Pierce County’s fourth biennial Livable Communities Fair will be held Sat., May 17 at the Tacoma Dome Exhibition Hall. Admission and parking are free, and children with parents will be considered VIPs.
Pierce County, which produced the earlier fairs in Gig Harbor, Parkland and Puyallup, is working in partnership with the City of Tacoma to produce the event. “The fair will be the biggest and we believe the best that we’ve had,” said Fair Manager Diane Braaten, assistant to County Executive John W. Ladenburg.
Ladenburg and Tacoma Mayor Bill Baarsma are co-chairs. The fair, similar to a home or garden show, is an expo featuring interactive booths, workshops and speakers. It promotes resources and information aimed at improving the community’s quality of life. “Fair goers will discover volunteer opportunities to help make Pierce County a better place to live, work and play,” Braaten said.
The first LCF in 2002 drew 5,000 people to the Tacoma Narrows Airport near Gig Harbor. Attendance more than doubled in 2004 at Pacific Lutheran University and in 2006 at the Puyallup Fair & Events Center. Braaten and her team expect more than 10,000 to attend the Tacoma fair. The theme is “Changing the World One Fair at a Time.”
“Imagine 10,000 people being inspired and taking a specific action that makes a difference in their home, neighborhood or community,” Braaten said. “If that were to happen — and we believe it’s possible — we’d have taken steps toward changing our world.”
The fair features dozens of livable/sustainable ideas that benefit neighborhoods and communities. Participants will have an exceptional opportunity to provide information and educate the public on recycling, low impact development, affordable housing, roads/transit, emergency preparedness, public safety, environment, recreation and other topics.
“The Livable Communities Fair has established itself as a highly successful environmental festival. Our purpose is to educate and challenge organizations and citizens to connect and engage in maintaining, improving, and sustaining the livable qualities of our communities,” she said.
Additional information also is available at livablepiercecounty.org