Tacoma Light Trail 2026 is completely FREE and starts on December 31, 2025, at 5:30PM with a Dragon Parade from the UWT steps at the Prairie Line to Tollefson Plaza, where the New Year’s Eve kickoff celebration begins. To join the parade, click here to sign up on our Volunteer Form. Performances begin at 6 PM with Tacoma’s new Poet Laureate, Mari Griffin, tap dancing by Nyah Hart and continues with performances from Asia Pacific Cultural Center’s Fire & Cultural dancers and Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center.
The New Year’s Eve Celebration continues with a lively DJ spinning upbeat tracks for lively community dance breaks, followed by dazzling performances. It’s an experience you truly have to see to believe!
The plaza will be alive with FREE activities, including circus arts, roaming dragon puppets, and clown antics, as well as arts and crafts and lantern-making stations! We will have a food truck will be serving up delicious comfort food for purchase! All Tacoma Light Trail events are free, family-friendly, and packed with fun for everyone!
Dragon Parade starts @5:30pm (begins at the University of Washington steps at the Tacoma Prairie Trail)
click here for sign up to be in the parade and more information.
BAD WEATHER PLAN: If it rains or snows, our activities and performances will relocate to either the Tacoma Art Museum's covered parking lot or the Tacoma Urban Performing Arts Center in Hilltop. Check our website and social media pages for updates.