Click image to print Coupon.

The Tag Zone has moved to a huge new warehouse-sized location at 605 South 223rd Street in Des Moines, just west of the downtown district at 6th and 223rd (map below), and will be holding its Grand Opening celebration beginning at 6 p.m. this Friday night, Jan. 27th!

Open Fridays and Saturdays, this new warehouse-sized arena erupts into a safe, Nerf-filled fun zone for kids of all ages with two battlefields:

• A 2,300 square foot inflatable bunker zone
• A 1,900 s.f. “Army Field”

The Tag Zone was created by Johnny Basco, former U.S. Army 2d Ranger at Ft. Lewis, who says:

“This is my calling – to host a safe, entertaining, affordable and FUN place for your little or big ones to play, and always wanting to come back for more.”

Former Army Ranger Johnny Basco is ready for you.

At The Tag Zone, participants play an assortment of organized games with safety always on the minds of the supervisors, who oversee every game with rules constantly being reinforced.

“We strongly encourage team work in order to play as many games as possible,” Basco adds. “This is also an exciting way to develop tricks and tactics, as well as controlling emotions and stress.”

Cost is just $7 per hour (the same price as last year), and according to Basco one of their more popular functions is to allow for a ‘Parent’s Night Out’:

“Fridays and Saturdays between the hours of 6-10pm we offer you the opportunity to drop your kids off and you have the option to stay or have a few hours to yourselves while we keep them busy playing a wide variety of controlled and refereed games. While they are here we divide teams equally as participants arrive and depart. We make every attempt to keep your kids and possibly their friends together on the same team however on occasion adjustments have to be made in order to keep the teams competitively equal. Score is not kept but the competition level can still be pretty intense. We do not allow participants to argue with each other and definitely towards any of our referees or loss of one game will occur.”

The Tag Zone's arms cache awaits.

Here’s more from their website about the kinds of games played:

Open Play Sessions at The Tag Zone: Friday and Saturday nights, 6:00-10:00 pm

Squad vs squad
Objective:

• Eliminate opposing squad.

Game:

• Each team begins from its home base. At the signal, the players must find and tag the entire opposing team before being itself eliminated.

Protect the leader
Objective:

• To seek and tag the opposing team’s leader.

Game:

• Each team must protect its leader from getting tagged.
• Volunteer players will attempt to eliminate the opposing team’s leader.

Capture the Flag
Objective:

• To end the game with both team’s flag in its possession, in its home base.

Game:

• Each team begins with their own flag, located at their home base.
• The players must retrieve the opposing team’s flag.

The Prison
Objective:

• The players are to be tagged and placed in the opposing team’s prison.

Game:

• The teams begin in their own home base. When a player is tagged, he must head for the other team’s prison. The prisoner (s) are to be rescued by a teammate so that he (they) may continue the game. The prisoner is rescued from prison when his own teammate hand tags him out. The game is terminated when an entire team is imprisoned.

Look closely and you'll see Johnny's face in the middle of this bunker.

Here’s one more quote from Basco, posted on their Facebook Page (“Like” them here):

“What an amazing journey this has been and one I continue to look forward to. It’s still hard to believe I was doing hair two years ago! This would have never happened had it not been for my wife Anne and Karuna Arts Yoga. I love you Anne, especially for putting up with me during the build out. Thank you to all the kids who have supported The Tag Zone and to the future ones. This is one of the happiest and proudest days of my life. Dreams really do come true guys!”

The Tag Zone
605 South 223rd Street
Des Moines WA 98198

For questions regarding pricing and availability please e-mail thetagzone@gmail.com, text or call 206-719-4632.

