Four 4th’s with Boundary Bay

It’s Casey Diggs favorite holiday, so Boundary’s doing it big; and all around town. Here’s where you can get your fill of BBay this Independence Day:

Freedom BBQ in the Beer Garden [FREE, All ages] Rather than our usual Fish Fry, we’re going to be doing some good ol’ fashion BBQ Grillin’ in the Beer Garden. After all, nothing says ‘Merica like cold craft beer and a BBQ. The grill will be hot Noon-8pm. FREE Live Music by Odd Ones Out and The Vonvettas (5:00-8:00).  [*Note: Our Tap Room and Bistro will be open on the 4th, 11am-8pm] Happy Birthday USA. Cheers!

Yes we CAN! Canned Craft Beer Festival Spend Independence Day with 20 of your local brewers, neighbors, friends, and your family at RE Sources’ Yes, We Can! Craft Beer Festival at Elizabeth Station. Games for the kids, beer for the parents, live music by Hot Damn Scandal, Moongrass and more.  Kicks from the Bellingham Circus Guild, and a great view of the fireworks for all. If you want to avoid paying the processing fee, you can purchase your tickets online or in person right here at Boundary.

Haggen Family 4th The Chamber of Commerce and Haggen throw their annual 4th of July Party and fireworks display at Zuanich Point Park (11am-11pm). The’ve got the whole day loaded with events; check it out. Boundary will be providing Beer for the festivities. Fireworks at 10:30pm!

Party on the Herald Head to the Herald building and watch the fireworks from the best seat in Bellingham! Purchase of a ticket gets you to the roof, and includes food, beer, and live music.  All proceeds of this event go to support the Downtown Bellingham Partnership, an organization uniting the diverse interests of downtown Bellingham.

Earth Day Sustainability Fair

On Tuesday April 22^nd from 4-8pm were hosting our 6^th annual Earth Day Sustainability Fair in the Beer Garden! This fun, informative community affair aims to raise awareness about the numerous resources available to us locally in Bellingham. Several Whatcom businesses will have booths staged in the Beer Garden with representatives on hand to answer questions and showcase samples of their products and services. From CSA’s, and human powered machines, to recycled art — this year, this year we’ve  assembled an eclectic assortment of ‘green’ innovativeness from the community. 17 local organizations have been confirmed so far and include:

Plantas Nativa
Sustainable Connections
Cloud Mt. Farms
Common Threads Farm
Whatcom Farm to School
Ralf’s Pretzels
Smart Trips
Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association
Lia’s Vertical Garden Tower
Whatcom Museum
Northwest Rain Solutions
Community Food CoOp
Whatcom Farm to School 
Transition Whatcom
Standup Whatcom 
American Rivers 
WWU Students for Renewable Energy

 “We want to make this an afternoon of raising awareness of what great local options we have for making sustainable choices”, states Janet Lightner General Manager of Boundary Bay. This year, Boundary Bay is especially encouraging families with children to attend this free, educational and informative event. Outdoor BBQ and Bar Service will be available starting at 4PM. There will be live music by Hot Cotton, face painters from Chelle Beautiful for the kiddos and demonstrations by The Real Food Show! We even heard a baby lamb was stopping by for a visit — how can you resist that!?

We are lucky to live in a community that places importance on recycling, alternative energy and sustainable life choices…discover the different ways you can get involved too!

Sponsored by:

For Friends We Love

Join us for the Friday Fish Fry in the Boundary Beer Garden on Friday, June 28th! In addition to our weekly fish fry, we’ll be hosting a Benefit Concert and Silent Auction to raise funds for a fantastic local family; The Karrer Family (Roy, Sally and Woody) who are facing illness and mounting medical bills. $10 suggested donation before 7pm. $10 entry fee after 7pm.  Live Music performances by Chad Peterson, Bob Paltrow, Holly Swanson, Jeff Wilson and David Vaughns.

