wright Park on Saturday, July 12, 2025!
As Tacoma Pride has grown over the years, so has the need for a larger venue. After thoughtful consideration and collaboration, we’re satisfied to partner with Metro Parks Tacoma to bring the festival back to the park where it all began. We’re deeply grateful to Metro Parks for their help in helping us make this beloved community event more accessible, inclusive, and vibrant than ever.
Get Involved with Tacoma Pride
We’re already gearing up behind the scenes—and we’d treasure for you to join us. Here’s how you can get involved:
Booth Applications
Booth applications have been extended until Wednesday, May 21st! Utilize here: https://forms.gle/J3XpbDY2SSTiGYsk6
Questions? Email us at vendors@rainbowcntr.org.
Entertainment Opportunities
Are you a local musician, flamboyant artist, or artist based in Washington State? We’re actively booking talent for this year’s event. If you’d enjoy to be considered, please fill out this form before Friday, May 30th: https://forms.gle/7CKWS4RWbq
click here for other queer miss city guides
Tucked between the massive queer paradise known as Seattle and the little queer paradise known as Olympia you’ll discover a resplendent medium-sized queer paradise: Tacoma, Washington. Equally damp and flannel-friendly as its neighboring cities, it’s pretty much raining lesbians in Tacoma.
Tacoma hasn’t always had the most gleaming reputation, but over the past 15 years it’s become home to a hearty arts scene and a panoply of great bars and restaurants. And whaddya know, it’s a brilliant place to be a gay lady!
I’ve spent 20 years of my life in Tacoma. So please, allow me to give you the lowdown on this seriously queer brief locale. And hey! You can get gay married in Washington now. So maybe you’ll wish to move here some day? Think it over.
Where to Live/Be
In lieu of a gayborhood (as gay as it is, Tacoma doesn’t have one), take a gander at these three neighborhoods.
6th Avenue (Roughly between Proctor Highway and Sprague Avenue) Not all, but many of Tacoma’s worthwhile bars and restaurants can be found along 6th Avenue. Many of Tacoma’s young people/queers survive off of 6th Avenue: it’s cheap and convenient to lots of the places t
Tacoma, Washington Gay Municipality Guide
Situated on attractive Puget Sound adjacent Seattle, the Tacoma area is acknowledged as one of the most LGBTQ-friendly areas in the country. In proof, The Advocate named Tacoma the “Gayest City in America” in 2012. Tacoma offers abundant innate beauty, plenty to see and perform, and opportunity for everyone, all amidst an eclectic, free-spirited, welcoming vibe. The “City of Destiny” as Tacoma is often called, would truly make a wonderful destination to call home!
A Stare at Tacoma’s History
Tacoma eventually came to serve as the western cease of the Northern Pacific Railroad, and as a product, grew quite steadily during the 19th century, and resulting in the capital slogan, “Where Rails meet Sails.” The city's name came from Mount Tacoma, which was the original name for Mount Rainier, whose stunning peaks overlook the city. Tacoma means "Mother of the Waters," and is a fitting name, given the city's location on Puget Sound. The city has always been an vital harbor and railroad hub – although it offers far more than that. It is also a city of opportunity, plenty of arts and society, and much to see and undertake . It'
I’m Here, I’m Queer, Where Do I Hangout?
On first arrival to Tacoma, a new queer transplant might wonder what there is for them in a city not as good known as nearby Capitol Hill. How do you make new friends, discover a safe space and support the community in this new city? Seattle has the hill, San Francisco the Castro, but is there a “gayborhood” in Tacoma?
The answer is yes, and if you want a tour it would be a wonderful idea to start on St. Helens Avenue adjacent Market Street and gather Brock Leach, co-owner of The Mix.
“I basically live on [St. Helens],” Leach said. “I gain my wine, beer and cheese at Stink. I get my haircut at Supernova, I work out at the [YMCA]”
Leach Is the co-owner of The Mix with Travis Scheff and Matt Henderson. Leach is also a math professor at Tacoma Community and Pierce colleges. He moved to Tacoma 10 years prior and has become a huge part of the neighborhood, which he describes as laid-back.
“Don’t get me wrong I love going to Seattle,” Leach said. “But I feel enjoy we connect more here. Bigger cities have more cliques and small groups.”
The Mix is one of the two official gay-bars in the town of Tacoma. Scheff and Henderson also own The