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FRIDAY, OCT. 28th:

• Monster Of A Coupon To See Burien Little Theatre’s New Show ‘Frankenstein’!
• Hey Groundskeeper Willie – Burien Needs Your Help With Its Parks
• Northwest Symphony Orchestra’s Halloween Concert Is This Friday, Oct. 28

SATURDAY, OCT. 29th:

• ‘Come To Compete Or Come To Eat’ – Chili Cook-Off At Des Moines Farmers Market
• Monster Of A Coupon To See Burien Little Theatre’s New Show ‘Frankenstein’!
• ‘Boo In Burien’ Is Saturday; Will Feature ‘B-Town Blog Wiener Dog Race’ at 3:30pm!
• Get Spooked At Landmark Event Center’s Haunted Castle
• Des Moines Police Prescription Drug Disposal Event Coming Saturday
• National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Is Saturday At SeaTac City Hall
• Des Moines United Methodist Church Holding Kids Halloween Carnival Saturday

SUNDAY, OCT. 30th:

• FINAL SHOW! Monster Of A Coupon To See Burien Little Theatre’s New Show ‘Frankenstein’!
• Open House For Gorgeous, Furnished Anderson Island Home Is Sunday

MONDAY, OCT. 31st:

• Wear Costume & Bowl For FREE At Advertiser HiLine Lanes Halloween Night

And if you like to save money, here are some exclusive B-Town Blog Coupons you might want to Print and stash in your costume (click each image to Print Coupons):

Publisher/Editor Scott Schaefer dropped by and took a few pics of the rides as they sit, awaiting to be assembled and ridden by hundreds of screaming kids (and adults!) as Burien’s Carnival Days opens this Thursday, Sept. 22nd and continues through Sunday, Sept. 25th.

More details available on our previous Event Calendar posting here.

It’s no secret that the beloved Seafair Pirates will play a big role in Saturday’s Waterland Parade in Des Moines (starting at 6 p.m.), but what isn’t that well known is where the heck those scurvy dogs will be before and after said parade.

Well mateys, our sister site The Waterland Blog (which rhymes with ‘Grog’) have got the inside scoop, and you read it here first – here’s where Ye can party hardy with Ye Seafair Pirates in Des Moines on Saturday, July 23rd:

4:45 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.: Raid the Yard Arm Pub (812 South 230th Street, Des Moines)

6 p.m.: The Waterland Parade!

7 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.: Raid the Light House Bar (22239 Marine View Drive So.)

8 p.m.+: Raid Barnacles Restaurant & Lounge (22636 Marine View Dr So.)

If you’ve never paaarghtaken in a Seafair Pirate ‘Raid,’ you’re in for a treat – they sing all sorts of humorous, sometimes inappropriate songs (hey, they’re Pirates for cryin’ out loud!), flirt with all the lassies within the establishment, and have a grand ol’ time all in the name of gettin’ some free grog!

It’s a hoot, and we highly encourage all adults over 21 to try and attend. You may even get to kiss a pirate, and/or come away with a button or sticker!

Here be some scenes from the last time the Pirates raided Des Moines, in 2009:

July is ‘Park and Recreation Month,’ and with five weekends in it, the City of Burien is challenging families to get outside to celebrate and explore their own B-Town parks – with a Scavenger Hunt (PDF file)!

The Burien Community Center is challenging families to a scavenger hunt that spans 12 city parks, including Arbor Lake Park, Chelsea Park, Dottie Harper Park, Seahurst Park and more.

‘Rock Your Park’ is an entire month celebration of the parks and what they have to offer. Participants will discover random facts about each park with scavenger hunt questions like: What type of animal can you see on a daily basis at Hilltop Park and what is located under the slide at Southern Heights Park?

Families who complete the scavenger hunt can bring their completed form into the Burien Community Center or one of the Music in the Park events by Aug. 1 to enter to win prizes. The winners will be announced at the August Music in the Park events.

Burien Parks is also asking families to submit photos of families using the parks. The best photo will be awarded with a prize and used in displays and publicity.

For more information, click here.

Click image to Print Coupon.

The Tag Zone is housed in the Karuna Arts Yoga Studio, and from 6 – 10 p.m. serves as the ‘yang’ to the studio’s usually calm, yoga-related ‘yin.’ After-hours and on weekends, the zen-like yoga studio at 819 SW 152nd turns into a fun-filled, exciting spot full of kids with Nerf guns, playing “tag” with their safe and harmless “weapons.”

Proprietor Johnny Basco, a former U.S. Army’s 2d Ranger at Ft. Lewis, started the business last year as a way to not only entertain local youth, but to help them develop tricks, tactics and more.

