Author: Sarah Hagy

Bigger is Better

The Whiteaker Block Party celebrates Its eighth year

Culture

What started as a small crowd partying in an empty parking lot in the Whiteaker among amps and beer kegs has grown, in eight short years, into a neighborhood-encompassing celebration of community and unique Eugene culture. Featuring a couple dozen local bands, food and craft vendors, an art and kid zone, carnival games, a dunk tank, beer gardens and even a bike valet, on Saturday, Aug. 2, from noon to 10 pm — it’s the Whiteaker Block Party (WBP). Continue reading →

Walk This Way

Local animal lovers take the career path less traveled

Culture
Alicia Johnson

After spending 30 stressful years working as a computer technician, Steve Walker found himself in his early sixties and looking for a career change that would facilitate both his retirement and his golfing hobby. Walker chose dog walking. A year and a half later and Walker’s “Top Dog” offers dog walking, pet sitting, vacation visits, pet transportation and errand running. The business has grown to the point that he occasionally turns down jobs to retain his partial retirement. Continue reading →

Beer Breakdown

Craft beer for beginners

Drink
Mike Codlin. Photo by Trask Bedortha.

While tap lists at local bars and breweries seem to range from elusive to overwhelming with not much in between, choosing a beer can be a daunting task. With new craft creations, a multitude of IPAs vying for attention and beer pairing taking a seat at the table, it’s an intimidating, brave new world. So if you’re new to the brewery scene and playing catch up on the craft beer revolution, EW is bringing you the basics with Mike Coplin of 16 Tons Taphouse as our cicerone (aka a beer sommelier).  Continue reading →

Brew It Yourself

Cost and tailored taste draw thousands to eugene’s hopping home brew scene

Drink
Members of the cascade brewers society and others sample the entries in the sasquatch homebrew competition. winner to be revealed june 7. Below: Brandt Weaver.

Of the hundreds of varieties of craft beers available at microbreweries throughout Oregon, bacon, oyster, horseradish, fig, beet and pork chop are not mouth-watering flavors that often come to mind when craving a cold pint. But according to members of the Cascade Brewers Society (CBS), home-brewed creations like Curry Stout, Licorice Logger or Beet Weiser are mighty tasty.  Continue reading →

Down by the Seashore

Try a sand castle contest for that sand-between-your-toes vacation feeling

Culture

After an Alaskan earthquake sent a tidal wave crashing down on the Oregon coast in 1964, Cannon Beach residents decided they needed a fun event to raise spirits and bring people back to the beach. Thus, the Cannon Beach Sand Castle Contest began, and 50 years later it has grown into a weekend-long, award-winning event that draws thousands out to enjoy the sun, the sea and — of course — the sand. Continue reading →

Let’s Roll

Enjoy the great outdoors with Eugene’s many community bike rides

Culture

Forget the rain clouds, spring is here and it’s time to pump up your tires and strap on your helmet — the month of May is filled with community bike rides. Take your pick, from biking to music in the moonlight to family rides with an ice cream incentive or a workout that comes with both conversation and a view. It’s up to you.   “There’s something about doing active things in a group that is just very powerful, and for Eugene we love to bike and we love to drink beer,” says BikeInShapes founder Ross Kanaga.  Continue reading →

A Wine for Every Equation

Eugene’s first urban winery, Eugene Wine Cellars, ages to perfection in the Whiteaker

Drink
Photo by Todd Cooper

Bruce Biehl, the owner of Eugene Wine Cellars (EWC), once dreamed of being a cowboy. He became a winemaker instead. With a soft spot for European wine culture, influenced both by his travels and a brother who makes wine in southern France, Biehl brought the first “urban winery” to Eugene in 1999. It was a family effort, with Biehl siblings Beverly and Brad, which made EWC the first licensed winery within city limits. Continue reading →

Zoned Out, Screened In

Arts

In a post-industrial culture of digital manipulation, reality often becomes an illusion. So much of our waking lives are spent craning towards LCD screens or staring down into the crackling wasteland of an iPhone — little time is left for “real” time. Eugene painter and mixed media artist Adam Lesh explores this concept and more in his current exhibit “Screened In” downtown at The Woodpecker’s Muse art gallery. Continue reading →