RSVP to the Facebook Event Page!

Cheers, Graduates!

Another school year is winding down and for some the end of this quarter brings about the end of their college years.  We’re here to say Congrats, Graduates from all of us here at Boundary Bay Brewery!  We know how much hard work has gotten you to where you are and we know that NOW it’s time to celebrate!!

If you’re looking for a place to hang out with your whole family on graduation day, why not bring ’em here for our Graduation Brunch on Saturday, June 9th?

We’ll have all kinds of delicious eats out in the Beer Garden and plenty of room for you, the parents and THEIR parents, your unruly siblings and even crazy uncle Joe!  We’re taking reservations from 10am – 2pm.  For $20 per person ($12 for kids 6-12 years, 5 years and under eat free) enjoy all you can eat:

• scrambled eggs (vegetarian, gluten free)
• boiled eggs (vegetarian, gluten free)
• quiches (some vegetarian)
• sausage
• bacon (gluten free)
• baked corn tortilla egg cups with sour creme and salsa (vegetarian, gluten free)
• granola and yogurt (vegetarian)
• biscuits and gravy
• fruits (vegan, gluten free)
• banana bread (vegetarian)
• spinach salad with champagne-honey-white balsamic reduction, chevre, fruits, hazelnuts (vegetarian, gluten free)
• cucumber tea sandwiches (vegetarian)
• turkey pesto finger sandwiches
• roasted red potato home fries (vegan, gluten free)
• caprese skewers (vegetarian, gluten free)
• tortellini pesto pasta salad (vegetarian)
• chocolate dipped macaroons (vegetarian, gluten free)

We’ll also have the BBQ’s up and running from 2-8pm if you’d rather come for a good ole’ backyard BBQ instead of a big, fancy brunch.  Live music too!  We do suggest making reservations for brunch, though, as it can fill up quick.  Call us here at the brewpub anytime to make your reservations (360-647-5593) or let your server know next time you’re here for a meal or a beer and we’ll get your name on the list!

Ski to Sea Weekend with BEER!

For many years, a big part of Bellingham’s Memorial Day tradition has been the Ski to Sea race and accompanying festivities.  The race itself is a 93.5 relay race from MT. Baker to Bellingham Bay encompassing seven different sports:  Cross Country Ski; Downhill Ski/Snowboard; Running; Road Bike; Canoe; Mountain Bike and Kayak.

The weekend of fun also includes a community block party with music and food (and a Boundary Bay Brewery beer garden!), a junior Ski to Sea Race for the little ones, a hometown parade and special events all around town – including plenty of ones right here at Boundary Bay Brewery.

Starting Friday, May 25th, we’ll have all kinds of family friendly entertainment to keep everybody busy.  This Friday kicks off the Official Ski to Sea Block Party in our Beer Garden!  There’ll be music, dancing, food and fun.  It’s a costume party too (NOT required!), so wear your Ski to Sea themed attire for a chance to win a fabulous prize! Dress as an original 1911 racer or a modern day racer…be as creative as you want.  AND, the first 800 racers who show up with their race bibs get an official 2012 Ski to Sea beer glass for free!  Oh, and be sure to enter the Ski to Sea and Alaska Airlines contest for a chance to win two round trip tickets from Bellingham to ANYWHERE Alaska Airlines flies. We’ll have our BBQ up and running and there’ll be live music by The Atlantics, too!

Then, on Saturday, May 26th our Beer Garden will open at 2pm and we’ll have the BBQ running all day.  The Bellingham Firefighters Pipes & Drums band will be performing throughout the afternoon along with performances from other pipe and drum bands from the area.  Around 7pm, we’ll start charging a $5 cover for the live music by Sundance which is all ages till 10pm.

The weekend’s festivities will wrap up on Sunday, May 27th with live music by the True Spokes (formerly Flowmotion) at 8:30pm.  The show has a $10 cover as is 21+only, but the Beer Garden and BBQ open at 2, so people of all ages are welcome to relax down there and enjoy BBQ and beer until around 8 when we’ll start charging covers.

