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:

Oktoberfest with Solace

Boundary Bay Oktoberfest poster by Solace Wonder

Join us next Thursday, September 30th, in our Beer Garden for the Boundary Bay Brewery Oktoberfest Celebration!  The party will get started around 4pm and the event is free and family friendly! We’ll have live music, beer trivia, hand made Bavarian pretzels by Ralf’s Pretzels and a special German menu.  Not to mention, an art show by Seattle guest artist Solace Wonder and a Firkin Keg (or 2!) of fresh-hopped Harvest Ale!  Our Harvest Ale is akin to an “Oktoberfest” style.  Our popular fall seasonal features Dark Crystal, Carastan and Munich malts giving this ale a rich malt character and a beatuiful red-orange hue.

Here’s what Solace Wonder has to say about himself and Oktoberfest, in general:

“As long as I can remember, Oktoberfest posters have always caught my eye.  True, there are usually pretty girls and big beer steins on them-which may play a big part, but it’s more than that.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized it’s because of the fall season, it’s colors, and what it brings that has connected me to these posters for so many years.  Being that I’m a beer-loving German fella, I figured it only appropriate to have an art show based on the Oktoberfest season.  Boundary Bay Brewery was kind enough to play along with my vision and host the show as part of their celebration.  I tapped into my roots, (as well as many beers,) for inspiration for this collection.  It is playful, colorful, and at times a humorous way of seeing a season that is well known for its traditions.  I’ve captured everything from lederhosen wearing lads to pretzel wielding ladies and much more!  Bring the family down to enjoy the festivities and the art!”

Solace – Urban Artiste at Large and for Hire!

sol·ace [ sólləss ]

1. relief from emotional distress: comfort at a time of sadness, grief or disappointment
2. source of comfort: somebody or something that provides comfort at a time of sadness, grief or disappointment

I call myself an urban artist or street artist because my work is influenced by street culture and highly inspired by graffiti. While graffiti is normally rooted in letterforms, I lean towards the character design element.  My pacific-northwest surroundings instill a respect for nature that is personified in my work.  Via organic textures, vibrant colors, and a graphic painterly approach, I attempt to meld city life with the tranquility of uninhabited lands.  Through a blend of mediums, aerosol propelled and acrylic, I concoct my background landscapes and finish them with the character design. I call my characters “wanders.”  The wanders are unique in perspective and rely on body language over facial expression to tell their story.  I am always looking to progress my style and increase my stable of characters while challenging conventional mediums.  The mediums most utilized at this time are canvas, large-scale mural production, custom vinyl toys, original plush toys, live painting, graphic design, and t-shirt design.

Some of the venues that have been most gracious in showing my work include:

In Seattle– 35^th North Skateshop, 619 Western, Artifakt, Artoleptic Urban Arts Festival, Bauhaus Coffee and Books, Bherd Studio, Brand Vibes Studio, Café Flora, Capitol Hill Block Party, DB Clay, Deli, Evo, Flatcolor Gallery, Form Space Altier, Fremont Solstice Parade, Goods, Graphic Display Sign and Awning, Greenwood Collective, Halogen Gallery, the Henry Art Gallery, Jones Soda Co., King Cobra, Kristo’s, Laced Up, the Little Red Studio, LoFi, Mackie, Mad Pizza, Market Street Shoes, Mercury Cloud, Moksha, Nectar Lounge, NW Throwbacks, Olivo Doce, the Pioneer Square Saloon, the Purple Razors Studio, Rio Pacific Gallery, the Robert Daniel Gallery (Tacoma), the Satellite Lounge, the Seattle Center, Showbox, Skatebarn West, Sneaker Pimps, Snowboard Connection, Sonny’s, Thread, Trickwood Skateshop, Twilite Collective, Upper Playground/24sea, Urban Light Studio, Vera Project, and the Zebra Club.

In Bellingham (Wa)- Boundary Bay Brewery.

In Oregon: Brian Marki Gallery (Portland)

In Massachusetts– Now Here Fast (Boston)

In California– Alpha Cult (Long Beach), Lost Souls Café (Los Angeles), Da Festicon (San Diego), Munkey King (Los Angeles), Ronin Gallery (Los Angeles), UnitedState (Sacramento), and Sk8ology (Long Beach).

