Brown Bear Car Wash is celebrating its 54th anniversary today with free car washes at all of its “tunnel wash” locations, including the one at 1800 15th Ave W.

Swing by any time between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for a free “Bear Essential” wash. And a word to the wise, try to get there as early as possible, as the lines get notoriously long on Free Car Wash Day every year.

For other Brown Bear automated “tunnel wash” locations in the area, visit www.brownbear.com.

Queen Anne-ers will have two chances this weekend to enjoy the neighborhood’s unique arts and culinary scenes, all while supporting local organizations.

Swing by Counterbalance Park in Lower Queen Anne for the 11th Annual Uptown Stroll: A Festival of Art in Action this Saturday, August 27, and catch local artists creating art work–everything from paintings, pottery and jewelry, to music, poetry and spoken word–right there on the spot from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

After you’ve seen all the art in action you can take, mosey on up to the 2nd annual Happy Hour on the Hill, co-sponsored by FOLKpark and the Queen Anne Chamber of Commerce, from 4 to 7 p.m.

A $15 ticket will get you specials at 14 of Queen Anne’s favorite spots for a bite, a cup of coffee, or a sweet snack. Here’s a look at which merchants are participating and what they’ll be offering:

Bricco della Regina Anna – $3 off all wines by the glass & $2 Happy Hour bruchettas
Charley & May – FREE glass of May’s Spirited Summer Ice Tea plus 15% of store merchandise
Chocolopolis – $1 House truffles (limit 2) & 50% cup of drinking chocolate
Eat Local – Buy one get one FREE on featured wines; plus Dinner for Two: 2-serving entrée and bottle of featured wine for $24.98
Emmer and Rye – $5 Rye Manhattan
Homegrown Sustainable Sandwich Shop – $3 local microbrews
La Luna – 2 tacos for $5 (Al Pastor, Chicken Adobo or Truck); $3 Corona; $2.50 Pacifico
Metropolitan Market (Uptown only) – buy one, get one FREE gelato scoops
Paragon – $6 martinis & $6 appetizers
Queen Anne Dispatch – Buy 2 Hanky Panky and get 1 FREE
Top Pot Donuts – FREE donut with purchase of coffee beverage
T.S. McHugh’s – $2 Miller Lite & $2.50 Mac and Jack’s
Twirl Café – FREE Open Play, $1 off Beer and $2 off wine
Zaw Pizza – $3 off Signature pizzas

Tickets can be purchased at: Charlie + May, Chocolopolis, Eat Local, Homegrown, Queen Anne Dispatch, the Thursday Queen Anne Farmers Market, FOLKpark’s table at Metropolitan Market, and FOLKpark’s table at the Uptown Stroll. Proceeds will go toward helping FOLKpark reach its Department of Neighborhoods Matching Fund requirement. The Uptown Stroll is free.

For more information on FOLKpark at its work to revitalize Lower Kinnear Park, see our past coverage and the FOLKpark website.

Despite a short permitting debate between Hempfest organizers and the city of Seattle last spring, the annual cannabis festival and marijuana reform rally is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year.

The three-day ‘protestival’ kicks off at Myrtle Edwards Park today, Friday, August 19. The festival will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Whether you’ll be attending or just passing by, allow extra commuting time, as large crows are expected.

Hempfest organizers added a third day this year to help ease higher congestion expected for the 20th year celebration.  Previous coverage of the organization’s agreement with the city here.

Over 80,000 people are expected to attend on Saturday alone, so Queen Anne-ers should expect larger crowds and heavy traffic on the south slope of the hill all weekend.

