As we are welcoming the sunshine and warmer temps, we also get to enjoy the opening days of several more area Farmers Markets.  Better yet,  mid-week Farmers Markets are ramping up for the season!   With all of our region’s locations to choose from, it’s easy to find an abundance of farm fresh produce, cheeses, meats, fresh baked treats and other artisan foods anywhere from Ferndale to Mount Vernon, Whidbey and the San Juan Islands to Sedro-Woolley.  Bringing home fresh bounty is oh-so-easy in  northern Puget Sound and means you can eat healthy, delicious foods while supporting our local economy – what a great combination!   To see the schedule of this weekend’s market hours and locations, visit our Events page.

Be on the lookout…

Why wait for a weekend when you can buy something to freshen up your table during the week at these markets?   Finding a Farmers Market near your work, school or home has never been easier!  Go on over, chat with your local farmer, grab a bite to eat, and take something fresh home with you !

• Anacortes          Wednesdays, June 20 – September 5    4pm-7pm
• Bellingham/Fairhaven          Wednesdays, June 6 – September 26     Noon - 5 pm
• Bow/Burlington               Thursdays, June 28 – October 4         1 pm - 6pm
• Mount Vernon                  Wednesdays, June 13 – September 26        11am – 3pm
• Oak Harbor                         Thursdays, Mid May – September 24          4pm - 7pm
• Sedro–Woolley                Wednesdays, May 23 - October 17             3pm - 7pm

 You'll find market location information and more through our Events page

Fortunately for area beer drinkers, the increasing number of craft breweries here in northern Puget Sound is giving us barrels of choices to enjoy some local award-winning brews.  Of course, we are already a well-known region for our great food, but (almost) needless to say, our craft beer industry is really "hopping"!   Just recently, some of our favorite brewers won these awards for their thirst-quenching recipes -

Boundary Bay Brewery   -   April Brews Day, People's Choice - 2nd Place for their Ginger Peach Blonde

Kulshan Brewing Co.  -   April Brews Day, Peoples Choice  - 3rd Place for their Kulshan Porter

and,

Chuckanut Brewery brought home two new awards to add to their collection!

• Chuckanut Kolsch - -  2012 World Beer Cup Silver Award,  German-Style Kölsch
• Chuckanut Helle's Lager -  April Brews Day,  Judges Pick - 2nd Place

With warmer weather arriving upon us, now is a great time to do a little "hopping" of your own!  For a full list of breweries in our area, visit our Breweries page!    

Seems to be working at Elizabeth Station in Bellingham!  Thinking this was just the new & cool beer tasting place in Bellingham, we found you could get your "breakfast of champions" alongside your choice of over 50 different beers at this recently opened "must visit" spot. It's a breakfast cereal eating, beer tasting, or lunch/dinner/deli sandwich place that rocks!    Yea!  You could spend all day there!  With 5 rotating taps of local brews and an outstanding  selection from international and Pacific Northwest breweries  you can find a taste to quench your thirst.  In a rush?   Take it home!  They  sell growlers of  what they have on tap or choose a bottle (or can)  from their extensive beer cooler!  If you like cider, mead or wine, they have that too!

Cereal?   Yes!   Elizabeth Station is open from early in the morning with a cereal bar, which they hope to expand soon with local fresh berries as they come in season.  While the beer choices are great, we recommend you top off your cereal with fresh milk from local Twin Brook Creamery.  You could just take some beer  home or, better yet, join the locals later in the day for a pint and something to eat.  They do have other food too, including snacks in the bag and a limited menu offering sandwiches, nachos and cheese selections to a accompany your beer choices!  Another great thing about Elizabeth Station, if you like being a bit sociable, is when you buy a couple of beers from their cooler you can drink it there!

Elizabeth Station is located at 1400 W. Holly, Bellingham .  A cool spot to enjoy a cold one!

The 12th annual  Dine Out for Maple Alley Inn happens this coming Tuesday, May 1st, 2012 and never have you had more opportunity to partake in this fundraising event!  This year, over 40 Bellingham restaurants  will donate 20% of their May 1st sales (hours and locations listed below) to Maple Alley Inn, a service provided through the Opportunity Council in Bellingham, which prepares and serves hot, home cooked meals to people in the community.

So mark your calendars for next Tuesday May 1st, 2012.   Go ahead and treat yourself to a meal out in Bellingham - and support a local cause!    Seriously, with all these great restaurant choices, how could you not ?

