Bloglander

The annual beer festival formerly known as Oktoberfest will return to Riverfront Park this September with a new name: the Inland NW Craft Beer Festival.

“We will move away from the lederhosen and oompah music and focus on the amazing beer and breweries in this fast growing craft beer region,” the Washington Beer Commission site says. (Many links on the site are still pointing to the old Oktoberfest page.)

This will be the fourth year for the Spokane festival, which is one of six tasting events organized by the Washington Beer Commission each year to promote the state’s craft breweries, and the only one on this side of the state.

The festival is scheduled for Sept. 27-28 this year. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door, and the cost includes a tasting cup and five 5-oz. samples. (Designated driver admission is $5.)

The participating breweries haven’t been announced yet, but last year there were more than 20 and the number of Spokane breweries has just about doubled in the past year. (A few nearby Idaho breweries will also be in the mix.) Each brewery is required to serve at least two styles, with one of them being a fall seasonal or pumpkin beer.

Check out our beer issue here, and read this week's story on the latest local brewery news. 

“Lifetime Members for Life” and a handful of newbies who didn’t get FBC Spokane’s “Wear All Black” memo showed up at the Swamp Tavern on Saturday night for the club’s Final Full Moon Fiasco. Mountain bikes, road bikes, cruisers and fixies occupied every stationary pole and pipe in sight as bikers milled around the tavern in the moments before the ride. One LMFL towed a cardboard coffin stamped with the words “RIP FBC. Don’t be sad that it is over, be glad that it happened.”

As a sign of grief, some wore funereal costumes. Saturday was FBC Spokane’s 6th birthday and finale, as organizer Jeff Everett decided he would no longer maintain the club. Once the ride began, one woman quipped, “What’s the best color for bikers to be wearing at night?” To which the mob of bikers replied, “Black!”

A newly married couple taking wedding photos got caught in the middle of the estimated 400 bikers riding through Spokane. Riders cooed and congratulated them as they tried to keep a straight face for the camera.

There is only one rule of the FBC: “Don’t be an asshole.” This entails following the rules of the road, and more specifically, not riding through red lights. Most obeyed. Some were assholes. 

The crowd coasted down W. Clarke Avenue and across the Spokane River, through a bit of dusty trail and onto Broadway Avenue, where spectators cheered the riders with whoops and high fives, or heckled some for not wearing helmets. Arrival at Riverfront Park cued riders to circle the Rotary Fountain en masse.

Upon reaching Breakstone Place on Washington Street, the FBC settled in for beers, prizes, and music from heavy rock band Red Cloud. Riders who scored one of Jeff’s 200 laminated spoke cards were eligible for prizes during the raffle at the end of the night.

There was no heartfelt speech of nostalgia, but instead an upbeat and sarcastic see-you-on-the-road. While Jeff has insisted he wants someone else to organize their own version of the club, is uncertain at this point what will happen to Spokane’s motley club of beer-drinking bike riders.

HERE

Last night, the Royal Fireworks Concert in Riverfront Park crackled its last pop. (SR)

Potentially a good sign for the housing market in Spokane: One developer is talking about restarting a proposed 220-acre development plan, if he can get enough incentives, of course. (SR)

Three days of pure Matt Shea. (CDAP)

THERE

The Pope doesn't have a problem with celibate, gay priests. (NYT)

Colorado politicians face political backlash after passing tough new gun legislation. (NYT)

What happens to whistleblowers after they blow that whistle. (WP)

Olympia man finds the danger of playing Fast, Furious with unmarked police car. (The Olympian)

GRAB BAG

Slate columnist Dave Weigel, an Actual Journalist, has been having a bit of fun with the pretend journalists on HBO's The Newsroom. 

Ladies, customer don't want to hear all your gossip about your friends and
their relationships. At your age you should have more discretion.

You have got to be kidding me. You have some nerve judging parents because
their children are acting up in public. If my special needs child behaves
better than your 'normal' children, what does that say about you? If you, a
parent of a down syndrome child, are labeling your child as 'not
normal 'what does that say about you? I am a caregiver for the
developmentally disabled, many of them very high functioning, and the most
hurtful thing to them is not being referred to as 'not normal'. Well you
know what's not normal? Your arrogance, stupidity and immaturity. You
seemed to be saying if your child is tired, hungry, not feeling well or not
being listened to their parents are being neglectful/bad parents. I
question if you even have a child of your own because any parent, or
intelligent human being, would realize a toddler can easily go through all
those emotions in a two minute span. Children are not robots that can be
programmed to obey and sit silently. They are unpredictable, messy, loud,
and sticky. But that's part of their charm. Man I wish I knew where you
worked so I could rally up all the screaming babies I could find and just
surround you with them. In the end, is it really worth getting this worked
up about kids making a little noise? Count your blessings and keep things
in perspective bro. And maybe pull that stick out while you're at it.

Jeers to the general feel of Spokane/Jeers section (ironic, huh?). I read
the Inlander every week and always end up reading the Jeers section. Should
know better by now, as it is filled with reports of burglary, road rage and
admonishments of white trash. While I understand that this is the forum for
such ventilation, it is a continual reminder of why I am nearly ashamed to
have been born in this beautiful city. I have since moved across the state
line to the Lake City. While there is road rage here, I never feel the
cold, metropolis like manner that I feel when I am forced to venture into
Spokane for services that CDA can't offer. I am always grateful to return
to a community that is still somewhat filled with solidarity and concern
for their fellow human being. Spokane, get your shit together. Your local
news depresses the hell out of me.

A special cheers to my LaLa on her big birthday! I know this is a week
late, but hey I'm blonde and we both know what that means! Although we
don't get to spend as much time together as we would like and have
threatened best friend divorce for lack of date nights I wanted you to know
that I love love love you and couldn't ask for a better spazmatica buddy
ever! We went from hating each other to being the closest of friends! Happy
Birthday love monkey and shoe shopping is on like Donkey Kong! Love you,
DeDe

It was awesome hanging out with you and watching Harry Potter and having
cheesecake! Hope to see you this weekend! Love you buddy!! :-P Sophie

I'm a college kid with a single mom and we were having a yard sale to raise
money for my school books. I can't believe anyone would take advantage of
us like that. Not only did you steal a textbook I could have sold, you
barged into our house to use the bathroom. The kicker? You left the seat
up. We're an all-girls household and did not appreciate your business.

My Husband and I were elated to find we were expecting our first child June
2013. We knew right away we wanted the culmination of the journey through
pregnancy documented and sought the services of a local photographer. We
just have to say a huge "Thank You" to Fawn Manning of L'amore Photography
for her wonderful talent and expertise. The "Belly to Baby" photos turned
out amazing and we couldn't be happier! We recommend her to anyone and
everyone, she specializes in Maternity, Newborn and Families and we plan to
hire her for every milestone for us and our children. You're amazing Fawn,
we love you!