At the Queen Anne Farmers Market this week:

• 3:30 to 4:40 p.m. – Young Yogi Kids’ class on the grass: In a playful manner, the session will blend yoga games, exploration of poses, stories, music, animated breathing exercises and magical meditation into an inspiring and replenishing thematic experience, so your children can investigate the sensations of body, mind, and spirit. The class will be taught by popular Haute Yoga instructor Silvia Mordini, Kids’ Yoga Instructor Angie Wilkins, and Jacob Young. Children of all ages are welcome at this complementary yoga class.
• 4 p.m. – Chef Demo with Ethan Stowell, of How to Cook A Wolf, Tavolata, Anchovies & Olives, and Staple & Fancy.
• 5 p.m. – Live music with Cort Armstrong and his sweet banjo tunes
• 5:30 p.m. – Kids Cooking Demo with nutritional therapist Stephanie Vuolo and Chef Rachel
• Check out what’s fresh at QAFM this week here

At the Interbay Farmers Market this week:

• There are no cooking demos scheduled for the Interbay Farmers Market this week, but you can check out what will be fresh at the market here

As always the Queen Anne Farmers Market will take place from 3 to 7:30 p.m. at W Crockett Street and Queen Anne Ave N. The Interbay Farmers Market will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Interbay Urban Center, located at 1819 15th Ave. W.

Brown Bear Car Wash is celebrating its 54th anniversary with free car washes next Thursday, August 25.

Hours for “Free Car Wash Day,” a special one-day offer, are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Brown Bear will be giving away free “Bear Essential” car washes at all of their automated “tunnel wash” locations in the Puget Sound area.

Queen Anne residents can get their freebie at the Brown Bear located at 1800 15th Ave W. It’s probably a good idea to get there sooner rather than later, as the lines get pretty long.

Over the last five years, Brown Bear has washed 105,640 vehicles during its annual “free car wash day” to celebrate the company’s founding.

For other locations of Brown Bear’s automated “tunnel wash” locations in the Puget Sound area, please visit www.brownbear.com.

Queen Anne Books is hosting a cookout with 15 local authors, including Garth Stein, Stephanie Kallos, Erik Larson, Jennie Shortridge, Boyd Morrison, and Deb Caletti, on the patio outside their storefront (1811 Queen Anne Ave N) from 5:30 to 7 p.m. today, Thursday, August 11.

There will be hot dogs, lemonade, a book drive and a whole lot of literary mingling. The guest authors will be collecting books and donations to support the creation of community pocket libraries by local literacy non-profit seattle7writers. Read more about seattle7writers and the creation of pocket libraries here.

This event will be happening concurrently with the Queen Anne Farmers Market just down the street. Check out the market schedule this week here.

Check out the happenings at the Queen Anne Farmers Market and Interbay Farmers Market today.

At the Queen Anne Farmers Market:

• 4 p.m. – Chef Demo with Metropolitan Market Chef Amy Pinkis, who will be teaching market goers how to make fresh mozzarella (and later, homemade ricotta), and how to concoct delicious dishes that highlight the fresh-made cheese
• 4 p.m. – Kid’s Mozzarella Pull
• 5 p.m. – Live Music with returning market favorite The Canote Brothers (be sure to bring your dancing shoes!)
• 5:30 p.m. – Chef Demo part two with Met Market’s Amy Pinkis, this time teaching market goers how to make their own homemade ricotta cheese and integrate it into interesting recipes
• 5:30 p.m. – Book Signing with Keren Brown, of Frantic Foodie, and the author of “The Food Lovers Guide to Seattle” (sponsored by Queen Anne Books)
• Check out what’s fresh at the market this week here

At the Interbay Farmers Market:

• 4 p.m. – Cooking Demonstration with Chef Jeff Maxfield of SkyCity at the Space Needle
• Check out what’s fresh at the market this week here

As always the Queen Anne Farmers Market will take place from 3 to 7:30 p.m. at W Crockett Street and Queen Anne Ave N. The Interbay Farmers Market will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Interbay Urban Center, located at 1819 15th Ave. W.

Though brochures haven’t come in the mail yet, registration is now open for fall 2011 courses at the Queen Anne Community Center, located at 1901 1st Ave W. Learn to Tae Kwon Do, dabble in pottery or acrylic painting, or enroll your kids in one of the many activities.

