Everett Craft Beer Festival

I’m a bit late in posting this, but any time we can walk to and from a craft beer festival it’s better late than never when it comes to writing about it.  We moved to Everett, WA in 2012.  The first ever downtown Everett Craft Beer Festival took place in 2012.  Coincidence?  I think not.  Hopefully this will be an annual thing.  And we’ll commit to staying in Everett if they keep doing it.
 

One of the 27 Eager to Pour Brewery Tents

On Saturday, August 18^th a two block section of Hoyt Avenue was closed to traffic and 27 craft brewers descended on the area with 60-some different styles of brew in tow.  The lineup didn’t go from A to Z but it was close, from American Brewing (Edmonds) to Two Beers Brewing (Seattle).  There was a mocha flavored Porter, an Oatmeal Stout, and beers with additives as diverse as pumpkin, lemon grass and peaches.

A Group of Discerning Tasters at The Everett Brew Fest

 But mainly BowlingWidow and I stuck with the hoppier beers in the India Pale Ale style.  We quaffed many four ounce samples and when the dust settled her favorite was the Brickyard Brewing IPA from Woodinville, WA.  I went with the hop-infused Interurban IPA from Fremont Brewing in Seattle with its notable hints of grapefruit.

The weather was perfect during the four hours we were there and in the middle of that time we took a lunch break, visiting an excellent new New Mexican restaurant that was just ‘round the corner.  (It was our second meal there and it’ll be the topic of my next blog post).  Speaking of food, if the Washington Beer Commission decides to put this event on next year (and I’m sure the 3500 people who attended would be in favor of that) it would be great to have some food options inside the festival itself.  There was a lone burger vendor that was overwhelmed most of the day.
 

The Crowd Got Larger as the Afternoon Went On

It’s nice to now know that Everett is on the brewmap (I think I may have just invented a new word).  For 2013, let’s go for another city block and have 15 more breweries show up.

A Gem in Everett: The Sunday Farmer's Market

If it’s Sunday afternoon and it’s June, July, August or September it’s Farmer’s Market time in Everett.  And since the last few Sundays have been sterling when it comes to the weather,  BowlingWidow and I have been making a weekly trek to the market on our bicycles lately.  Why wouldn’t we?  It’s only a ten or fifteen minute ride. And it would be far less than that if we didn’t have to head south six blocks to navigate around a huge bluff.  Perhaps I should talk to our city leaders about constructing a zip line to the market as we fly above the bluff in question.

The (Brightly Exposed) Entrance to the Everett Public Market

There’s something about the concept of a farmer’s market that we can rally around.  Yeah, I suppose the produce, cheese, meat and whatever else is being sold is more expensive than what you can find in the supermarket.  But it usually is of a higher quality and for the most part is organic and pesticide free.  I like knowing that the corn or nectarines that I just bought were a part of plant (and not the factory kind either) in Eastern Washington the day before.  Besides, giving a small farmer or three a helping hand to  keep their livelihood going is just the right thing to do.

Another Happy Customer Stocking Up on Fresh Vegetables

These markets seem to be popping up everywhere these days and there are no shortages of like-minded people who are cramming the aisle ways and are underneath tents checking out arts & crafts, homemade salsa, gourmet olive oils and fresh seafood in addition to the farm fresh fruit and vegetable offerings.

Mexican Food Vendor at the Market:  I've Gotta Try That Sometime

And being a chilehead, this is my favorite harvest time of the year.  I can look forward to those late August and September weeks when Anaheims, Poblanos, Jalapenos, and Habaneros will start to show up, freshly picked from the Yakima Valley.  I have a feeling that September and October will be big homemade Mexican meal months at Casa de BowlingJoe.

Street Music

Everett, the city we now live in, did something kind of fun and unusual last year and they’re doing it again for 2012.  Through the end of August, ten used upright pianos are placed out on the city sidewalks for anyone who happens to be walking by to enjoy or play.  They were purchased by the city’s cultural arts department in 2011 for 400-bucks each and painted by commissioned artists for another $250 each.

They’ll be there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during this time and are covered with plastic sheets during the rain.  Funny thing is, I’ve have yet to see or hear about anyone damaging or defacing these pianos.  I guess that even vandals are appreciative of such art.

Some may think it’s a waste of taxpayer money to do this, but I’ll happily pay up.  I think it’s kind of nice to have a couple of weeks each summer that will add some brightness and joyful music to the streets of our new hometown.

Here are a few pictures of some of my favorites.  For more information on what’s called Street Tunes, click here:  http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110803/NEWS01/708039906