One week until Lakewood SummerFEST
SummerFEST 2024 is South Sound’s not-to-be-missed summer celebration with something fun for everyone.
SummerFEST has it all: 30+ food trucks, 100+ market vendors, a beer garden, live music all day, a pop-up skate park, skimboarding, aerial motorcross shows, Bubble Soccer, International stage performances, kids activity zone and pony rides (for a fee). Walk through the Cruizin’ Together car show, sit to watch circus acts by the Vuelta La Luna Circus and Wenatchee Youth Circus, stop by the Veterans Resource Village, enjoy extreme trampoline acts throughout the day and participate in interactive sports and arts for all ages.
You don’t want to miss the Grand Finale. Fire dancers will amaze you with their tricks at dusk. Find them at the Pavilion stage. Head over to the large field by the Main Stage to watch a choreographed drone show and hot air ballons burst with light and dance to music.
- What: Lakewood SummerFEST
- When: Saturday, July 20, 2024, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
- Where: Fort Steilacoom Park, 8714 87th Ave SW
Headed to SummerFEST? Shuttles will run people from the Pierce College Lot D parking lot directly to Fort Steilacoom Park. Bypass the traffic and parking crowds and use this free parking options. Find the full schedule of events, parking map, vendor list and more online at NEARcation.com/summerfest.
No Farmers Market or concerts July 16 & 23
The Lakewood Farmers Market and Summer Nights at the Pavilion Summer Concert are on hiatus for the next two weeks. There will be no market or concerts on July 16 or 23.
The pause is so the City of Lakewood can prepare for and recover from SummerFEST, happening July 20 at Fort Steilacoom Park.
The market and summer concerts resume on Tuesday, July 30. The Lakewood Farmers Market runs Tuesdays from 2-7 p.m. at Fort Steilacoom Park. The summer concerts run Tuesdays, from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Pavilion at Fort Steilacoom Park.
We hope you’ll join us for their return. Stop by the market, shop local vendors and then grab dinner and a spot on the Pavilion lawn to see Chapter 5 take the stage for a fun-filled, high-energy performance.
2024 Summer Nights at the Pavilion concert schedule
- July 30: Chapter 5 (Funk/R&B/Soul)
- August 6: Catch a Wave (Beach Boys Tribute)
- August 13: Wally & The Beaves (Oldies)
- August 20: ABBAgraphs (ABBA Tribute)
- August 27: Mr. Pink (Dance Hits)
Hipkins Road reopens Monday
Hipkins road is scheduled to reopen to traffic Monday, July 15 between its intersections with Cross Lane and Steilacoom Boulevard.
New road closures that take effect the same day. They include the section of Hipkins between Cross Lane and 104th Street SW, and Angle Lane which will close from Elwood Drive to Hipkins Road. Drivers are advised to avoid the work zone and utilize alternate routes.
Hipkins and Angle are anticipated to be reopened for the weekend of SummerFEST with the closure being reinstated Monday July 22. Drivers who use this section of road during the temporary reopening should be aware of loose gravel and should use extreme caution. Where possible, people are encouraged to take alternate routes through the area.
Now accepting 2025 Comprehensive Plan amendment applications
Changes to the Lakewood Comprehensive Plan, and some related changes to zoning code and development regulations, are allowed once per year under state law. As the first step in this process, the City of Lakewood invites interested parties to identify proposed changes. Afterward, the Lakewood Planning Commission and then City Council will review and confirm the list of amendments to be considered over the course of the year, including privately initiated amendments. This list is known as the “Annual Comprehensive Plan Docket.”
Any individual, organization, business, or other group may propose an amendment. Proposals to amend the Comprehensive Plan and associated Zoning Code provisions must be received by the Lakewood Planning and Public Works Department through the online portal at between 8:30 am and 4:30 p.m. until July 31, 2024. Proposals received after the deadline will be considered in the 2026 Comprehensive Plan Docket.
Questions? Send them to [email protected]
- Comprehensive Plan Map or Zone Amendment (PDF)
- SEPA Checklist Form (PDF)
- Comprehensive Plan Text Amendment Application Form (PDF)
Counting tress in Lakewood
FACCET NW, a contractor for the city, will be walking and driving through the area for the next few months to count the number, species, health, and other features of trees within the city. This is the first step to design and launch an urban forestry program.
The Lakewood City Council prioritized trees with a series of actions. That included adding a chapter to its 2022 Comprehensive Plan on Energy and Climate Change, adopting a tree preservation code and adopting a goal to have a tree canopy of 40% throughout the city by 2050.
Once complete the tree inventory report will be presented to the City Council at a meeting in November. Find more information and track the progress of the inventory on the city’s Urban Forestry Program webpage.
Volunteers needed to heat map Lakewood
This summer, Pierce County is doing an urban heat mapping project. Lakewood is one of the cities being mapped. This community-based science project will be conducted by heat ambassadors.
Volunteers are needed for three, one-hour time slots starting at 6 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Aug. 3 and Aug. 10. Two backup dates, Aug. 4 and Aug. 11 also need volunteers standing by.
As a volunteer you will help create high-resolution descriptions of ambient heat at the human level.
Find more information about this effort at the Tacoma Tree Foundation website. Want to volunteer? Use this form to sign up.
Council Corner: July 8, 2024 meeting recap
Joint Lodging Tax Advisory Committee meeting. The City Council received an update on the city’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee process. This included review of past lodging tax allocations, a look at the proposed 2024 grant cycle application process and review of the committee’s priorities. The committee’s objective is to support projects in the City of Lakewood that encourage eligible tourism and cultural activities, while also supporting tourism facilities in the city.