“This is an exciting way to develop tricks and tactics, as well as controlling emotions and stress,” Basco said.

Basco adds:

“If you’re looking for a simple way to develop your group strategies and your team work, The Tag Zone will be able to do it while reinforcing communication skills between team members. What could be better than The Tag Zone for your next birthday or your staff get-together?”

Cost is just $7 per hour, and according to Basco:

“Fridays and Saturdays between the hours of 6-10pm we offer you the opportunity to drop your kids off and you have the option to stay or have a few hours to yourselves while we keep them busy playing a wide variety of controlled and refereed games. While they are here we divide teams equally as participants arrive and depart. We make every attempt to keep your kids and possibly their friends together on the same team however on occasion adjustments have to be made in order to keep the teams competitively equal.

Score is not kept but the competition level can still be pretty intense. We do not allow participants to argue with each other and definitely towards any of our referees or loss of one game will occur. “

Here’s more from their website about the kinds of games played:

Open Play Sessions at The Tag Zone: Friday and Saturday nights, 6:00-10:00 pm

Squad vs squad
Objective:

• Eliminate opposing squad.

Game:

• Each team begins from its home base. At the signal, the players must find and tag the entire opposing team before being itself eliminated.

Protect the leader
Objective:

• To seek and tag the opposing team’s leader.

Game:

• Each team must protect its leader from getting tagged
• Volunteer players will attempt to eliminate the opposing team’s leader.

Capture the Flag
Objective:

• To end the game with both team’s flag in its possession, in its home base.

Game:

• Each team begins with their own flag, located at their home base.
• The players must retrieve the opposing team’s flag.

The Prison
Objective:

• The players are to be tagged and placed in the opposing team’s prison.

Game:

• The teams begin in their own home base. When a player is tagged, he must head for the other team’s prison. The prisoner (s) are to be rescued by a teammate so that he (they) may continue the game. The prisoner is rescued from prison when his own teammate hand tags him out. The game is terminated when an entire team is imprisoned.

The Tag Zone is located at 819 SW 152nd, in the Karuna Arts Yoga Studio; the phone number is 206-719-4632.

Tag Zone Propriertor Johnny Basco, surrounded by his "army" during a recent 4th of July parade.

There are a LOT of activities going on in the general Burien area this weekend, from Saturday’s annual “Boo in Burien” to Sunday night’s “Halloween at the Haunted Castle” at Landmark on the Sound in Des Moines and much more.

To make it easy for our Readers to decide on what to do, we’ve created a nice, easy-to-read bullet point guide, which includes activities from the general Burien/Des Moines area. If you think we missed something, please email us and we’ll consider adding it.

We hope everyone has a great, yet safe local weekend full of chills and thrills (be sure to click on links below to see full details on events):

FRIDAY, OCT. 29th:

• 5:45pm – 8:30pm: Aviation High School’s Spaghetti Feed & Auction.
• 8pm: “Reefer Madness: The Musical” continues at Burien Little Theatre.
• 10:30pm: “Zombie” continues at Burien Little Theatre.

SATURDAY, OCT. 30th:

• 8:15am – Noon: Annual Port of Seattle Firefighters Pancake Breakfast, at 2400 So. 170th, SeaTac.
• 9am – 10am: FREE Halloween-themed ZUMBA Class (costumes suggested but not required), Burien Community Center, Seahurst Banquet Hall, at 14700 6th Ave SW.
• 11am: Final Des Moines Farmers Market of the year, which includes their annual Chili Cook-Off, at South Marina Park in Des Moines.
• 11am: Halloween stories, songs and crafts for ages 2-8 with adult, Burien Library, 400 S.W. 152nd Street
• Noon – 4pm: Discover Burien’s annual “Boo In Burien” (all around downtown) for kids of all ages; participating businesses will be handing out free candy (until they run out that is), as well as offering specials and much more, including:
  • Noon – 5pm: Hayrides
  • Noon – 3pm: Costumed Dog Parade in Olde Burien
  • Noon – Until Candy is Gone: Trick or Treating
  • 1pm – 5pm: Haunted House at Moss Chiropractic (612 SW 152nd)
  • Pumpkin Bowling at Elliott Bay Brewhouse (255 SW 152nd)
  • Noon – til Gone: Paint Pumpkins at Grocery Outlet
  • Halloween-themed Photos at Photography by Steven (243 S.W. 152nd Street)
  • Scary Story Telling by Burien Little Theater at Burien Books
  • Kids Crafts at Collins Chiropractic
  • 3pm: Children’s Costume Parade in Olde Burien
  • 4pm: Wiener Dog Races in Olde Burien
• 3pm: Follow “Willie Nelson” the dog for free treats in the annual “Trick or Treat Path” through Des Moines businesses.
• 5pm: Des Moines United Methodist Church’s annual Kid’s Costume Carnival.
• 8pm: “Reefer Madness: The Musical” continues at Burien Little Theatre.
• 10:30pm: “Zombie” continues at Burien Little Theatre.

