Get Your Beer on This Winter

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, our Pacific Northwest winter this year is set to be colder and rainier than usual, with more snow than in recent years. While I usually cozy up with a heavy red wine or a spiced-up eggnog cocktail, I also enjoy beer. In particular, heavy winter beers like the ones found at the Winter Beer Fest held in early December each year at Magnuson Park’s Hangar 30.

As I wandered the festive booths sipping barrel-aged beauties, I realized there are several other good beer festivals on the horizon. If you missed the Winter Beer Fest, look forward to these gatherings and get them on your 2017 radar:

Belgian Fest

Fisher Pavilion-Seattle Center, 2017 Date TBD – Usually late January

About $35

Second only to the Winter Beer Fest on my favorites list, this is a wonderful opportunity to try Belgian and Belgian-styled ales: Tripels, Dubbels, Saisons, Wits, Abbeys, and Lambics. All the ales use Belgian yeast and there are plenty of Sours to try as well. 100+ beers to try AND food trucks? Yes, please!

Washington Cask Beer Festival

Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, Seattle WA, March 25th 2017

About $40

A long-running and very popular beer event held at the Seattle Center, the Cask Beer Festival focuses on cask-conditioned beers brewed by more than 40 Washington Brewers Guild members. According to the Guild site the event “features only beers that are conditioned naturally, without artificially introducing CO2 into the cask. Beers are poured by gravity or via a beer engine and served at cellar temp to let the flavor nuances shine.” This one tends to sell out each year, so scoop up tickets as soon as you can.

Past event photo

Seattle Scotch & Beer Fest (Formerly Hop Scotch)

Fremont Studios, April 14-15, 2017

Ticket prices vary

Ok, so it happens in the spring and also includes Scotch (who’s complaining) and wine (even better), but this stellar event is a benefit for the Fremont Chamber of Commerce’s community grant programs. Funded programs include The Fremont Fair and the Solstice Parade. Want to keep Fremont weird AND train your palate? Come on out to this tasting experience.

Pro Tip: Love Washington Beer? Join WABL, the Washington Beer Lovers group. Members often receive extra tokens, WABL lounge access, or exclusive tastings at WA beer events. Membership also comes with a t-shirt, a WABL passport to collect brewery stamps, newsletters with news and event info, and a free annual subscription to SIP Magazine. What a great gift idea for the beer lover in your life (or just yourself?) for only $30!

Salud!

Amy L. Dickson is a communications professional, freelance writer, and contributor to Rain or Shine Guides. She’s currently training at the NW Wine Academy for her Level 1 sommelier certification. Follow her at @amyldickson75.

Give More Than Season's Greetings This Year

The holiday season is here. We are now deeply immersed in holiday decorations, giant red SALE signs, and what seems like infinite plays of "Baby It's Cold Outside". It's easy to get caught up in all the twinkly lights and shiny new things that December promises, and it's fine, we love new things just as much as the next person, but we also think its important to not lose sight of what's truly important. Taking care of each other, giving back, sharing our good fortune with those who aren't as lucky. These are things we all need to focus on this time of year (as well as the other 11 months). 

We were lucky enough to get the opportunity recently to spend a day volunteering at Pike Market Food Bank and it reminded us of this. It was a bittersweet feeling, spending the day working to help provide something so important for people in need. And wow, the need is there. It is shocking how many people don't know where their next meal will come from in Seattle. It's amazing and humbling to see/hear how many organizations donate food to the food bank and it's down right mind-blowing how much this single location hands out every week.

The Market Food Bank does a great job of giving volunteers a full picture of their services. We started the morning off delivering grocery bags of food to local residents of Market senior housing (55+) community who can't make it down to the food bank.

From there we grabbed 8 large boxes and a hand cart and went around the market collecting food donations from many of the market stalls and shops (we listed the full list of donors below, feel free to give them your business). The generosity of the market to donate in order to feed the community was a really uplifting thing to see. 