Be sure to try some of our Ski to Sea ESB this weekend, too!  It’s brewed specially to commemorate and celebrate the Ski to Sea annual race and this rare brew of ours only gets released once a year.  It’s available on tap here at the brewpub and in 22 oz. bottles sold here at Boundary Bay Brewery and at local grocery stores like Haggens.

Our Ski to Sea ESB is a copper colored English style pale ale that emphasizes the subtle blend of imported and domestic malts. The addition of dry hops adds a delightful hoppy aroma and a slight floral, grassy flavor.

We’ve even got Ski to Sea ESB tshirts and hoodies if you wanna commemorate your experience here in Bellingham this weekend!

Irish Dancing and Corned Beef

It’s St. Patrick’s Day this Saturday and we’re going to be celebrating in a major way here at Boundary Bay Brewery!  We’ll open as usual at 11 am and have a full day of fun planned to entertain the whole family!  Please be aware, though, that we have dancers and other performances happening throughout the brewery that day, so we won’t be able to rearrange tables to seat parties larger than eight  people.  Large parties are welcome to split into smaller groups or to stay together down in the Beer Garden.

our Dry Irish Stout

We’ll have a special menu of Irish Fare that will replace our regular menu for the day.  So, instead of your usual Yam Alechiladas, you can feast on a few of our regular standbys like our House Salad, Caesar salad and Pepperoni or Cheese pizzas or head down to the Beer Garden for BBQ.

But why not enjoy some festive faves like Corned Beef & Cabbage, Shepherdess Pie or one of these other delicious meals?

House Salad – Mesclun greens, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers & croutons with your choice of dressing: bleu cheese vinaigrette, alehouse, caesar, or Thai vinaigrette.  Beef it up by adding grilled chicken or Tempeh.

Caesar Salad – Romaine, parmesan cheese & croutons tossed with caesar dressing, topped with fresh lemon & cracked black pepper. Add grilled chicken or Tempeh to make it a meal!

Irish Stew – A warm & hearty compilation of vegetables, potatoes & tender chunks of beef simmered together in our Scotch Ale.

Smoked Salmon Chowder – Potatoes, smoked salmon, carrots, celery & onion in a rich cream base with fresh baked bread.

St. Patty Melt – 1/3 pound of natural black Angus beef, char-broiled and served on caraway rye bread with caramelized onions and melted Swiss cheese.

Rueben – Seared corned beef on marbled rye made locally by Avenue Bread with sauerkraut, Russian dressing, melted Swiss cheese & your choice of roasted potatoes, house salad or Tim’s potato chips.  Or make it vegetarian with Tempeh!

Cured Salmon Sandwich – Irish Whiskey cured Sockeye salmon sliced thin and served on a locally made ciabatta roll with sliced tomato, caper cream cheese and pickled asparagus.  Served with your choice of roasted potatoes, house salad or potato chips.

Corned Beef & Cabbage – corned beef brisket braised in Amber and Scotch Ale, served with braised cabbage, carrots and red potatoes

Sheperdess Pie – a vegetarian version of shepherds pie with red beans, carrots, celery, mushrooms, peas, corn and pearl onions.

______________________________________

There’ll be free entertainment all day in our brewpub: from Irish Dancers to bagpipers to traditional Irish tunes.

And, after the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade at Noon, there’ll be a Post Parade Party in the Beer Garden with live music from 1-5pm with BBQ food available.

Robert Blake and the Paddy Whackers will play later in the night for a $5 cover (21+ only!).  And, of course, special appearances from The Bellingham Firefighters Pipes and Drums throughout the day!

All ages are welcome in the Bistro and Beer garden till 9pm. 21+ in the tap room.

