This March, there are plenty of opportunities to savor the best of the region, including wine tastings, food festivals, cooking classes, and special dinners. Some of these events (including the Bourbon & Bacon Fest) have already sold out, so we've compiled this list of events that you should buy tickets for now (or, in the case of a few of the events below that don't require tickets, at least plan ahead for). See them all below—including a poke cooking class, Bacon Eggs & Kegs, the 20th anniversary Taste Washington event, and Georgetown Bites—and check out our Things To Do calendar for even more events, including the highlights of the spring arts season and March concerts to buy tickets for.
Get all this and more on the free Stranger Things To Do mobile app—available now on the App Store and Google Play.
MARCH 3-4
1. Poverty Bay Wine Festival 2017
Sample goods from more than 20 Washington State wineries—and meet the winemakers—at Des Moines Rotary Club's 12th annual Poverty Bay Wine Festival. Each ticket includes ten tasting tokens, and you can buy more tokens for $1 each.
MARCH 4
2. Cabernet Classic
Taste a "dazzling array" of Washington wines (more than 50) made from Cabernet varieties at this event at Porsche Bellevue. The event will benefit Talk It Up, a "positive messaging" nonprofit.
3. Seattle Beagle Rescue 3rd Annual Wine Fundraiser
Raise money for the Seattle Beagle Rescue while sipping on wine, munching on appetizers, and petting lots of adorable beagles (and "beagle wannabes.") Bring your own pup—as long as they're well-behaved—and know that $15 of your $20 will go towards SBR.
4. WhiskeyRocks NW
General admission to this whiskey/music fest gets you ten tastes of the good stuff (out of the hundred or so on offer) and an evening of live music performances from straight-shooting classic rockers Spike and the Impalers, pop-country local boy Aaron Crawford, and five-piece cover band Rosie's Boyfriend.
MARCH 4-5
5. Penn Cove Musselfest
This is the 31st year of Coupeville's event celebrating the "bold, briny, and blue." Start at the MusselFest Headquarters, where you can buy tickets for the mussel chowder tasting and mussel farm tours, and watch cooking demonstrations featuring guest chefs like Matt Jenke of Lecosho and Chris Garr of Ivar's. There will also be sea-themed live music, a waterfront beer and wine garden, a mussel eating competition, and more.
MARCH 4-6
6. Sweet and Savory Crepes Cooking Class
At The Pantry, Jay Guerrero will teach you to make crepes with toppings like piment d'espelette butter, onion jam, roasted mushrooms and comté, bacon, apples, parsnip puree, and apple-brandy sauce, and buckwheat honey ice cream and black pepper.
MARCH 4-25
7. Pretty Fork Destination Dining
For these extravagant food tours, The Pretty Fork charters a private seaplane for eight to ten guests and flies to seaport restaurants across Elliott Bay, the San Juans, and Puget Sound. Once you arrive at the location (a secret until you get there), you get a champagne course and either a three-course lunch or six-course dinner, prepared by the chef of choice. They write, "The way we see it, people pay hundreds of dollars to fly and see sports games. We ask: Why not fly for a great meal." March 4 and 18 are destination lunches ($169), and March 25 is a destination dinner ($349).
8. Wine Tasting on Lake Union
Good wine + good boat = good weekend. To celebrate Washington Wine Month, taste local wines while sailing on Lake Union with Argosy Cruises. Each Saturday in March will feature a different viticulturer, including Drumheller Wines on March 3, Seven Falls Cedars on March 11, Chateau Ste Michelle on March 18, and Columbia Crest Winery on March 25.
MARCH 5-23
9. Dine Around Seattle
During Dine Around Seattle (not to be confused with Seattle Restaurant Week), restaurants throughout the area are serving three-course dinner menus for just $33 or $44, with some also offering a three-course lunch for $18. Even better: When you make reservations online through dinearoundseattle.org, a donation is made to the Rainier Valley Food Bank, which serves roughly 12,000 people every month from its tiny 1,200-square-foot facility on Rainier Avenue. ANGELA GARBES
MARCH 7
10. Taste of Place
A collection of panelists (specializing in topics including geology, food, wine, and cannabis) will speak about artisanal products in Washington state and signature regional flavors. Of course, that discussion would be incomplete without samples—so they'll also lead a tasting of local cheese, honey, and wine.
MARCH 8 & 22
11. Pretty Fork Progressive Dinners
The Pretty Fork takes diners on a walking tour of different Seattle neighborhoods, stopping at three different restaurants, each of which serves a different three-course flight of food and an optional wine pairing. The specific locations are all secret, but the neighborhoods are announced: March 8 will be in Bellevue and March 22 will be in Tacoma.
MARCH 9-23
12. Guest Chef Night
FareStart is a fantastic organization that empowers disadvantaged and homeless men and women by training them for work in the restaurant industry. Every Thursday, they host a Guest Chef Night, featuring a three-course dinner from a notable Seattle chef for just $29.95. March chefs include Chef Gerold Castro of Juno at the Arctic Club (March 9), Chef Jim Drohman of Le Pichet (March 16), and Chef Mauro Golmarvi of Assaggio (March 23).
