SATURDAY, OCT. 1, 2011 >>>

1, A bevy of local Pierce County farms will take part in a joint vision brought to you by the WSU Extension, Pierce County Conservation District and Cascade Harvest Coalition: the HarvestFest 2011 Farm Tour. Expect farm tours (naturally), chef demos, wine tasting, hayrides, corn mazes and all the like - in addition to plenty of learning. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., experience local farms from the Puyallup Valley to Orting and beyond, including Picha Farms and Terry's Berries in P-Town, Sholz Farm and Tahoma Farms in Orting, and Blue Willow Lavender Farm on the Key Peninsula. For more info visit county.wsu.edu/king/agriculture/harvestcelebration.

2. Yelm Farm and Pet will host a "Pink Pancake Breakfast" from 9 a.m. to noon as part of Purina's second annual "Pink 50 Campaign," an effort to unite animal lovers everywhere and raise awareness and support for breast cancer research through the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

3. Beginning at 10 a.m. members of the CLAW (Cartoonists' League of Absurdist Washingtonians) will gather at Comic Book Ink to celebrate 24 Hour Comics Day, challenging themselves once again to complete a 24 page comic in only 24 hours. The event benefits CLAW's scholarship fund, raising money to help students with a passion for cartooning pay for things like tuition, books or art supplies. Local cartoonists RR Anderson is said to be planning a Wyatt James Boy Detective entry. Consider yourself warned.

4. The Weekly Volcano would travel to the ends of the earth for a savory helping of local craft brews and soft pretzels. We've proven it before. But thankfully, from 2-10 p.m. we only need to go as far as Tacoma's Opera Alley. Presented by the Triangle Business District, Amocat Café and The Mix, Oktoberfest Tacoma will feature local craft beer, pretzels, a pie-eating contest, chainsaw pumpkin carving and more.

5. The guys over at NWCZ Radio have claimed the first night of the month at Hell's Kitchen as Rocktoberfest - a night of devil horns and fist pounding (and beer pounding). Expect crushing sets from local-favorites Mahnhammer, Dethproof, Parlooka, Fox and the Law, Burn the Harbor and headliner, The Screaming Starts, beginning at 6 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: A bunch of wine tastings

WHAT WE FOUND TODAY >>>

Take That Fancy Kirkland!: Tacoma steals a car show. (News Tribune)

On Record: Read the emails former City Manger Eric Anderson received after his firing. (News Tribune)

Captured: NATO-Afghan forces operation nabs senior Haqqani network leader in Afghanistan, Haji Mali Khan. (CNN)

Cool: Classic albums re-photographed out in the world. (Dangerous Minds)

The List: TV's highest paid actresses. (Time)

Wales: Living like a Hobbit. (boingboing)

SOUTH SOUND DINING NEWS, NIBBLES AND SIPS >>>

Proctor Farmers Market: FairWinds winery joins the vendors offering wine samples while Chuck Wayne and Kristen Mellis perform.

Grand Opening: Inferno's Brick Oven Pizza in Lacey is having its Grand Opening today. Expect prizes, food and drink specials and a raffle at 8825 Tallon Lane just past Costco on Martin way East.

Beer Tasting: 99 Bottles in Federal Way will pour Alaskan Brewing Co. beers - including the limited-release Perseverance Stout, brewed with birch syrup and fireweed honey - from 4-6 p.m. today.

Wine Tasting: Abby's On Broadway will pour tastes of Hip Chicks Do Wine Winery's 2009 Pinot Gris, Drop Dead Red, Wine Bunny Rouge, 2007 Whole Berry Cabernet Sauvignon and Vin Nombril from 4-8 p.m. today.

Video: Gritty City Food does Valhalla Coffee here.

LINK: Wine tastings today in the South Sound

IT"S ON! >>>

The 24 Hour Comics Day doesn't involved Save The Sonics Guy, expensive drinks and hecklers. It's not a standup comedy competition. Rather it's an all-day drawing bash where South Sound's finest sketchers - including members of the Cartoonist's League of Absurd Washingtonians - go eye-to-eye and computer-to-computer to create a 24-page comic book from scratch in 24 hours. It's a worldwide event, but locally hosted, once again, by John Munn's Comic Book Ink in Lakewood.

Fifteen artists brought their own art supplies, computers, iPads and coffee and began working on page one of their masterpieces at 10 a.m. while normal operations continued at Comic Book Ink, which means game card players bickering and little kids telling store employees their top three comic book heroes. The store will stay open overnight, hosting a comics sale around 10 or 11 p.m.

Kevin Freitas, who is adding words to James Stowe's comic panels, is covering the event live on his feedtacoma.com, which includes a streaming camera feed. Follow the action here.