Penk O'Donnell Irish Dancers here at our brewery

Here’s our lineup for Saturday’s entertainment:

• Derek Duffy: 11am
• GO SEE THE PARADE AT NOON!
• Penk O Donnell Dancers: 1pm
• The Wayfaring Strangers (band): 1:30pm
• Penk O Donnell Dancers: 2:30pm
• The Wayfaring Strangers (band): 3pm
• McGlaughlin Irish Step Dancers: 4pm
• Anna Schaad & the Skagit Ceilidh Band: 4:30pm
• Penk O Donnell Dancers: 6:30pm Band TBA:
• Penk O Donnell Dancers: 8:30pm
• The Paddy Whackers (band): 9pm, $5 cover, in the tap room. 21+

In the Beer Garden
• The Paddy Whackers (band): 1:30-3pm
• Puirt Na Gael (band): 5pm

And don’t forget to raise a glass of our new Irish Red Ale or our Dry Irish Stout to say Cheers to St. Patrick’s Day!

Gettin’ Dirty With The VZ Foundation

By now, we know that YOU know how much we love supporting our local community, economy and agriculture.  So, of course, we again jumped at the chance to have a beer garden out at the Dirty Farm Trek coming up on October 6th!

The VZ Foundation is a local non profit that organizes fun, local events like the VZ 5K and the Dirty Farm Trek.  The money raised from these events will go to benefit other local non profits…so every penny stays right here in our community!  On Saturday, October 6th at 2pm, the VZ Foundation is hosting the Dirty Farm Trek at the Deming Logging Show Grounds.

The  course is full of twists and surprises! Don’t think brawn is all you’ll have to use to win this competition – you’ll need to use your brain too!  There will be Men’s, Women’s, and Kid’s divisions based on age and everyone is welcome. Obstacles will include climbing, dodging, crawling, mud, water, jumping, sliding, ducking, carrying, rolling and much more! This year there will be THREE races to choose from: 5k, 10k, and a kids race.

You can go through the course as a team and help each other on the obstacles and riddles, if you want. Times will be given individually and prizes will be given based on gender and age not by team. The whole point is to get out have some fun, get dirty, and party afterwards so however you feel most comfortable contributing to that is great!

As always with a VZ Foundation event, the top finishers get to choose a local non-profit for us to donate to in your name.  But there’ll also be prizes for best overall costume/outfit and best Dirty Farm outfit with the winners chosen by participant votes.  Registration varies cost varies depending on which race you are participating in. Entry includes a t-shirt and 1 drink ticket in the Boundary Bay Beer Garden after the race.

After the race, stick around for a BBQ and a Boundary Bay Brewery beer garden out at the Deming Logging Show Grounds.  Especially since all participants (who are 21+) receive one drink ticket in the beer garden when they register for the race!

Check out this video with the VZ Foundation guys we made and hear them talk about the Dirty Farm Trek, the Foundation and how you can get involved!

Kick Off October With A Brew Ha Ha

One of the cool things about living in this incredible corner of the Pacific Northwest is that we always, always feel lucky to call Bellingham home!  When we can be up at Mt. Baker or down at Larrabee or out on the trails all in one day, we get seriously giddy at this little bit of paradise we live in.

And we imagine that you feel the same way.  If that’s true, come to the Whatcom Land Trust benefit in our Beer Garden on October 1st to help them continue preserving these open spaces that make our region so amazing.  Or maybe just stop in to say thank you for all the incredible work they’ve done so far!

Join us in the Boundary Bay Brewery Beer Garden on Saturday, October 1st to celebrate Whatcom County’s beatufiul places and the Whatcom Land Trust!  Over the past 25 years, the Whatcom Land Trust has preserved over 10,000 acres of land right here in Whatcom County.

