Ric Jacobson is the Des Moines Rotarian in charge of lining up the largest line-up of wineries – 25 – in the six year history of the Poverty Bay Wine Festival, which is coming to the Landmark Event Center in Des Moines on March 6th and 7th.

Ric reports that the following Northwest wineries will be at the festival on Saturday and Sunday to serve the guests. If you taste a wine you want to take home, bottles will be for sale at the event. All proceeds of the sale of wine will go directly to the Rotary Club of Des Moines, who use the funds for the many great things they do for the community.

The following wineries will be in attendance for the event:

• Canyon’s Edge
• Chandler Reach
• Covington Cellars – NEW
• Coyote Canyon Winery – NEW
• Burien’s own E.B. Foote Winery (WLB Advertiser)
• Eaton Hill
• Erin Glenn
• Fall Line
• Five Star Cellars
• Fort Walla Walla Cellars – NEW
• Kestrel – NEW
• Knipprath – NEW
• Masset Winery
• Otis Kenyon
• Page Cellars
• Pondera – NEW
• Sleeping Dog
• Sodo Vino – NEW
• Stina’s Cellar
• Two Vintners – NEW
• Vashon Winery
• Vin du Lac – NEW
• Waving Tree
• Willis Hall
• Windy Point

Des Moines Rotarian, Dave Loft, in charge of food and goodies at the Poverty Bay Wine Festival has lined up the “best of the best” for food and snacks for wine-fest guests:

• Des Moines’ Anthony’s HomePort
• Des Moines’ Salty’s at Redondo
• Charley’s on Central Avenue in Kent
• Cafe Pacific Catering
• Forte Chocolates
• Kauzlarich Smoked Products
• Panera Bread
• Poverty Bay Coffee
• Waters to go
• Redondo Fred Meyer
• Archery Bistro
• Elliot Bay Brewery

The sixth annual Poverty Bay Wine Festival is surely the hottest ticket in town – well lots of towns, surrounding Des Moines. Your ticket includes fun, music, wine, food and even beer, all presented in the historic and magnificent Landmark Event Center (aka Landmark on the Sound), which is located at 23660 Marine View Drive South in Des Moines.

Tickets for the event are just $20 in advance from CorkyCellars (206-824-9462), Des Moines Drug or your local Des Moines Rotarian.

Parking and free shuttles will be available in the South Marina Parking lot.

All attendees must be 21 years of age and photo ID is required.

Click here for more information.

Normandy Park’s first-ever Winter Festival will be held this Saturday, Dec. 12th, from 11am to 4pm at the Normandy park Towne Center (located at 200th & 1st Ave South).

From their poster (download/view PDF here):

Join us at the first Normandy Park Winter Festival in Towne Square (1st Avenue at 200th) for holiday fun.

A free family event with over a dozen kids’ activities including Santa photos (bring your pets, too!), face painting, cookie decorating, Rockie the Police Dog, karaoke and caroling, and performances by Melanie’s Dancers.

Give back. Bring an item for the “Stuff the Trailer” senior gift drive or a food bank donation, and receive a free cocoa, cider or coffee at the Little League Trailer.

Support your local Normandy Park businesses. Raffles every half hour. Win prizes and gift certificates, receive discount coupons, and shop for hand-made gifts from local artists.

Raffle Sponsors:

• Archery Bistro
• Optimal Health Chiropractic
• SkySoles Reflexology
• Benson’s Best Bites
• Richard Steppic Wood Turning
• Emerald City Smoothie
• Companion Animal Medical Center
• Starbucks

Special thanks for generous sponsorship by:

• Normandy Park Senior Living
• Highline Little League
• Melanie’s Dance Unlimited

City of Normandy Park Arts Commission

Advertiser Normandy Park Senior Living is sponsoring a Spaghetti Fundraiser for the Lakewood Police Officers’ Families this Saturday, Dec. 12th from 6pm – 7:30pm at their campus at 16625 1st Ave South in Normandy Park.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser for Lakewood Police Officers’ Families

WHEN: Saturday, Dec. 12th from 6pm – 7:30pm

WHERE: Normandy Park Senior Living, located at 16625 1st Ave South in Normandy Park.

