Submitted by Pierce Transit
On July 4, Pierce Transit will provide express bus service for people visiting the Tacoma Freedom Fair along Tacoma’s Ruston Way. This year, fair-goers can access either end of the event by taking a Pierce Transit bus to the Old Town (south) end of the event, or a First Student bus to the “Camp Patriot” (north) end of the event. Both services will depart from Tacoma Community College (TCC) at S. 19th and Mildred, and the Tacoma Dome Station (TDS) at 610 Puyallup Ave. Parking at both locations is free.
Pierce Transit service will run to Old Town every 30 minutes with the first bus leaving TDS and TCC at 10 a.m. First Student service will run every 30 minutes to Camp Patriot, with the first bus leaving TDS and TCC at 10:15 a.m. Both services will stop going to the Freedom Fair at 8 p.m. sharp, then resume after the fireworks. Return trips to TDS and TCC will operate until 8 p.m. sharp, then resume after the fireworks end. Anyone wishing to leave between 8 p.m. and the end of the fireworks should consider other options.
After the fireworks Pierce Transit and First Student buses will transport fair-goers from the Old Town and Camp Patriot locations back to TCC and TDS. All passengers who arrived by bus and require the use of a lift-equipped vehicle on the return trip from Old Town should board Pierce Transit buses on N. 30th St., just west of McCarver St.
Round-trip ride tickets are good on both services and can be purchased from on-site ticket booths for cash, debit or credit card. They are also available in advance through the Freedom Fair website at freedomfair.com. Tickets are $5 per person and kids 9 and under ride free. Pierce Transit riders with a valid ORCA card, or current All Day Pass, may show their card at the booth and receive a Freedom Fair ride ticket at no additional charge. Cash will not be accepted on the bus. For more information, visit piercetransit.org/freedom-fair-express/.
Registered SHUTTLE customers may schedule trips to McCarver and Ruston Way. Service begins at 10 a.m. and runs to Old Town until 8 p.m. sharp. Pick-ups begin immediately after the fireworks end. Registered SHUTTLE customers may call 253.581.8000, option 1, then option 2, one to five days in advance to reserve rides.
General Pierce Transit Service on Independence Day
Local Routes 13 and Route 15 (Downtown to Defiance Trolley) will not operate on July 4. All other Pierce Transit routes will run on a Sunday schedule. The agency’s administrative offices and the Tacoma Dome Station Bus Shop will be closed in observance of the holiday. SHUTTLE phone services will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (253) 581-8000, or (800) 562-8109 (toll-free within Washington) for assistance and reservations.