Join them as they celebrate their anniversary this weekend in our Beer Garden with live music, BBQ, great beer and entertainment for the whole family!  Enjoy music by bandZandt from 7-10pm and then stick around for comedy by the 2nd Story Improv Players from 10 – 11. The cover is $10 (all ages welcome) and all proceeds go to support the Whatcom Land Trust, so come have fun and know that you’re supporting a great cause while doing it!

Since the early 80’s, the Whatcom Land Trust has worked collaboratively with private landowners, communities, public agencies, and other organizations to ensure that those natural resources that have sustained us in the past continue to enhance our quality of life.  Their reputation is built on our ability to provide informed, capable, trustworthy, and flexible assistance to private landowners, community groups, government, and other conservation partners to achieve our shared conservation goals.  We foster and reflect a strong land ethic through our land conservation and stewardship education programs.  Whatcom Land Trust helps leave a landscape that contributes to our collective identity and quality of life by supporting sustainable land use practices.

Can’t make it to the Brew Ha Ha, but want to help the Whatcom Land Trust do what they do?  Head to their website to check out other ways to give.

Celebrate Salmon at Boundary Bay Brewery

Inarguably, salmon plays a vital role in the culture and community of the Pacific Northwest.  And the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) is a local community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring sustainable wild salmon runs right here in Whatcom County.  As part of their annual fundraising efforts, they team up with us here at Boundary Bay Brewery every year to bring you Salmon at the Bay!

Salmon at the Bay is a celebration of salmon through art, food and music.  One of the ways they raise money is through the NSEA photography display up on the walls of our bistro – available for purchase for just $40 each. Proceeds from all the art sales go towards supporting NSEA’s salmon habitat restoration programs.  Another way they raise money for the programs is through their annual Salmon Dinner in our Beer Garden.

This Friday (August 5th), from 5-8:30pm, you can enjoy picked summer vegetables; qunioa salad with fresh herbs and feta cheese; fresh green salad with blue cheese, dried cranberries and pecans; corn with herbed butter; rolls with garlic herb butter and delicious grilled salmon with NSEA’s secret sauce!  Plus Mallard’s vanilla ice cream and fresh berry sauce (made with local strawberries and raspberries) for dessert.  Tickets are $20 at the door or $15 in advance – tickets available at NSEA and here at Boundary Bay Brewery.

At 9pm, the celebration will continue at with live music from Nick Vigarino.  Nick’s original music captures the expressive passion of the blues masters and he will blow you away with his guitar, dobro and harmonica skills! The show is 21+ only and $7 if you didn’t attend the salmon dinner.

Raise the Woof!

Come join us for a day of music, a BBQ, hoola hooping, pet products by local crafters for sale and delicious brews out in our beer garden here at Boundary Bay Brewery to support the Whatcom Humane Society (WHS).

All proceeds from the door, and one dollar from every BBQ meal sold will be donated to WHS.  The garden will open at noon and is all ages until 10:00 pm.

Enjoy live music throughout the day by DJ Kitchensink , The Heligoats , Cherry Blossum Family Delivery , Levi Ware  , The R.L. Heyer Trio  and The Eternal Fair.

Donations are appreciated during the day.  $10 Cover starting at 6:00 pm. $8 presale tickets are available at Avalon Music on Railroad Avenue, and at Tails a Wagging!

For over 100 years the Whatcom Humane Society has been sheltering abandoned animals, fighting cruelty and neglect, and working to build a caring, compassionate community. The Whatcom Humane Society (WHS) has been caring for animals throughout Whatcom County since 1902.

As the oldest non-profit animal welfare organization in Whatcom County, WHS is committed to caring for any animal in need. As an open-admission shelter (no animal is turned away regardless of his/her age, temperament or medical condition), the dedicated staff and volunteers at the Whatcom Humane Society cared for over 4,800 homeless, unwanted and abused animals in 2009 alone.

And The Whatcom Humane Society cannot provide for the animals in our community without the continued support of people just like you!  So join us for this Raise the Woof event or support the WHS through a yearly membership, a donation or by volunteering your time.