COST: Minimum donation of $10.00 per person

INFO: From a press release:

Normandy Park Senior Living with the assistance of several other agencies including Harlow’s Bus Sales, Starbucks Coffee, Food Service of America, Sam’s Club, Fast Signs and others, will be hosting a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for the Lakewood Police Department’s officers.

All proceeds will go the Lakewood Police Independent Guild (LPIG).

“We tried to think of something that we could do to give our residents, staff and the local community the opportunity to express their support for the families of the three men and one woman that died in this painful and senseless tragedy,” said Executive Director, Pauline Smith. “We have the utmost respect and appreciation for the men and women who protect and help us every day and this is just a small way to thank them and show our support.”

The fundraising dinner will be held Saturday, December 12th from 6pm-7:30pm at Normandy Park Senior Living located at 16625 1st Ave S, Normandy Park, WA 98148.

We are requesting a minimum donation of $10 per person.

There will be entertainment and raffle tickets available for some terrific prizes that will be drawn on Monday, December 14, 2009.

For additional information on how to donate if you cannot attend, please contact Pauline Smith or Kim Parks at 206-241-0821, or via email: psmith@artegan.com.

The Highline Historical Society is holding an online auction fundraiser, which runs until Tuesday, Dec. 15th, and offers local restaurants, foods, trips and unusual experiences – all perfect gifts for the holidays, all the while supporting a great local cause.

You can access the auction here:

www.highlinehistory.cmarket.com.

Proceeds from the auction will benefit the ongoing programs and activities of the Society, including their capital building campaign for the new Highline Heritage Museum on their property in “Old Burien.”

“We cannot thank our local vendors enough for their participation. I encourage everyone to take a look at the website and support the Society by bidding on something fun for the holidays,” said Terry Anderson, Society President.

The new Highline Heritage Museum, designed by Rohleder Borges Architects, will be located on the Southwest corner of SW 152nd Street and Ambaum Blvd. SW, where Karuna Yoga Arts is currently housed.

The online auction is hosted by cMarket, which is the country’s leading provider of non-profit online auction services. On any day there are as many as 200 cMarket auctions underway online nationwide. With their secure servers and a growing number of community-minded vendors, more and more shoppers are finding that this is an excellent way to shop close to home for the holidays and to also assist a worthwhile local charity.

If it’s September, it must be time for the third annual Oktoberfest at Burien’s Elliot Bay Brewhouse and Pub (a returning NPB Advertiser) – that’s right, following in the German tradition, Oktoberfest starts in September! Big difference is that the Germans celebrate for 16 days, into early October.

Elliott Bay’s celebration will take place on Saturday, Sept. 26th.

Michael Goldsmith, General Manager of Elliott Bay, sat down with NPB last week to lay out their plans to be a part of Burien’s Oktoberfest. The aim is to provide the city of Burien and surrounding area with a “family friendly area-wide celebration in the broadest sense.”

“We’re really excited about the music,” said Michael. “We’re presenting live music inside and outside from 2-9pm.”

Here’s a line up of the bands:

• Mellifluous Zephyrs will be playing traditional German Polka music on wind instruments
• Jonathan Kimball will play Folk/Blues and Acoustic
• Sunderlyn, “a powerpop altrock band” according to their website

In addition to the music, Elliott Bay has developed a special Oktoberfest Menu. In the true Oktoberfest tradition they’re setting up beer tents outside with “festival-style tables.” This means that you may have to sit with strangers, but the more you get into the spirit of Oktoberfest, the less strange they might be to you.

Elliott Bay is Burien’s only award-winning brewery, making the beers their customers enjoy right on the premises. Such popular local beers as:

• B-Town Brown
• Highline IPA
• Hop von Boorian

This family-friendly neighborhood pub offers a full pub menu, large party facilities, tournament-sized shuffleboard tables, along with party platters and beer to go. Monday-Wednesday they’re open to from 11am-10:30pm. Thursday-Saturday ’til midnight. The kitchen closes 30-minutes before the doors are locked. On weekends they open up early for brunch at 9:30am. They’ve also got a great happy hour with great happy hour food and beers.