Some special events are:

Family Fun Night
Ages: 11 and under. Bounce houses, tumbling area, what more could you want!
Queen Anne CC – 9/23, 10/7, 11/4, 12/2
Fridays 6-8 pm $3 per child

Drop-in Sports:
Unless otherwise noted, all drop-in sports are $3 (ages 18 – 54), $2 (seniors 55+ ), Free (youth under 18)
Basketball Open Gym: Queen Anne
Mon/Tue (all ages) 1-3 pm
Mon – Fri (ages 11-17) 2:30 – 4:30pm

Toddler Open Gym
Children play, learn and develop both motor and social skills in this highly interactive drop- in social and play time. Toddlers will meet new friends, play on Bouncy Toys, scooters, tricycles, with bouncy balls and much more.
Location: Queen Anne CC
Tue/Thu 10 am-1 pm
$2 per child

Classes can be found here or the full fall brochure for northwest Seattle community centers and pools can be found here (.pdf). According to our sister site, MyGreenLake.com, the brochure is currently available online only because of a publication delay. The hard copy will come later this week.

Tonight is the annual Night Out Against Crime, when neighbors across the country gather in block parties to heighten awareness for crime prevention.

View Night Out Against Crime 2011 in Queen Anne in a larger map

There are a number of block parties planned here in Queen Anne. We’ve put together a map of neighborhood gatherings. Let us know in comments below if your block is holding a get together–please be sure to include cross streets. Or you can email us at tips@queenanneview.com, or submit your block party directly to the Night Out Against Crime 2011 in Queen Anne map.

Vendors, musicians and food lovers will be out in full force at both the Queen Anne Farmers Market and Interbay Farmers Market this afternoon. Check out what’s on the schedule for both neighborhood markets today.

At the Queen Anne Farmers Market:

• 4 p.m. – In the Chef Tent: Chef Jess Dowdell, of Whidbey Island’s ca’buni cafe, a treasure tucked in the woods outside Langley, Wa.
• 5 to 7 p.m. – In the Music Tent: Jam out with the Canote Brothers. Brothers Greg and Jere play American Roots music with a little quirk! Fiddle and guitar, and a pair of great voices!
• 6 p.m. – End of Crockett Street: Market SURPRISE!
• Check out what’s fresh at the market this week here.

At the Interbay Farmers Market:

• There is no cooking demonstration at the Interbay market today, but they’ll be plenty going on and lots of fresh eats!
• Check out what’s fresh at the market this week here.

As always the Queen Anne Farmers Market will take place from 3 to 7:30 p.m. at W Crockett Street and Queen Anne Ave N. The Interbay Farmers Market will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Interbay Urban Center, located at 1819 15th Ave. W.

With national Night Out just around the corner, its time to start planning for your own block party, or finding a nearby event to attend. Lower Queen Anne will be celebrating neighborly love at its own Neighborhood Night Out event at Counterbalance Park on Tuesday, August 2, from 5 to 8 p.m.

The Uptown Alliance is hosting the event. They’ll be snacks from nearby eateries, activities, clothing and food drives, and everything else you need to get to know your neighbors on a sunny (hopefully) August evening. From the Uptown Alliance:

This nationwide free event invites neighbors to meet in parks and on closed streets. A popular activity from the 2009 event, free “Bite of Uptown” food samples from local restaurants will be served on the hour.

Non-perishable food donations are requested for Uptown’s local food banks. The free clothing exchange is also returning. Residents bring clean, lightly used clothes and accessories to swap/trade. If you can use it, take it. No one is required to bring something or to take something. Remainders will be donated to local shelters. Board and card games plus storytelling will be available. Information tables from local organizations are included.

If you’d like to volunteer or lead an activity at Queen Anne’s Neighborhood Night Out, or just get more information, please leave a message for the Uptown Alliance at 206-499-2795.

Looking for something fun to do in the neighborhood this weekend? Check out Queen Anne’s weekend happenings:

• Join in one of the historic Olmsted walks on Saturday with an all-day 12-13 mile walk from Ballard (leaving from Aster Coffee at 5615 24th Ave. NW at 8:30 a.m.) to Queen Anne by way of Discovery Park, Magnolia Blvd, Kinnear Park, and Queen Anne Blvd. Details here.
• Pick your own lavender on Saturday and Sunday at the Interbay P-Patch’s U-Pick Lavender Sale. Swing by the garden, at 2451 15th Ave W, between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. either day. Cost is $3 for a small bunch and $5 for a large.
• Listen to some fun and quirky tunes by musical due “Team Andrew,” who will be swinging by El Diablo at 4 p.m. on Sunday to share their music, and meet with fans during the Seattle stop of their International Tour. Check out their “surreal hip hop” in this music video.

