Let’s all get ready to wish the Emerald Queen Casino a big, happy 10th birthday Saturday and Sunday at the Emerald Queen I-5 Showroom. It all starts at 11 a.m., so there’ll be plenty of time to feed the money-gobbling monkey alongside your grandma’s friends.

Thinking back 10 years is hard for many of us, but most of us can at least remember a trip to see Vietnamese Star Search; or worshiping at the Eddie Money altar; or the blessing of one last chance to see Loretta Lynn, Carrot Top or David Lee Roth (which all happened in the last year, by the way). Like a pop-culture Valhalla, the EQC has consistently provided the South Sound with big, delicious doses of nostalgia.

For the 10th anniversary celebration, Casino goers are encouraged to bring tokens of their experiences at the EQC — T-shirts, hats, whiskey stained coasters, unpaid bills — for a chance to win special prizes, including the big one — a 2007 Porsche Cayman, provided by I-5 Motors in Fife. It boasts significantly fewer horses and pick-up compared to the original, high-performance Cayman S. But hey, free Porsche, right?

Everyone is encouraged to bring their fondest memories and be ready to party like it’s 1987. — Paul Schrag



[Emerald Queen Casino, Saturday, May 19-Sunday, May 20, 11 a.m. each day, no cover, 2024 E. 29th St., Tacoma, 888.831.7655]