If you can’t wait ’til Elliott Bay’s Oktoberfest, stop by and give ‘em a try. Then stop back on Saturday, Sept. 26th and enjoy the fun, food, ice cold beer, music…and make some new friends!

You’ll find Elliott Bay Brewhouse and Pub at 255 SW 152nd, right at the corner of 4th Ave SW. For more information, call (206) 246-4211 or visit their website here.

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The 7th Annual Des Moines Auto & Cycle Show is Sunday, Aug. 2nd from 9am – 3pm at the Normandy Park Towne Center, located at 19803 1st Ave South.

Debra and Rod Perkins, event organizers had to move it out of Des Moines this year, but it will still be the same great show, and certainly more convenient for NP residents!

It’s an “open show,” which means both the entry fee and admission is FREE, which sounds good to us.

by Janet Grella

Everyone who knows me knows that I’m studying Italian and that I love all things Italian. So when I heard that native Italian artist Maria Grazia Repetto had moved to the area, I just had to meet her and hopefully talk a little Italiano with her.

My husband Michael joined us for dinner at Osteria da Primo, where Carlo and Lindsay made a fellow Italiana feel welcomed. Fortunately Michael was with us, as he served as translator part of the evening (my Italiano has barely made it past Buona Serra, Bongiorno Buona Notte and Ciao!).

Having just returned from two years of painting frescoes for homeowners and businesses in Arizona, Maria settled with a friend in Normandy Park. She joined us for dinner on a recent Tuesday night.

Her journey to our area began 12 years ago when she visited her college-aged son in Seattle. She loved the lushness, beauty and summer weather here.

“I could live here,” she thought.

So she went back to Milano, collected her 12-year old son, procured a visa and moved to Seattle. She spoke no English, and relied on connections with Italian speakers and her young sons to help her open a shop, begin a business and began working her art. Maria Grazia’s training is in the fine work of murals, frescoes, reliefs, stuccoes, oils on canvas, acrylics, watercolors, sketches and portraits. She quickly found herself accepting commissions in Seattle, and soon Boca Raton, and finally Arizona.

One of her fondest memories of a commissioned fresco was with Hedges Winery in Richland.

“I painted a beautiful view of the red mountains with vineyards and orchards and gold colored soft rounded hills of the desert,” she said. “It was painted in a private apartment above the chateau and can be seen by invitation only.”

She spent four months alone in the chateau, “creating, creating and creating.”

“It is sometimes very lonely when you paint frescoes,” Maria Grazia told BTB over prosciutto e melone and carcioffi fritti at Primo.

Another totally modern fresco (which she prefers over rennaisance style) was “The Tower” which includes a partial view of Qwest Field in the background (see photo at left).

Here’s a video showing her in action, along with the progression of her work on “The Tower“:

“It looks completely weird, and I love it.”

She added that she was taught the art of fresco with a ‘modern’ take.

Maria Garcia proudly told us that every woman in her family is an artist, including her mother and sister who live in Italy, a sister in Brazil and another sister in France, plus two nieces. I guess you could call them the “Painting Repetto Women.”

Maria Grazia began the study of frescoes when she was 15.

“At the time I was studying, women were only expected to become secretaries, maids, shopworkers or wives and mothers” (can we infer, like many women of a certain age, Maria Grazia became a feminist?).

After our double espresso and sorbet de limone we did a passegiatta (walk about) of Burien and B/ IAS. Maria Grazia found our notorius ‘naked woman‘ sculpture “very beautiful and it looks like a real woman.” On the other hand, like many Burien-ites she is still trying to figure out ‘The Passage’ and the torn up grounds around it.

Her young sons are now grown into young men, aged 35 and 25 respectfully. Her oldest is with the FAA and his wife is a pilot for Horizon Airlines. Her youngest just graduated from the UW in Physics.

