TACOMA, Wash. — On Thursday, the Tacoma Dome hosted its first graduation ceremony for the year. Graduation ceremonies are expected to bring in more than 75,000 people to the area throughout the next few weeks.
Tacoma’s staple building is scheduled to host 25 graduation ceremonies for high schools and colleges across the Puget Sound, beginning Thursday, May 30, with Bates Technical College.
KIRO 7 News spoke with Adam Cook, director of Tacoma Venues and Events for the City of Tacoma.
Cook said the Tacoma Dome will see an average of around one to four graduation ceremonies per day with each event bringing in a few thousand people.
He said larger schools are expected to bring up to 7,000 people.
The Tacoma Dome has nearly 1,500 parking spaces available to the public, however, parking lots can quickly fill up, especially on days where the venue will host multiple schools per day.
Cook said he encourages people to plan ahead.
“We definitely recommend carpooling is a great option as well as utilizing some of the great transit opportunities that are around the area. So, the Link Light Rail will take anybody from downtown Tacoma all up in the stadium area, straight into the dome,” he said.
Thousands of parking spaces are also available surrounding the Tacoma Dome, including street parking and downtown Tacoma’s public garages, Cook said.
He said public transportation can take people directly to the graduation ceremony.
“The Link Light Rail is a fantastic way to bring you to the dome. It stops just a block or two away from us. It’s a really easy trip and easy walk. Also enables you to avoid most of the traffic around the building and get some parking and a great meal beforehand,” he said.
As thousands of people are expected to attend graduation ceremonies, the strength of cellular service in the area may be a concern for many people, however, Cook said this will not be a significant issue as the Tacoma Dome has increased its service to help people, especially those who are using rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft.
“We have a free Wi-Fi service available inside the building as well as upgraded cellular service. We work with a company called Mobility who provides that for us. We actually do have a tower on top of the dome itself so that folks can have that access and work through that. If they are having signal troubles, generally you’re fine within a block or two from the dome,” he said. “Trying to find those rides a few blocks from the dome, you tend to get better access and better service there just because of the way the traffic works and road closures coming into or out of the event. That’s a better option for most people.”
Tacoma police officers will help guide and manage traffic in the area. The largest two ceremonies are expected to have eight officers due to the expected size of attendance.
In 2023, more than 9,600 graduates were awarded their diplomas on the Tacoma Dome stage with more than 78,000 people in attendance, Tacoma officials said. The graduations generated more than $1 million in economic impact, they added.
For a full list of events scheduled at the Tacoma Dome throughout the next few weeks, please click here.