SUNDAY, OCT. 31st:

• 6:30pm: Landmark on the Sound’s “Halloween at the Haunted Castle” in Des Moines.
• 8pm: Final performance of “Reefer Madness: The Musical” at Burien Little Theatre.

MONDAY/TUESDAY NOV. 1-2nd:

• 5pm – 9pm: Dia De Muertos at the White Center Community Cultural Center.

The Community Center is located at 14700 6th Avenue SW, in the building that formerly housed the library. The phone number is 988-3700.

We understand that the $10 is a “pre-fest” discount, so you might want to get act fast yours right away.

Highlights of the fest will include the B-Town Bike Fair, Discover Burien’s Father’s Day Car Show, lots of live music, hands-on booths and games, an all-ages inflatable village, the Rat City Rummage Sale and much more.

And even though the event is moving to Town Square, there will still be a skateboard competition, which is always a huge hit. In addition, there will also be some on-site parkour by notable local athletes – look for them jumping around Town Square’s obstacles.

Musical acts will include Rat City Brass and Underground Swing, Camino Cadillac and the Black Crabs, a Capella singing by Abrace and The Friends Trio, and numerous local performers such as Momentum Dancers, New City Dancers and the Highline Community Symphonic Band.

Wild Strawberry Festival t-shirts are now on sale for just $10.

Visitors can interact by bringing drums and scarves and joining in a drumming and dancing party hosted by Abyssinian Dance Studio to close the event on Sunday. Annunaki Project will be back this year with their incredible trapeze rig on Saturday and on Sunday the Main Stage will be graced with MC Manuela Horn, aka Burien’s own “Yodeling Dominatrix” (see our interview with her here).

As usual, The B-Town Blog will be a sponsor, and we’ll be “blogging live” the entire weekend from our tent.

• Saturday, June 19, 2010 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
• Sunday, June 20, 2010 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Burien Town Square is located at SW 152nd St & SW 5th Ave in downtown Burien.

Here’s more info from a press release; more details available at this website:

Burien’s Strawberry Festival Goes Wild!

You are invited to the 2010 Burien Wild Strawberry Festival! Celebrate art and greenability at our new location in Town Square Park, 152nd SW and 5th! The festival will feature an eclectic lineup of musicians and performance troupes, the B-Town Bike Fair, Discover Burien’s Fathers Day Car Show, art and green demo’s, hands on booths and games, an amazing inflatable village for all ages, Rat City Rummage and more!

Come to the Main Stage and the Performer Plazarama to catch exciting acts such as jazz by Rat City Brass and Underground Swing, Rock with Camino Cadillac and the Black Crabs, or listen to amazing accapella by Abrace and The Friends Trio. And you don’t want to miss our talented local performers such as Momentum Dancers, New City Dancers and the Highline Community Symphonic Band (maybe in costume)! Bring your drums and scarves and join in a drumming and dancing party hosted by Abyssinian Dance Studio to close the event on Sunday!

Annunaki Project will be back this year with their incredible trapeze rig on Saturday and on Sunday the Main Stage will be graced with MC Manuela Horn, aka the Yodeling Dominatrix (come and see what she will be wearing for our event!!). Bring your camera and take a picture with Manuela at her booth near the stage! Also we will continue the tradition of the skateboard competition with ramps at the new site on Saturday! And speaking of amazing physical action—watch the schedule for the parkour performances and watch athletes jump and climb obstacles with amazing grace!

