Oktoberfest, Year 2

Its Oktoberfest!

The Pacific City Association (PCA) would like to invite you to our 2^nd annual Oktoberfest: Root • Beer • Float. This is a Black Beer and Root Beer Festival, held Saturday, September19th in Pacific City, Oregon. The title is a play on words, as we will have root beer, black beer and the floats are for glass floats. The trophy for the people’s choice is a large glass float and we will raffle off traditional and modern art glass floats to voters at the Festival. This event promotes Pacific City. Money raised is used to buy advertising and marketing materials to promote the businesses of the PCA. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to local charity, Tillamook County Habitat for Humanity.

Our first year hosting this event, we kept it small, five root beers and nine black beers were available for tasting. This year we are able to expand the Black Beer Garden and our only rule: If it’s clear, it ain’t beer!

A souvenir mug, with tickets, is purchased and the tickets are used for 4 oz tastes and 12 oz pours of the Black Beer and Root Beer. We will also be selling event t-shirts.

The Root Beer Kindergarten is a kid friendly part of the celebration. Kids of all ages can test their taster at the Root Beer Tasting Contest, where they try to identify a national brand root beer. The prize for the winner of each heat is a handful of root beer barrel candy.

We will be having live German music and dancing with the High Fives Band from The Dalles, Oregon and Accordionist Lauri Neumann-Grable from Hillsboro, Oregon.

We will be serving German food. Bratwurst and Sauerkraut is the staple of any Oktoberfest.

It all takes place on Pacific Avenue, just West of the 4-way stop in downtown Pacific City, Oregon.

Please contact me at The Craftsman B&B. 503-965-4574 or at innkeeper@craftsmanbb.com

Radio Show

This morning, Mike was up and out of the house early. That's rare as he is usally making me hungry by preparing breakfast for his guests, it smells so good. I hang out in the hall between the kitchen and pantry peeking in through the gate and smelling all the good smells, you know, like bacon. The gate is there because dogs are not allowed in the kitchen.

Anyway, back to Mike leaving the house. He was off to be interviewed for a radio show that takes place in town every Friday. Held at the Bank in town, I like that place because I get cookies when I visit. When I still was able to, I would stand up and put my front feet on the counter so I could see who was going to take care of me while Mike was doing his banking.

The radio show is hosted by Jacie Voegeli, a local real estate agent and friend, she's always nice to me when she stops in for a visit. They talked about the B&B, Pacific City and the Oktoberfest event coming up this fall. You can listen to the show in 2 parts. Part #1 and Part #2, each about 10 minutes. Aired on KCUP News/Talk 1230 AM and 100.7-2 HD FM. Their sister station, BOSS Radio 100.7 FM, helps us out with events for the Pacific City Association too.

So check it out, download it to your iPod and enjoy the voice of my master. Yeah, like I have a master.

Oktoberfest Recap

I missed a few days of posting.  Everyone around here was very busy and I had to keep my eye on things.  If you don't already know, I have to shadow Mike at all times.  I must know where he is at.  With all the running around I got confused, but I am better now that Oktoberfest is done.  Mike did all the graphics and signs for the event.  Laura was the "event organizer."

The first annual Oktoberfest: Root • Beer • Float, A Black Beer and Root Beer Festival, hosted by the Pacific City Association, was held Saturday, September 20th in Pacific City, Oregon. We define Black Beer as, "If it's clear, it ain't beer."  The weather was perfect and the turnout was great. Laura and the PCA would like to thank all those who attended and volunteered.

Visitors registered in the center of town. They received a Treasure Map to find glass floats. They toured the downtown, looking in each business for authentic glass floats.

Kids of all ages tested their taster at the Root Beer Tasting Contest. They tried to be the first to identify a store brand root beer. The prize for the winner of each heat was a handful of root beer barrel candy.

Don Hirch provided German music on his accordion. The German Club of Portland Community College provided edutainment.

The Root Beer Kindergarten and Black Beer Garden was the heart of the celebration. Five root beers and nine black beers were available for tasting. The first root beer to sell out was Henry Weinhard's.  We also had Pelican Root Beer, Jones, Virgil's and Thomas Kemper.

Of the nine Black Beers, the People’s Choice winner, with 31.25% of the vote, was Lost Coast Eightball Stout. This brewery from Eureka, California was awarded a large glass float as the trophy for the first Oktoberfest in Pacific City, Oregon.