If you venture out of Queen Anne this weekend, keep in mind that traffic is going to be tight both coming and going due to the SDOT’s Mercer Street I-5 on and off ramp closure all weekend long. There are also quite a few special events taking place around town this weekend, including the Capitol Hill Block Party, Chinatown and West Seattle Parades, the Roosevelt Bull Moose Festival, the Swedish SummeRun, various Seafair related events, and quite a few more. Many of these events will mean lane closures, and all will cause higher traffic congestion, so watch out. Download SDOT’s full weekend traffic advisory here (.pdf).

Yesterday Star 101.5′s Kent and Alan held a Red Carpet Wiener Dog Rally at Fisher Plaza in Lower Queen Anne, in preparation for the 15th Annual Wiener Dog Races taking place this Saturday, July 23 at Emerald Downs.

The winner from this qualifying race was one of the last to be moving on to the big event at Emerald Downs Saturday. From Star 101.5:

The grand prize winner/fastest wiener and his/her owner of the 15th Annual Kent and Alan Wiener Dog Races at Emerald Downs on Saturday afteroon, July 23rd, will get a 2 night stay in a luxury suite at Alexis Hotel, plus dinner for two at the Bookstore Bar, room service breakfast, parking and VIP treatments for any pets brought along on this adventure! Additional prizes provided by Trophies2go.com, Wellness- Healthy Dog and Cat Food, Sunbreak Cafe in Auburn, Kimpton Hotels, Hotel Vintage Park, Sazerac, Hotel Monaco Seattle, and Tulio!

Check out what’s in store at the Queen Anne Farmers Market and Interbay Farmers Market this week.

At the Queen Anne Farmers Market:

• 4 p.m. – At the Chef Tent: Chef demo with Matt Fortner, chef de cuisine at How To Cook A Wolf (Read Leslie Kelly’s 3-part interview with Matt at Grillaxin)
• 5 to 7 p.m. – At the Music Tent: Live music by Squirrel Butter, an old-time variety duet by Charlie Beck and Charmaine “Lady Li-Lei” Slaven (Appalachian, early country, jugband and blues with banjo, fiddle, guitar, and Lady Li-Lei’s amazing dancing feet!)
• 5 to 7 p.m. – At the Talent Show Stage: Queen Anne Performing Arts hosts “Queen Anne’s Got Talent!”, a show featuring young and old from right here on the hill
• 5:30 p.m. – At the Chef Tent: Kids Cooking event with Executive Chef Anthony and Head Chef Natalie of 5 Spot
• Check out what’s fresh at the Queen Anne market this week

At the Interbay Farmers Market:

• 4 p.m. – Chef Demo with Chef Branden Karow of Ballard’s Staple & Fancy
• Check out what’s fresh at the Interbay market this week

As always the Queen Anne Farmers Market will take place from 3 to 7:30 p.m. at W Crockett Street and Queen Anne Ave N. The Interbay Farmers Market will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Interbay Urban Center, located at 1819 15th Ave. W.

‘How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?’ That’s what the folks at Queen Anne’s new Umpqua Bank are trying to find out. To celebrate the opening of its flagship store in QA, Umpqua Bank is running a three day Lollipop Lick-Off from today, Wednesday, July 20 to Friday, July 22.

For those of you wondering what a Lollipop Lick-Off is, here’s your chance to find out. Patrons of the new QA branch and Umpqua staff are all welcome to compete. Competitors are divided into three categories based on age (one to six, seven to 12, and 13 and up), and pitted against each other and timed to see who can lick their lollipop the fastest until it’s all gone.

The winner in each category will receive a gift card to a local Queen Anne business. Visit the store during operating hours (9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays) to participate. The winners will be announced at the store on Saturday, July 23.

Greg Sutton has lived in Queen Anne for over twenty years and has worked at Lower Queen Anne dive bar Streamline Tavern for the better part of the past 17. He’s the bar’s second-longest employee, and tonight he hanging up his bar-keeper hat and saying goodbye to the neighborhood and the community for good. Sutton is closing the book on his life here in the States next week to fulfill a longstanding dream–to retire in Vietnam.