The event benefits CLAW's scholarship fund, raising money to help students with a passion for cartooning pay for things like tuition, books or art supplies. If you donate in the name of Team Freitas Stowe, you may be included in their comic book. Drop by Comic Book Ink for details.

I popped in around 11:30 a.m. and snapped a few photos. The artists have their game faces on.

[Comic Book Ink, ends 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 2, 2510 S. 84th St., Lakewood, 253.761.4651]

SUNDAY, OCT. 2, 2011 >>>

The 85-piece Dale Chihuly Northwest show ends its run at the Tacoma Art Museum. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. you may see baskets to "Pilchuck Stumps," plus pieces from Chihuly's private collection of objects ranging from Native American baskets and wool blankets to canoes and Edward S. Curtis photogravures. In addition, at 2 p.m., Author Dennis Reed discusses Photographer Virna Haffer and some of her West Coast contemporaries at TAM.

The motto of the annual Pierce County Hunger Walk is, "Fighting hunger, one step at a time." It's a little cheese-ball, but it's also totally appropriate. According to promotional hype, last year, "more than 1,800 feet (900 or so people, we presume) ran, walked, shuffled and pedaled around Waughop Lake at Fort Steilacoom Park in Lakewood," all raising money to fight hunger in Pierce County and beyond. This year's goal is to raise $350,000, with half of the proceeds from Hunger Walk will benefit the Emergency Food and the other half going to international hunger relief agencies designated by each walker, including FISH Food Banks, St. Leo's Food Connection and several other food banks in the area. Head to Fort Steilacoom Park at noon and walk.

If you have yet to fully experience the musical majesty of the mandolin, today offers perhaps the perfect opportunity to do just that, as the Tacoma Main Library welcomes the Seattle Mandolin Orchestra performing "The Italian Concert" at 2 p.m.

"Tonight We Shine: A Benefit For Connie Meredith Bowen" is a fundraiser for Bowen who still struggles from a motorcycle accident 30 years later featuring Blues Redemption, Al Earick Band, Maia Santell, The Jupiter Order at 3 p.m. inside The Swiss.

Seattle's award-winning world music trio Correo Aereo introduces a stunning array of string and percussive instruments with silken vocal harmonies in a sensual combination that is both viscerally ancient and vibrantly contemporary at 7 p.m. inside Traditions Cafe in Olympia.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Grab your tickets for the Get Involved Gala at the Tacoma Art Museum

ARTS CRUSH >>>

As part of this year's Arts Crush event, the 253 Arts Collective is creating an Art Quit to represent the diverse 253 area. If you're an artist located anywhere in the 253 area, you're invited to contribute your original 4-inch by 4-inch art square to be incorporated into this community quilt.

If Bobble Tiki did the math correctly, that's 16 square inches of you versus Grit City!

The 253 Collective will host a "creative session" today from noon to 5 p.m. at in its lobby at 1901 S. Jefferson St. across from The Swiss.

Bobble Tiki is definitely going because he doesn't understand how quilting has survived, although he's thrilled that is has.  It's one thing living on a prairie in the middle of a dust storm - what else are you going to do?  But in modern times, how does anyone find the time to do all that work?  Especially since we have Angry Birds?

LINK: Arts Crush

THIS WEEK'S BEST FREEBIES OCT. 3-9 >>>

Rent is due on Monday, which means unless you're some type of money-saving wizard, you're probably a little short on cash this week. Don't worry, though: There is a ton of stuff to do this coming week for free, including Broadway Center's Fall Free For All community arts festival, which all on its own can take up your entire weekend. But if you're not into giant puppets and Vaud Rats, there's plenty to choose from this coming week.

MONDAY 10-3: Saxophonist Steve Munger and his quartet fill Olympia's Royal Lounge with soulful jazz every Monday from 7-9 p.m. without a cover charge.

TUESDAY 10-4 It's honestly not every day that an award-winning writer the likes of Sherman Alexie comes to Puyallup. It's not even every-other day. But Tuesday, as part of Banned Books Week, Alexie will appear at the Pioneer Park Pavilion in P-town, delivering a free talk focused on issues of censorship and intellectual freedom. Alexie's acclaimed novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, has been widely censored for it content - just one of many truths that makes Alexie's inclusion in this event so fitting. The event seats only 400, so those interested in attending are advised to arrive early.

WEDNESDAY 10-5: J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is an indisputable classic of English literature. It's also freakin' 1,240 pages long, depending on the edition. Who the hell has time to read that many pages? Dr. John West had time. He'll be speaking and leading a discussion of the spiritual meaning of this book at 7 p.m. as part of a free Wednesday series on "Great Truths from the Great Books" in the South Chapel of First Presbyterian Church of Tacoma. Dr. West is editor of Celebrating Middle-Earth: The Lord of the Rings as a Defense of Western Civilization. He has some idea what he's discussing. Plan to be awake when he utters this line: "I will serve the master of the Precious. Good master, good Sméagol, gollum, gollum!' Suddenly he began to weep and bite at his ankle again." Just remember: Frodo lives!