Pelican Tsunami Stout from Pacific City, Oregon and Deschutes Black Butte Porter from Bend, Oregon tied for Second Place, 15.6% of the vote for each.

The other beers were: Bridgeport Porter from Portland, Oregon; Rogue Mocha Porter from Newport, Oregon; Terminal Gravity Porter from Enterprise, Oregon; Roots Excalibur Stout from Portland, Oregon; Mt. Hood Hogsback Oatmeal Stout from Government Camp, Oregon and Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout from Boonville, California.

All voters were entered into a drawing for an art glass float thanks to The Dapper Frog.

Being a German dog, I love Oktoberfest.  Join us next year, September 19th 2009.

Why I Love Tillamook County

Today Mike and I went for a drive in the truck.  As you know, dogs love trucks.  It was loaded up with a bunch of stuff Mike collected when they remodeled The Craftsman B&B.  As it turns out, he saved too much.  He save a bathroom vanity thinking he could use it as storage in the cellar.  Drawers don't work so well for the items we have stored down there so out it went to clear up some space.  Also collected was a massive cabinet Mike got when Wy'east / Arcentia moved from John's Landing to Milwaukie.  It didn't look that big when it was in a room with 18' high ceilings.  So after a e-mail to see if anyone wanted it, Mike stripped the hardware and in to the truck it went.  An old door and some luaun painted pink went as well.

We drove up the coast, through the fog, before heading inland.  The hotter it gets in the valley, the foggier it gets here on the coast.  Today 94º was forecasted for Portland, us here in Pacific City it's 65º.  So as we head inland it got a little warmer.  We drove past Whalen Island shroud in fog and the tide was in.  This is Mike's favorite spot on the coast.  He likes tidal flats, birds come and go depending on the tide.  The landscape changes every 11 hours or so.

Heading through the forest to the pasture land for Tillamook's dairy cows.  We turned off highway 101 on a little back road to the County Transfer Station.  Belted cow alert! (fixed link)  Mike put the wood in the recycle bin as I watched all the gulls.  They were very noisy.

As we try to be as green as possible, I knew there would be other stops.  When we make trips out of Pacific City, we combine many tasks, to save fuel and our carbon footprint.  Safeway was next.  I had to stay in the truck for this stop.  Mike ran in and got what he needed for our guests this weekend.  He wasn't long, I watched two guys eat their lunch standing next to motorcycles, one had a side car.  I'd like to go for a ride in a side car, as long as there is enough room for me to lay down and take a nap.

Next stop was lunch for Mike.  He got his usual and lucky for me, french fries.  I get to eat the "bagglers."

Out of Tillamook we saw the herd of elk taking it easy near the Air Museum.  Saw more cows and hanging out in his favorite spot, an Oregon State Police officer in a Suburban, their tricky.  So long to the sunshine for the day as we head back along the coast.  Windows rolled up, it's chilly.  Back home, Mike is working on signs for Oktoberfest this weekend.  

So, why do I love Tillamook County?  The drive to Tillamook says it all, coastal landscape, waves, fog and cool temprature.  Forrest drive and views.  Pastures where the cows are hard at work making the milk to make my favorite snack, cheese.  Elk inland where it gets a bit warmer and sunshine.  We have it all, just a 30 minute drive is all it takes to make you want to stay forever.  All I have to say now is, when's dinner?

Oktoberfest

Yesterday I talked bout the scooters coming to Pacific City this weekend.  Today I want to tell you about what is happening next weekend.

Its Oktoberfest!

The first annual Oktoberfest: Root • Beer • Float, A Black Beer and Root Beer Festival, hosted by the Pacific City Association, will be held Saturday, September 20th, from 11:00am to 4:00pm. All are welcome, so come on down.

Here is how the event is going to work. You and your family or group will register at the 4 way stop at Brooten and Pacific in the center of town. You will receive a Treasure Map and ticket to find glass floats. Follow the map and balloons to seek your treasure and tour the downtown. Each business on the Treasure Map will have several glass floats. If your tickets number matches, you get the float.

For kids of all ages, test your taster at the Root Beer Tasting Contest. Can you be the first to identify a store brand root beer? Prize for the winner!

We will have German music and entertainment.

There will be a Root Beer Kindergarten for everyone and Black Beer Garden for adults where you can sample brews from the Oregon Coast and around the World.

Visit me too, I'm german!