In Florida– Sk8ology (Miami)

Questions, comments, and inquiries are always welcome- feel free to contact me via Email: solacewonder@gmail.com or facebook.com/solacewonder

Got Cabin Fever?

October is already over and cold weather seems to be upon us.  But don’t despair!  Our Cabin Fever will officially be on tap Friday, November 6th. This winter warmer has a dark red-brown color and a rich malty flavor that will complement your favorite spicy dish or any rich, hardy meal.

Specially brewed and bottled for the Pacific Northwest winters, this beer has been cold conditioned for a smooth, dry-hopped flavor.  Made with Mt. Hood, Warrior and Crystal hops, this big beer has a 7.2% alcohol level and is deceptively strong!  Just the thing to ward off the dark nights and cold weather. Our Cabin Fever has won a number of medals including a silver medal at the 2008 World Beer Cup (also won a bronze medal at the 2006 WBC!), the gold medal at the 2004 NABA, a bronze medal at the 2002 GABF, and a silver medal at the 1999 GABF.

Hurry down to the brewery on November 6th to grab yourself a pint of the long-awaited Cabin Fever.  Try it with our Mac and Cheese (everyone’s favorite!), our Hummus plate or one of Ralf’s soft pretzels if you’re looking for something a little lighter!

And, if you just can’t wait for the OFFICIAL release, join us for our Thursday Cask Night Happy Hour on November 5th.  We’ll be tapping the very first keg of our Cabin Fever for a little pre-release party!  Cheers.

Luckily, for those who don’t have the luxury of hanging out at the brewery as much as some of us, Cabin Fever will be available in 22 oz. bottles on Wednesday, November 25th!

Oktoberfest at Boundary Bay!

As we know, all good things must come to an end and, unfortunately, the season of events in the beer garden has come to an end.  It did, however, go out with a bang!  For the final event of the season in our beer garden we had our own Oktoberfest celebration.  The garden was full of Fall revelers and people getting in to the spirit of things!  Ralf supplied us with authentic Bravarian pretzel treats and, as is our Oktoberfest tradition, we tapped a Firkin keg that, this year, held Havest Ale that had been fresh hopped with hops from our very own garden.  Here’s a couple of our favorite pics from the Oktoberfest celebration:

Looks like a fun time was had by all!  Don’t miss out next year on our Oktoberfest party in the beer garden.

Oh, and while I began this blog by saying the Oktoberfest marked the end of the season in the beer garden…well, all rules have exceptions, don’t they?  While the season is, for the most part, over…there are three events that came in just under the deadline and will stretch the season of garden events just a little longer.

The first of these events is on Saturday, October 4th when the Soundwaves Surfrider Benefit Concert is happening from 2pm until midnight.  The Northwest Straights chapter of the Surfriders Foundation is holding a benefit concert and fashion show in the beer garden.  The fashion show by Georgie Girls is at 7 pm and there will be a raffle to win a Gabe Kling autographed custom surfboard.  There will be music by The Surf Messiahs, Boris Budd, Vox Solis, North by Northwest, Vaughn Kreestoe, Voodoo Grace Notes, Pau Hana Brothers, Kreg Presley, and Sweet Beets.  All ages are welcome until 10 pm and the cover is $7 ($5 for 10 and under).

On Sunday October 5th, we’re going to have an art exhibition and a live art show down in the garden starting at 3 pm.  Don’t miss this unique, exciting opportunity to watch an amazing artist create right in front of you!  This art show is going to be from a Seattle artist named Solace who makes great urban, graffiti inspired art.  He’ll be working with acryclics and spray paint in the garden on Sunday.  Trust me, you do not want to miss this!  Check out this gallery on myspace of Solace’s work.

And finally, on Saturday October 25th, there will be a fundraiser in the beer garden for the Alpine Safety Awareness Program (ASAP).  This is an all ages community event featuring live music from BentGrass, all you can eat fish tacos, and a live auction of outdoor recreational equipment.  All money raised during this evening of fun pays for the insurance that ASAP must purchase to offer their free youth and adult awareness programs.