Arts & Entertainment Community

Harbor Happenings: What’s brewing with Gig Harbor Beer Fest

Posted on May 11th, 2022 By: Vince Dice

It’s shaping up to be a big weekend in the Harbor.

Whether you want to look at classic boats, get your hands dirty cleaning up downtown, or just spend an afternoon sampling Northwest brews, you should be able to find something to occupy your time.

Read on for more Harbor Happenings.

Gig Harbor Beer Festival

Between 1,500 and 2,000 people are expected to attend the 11th annual Gig Harbor Beer Festival in the Uptown Gig Harbor complex from noon until 5p.m. Saturday, May 14.

The Gig Harbor Beer Festival draws a big crowd to the Uptown Pavilion. Courtesy of Gig Harbor Beer Festival

The event is the big annual fundraiser for the Gig Harbor Kiwanis Club. John Forsberg of Gig Harbor Brewing, who organizes the event with the Kiwanians, expects 16 to 18 breweries to participate.

“The crowds always seem to have a really great time,” Forsberg said. “We’ve always lucked out on the weather.”

A warning: No food is sold inside the festival. Forsberg advises people to eat before hand or visit one of the many Uptown restaurants and bring food in with them.

Enjoying a drink at a previous Gig Harbor Beer Festival. Courtesy of Gig Harbor Beer Festival

Tickets cost $32 and come with 10 tokens that can be redeemed for beer samples. Attendees will also receive a program and a commemorative 10-ounce pilsner cup while supplies last. About 100 tickets are expected to be available at the gate for those who didn’t buy in advance.

Breweries and other booze-makers expected to participate include San Juan Seltzer of Seattle; Discovery Cider Co. of Tacoma; Dunagan Brewing Company of Gig Harbor; Hood Canal Brewery of Kingston; Ghostfish Brewing Co. of Seattle; E2W Brewing of Gig Harbor; Odd Otter Brewing of Tacoma; Echoes Brewing Co. of Poulsbo; Gig Harbor Brewing; Deep Draft Brewing of Bremerton; Acorn Brewing of Edgewood; Bent Bine Brewery of Belfair; Heritage Distilling Co.; 7 Seas Brewing of Gig Harbor; Narrows Brewing of Tacoma; North 47 Brewing of Tacoma; Rainy Daze Brewing of Poulsbo; Western Red Brewing of Poulsbo; Wet Coast Brewing of Gig Harbor; and Gig Harbor-based Locust Cider.

Local bands Kristen Marlo, My Guilty Pleasure and The Profits will perform during the festival.

The event is at the Uptown Gig Harbor Pavilion, 4701 Point Fosdick Drive.

Gigging Up the Harbor

The Downtown Waterfront Alliance’s annual downtown cleanup, Gigging Up the Harbor, is set for 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 14. On the agenda: sweeping, weeding, planting flower beds and more.

More than 70 volunteers participated in the event the last time it was held, in pre-Covid 2019.

Volunteers should meet at Skansie Brothers Park at 9 a.m. They will reconvene at noon for lunch, provided by area restaurants.

If you join them, remember to bring your own tools, including gloves, shovels, rakes and the like.

For information, contact the alliance at 253-514-0071 or [email protected].

Classic Boat Show

The 11th annual Tides Tavern Classic Boat Show returns Saturday and Sunday, May 14-15. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Tides, 2925 Harborview Dr.

The event, like many others, is returning after a two-year pandemic hiatus. Six to 10 boats, some made as long ago as the 1920s, typically appear for the show. All are welcome on the dock to check out classic boats, but the Tides itself is 21-and-over only.

Classic Boats tie up at Tides Tavern for the 2019 Classic Boat Show. Courtesy of Tides Tavern

‘Cinderella’ at Peninsula

Peninsula High School’s production of Rogers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” has its official opening weekend after staging “technical previews” shows last weekend.

Showtimes are 7 p.m. May 12, May 13 and May 14; and 7 p.m. May 19 and 20. Performances are at the Peninsula High School auditorium.

More than 60 students are involved in the production. It is Peninsula’s first stage production at full capacity post-Covid.

Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 or $5 for students depending on age. Buy tickets here.

Find more Gig Harbor-area events, or submit your own, to Gig Harbor Now’s free events calendar.