Former PI reporter and co-owner of the Streamline, Mike Lewis, first met Sutton in 2004. He and some other journalists at the paper frequented the bar and got to talking Sutton, who at the time was the bar’s primary tender, working six days a week for most of the years he spend behind the bar.

“I’d been coming in the bar a bit when I was a reporter at the PI, and I got to know him a little bit there, and then I found out that he was teaching himself Vietnamese,” Lewis said. “I thought that was interesting that he was a Vietnam vet and teaching himself Vietnamese. He had been to Vietnam during his service, but then he also had gone back on one trip and had been blown away, both when he was in the military and then when he was there as a civilian.”

Lewis decided to do a story on Sutton for his dive bar column (you can read that story here) and found himself back at the Streamline, chatting with Sutton on a regular basis. One night Sutton started musing that there weren’t enough people tending bar at the establishment, and offered Lewis a part-time job spur of the moment.

“I filled in for him one day a week, and then he came back, and then the regular Thursday night guy quit, so I took over,” Lewis said. “At the time I thought I’d do this for a few months, but that turned into years and eventually led to becoming an owner at the bar.”

In more recent years Sutton,  now 64, has been working three nights a week at the Streamline, as well as a number of day shifts. He’s last day on the bar was Monday, but Lewis has found a sneaky way to get him into the bar tonight for a proper send-off.

“We bought him a laptop and I’m teaching him how to use it, so under the pretense of him coming in for another computer lesson, he’s going to be in the bar,” Lewis says.

While you might spot Sutton hanging around the bar over the next week, as of Wednesday he’ll be off to Vietnam. Lewis invites anyone who’d like to say goodbye to Sutton to swing by the Streamline Tavern any time after 7:30 p.m. tonight.

“We are going to buy Olympia Pizza for the whole bar and will be putting out the big tip jar as a final fund-raiser for him,” Lewis said. Lewis says there’s no chance Sutton will read about the surprise send-off beforehand, as he doesn’t read anything online, but he asks that those planning to attend don’t mention the event to him beforehand—it’s meant to be a surprise.

“I’m definitely going to miss him. I think he’s pretty done with the bar business. It’s not easy if you’re young, but when you get older it can be a pretty demanding—moving the kegs around and all that stuff can wear on you a bit,” Lewis said. “He spent an enormous amount of time in that bar over the last 17 years, so I think he’s ready for a change and he’s ready to spend a lot of time somewhere far away from the bar and from Seattle.”

“I just thought it was a great way to memorialize many years of service,” he added.

The Queen Anne and Interbay farmers markets will be full of festive food-related activities this afternoon at their respective locations. Let’s just hope it doesn’t rain! Check out the schedules for both market below.

At the Queen Anne Farmers Market:

• 4 p.m. – Chef Demo with 5 Spot chefs Anthony and Natalie
• 4 to 4:30 p.m. – Choir Performance with the Queen Anne Performing Arts Market Singers
• 5 to 7 p.m. – Live music by “rockin’ guitar playin’ and singin’ gal” Kate-Lynne Logan
• Check out what’s fresh at the market this week.

At the Interbay Farmers Market:

• 4 to 5 p.m. – Cooking Demonstration with Chef Dan Osser of Whole Foods Market Interbay
• Check out what’s fresh at the market this week.

As always the Queen Anne Farmers Market will take place from 3 to 7:30 p.m. at W Crockett Street and Queen Anne Ave N. The Interbay Farmers Market will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Interbay Urban Center, located at 1819 15th Ave. W.

For the next two weekends the Interbay P-Patch, at 2451 15th Avenue West, will be holding a U-Pick Lavender sale.

The sale runs this weekend Saturday, July 16 and Sunday, July 17 and the following weekend Saturday, July 23 and Sunday, July 24 from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. They will have several lavender varieties for culinary, decorative or craft uses. The cost is $3 for a small bunch and $5 for a large bunch. They will also be selling lavender wands, wreaths and sachets.