MARCH 11
13. South Sound Spirits Gathering 2017 & South Sound Distillery Tour
The Washington Distillers Guild will present this second annual tasting of spirits from across the state (including some from Batch 206, Copperworks Distilling Co, and Blind Pig Spirits) and bites from local restaurants. In addition to sampling the goods, you can also check out the Olympic Flight Museum's antique planes, chat with the distillers on hand, and purchase bottles. Ticket holders can also participate in a 6-hour, $25 South Sound distillery tour on March 10.
14. Vegetarian Tamale-Making Class
El Centro de la Raza's porky tamale-making classes have been so popular, they recently introduced a vegetarian version. You'll take home a dozen vegetarian tamales of your own making at the end, plus the ability to make vegetarian tamales for the rest of your life.
MARCH 11-12
15. Bacon Eggs & Kegs
The name of the event is self-explanatory, but the details sound pretty tempting: a 30-foot Bloody Mary bar for drinks made with Heritage Distilling Co. vodka, Irish coffee (for Paddy's day!) or alcohol-laced hot chocky, and brunch food for purchase (including $5 deals). Plus: cornhole (tee hee), dueling pianos, butchery demos, egg games, and more. Your ticket gets you 12 tokens: one token is good for 5 ounces of beer; two can be swapped for a full pour; three buy a Bloody Mary or other alcoholic drink.
MARCH 12
16. Hightower Cellars Wine Dinner
Rachel Yang's Korean-influenced restaurant Joule offers regular three and four-course dinners, each served family style and paired with wine from a different winery. This time, they'll highlight picks from Hightower Cellars, each one offering "flavor complexity, balanced tannin structures, and enchanting aromatics."
MARCH 14
17. Highland Park Whisky Dinner
Savor a four-course meal from Quinn's Pub paired with Highland Park whisky and talk with representatives of the world-famous, centuries-old Orkney distillery.
MARCH 14-15
18. Mediterranean Favorites Cooking Class
Cook a five-course Mediterranean meal evoking sunny days with Poggi Bonsi, who'll instruct you in dishes like flatbread with halloumi cheese, Niçoise salad, Catalan white bean soup, chicken tagine, and dark chocolate raspberry tart. Eat your handiwork with wine pairings.
MARCH 15
19. Drunk Herstory
In March, Brouwer's Cafe will host several events in honor of Women's History Month. This one promises brews and tipsy storytelling by women in the beer industry (who represent breweries including Fremont, Ecliptic, Victory, Hop Valley, Left Hand, New Belgium, Ninkasi, and Weihenstephan). Each brewery will have several beers on tap, and the proceeds from those beers will go straight to Planned Parenthood.
MARCH 16
20. Ivar's Luau Party Featuring Kona Brewing
Snack on Kahlua pork, ahi tuna, shrimp and mango salad, porter-braised short ribs, and coconut cake along with Kona beers, including the new Hanalei IPA. Dress islandy and get your leis from Ivar's; there will be music and more.
21. Studio Supper: Donna Moodie of Marjorie
Studio Suppers at On the Boards are Seattle civic treasures that manage to turn the dinner-and-a-show formula into something truly exciting. Before the opening performance of one of OtB’s provocative shows, you join 50 other people at a communal table for a family-style meal prepared by a local chef. There’s lots of wine and, because diners get to pay on a sliding scale ($25–$100), you’ll actually have interesting conversations with a diverse mix of people. This Studio Supper, on the opening night of Jessica Jobaris and General Magic's A Great Hunger, features dinner by Donna Moodie of Marjorie. ANGELA GARBES
MARCH 16-18
22. St. Paddy's Feast with Flying Bike Cooperative Brewery
Savor a big meal made with fresh local ingredients paired with Flying Bike beers at The Pantry's St. Paddy's Day family-style dinner party. On the menu are leek and potato pancakes, duck confit, coriander-cured beef, and milk chocolate ice cream floating in stout beer.
MARCH 16-19
23. 15th Annual Barleywine Bacchanal!
Beveridge Place Pub will fill 30 taps (yes, 30, you read that correctly) with barleywine as part of their annual celebration of the beverage—selections will change daily, so come two or three times to check out all their options.
MARCH 17
24. St. Patrick's Day in the Market Feast
Chef Seattle Joe will evoke the Emerald Isle with Irish-themed ingredients and recipes, like colcannon and lamb and Irish cheddar croquettes, at this four-course dinner. A cocktail will accompany each course.
MARCH 18
25. Debuts & Discoveries
Every year for the past 10 years, Seattle Uncorked has thrown a party for wineries, distilleries, cideries, and breweries that have been operating for less than four years. Featured this year are 3 Howls Distillery, Lucky Envelope Brewing, Schilling Cider, and at least two dozen more. Partake of samples, food truck dishes, and live music.
