Spokane Public Market set to celebrate opening

The Spokane Public Market will host a grand-opening celebration on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. with a ribbon cutting by Mayor Mary Verner.

Market supporters will be celebrating the free-flowing traffic on Second Avenue after a long construction season with entertainment, vendor specials and giveaways until 6 p.m. Entertainment will be provided by The Spokane Entertainer’s Guild, and includes live music along with stilt-walkers, unicyclists, jugglers, flamethrowers and face painting.

Market vendors include regional farms and food producers, artisans and other small businesses. There is free parking with purchase in marked Diamond lots near the converted warehouse.

The Spokane Public Market, 24 W. Second Ave., is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. It will be open year-round. There is more information at spokanepublicmarket.org.

Taste of the Valley on Saturday

Spokane area winemakers will be featured at Taste of the Valley during Valleyfest celebrations Saturday in the Spokane Valley.

Wines from 15 members of the Spokane Winery Association will be pouring samples at the event, which will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at CenterPlace, 2426 N. Discovery Place.

Hors d’oeuvres from Red Rock Catering will be featured. Music and entertainment are planned and the evening ends with a hot air balloon “night glow” show.

Tickets are $40 and can be purchased online at www.valleyfest.org or at event sponsors Anderson and Peretti, 720 N. Argonne Road, Suite F, or Appleway Chevrolet, 8500 E. Sprague Ave.

Go to www.valleyfest.org for a complete schedule of Valleyfest activities or more details about Taste of the Valley.

Oktoberfest tickets on sale

Spokane Oktoberfest 2011 tickets are still available at several retail outlets.

The Washington Beer Commission is hosting a repeat of last year’s festivities at Riverfront Park, which features almost two dozen Washington breweries. They’ll be pouring beer 4 to 9 p.m. on Friday and noon to 9 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets are $15 per day ($20 at the door if they’re still available) and include a tasting cup and five 5.5-ounce samples. Avoid the online processing fee by purchasing tickets at one of these local businesses: Brews on Washington, 7 S. Washington St.; Northern Lights Brewing Co., 1003 E. Trent Ave.; The Elk Public House, 1931 W. Pacific Ave.; and The Swinging Doors, 1018 W. Francis Ave.