For the remainder of our shift we worked the "grocery line". Helping hand out donated items to people who had arrived to get food.  By the end of the shift the full bins of eggs, milk, bread, and produce were depleted. The Food Bank had supplied over 300 people with groceries that would nourish them and their families. 

This is what we should be giving during the holiday season. Our time, our service, and our hearts. 

Le Panier donates delicious pastries

Pike Place Market businesses who donate to the food bank:

• 3 Girls Bakery 
• Seattle Bagel Bakery 
• Storyville Coffee 
• Sosio's Fruit & Produce 
• Lina's 
• Manzo's 
• Mama Angelina's 
• Choice Produce
• Frank's 
• Corner Produce
• Pear Delicatessen
• Beecher's
• Michou 
• Le Panier 
• Honest Biscuits 
• Starbucks 

10 Secret Holiday Adventures for your Kids

It’s the holidays which means it's time to shake off the gloomy weather, get your kids out of the house, and go find some cheer. We went on the hunt to discover all of the lesser-known things to do around Seattle with kids during the holiday season. Check out our list.

1. Gingerbread House Party at Farm Kitchen – This quaint event space in Poulsbo, WA is a wonderful place. They host gingerbread-decorating parties through the entire month of December with lots of icing and candies to make your house delicious and unique ($35 a piece, max 3 people per party). We recommend making a day of it. You can visit the Point No Point Lighthouse, beach walk, and eat some crepes at J’aime Les Crepes.

2. Holiday Shows – There is a ridiculous amount of holiday themed shows around Seattle that would be a perfect afternoon or evening out with your kiddos. A few of our favorites this holiday season include: A Charlie Brown Christmas at Taproot Theater, A Christmas Carol at ACT Theater, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe at Seattle Children’s Theater, The Steadfast Tin Soldier at Dance Fremont!, and Holiday Hooray! at the Seattle Symphony.

3. Burn a Yule Log at Golden Gardens – This is a great suggestion from our friend (and Parent Map contributor) Jen Kakutani. Every year on the winter solstice, you can burn a yule log and talk with your kids about things to let go from this year and then think about the things you want to attract for the new year. Golden Gardens is a great place to start this tradition! Just grab bring your Yule Logs and have a seat around one of their many fire pits (first come, first serve).

4. The Lights of Christmas at Warm Beach – There are plenty of holiday festivals around the Seattle area, but we love The Lights of Christmas in Stanwood, WA. They have the largest light display in the entire PNW along with a nightly festival featuring carolers, shopping, treats, and live performances.

5. Hot chocolate at Chocolopolis – Part retail store, part café, this is the place to take the family to try some amazing drinking chocolate. They have different flavors to choose from (dark, milk, Mexican, peanut butter) and you can either drink it there or buy a canister to take home. They also have treats and truffles in all varieties, which would make excellent gifts.

6. Volunteer your time - The holidays are a great time to teach your kids about giving to those in need. We especially love donating and working at local food banks. Check out opportunities to get involved at Northwest Harvest, Food Lifeline, and the Pike Place Market Food Bank.

7. Santa Brunch at Icon Grill – There are so many places to see Santa around Seattle, but we love that you can get some grub AND see Santa at Icon Grill. They hosts brunch with Santa many times throughout December (Santa arrives at 10am and doesn't leave until 1pm). They also have a cookie decorating class with the head chef! 

8. Carriage Horse Riding – Sealth Horse Carriages have been operating in downtown Seattle since 1979! You can find them around Pike Place Market, Westlake Center, and the Space Needle and you can give them a call at 206-313-0722 to make a reservation. Is there anything more classic during the holidays than a horse drawn carriage ride?

9. Art Classes – Why not get the kids involved in making holiday cards or gifts this year? Curious Kid Stuff offers drop in classes for kids of all ages on Mondays and Fridays and uses a variety of different materials. If you have an older child who wants a bit more of a challenge, Paper Delights has both watercolor and calligraphy classes to choose from.