26. Eat Seattle: Cooking Class and Wine Pairing
Venture into Pike Place Market with two heads of Purple—head chef Harry "Coach" Mills and wine director Chris Horn—to buy ingredients for a three-course meal. Learn how to marry wines and dishes with a low-pressure approach.
27. Poke with Chef Kyle Wisner
Nowadays, you can't throw a sardine in Seattle without hitting a a new poke place. Get in on the trend with Chef Kyle Wisner (Sitka and Spruce, Le Pichet), who'll take you on a field trip though Pike Place Market to stock up on ingredients, then hurry back to the kitchen to make ahi tuna, shrimp miso, and vegetarian beet poke.
MARCH 20
28. Washington State AVA Wine Tasting: Series 13
Taste wines from 15 world-renowned Walla Walla Valley vintners (including Long Shadows Vintners, Woodward Canyon, Northstar Winery, and Basel Cellars) and learn about the region at this event celebrating small American Viticultural Areas.
MARCH 23
29. Cocktails for a Cause
Legal Voice ("a progressive feminist organization using the power of the law to make change in the Northwest") will host this cocktail event and fundraiser that promises lively conversation with the aim of championing women's rights. A general admission ticket includes hors d'oeuvres, a complimentary beverage, and access to the cash bar.
MARCH 23-26
30. Taste Washington
The 20th anniversary edition of Taste Washington will bring together nearly 300 wineries, more than 70 restaurants, and many national chefs for an extravagant four-day wine and food experience. The lineup of events includes the Red & White Party on Thursday, the New Vintage on Friday, and the Grand Tasting on Saturday and Sunday. Plus, you can sign up for special experiences, including farm visits, seminars, and early-morning tours of Pike Place Market.
MARCH 24
31. Arcade Lights
Party at the wonderful Pike Place Market, which will be nigh-bursting with local delicacy-producers and alcoholic drinks. Prepare for crowds: last year, over a thousand people came for the high-class noshes and gorgeous view. Your ticket will provide you with unlimited food and five alcoholic drink tickets, but premium-ticket buyers will enter a half hour earlier. Everybody takes home a 5-ounce glass as a memento. The vendors that have signed on so far include Bavarian Meats, Fauxmage, Hot Lips Pizza, Pike Place Chowder, Jonboy Caramels, Theo Chocolate, Fremont Brewing, Copperworks Distilling, and oh geez so many more but we are too hungry to go on.
MARCH 25
32. Capital Food & Wine Festival
Taste more than 100 regional wines, 40 beers on tap, hard cider, and local restaurant fare at this 28th annual event in Lacey also featuring live music and benefiting the Saint Martin's Alumni Association's scholarship fund.
33. Cask Beer Festival
The Cask Beer Festival offers only unfiltered, naturally conditioned beers containing CO2 only from fermentation rather than artificial introduction. Taste them at this Washington Brewers Guild event.
34. Georgetown Bites
Seattle’s oldest neighborhood also happens to be home to some of the city’s best beer (Georgetown Brewing, Machine House Brewery) and cured meats (Hitchcock Deli), as well as an unusually high concentration of pizza (Via Tribunali, Flying Squirrel, Stellar), excellent sweets (Ellenos Greek Yogurt), and vegan food from Georgetown Liquor Company. Georgetown Bites gives you a chance to sample it all. ANGELA GARBES
35. Salvadorian Pupusa Cooking Class
Learn how to make Salvadorian pupusas (corn-based staples sort of similar to quesadillas) from Chef Camiel Chavez. The class fee goes towards El Centro de la Raza's Senior Nutrition & Wellness Program.
36. Talk of the Town 2017
Talk of the Town, Town Hall's annual fundraiser, promises a cocktail party, a dinner catered by local chefs, and performances by writer Chinaka Hodge (creator of the viral video "What will you tell your daughters about 2016?") and former Stranger staffer, Stranger Genius Award winner, Shrill author, and hilarious human Lindy West.
MARCH 30
37. Studio Supper: Renee Erickson of Sea Creatures Restaurants
Studio Suppers at On the Boards are Seattle civic treasures that manage to turn the dinner-and-a-show formula into something truly exciting. Before the opening performance of one of OtB’s provocative shows, you join 50 other people at a communal table for a family-style meal prepared by a local chef. There’s lots of wine and, because diners get to pay on a sliding scale ($25–$100), you’ll actually have interesting conversations with a diverse mix of people. This Studio Supper, on the opening night of Heather Kravas' visions of beauty, features dinner by Renee Erickson of Sea Creatures Restaurants (Bar Melusine, Bateau, General Porpoise, Barnacle, The Whale Wins, and The Walrus and the Carpenter). ANGELA GARBES
MARCH 31
38. Burke NiteLife: Dinos on the Rocks
Mix up your usual Friday evening drinking routine at this dinosaur-focused event featuring a selection of real fossils (including the jaw of the Tufts-Love T. rex), a potentially terrifying life-sized dinosaur augmented reality experience, and photo ops with the Jurassic Park Jeep. The admission fee includes two drink tickets.
Get all this and more on the free Stranger Things To Do mobile app—available now on the App Store and Google Play.