We have lots of great activities for the kids! On Saturday bring your bike to the B-Town Bike Fair on 152nd. Participate in a bike rodeo, bike scavenger hunt, helmet fitting and more! A $5 wristband will give you a full day of play in the inflatable village…for big kids too! Make retro hats and glasses at the Art Garage, make chalk art, play games at many of the vendor booths, and play instruments at the Musical Petting Zoo. And don’t miss the fun performers just for kids: Central Services presents The Board of Education and Bryan Vogan on the fest grounds and Jamberry Story Time and Magician Jeff Evans in the Burien Library!

We are wild and green! Learn how to prune a tree, green clean your home, compost and recycle! Pick up some native wild strawberries or Burien Press coffee grounds for your garden from the Sustainable Burien booth.

And of course, lots of great shopping, festival foods and shortcake too! This year Rat City Rummage will bring some young urban crafters and vintage booths along with demos and hands on experiences. Bring down those antique items you always wanted to know more about and have them looked at at the Burien Arts Vintage Booth. Also lots of great arts and craft booths, specialty foods and import vendors!

Town Square visitors couldn't resist the cool water on a sunny Friday in Burien!

Story & Photos by Michael Brunk

Later this summer, Burien Town Square will become a popular destination for residents looking for a fun way to beat the heat. The city will soon be turning on the splash pool located in the park not far from the main entrance to the library.

We met up with city staffers to get a sneak peak at the pool in operation this past Friday. As soon as the water started pumping just about everyone in Town Square was drawn to the pool, and more than a few couldn’t resist taking advantage of the cool spray on a beautiful sunny day.

Unfortunately, this was just a brief test of the system and the water – and fun – was soon turned off.

Michael Lafreniere, director of Burien Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services, tells us that the city still has a few items to check off before the splash pool can be officially opened to the public. The biggest outstanding item is securing the county health permit.

The pool has a variety of sprays that cycle off and on in a random pattern

Because people will be playing in water from the spray, the health department requires a permit just as if this were a full-sized pool. The pumps and water quality must also be constantly checked and the city is still finishing up the system that will allow remote monitoring.

Until those steps are closer to being completed, Lafreniere couldn’t give us a firm date for the opening but he was confident that it will happen this summer.

I don’t think we’re going out on a limb here saying that this will be a very cool “hot spot” in Burien Town Square once the days warm up and the water starts flowing!

A “BUNCO Night” Fundraiser for Burien’s Hospitality House will be held Friday night, Feb. 5th starting at 7pm at the Normandy Park Congregational United Church of Christ.

It’s just $25 per person, giving you a chance to “roll the dice to end homelessness” and have a fun evening to boot.

Here are the details:

WHAT: BUNCO Night Fundraiser for Burien’s Hospitality House.

WHEN: Friday, Feb. 5th starting at 7pm.

WHERE: Normandy Park Congregational United Church of Christ, 19247 1st Avenue South, in Normandy Park.

INFO: From an email:

BUNCO Night for Hospitality House is Friday, February 5th at 7 p.m.

For $25 per person, one can roll the dice to end homelessness and have a fun evening to boot. Beginners and Bunco groups are welcome to join in. This strictly-for-fun evening is endorsed by the World Bunco Association.

There will be raffles, prizes and complimentary refreshments.

This event will be held at Normandy Park Congregational United Church of Christ, 19247 1st Avenue South, in Normandy Park.

This will also be your first chance to purchase seats for another fundraiser – the “Boats for Beds” sail.

Pre-register for Bunco through the Hospitality House website, by calling 206-915-5337, or by sending an email to buncofeb5@aol.com.

Hospitality House is a shelter and place of transition for homeless women in south King County. The Women of Hospitality House are supported by more than twelve local churches and organizations as well as by our local communities. Home-cooked meals are provided 365 days per year by volunteers.  With the staff case workers, over 70 women each year develop and work their individual plans to find home, health and hope. See hospitalityhousesouthking.org to learn more about Hospitality House or these events.

More information is available at their website.