10. Tubing at Snoqualmie Pass – So maybe your family isn’t a bunch of skiers, you can still enjoy the mountain! Tubing is a blast and a great way to get outdoors and enjoy some snow. The cost ranges from $20 - $24 depending on age and time of day (If your child is 0-5, it’s only $5!) and includes professional grade tubes to use (you cannot bring your own tube). The hill has 12 lanes and 60ft vertical drop. Wheeeeeee!

Meet the Maker: Jennifer Cullin of Paper Feather

Just off Western Ave on the backside of Pike Place Market sits a small shop bursting at the brim with creativity and charm. The Paper Feather, owned and operated by Jennifer Cullin, is an homage to all things paper.

WHAT’S YOUR BACKSTORY? WHEN DID YOU START CREATING YOUR PAPER ART? 

I was a substitute teacher for 8 years and always loved crafting with the kids. I started making cards for friends and family on the side and eventually decided I wanted a permanent change. I started my business online and was working from home in the town of Duvall, but then made the move to downtown Seattle.  I knew I wanted my own studio and was walking along Western Ave where I found a storefront/studio space for rent in Pike Place Market.  I knew immediately there was something special about the space and was so happy when I got approval to open up my own shop!

She opened up Valentines Day 2012 with only a few offerings including her handmade cards, postcards, and gift tags. That was 5 years ago and she has now filled the shop to the brim with all of her paper art, expanding to original art, calligraphy, matted prints, a variety of greeting cards, paper flowers, journals, and stationery sets.  She also does custom wedding invitations, chalkboards and party/special occasion goods.

What inspires you and your creations?

I try to always keep up with current trends. I also love birds, so they inspire a lot of my work. "The Fat Bird" greeting card was my first creation and he shows up in a few different pieces around the shop now. 

The Fat Bird!

I also love to travel and use those experiences as inspiration. My favorite places are probably Paris, Italy, and New Zealand. Great birds in New Zealand.

What is your favorite thing to create?

Probably artwork or calligraphy pieces. I love to just go home and create art without thinking.

Who are your favorite artists in Seattle? Anyone readers should check out?

Brooke Westlund is my neighbor on Western Ave. and I love her art. Alex Achavel is another artist in Pike Place Market I really like. Ethan Jack Harrington has a gallery in Belltown that I love to visit. He creates great oil paintings. Lucca in Ballard is probably my favorite shop in town.

Where are your favorite places to get art supplies? 

Definitely Daniel Smith in South Seattle for art supplies and Paper Source in Queen Anne for everything paper. 

Your work spread across a lot of different mediums, did you start in one area and expand or have you always loved to work with different supplies?

Well everything in my shop is handmade. I hand pick all the paper, sketch out and create all the ideas, hand print all the designs once I know what I want. 

I am entirely self taught and have slowly expanded what I work with. I love experimenting with different things. I started with simple methods and have since expanded into more mediums and techniques. Now you can find pieces made with water colors, oils, chalk, and pen. I'm working with resin now with my paintings and love foiling and calligraphy.

Anything coming up in the future we should look out for?

Yes! I am going to start doing calligraphy and card making classes. Look out for more information on this, but essentially I would set out tables and supplies and have wine and snacks and invite people in to learn to create their own paper goods! 

I also want to expand my card business into larger markets. I currently have cards at a few places around Seattle (Once Upon a Time, Sassafras, and Bella Umbrella), but would love to sell them to a broader audience.

Hopefully we will see Paper Feather creations across the U.S. soon! We for one cannot get enough of Fat Bird and think the rest of the world should be able to enjoy him too! 

Paper Feather is located at 1520 Western Ave and is open Tuesday - Friday from 12 - 3 PM. If you are interested in Jennifer's wedding services you can email her for an appointment at thepaperfeather@hotmail.com. 

You can also find her at the Pioneer Square First Thursday Art Walk in a tent in Occidental Park.