• Avenue Bread - Avenue After Hours  - -  1313 Railroad Ave. -- --  4pm–8pm
• Bayou on Bay   --  1300 Bay St.  --  11am–10pm
• Bayside Café  --  1801 Roeder Ave. --  7am–9pm
• Bellingham Bar & Grill  --  1408 Cornwall Ave.  --  4pm–9pm
• Big Fat Fish Company -- 1304 12th St. -- 11:30am–11pm
• Billy McHale’s --  4301 Guide Meridian --  8am–10pm in the restaurant;    11am–11pm in the Lounge
• The Black Drop Coffeehouse -- 300 W. Champion St. --  7am–7pm
• Black Pearl (Downtown) --  202 E. Holly #117 --  11:30am–9pm
• Black Pearl (Barkley) --  1255 Barkley Blvd. #106 --  11am–9pm
• Boundary Bay Brewery and Bistro --  1107 Railroad Ave. --  11am–11pm
• Brandywine Kitchen --  1317 Commercial St. --  11am–10pm
• Busara Thai Cuisine --  404 36th St. --  11:30am–9:30pm
• Café Akroteri --  1219 Cornwall Ave. --  11am–9:30pm
• Cascade Pizza -- 2431 Meridian St. -- 11am–11pm
• Ciao Thyme -- 207 Unity St. -- 6pm, reservations required
• Copper Hog -- 1327 N. State St. -- 11am–1am
• The Daisy Café --114 W. Magnolia St. Suite 102 -- 7:30am–2:30pm
• D’Anna’s Café Italiano -- 1319 N. State St. -- 11am–10pm
• Diamond Jim’s Grill -- 2400 Meridian St. -- 6am–3pm
• Diego’s -- 300 N. Samish Way -- 11am–10pm
• Fiamma Burger -- 1309 Railroad Ave. -- 11:30am–9pm
• Fireside Martini and Wine Bar -- 416 Bakerview Rd. -- 11:30am–10pm
• The Fountain Bistro -- 1910 Broadway -- 6am–10pm
• Fresh Start Espresso -- 1111 Cornwall Ave. -- 8am–2pm
• The Grace Café -- 1065 E. Sunset Dr. -- 6am–6pm
• Hilltop Restaurant -- 5645 Guide Meridian -- 6am–8:30pm
• India Grill Restaurant -- 1215 Cornwall Ave. -- 11am–9pm
• La Fiamma Wood Fire Pizza -- 200 E. Chestnut St. -- 11am–9pm
• Lighthouse Bar and Grill -- 1 Bellwether Way -- 7am–10pm
• Mallard Ice Cream & Café -- 1323 Railroad Ave. -- 10:30am–10pm
• Mambo Italiano Café -- 1303 12th St. -- 11:30am–9:30pm
• Mykonos -- 1650 W. Bakerview Rd. -- 11am–10pm
• Old Town Café -- 316 W. Holly St. -- 6:30am–3pm
• On Rice Thai Cuisine (Barkley) -- 2200 Rimland Dr., Suite 100 -- 11am–9:30pm
• On Rice Thai Cuisine (Fairhaven) -- 1224 Harris Ave. -- 11am–9:30pm
• On Rice Thai Cuisine (Samish) -- 209 N. Samish Way -- 11am–9:30pm
• Pepper Sisters -- 1055 N. State St. -- 4:30pm–9pm
• Prospect Street Café -- 114 Prospect St. -- 5pm–9pm
• Rocket Donuts -- 306 W. Holly St. -- 6:30am–5pm
• Sehome Diner -- 232 36th St. (Sehome Village) -- 7am–2:30pm
• Shrimp Shack -- 1200 Cornwall Ave. -- 11:30am–8pm
• Taco Lobo -- 117 W. Magnolia St. -- 11am–9pm
• The Table by Bellingham Pasta Co. -- 100 N. Commercial St. -- 11am–9pm
• Thai House Restaurant -- 187 Telegraph Rd. -- 11am–9pm

For more information about Maple Alley Inn and the Opportunity Council, visit http://www.oppco.org/services/nutrition/

The Dirty Dan Days Festival is Fairhaven’s annual celebration of seafood and of the community founder, Dirty Dan Harris. Enjoy live music, contests, a beer & wine garden, and vendors. The fun begins at 10 a.m. with the International Dan Harris Challenge Rowing Race, followed by an uphill piano race at noon. The popular Chuckanut Chowder Cook-off will take place from 2 to 4pm when 18 local restaurant chefs will cook their preferred chowder recipes. The event itself is free, but tickets are available for purchase to sample a taste of all chowders on hand, and a bowl of your favorite with a piece of locally-baked Avenue Bread alongside. Tickets also allow for an opportunity to vote in the People’s Choice contest for best chowder.

www.fairhaven.com/events/event/6387

It's that glorious time of year when our outdoor Farmer's Markets come alive again.  This Saturday,  the Farmer's Markets in Bellingham, Coupeville, and Friday Harbor will be some of the earliest markets to open.  So, grab your shopping bags, baskets, what have you? and take in an outdoor market this weekend. Our weather forecast is looking mostly dry for pleasant shopping!  Information for the markets opening this weekend is listed below.

Coming soon  -  We will update you with our complete "opening date" schedule for other area markets in the near future !

Opening this Saturday,  April 7th --

Bellingham  --  1100 Railroad Avenue, from 10:00 - 3:00    www.bellinghamfarmers.org

Coupeville  -- Alexander Street and 8th Street (behind the library), from 10:00 - 2:00. www.localharvest.org/coupeville-farmers-market-M16875

Friday Harbor -- 150 Nichols Street, from 10:00 - 1:00.    www.sjifarmersmarket.com

Yes, it's Spring and the annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is ready to bloom! Mother Nature seems to be cooperating this year, as the tulip fields are scheduled to bloom on-time for the annual event which spans the entire month of April. While you are out visiting the beautiful natural displays, stop to enjoy the official "tastes" of this year's festival.

Official Wine - Pasek Cellars Winery Tasting Room, 18279 Fir Island Rd., Mount Vernon

Official Microbeer - Anacortes Brewery & Rockfish Grill, 320 Commercial Ave., Anacortes

Official Coffee - Whidbey Coffee, 691 Cascade Mall Dr., Burlington

Official Chocolate - Forte Artisan Chocolate, 1400 Riverside Dr., Suite D., Mount Vernon

www.tulipfestival.org