Boundary Bay Brewery & the Bellingham Traverse

On September 19th, The Bellingham Traverse will be taking place and…lucky for us…the race finishes right here in front of our brewery which means a BIG after race party and lots of our special race brew: Traverse Red Ale!

The Bellingham Traverse is an endurance multi-sport challenge that celebrates the life journey of salmon. Soloists, tandem and relay teams compete for survival on the course that demonstrates the urban and natural challenges that salmon face in their journey. The course follows the urban greenways and roads through Bellingham, showcasing the city’s parks including Boulevard Park, Lake Padden, Fairhaven, and Marine Park. The course then heads out into the open water of Bellingham Bay finishing at a hidden beach at the end of Cornwall Avenue that is where all teams gather to finish the last leg together as they “trek” the last 1/2 mile to the finish line at the Depot Market Square and Boundary Bay Brewery.

Each Traverse participant (SPAWNER) is encouraged to choose an environmental group or related non-profit that they will be raising funds for through pledges. This event is unique in that participants have the opportunity to choose the group that their pledges will benefit. 100% of what is raised goes directly to the group of choice.

The Bellingham Traverse is the creation of Todd Elsworth and he saw it as a strong reminder how much salmon matter to the people of the Northwest and the commitment that we as humans must have to protecting their habitat. The goal was to create an event that would help raise the visibility of the importance of salmon in the ecological landscape while taking part in recreational activities that people enjoy in the region. It had to be a big circle, so Elsworth literally connected the dots of the local parks utilizing the extensive network of greenways and roads to make for a scenic yet challenging course.

It was also important to Elsworth to have it be a community event. Many athletic events raise money for good causes that are health related, but not many raised money for the environmental community. Elsworth started with a list of groups that stood out as leaders including Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, RE Sources, North Cascades Institute, Conservation Northwest (previously NWEA) and many others. The objective was to give these groups an opportunity to be seen by the public in a forum called the Eco-Expo that hosted booths of the groups near the finish line.

Each year we brew the Traverse Red Ale and welcome the racers to the finish line with open arms right here at our brewery!  A generous amount of Vienna, Crystal, and Chocolate malts give this ale a big malty body with a deep ruby color.  The addition of Centennial, Mt. Hood, and Liberty hops provide a smooth refreshing finish, creating a perfect summer session beer to cool off with after a long “Traverse.”  We’re brewing the Traverse Ale tomorrow and it’s got us very excited for this unique race and community event!

Ski to Sea Weekend at Boundary Bay Brewery

Ski to Sea Weekend is, arguably, the kick off to summer here in Bellingham and the fun this year will be taking place May 22nd-24th!

The annual Ski to Sea Race from Mt. Baker to Bellingham Bay can be traced back to the Mt. Baker Marathon held from 1911 to 1913.  The idea for the marathon was developed by the Mt. Baker Club, a group of conservation minded citizens that were attempting to have the North Cascades area designated as part of the National Park System. The foot race to the top of Mt. Baker was a publicity stunt aimed at focusing the government’s attentions on the region. In 1973, the Mt. Baker Marathon was recreated and called the Ski to Sea Race. The Race, now a relay, was designed to showcase the recreational opportunities in Whatcom County. The Race has evolved into the “Grand Daddy” of all races, attracting participants from all over the world. In 2005, the Ski to Sea Race was featured nationally on the “Fox Sports Northwest” network, reaching 3.2 million households.

Interestingly, this race has also become a long weekend packed with celebrations all over town for racers and non-racers alike. The actual race is on Sunday, May 24th, but like the training the racers undergo, those of us on the celebrating side of things like to get a good warm up in too.  And that’s where Boundary Bay Brewery comes in to help!

We’re kicking off the fesivities on Wednesday, May 20th when we officially open our Beer Garden season with the very first Yogoman’s Wild Rumpus of 2009!  DJ Jordan Rain has been gracing our garden for years now on Wednesday nights in the summer.  He spins reggae while adults and children alike enjoy the beer garden, the BBQ, and hula hooping in the sunshine.  The event is all ages until 10 pm and kids get in free ($3 cover for everybody else)!

Then, on Thursday, we’ll have our Happy Hour BBQ down in the Beer Garden from 4-6 pm where you can grab pints for $1 less than usual and score brats, burgers, and/or bocca burgers (all with fries!) for $4.  What a steal!  Plus, every Thursday during our Happy Hour, we tap a different type of Cask Ale for your drinking pleasure and we have Robert Blake on hand to bring music to the Beer Garden and make your Happy Hour even happier.

Friday night is when all the fun around town this weekend gets kicked into high gear!  On Friday, Jordan Rain returns to the Boundary Bay Brewery, but this time he’s leaving the records at home and bringing his band instead.  At 9 pm, Yogoman’s Burning Band will take the stage in our Beer Garden and get everyone dancing with their fun, slightly kooky and super lively music replete with horns, percussion, and lots of guitar.  This is, seriously, not a performance that you want to miss! (check out the video below for a sneek peak.)

Acorn Project, another favorite Bellingham band, keeps the party going strong on Saturday night down in the Boundary Bay Beer Garden (9pm/$8 cover).  As a six-piece ensemble featuring saxophone, guitar, slide, keyboards, bass, drums, and percussion, Acorn Project produces an irresistibly unique sound and seemed to have perfected funk-infused progressive rock. Formed in 2004, this Bellingham, WA based sextet is rapidly building a devoted fan-base around the country.  Bring your dancin’ shoes for this show!

Sunday morning, May 24th, is the day of the actual race and, while we’ll have a women’s team competing in Ski to Sea, we’re also fitting in just a little more celebrating before the festivities end.  Ryder Cunningham will be playing down in our Beer Garden from 6-8 pm and then the Atlantics will play at 8 pm to wrap up our long weekend.  We’re certainly excited about Ski to Sea weekend…and we’re sure you are too.  Come celebrate Memorial Day weekend with us here at Boundary Bay Brewery!

Check out Yogoman’s Burning Band Dragon Bus video!