What’s next for our new resident italiana artist? She is shopping for a studio in the area.

“The medium I prefer is olio (oils). But I can’t do olio at home due to the smell.”

She’s currently working in acrylics in her Normandy Park home.

Here are some more videos that showcase her work:

To find out more about Maria Grazia Repetto and see her masterpieces click here.

The City of Normandy Park’s 2009 summer concert series “Music In The Park” begins Sunday July 19th with indie folk rocker Damien Jurado, from 5pm-6:30pm at Marvista Park, which is located at 200th and 4th Ave SW.

In addition to FREE music, there will also be free iced coffee from Starbucks and smoothie samples from Emerald City Smoothie.

Here’s the poster, which includes the schedule:

Here’s a video of Damien Jurado to whet your musical appetite:

The City of Normandy Park has posted the following schedule for the local 4th of July fun:

“Join your neighbors and friends at the Normandy Park 4th of July Social sponsored by the Normandy Park Community Club and the City of Normandy Park from 10am until 1pm. All Normandy Park residents are encouraged to join in the fun for these morning and early afternoon festivities:

10:25am: 2.8K Fun Run. It’s free, but pre-registration is highly suggested. The course is from Marvista Elementary to Marine View Drive & Shoremont. Runners be sure to arrive at the starting area before 10:10am as number pick up will close at that time. This year’s custom designed race t-shirt can be ordered in advance by all runners for pick it up at the finish line. Non-runners may purchase any left over shirts at the end of the race. They are only $15 each. Contact the Cove office to register 206-242-3778 or visit www.npcove.org

10:30am: Children’s Parade. Everyone is welcome to join in, either from the start (be at Marvista no later than 10:15!) or from anywhere along the parade route, which ends at the Cove Building. Classic cars, floats, wagons, bicycles, strollers, horses, marching bands – - all are encouraged to participate. Paint your face, decorate your bike, get out your flags; be festive or plain. Please, however, no campaigning or political signs. The Normandy Park Arts Commission will once again offer children prizes for the best decorated bicycles. Children who participate in the Parade are encouraged to decorate their bikes in the holiday spirit and enter the Bike Decorating Contest. Prizes will be awarded for the Best Patriotic decorations

11:15am: Social at the Cove. After the parade everyone is invited for free Ice Cream at the Cove. To satisfy your lunchtime hunger, hot dogs and beverages will be offered. Festivities include Classic Car Show and, Large Blow Up Toys and Temporary Tattoos for youngsters. All of this will be accompanied by Live Patriotic Music on the lawn.

Line the streets, enjoy the parade, and attend the Community Social at the Cove!

Road Closure Information:

• Marine View Drive and Shorebrook Drive will be closed to motor vehicles during the festivites from approx. 9:30am-12:00pm. Please use caution and consider alternate routes.

If you’re considering other local fun on the 4th, here’s a link to our sister site The B-Town Blog’s schedule for neighboring community 3 Tree Point’s all-day block party.

The City of Normandy Park’s Annual Arts Festival will be held this weekend, Saturday, June 6th and Sunday, June 7th, from 10am to 4pm at the NP city hall, located at 801 SW 174th Street (map below).

Here are the details:

WHAT: The City of Normandy Park’s Arts Festival

WHEN: Saturday, June 6th and Sunday, June 7th from 10am-4pm

WHERE: Normandy Park City Hall, located at 801 SW 174th Street

INFO: This is a wonderful time for everyone in the community to enjoy viewing the talent of local artists, participate in the annual Walk-In-The-Park, or to just kick back and listen to the sounds of live music.

• JURIED ART SHOW

The juried show is open to amateur’s and professionals. Awards are given in both categories. For those who are new to the art experience, the City offers art classes throughout the year. These classes can prepare you for our annual Art Show. See the Fine Arts Program Flyer for details (Search FAP).

• ARTS AND CRAFTS FAIR

An opportunity to sell or purchase original art work and crafts.

• ENTERTAINMENT

Live music throughout the day. Performers include various local youth groups.

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