If you need to consume your content on the go, staying up to date on Tacoma happenings is easy thanks to our HUGE variety of podcasts, streaming right from the City of Destiny!
Here are a few Tacoma podcasts we highly recommend—get out your phone, open up your podcast app, and get ready to get subscribin’!
The Move to Tacoma Podcast
I mean there’s no use in being shy here, we’ve gotta give a shout out to our Move to Tacoma podcast! If you’re into binging podcasts, this one has a serious catalogue of informative interviews for residents and newbies alike. More recent episodes talk about Nazis in Tacoma (and Tacoma Against Nazis!), Tacoma’s new Dune Peninsula park, the Tacoma dating scene, and more. Quickly browse episodes here!
Nerd Farmer Podcast
Hosted by Nate Bowling (Washington State’s 2016 Teacher of the Year), Nerd Farmer features “a national conversation through a local lens.” Nate dives into topics like institutional racism, elections (both local and national), Nate’s teaching adventures in the UAE, and much more.
Citizen Tacoma Podcast
Hosted by Candice Ruud and Producer Doug Mackey, this Tacoma podcast dives into topics that’ll help you be an informed, engaged Tacoma citizen. They interivew candidates running for office, elected officials, activists and more. If you’re trying to wrap your head around local politics, tune in!
Crossing Division Podcast
This is another must-listen production that shines the spotlight on, you guessed it, what divides us, and how we can try to cross that division. (Also, Division is a street in Tacoma. ;] )
Hosted by Evelyn Lopez, nothing is off limits here—she chats with guests about everything from local disasters (how will you survive “the big one” in Tacoma?) to how to create equitable communities (how can Tacoma invest in *everyone* in the community).
Interchangeable White Ladies Podcast
Teachers Hope Teague-Bowling and Annie Jansen talk education, culture, and activism, and on their podcast they aim to answer an important question: How can white women use their privilege to deconstruct white culture, confront their own biases, be better allies, and be less basic? Topics of discussion include how to be a visibly ally, gentrification, education, parenting while white, and much MUCH more. Browse episodes here.
We Art Tacoma Podcast
The title says it all—this one is about all things art in Tacoma! This is a must listen for anyone who wants to support local artists and/or get more involved in the arts in Tacoma. Tacoma’s art scene is thriving, and there’s something for everyone with episodes that cover local artists, exhibits coming to town, public art, organizations that support the arts, and more. Browse episodes here.
Taco-Man Podcast
Who is Taco-Man? What is the best taco in Tacoma? Is this an impossible question to answer? Taco enthusiasts need to TUNE IN to Taco-Man podcast—Taco-man reviews a different taco in each episode!
Flounders B-Team Podcast
Why yes, the South Sound football supporters *do* have their own podcast—soccer fans of the Puget Sound unite! “Super accessible dialogue,” “disarmingly sincere,” and “a fun listen” are just a few of the ways that recent reviewers have described the podcast. You can browse episode topics here.
What Say U? Real Sisters Real Talk Podcast
Hosts of What Say U? Are sisters Melannie Denise Cunningham and Audrey Cunningham, and they tackle topics like “Living While Black,” “The N Word,” “Insight into Gen Z,” and more. Tune in here!
Grit City Podcast
This weekly podcast covers *all* things Tacoma (aka Grit City), including (and certainly not limited to) what’s new in town, business peeps doing awesome things, artist happenings, and whatever else they feel like chatting about. Browse Grit City podcast episodes here.
Pop DNA Podcast
Hosted by Erin O’Loughlin and Rhonda Watts, Pop DNA is all about the way that pop culture is influenced literary and historical. They describe their monthly show as featuring “selected pop culture works, geek outs over long-dead authors and historical figures, jokes no one else will think are funny, and literary allusions no one asked for.” You can check out episodes of Pop DNA here.
Outsiders Podcast
Reporters spent a year in Olympia, WA documenting the lives of people who live outside and the people trying to turn a shoestring budget into their safety net. This podcast is hosted by @OtherWillJames, and is a collaboration between KNKX Public Radio and The Seattle Times.
insideABODE
This excellent real estate podcast is hosted by Windermere Abode, a boutique real estate brokerage in Old Town Tacoma. When you tune in, you can expect an unfiltered, honest look and the real estate industry. For example, their most recent episode is titled “AbodeLife: Navigating Race, Home Ownership, and Being Young + Black In America During a Pandemic | Davon White & Loundyne Hare.” They aren’t afraid to tackle challenging topics, and you can expect weekly episodes.
Speak Out 253
The Speak Out 253 Podcast is “a podcast focused on social justice in the 253.” They are currently on a hiatus, *however* there are many excellent episodes to get caught up on that still include lots of relevant information.
BirdBanter
Yes, this one is exactly like it sounds… expect birding talk with birders! Dr. Ed Pullen of Pierce County is your host, and you can listen to birding traveling stories, experiences, friendships, and of course, lots of great bird sighting stories. You can listen on Apple Podcasts, or check out BirdBanter.com for all of the episodes and more info!
The Prickly Pear Podcast
Hosted by Blue Cactus Press from right here in Tacoma and Tacoma poet Christina Butcher, The Prickly Pear Podcast features interview with “creative people at the crossroads of artistic media.” Most recent episodes feature an interview with Shin Yu Pai, topics like “Poetry as Activism,” and “Poetry as a Tool for Self-Healing.” Check it out here!
Transmission
Hosted by Jennifer Wing and Will James, this KNKX podcast is about life during the COVID-19 epidemic. “As the nation copes with the unfolding Coronavirus pandemic, hear what it’s like in the Pacific Northwest, at the vanguard of the COVID-19 outbreak.” Transmission has been tackling topics like rent, the college experience, vaccines, schools, lockdowns, and much more.
You’ve probably noticed that most of these podcasts are part of Channel 253, a Tacoma podcast network. If you like what you hear, consider supporting Channel 253 through becoming a member.