Pierce County Library System update. Gretchen Caserotti, Executive Director of the Pierce County Library System, shared the library system’s 2023 annual report with the City Council. The library system has 19 facilities that serve 671,000 people. Find the presentation on page 10 of the agenda packet.
Review of interlocal agreement for multi-jurisdictional specialty teams in Pierce County. The City Council received an update from the Lakewood Police Department and City Attorney’s Office on a proposed agreement that authorizes the police department to participate on regional teams with other law enforcement agencies in the county. Sharing resources with other jurisdictions allows the city to be prepared in a large-scale emergency or rare event that requires more staff or technical expertise than what is available within the department. Participation in the multi-jurisdictional teams is more cost-effective for the City of Lakewood. The City of Lakewood has participated in these joint teams since 2005. The ordinance proposed for City Council action replaces the last ordinance adopted in 2017. The joint teams included in the ordinance are Crime Response Unit, Civil Disturbance Team and Major Collision Response Team.
Review of Ordinance regarding camping in the city. The Lakewood City Council has adopted several ordinances to address public camping, including Ordinance 728, restricting camping or erecting structures in parks or on city rights-of-way and Ordinance 783, making it unlawful to occupy public property. The City’s ordinances are like those adopted in other jurisdictions, including Grants Pass, Oregon.
The United States Supreme Court recently ruled on whether the camping ban ordinance in Grants Pass amounted to “cruel and unusual punishment” under the Eighth Amendment. In a recent ruling the Supreme Court determined “[t]he enforcement of generally applicable laws regulating camping on public property does not constitute ‘cruel and unusual punishment’ prohibited by the Eighth Amendment.” Considering this decision, the City’s legal team reviewed the adopted ordinances in Lakewood. The review resulted in a recommendation that the Lakewood City Council adopt language identical to what was upheld by the Supreme Court to address occupation of sidewalks and camping in public places.
Lakewood invests significant resources in its parks, public spaces and social services. To protect that investment and public safety, the city must have a variety of tools, including the ability to remove individuals from public property when necessary. The proposed draft ordinance would authorize law enforcement to trespass individuals from public property. Only when the individual commits the crime of criminal trespass would they risk criminal consequences. The City Council is expected to review and take action on the proposed ordinance at its July 15, 2024 meeting.
Watch the meeting.
What’s on deck. The Lakewood City Council will hold a regular meeting Monday, July 15 at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers. Tentative agenda items include:
- Authorizing the execution of an agreement with Tyler Technologies, in the amount of $581,630, for financial enterprise resource (ERP) System.
- Authorizing the award of a construction contract to Asphalt Patch Systems, in the amount of $162,475, for the 2024 Pavement Patching Program.
- Authorizing the execution of a professional services agreement with MacDonald Miller for the firearm range heating system replacement equipment for Lakewood Police Station.
- Authorizing the execution of an interlocal agreement for multi-jurisdictional specialty teams in Pierce County.
- Ordinance creating Chapter 8.46 of the Lakewood Municipal Code relating to camping in the city.
- Reports by the City Manager: Electronic Reader Board Sign Update
How to attend: Attend in person at Lakewood City Hall, 6000 Main Street SW; Join via Zoom (or dial 253-215-8782 and enter meeting ID: 868 7263 2373), or watch live on the city’s YouTube channel.
Sign up for Lakewood Alert (Code Red)
The City of Lakewood uses Code Red, an alert service, to notify residents of important information happening in the city.
If there is an emergency that requires public notification, we will use Lakewood Alert as one way to communicate. We will also post information to our website and social media channels.
Subscribers can sign up to receive text and email alerts. People can also sign up for important non-emergency updates including information about road impacts from large events in the city or information about special events.
Find out more and sign up today.
Work for the City of Lakewood
There are a variety of positions available for hard workers looking to join the City of Lakewood team. Lakewood offers a competitive benefits package. We are part of the state retirement system (PERS). And the city is a beautiful place to work. Find a current list of open positions online.
Road project updates
Hipkins Road
Hipkins road is scheduled to reopen to traffic Monday, July 15 between its intersections with Cross Lane and Steilacoom Boulevard. New road closures that take effect on the same day include the section of Hipkins between Cross Lane and 104th Street SW, and Angle Lane which will close from Elwood Drive to Hipkins Road. Drivers are advised to avoid the work zone and utilize alternate routes. Hipkins and Angle are anticipated to be reopened for the weekend of SummerFEST with the closure being reinstated Monday July 22. Drivers who use this section of road during the temporary reopening should be aware of loose gravel and should use extreme caution. Where possible, people are encouraged to take alternate routes through the area.
Citywide striping
Pierce County crews were in Lakewood this week restriping roads. They will continue their work until all the roads have new lines. Drivers are asked to please stay back from the striping vehicle(s), follow all warning signage and most importantly do not cross and track wet paint.
Farwest Drive, Safe Routes to School
The city’s contractor continues concrete curb and gutter and sidewalk placement on the south end of the project limits. Work is complete from 111th Street SW to Lakes High School. Concrete work will continue from Lakes north to the end of the work zone. The electrical subcontractor continues with conduit installations and luminaire foundations for the new pedestrian illumination system. Ceccanti is working on storm system components in multiple locations along the project limits. Traffic control continues to take the southbound lane with both north and southbound traffic alternating through the northbound lane as assisted by traffic control personnel.
Ardmore/Whitman/93rd
Remaining work includes the installation of street luminaires (expected installation end of summer) and the installation of the traffic signal (anticipated end of summer).
84th and Pine
Work on this project is paused while the contractor waits for the traffic signal to arrive. Estimated arrival timeline is now August. Electrical work is expected to resume July 22.