THURSDAY 10-6: While environmental groups often get stereotyped as elitist, Prius driving, granola munching, tree hugging, sandal wearing wackos, it's a misconception that could use debunking. Especially these days, environmentalists are everywhere and are everyone - and thank goodness for it. Somebody has to look out for Mother Earth. If you need proof that environmentalists are just like you and me, consider this: Environmentalists like to drink. It's true. Not only do they like to drink, but also in Tacoma they get together and do it regularly. It's called Tacoma Green Drinks, and the group meets Thursday at 5:30 p.m. inside the Harmon Brewery and Eatery to hear the latest from the Puget Creek Restoration Society. Admission is free. You're totally invited - unless you insist on driving that 1974 Plymouth Duster. Tacoma Green Drinks suggest you take the bus or ride a bike.

FRIDAY 10-7: Beginning at noon, Downtown On the Go hosts it second free Tacoma fall walking tour of the season, this time flooding your eyes and noggin with all that is the Brewery District. Tacoma City Councilman and architect David Boe will discuss the rich architectural history of this area. This hour-long walk starts in front of the Swiss Building. No RSVP is necessary.

SATURDAY 10-8: Holy shit! Tacoma's Broadway Center will stages 75 performances and musical acts over two days for free under the umbrella title "Fall Free for All." And the acts are solid, quality performance, and not some grandma performing hand shadow puppetry while grandpa bangs on a coffee can. Nope. We're talking Professor Humbug's Flea Circus, Fab-5 break dancing, folkie Laura Gibson, Portland Cello project, YES YOU MAY show, Drew Grow & The Pastors' Wives, Tacoma Round featuring Noah Gunderson, Kris Doty and Nick Principe, Concours d'Elegance and many more musical acts, theater performance, lectures and films. Check out the schedule here. And reserve your free wristband here.

SUNDAY 10-9: Tain't nothing like a gallon or so of fresh cider to clear the constitution.  The folks at Lattin's Country Cider Mill and Farm host their annual Apple Harvest Festival Sunday offering apples in every way and fashion, plus tractor rides, a corn maze and pick you own pumpkins. The free festival runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

OKTOBERFEST TACOMA IN PHOTOS >>>

For a full month leading up to Oktoberfest Tacoma, organizer Morgan Alexander kept telling us, over and over, it's more about the beer than German tradition.

Yesterday, just as the weather turned for the better, Oktoberfest Tacoma consumed Opera Alley. And, surprise, it was all about the beer. In fact, the scene was more "harvest" than anything remotely Bavarian with corn stalks and pumpkins scattered. The breweries brought their pumpkin beers, as well as stouts, IPAs and seasonals. There wasn't any sign of cleavage, clogging or crowns.

What did fill the downtown Tacoma alley was smiles, conversation, pretzels and lots of beer.

LINK: More Oktoberfest photos in the Photo Hot Spot

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND TODAY >>>

Pissed He Was Shot Five Times: Prisoner has sued City of Tacoma. (News Tribune)

Good Ol' Fashioned American Capitalism: Koch Industries flout law with secret Iran sales. (Bloomberg)

Thank You Steinman: Rockefeller University biologist Ralph Steinman won the Nobel Prize, but died just days before the announcement, and Nobel rules prohibit awarding posthumously. Steinman developed a therapy to "harness the power" of the immune system and died from pancreatic cancer after extending his own life through his therapy. (CNN)

Awesome: Arrested Development is returning as a limited series on TV AND as a movie. (Deadline)

Who Wore It Better?: These Iranian soldiers or David Bowie in Labrynth?

Love Gun: Gene Simmons married Shannon Tweed.(US Weekly)

Seems Appropriate To Discuss: What's the best baseball movie? (Salon)

Fifty Years Of Famous Non-Words

MONDAY, OCT. 3, 2011 >>>

1. Holy guacamole! Wolves in the Throne Room are at The New Frontier Lounge tonight in Tacoma's Dome District. Talk about an amazing band! Here's a short ode to Wolves in the Throne Room from February's Best of Olympia 2011.

2. As is customary, DJ Melodica will take up shop tonight at Magoo's Annex and bust out another rendition of Micro Mondays, offering funk, post punk, New Wave, early electronic and garage for the gyrating, Monday-drinking masses.

3. It's open mic night at the Angels Club in Olympia. The all-ages fun starts at 9 p.m., and there's no cover.

4. Let's tally up the score for Jazzbones Rockaraoke, shall we? A chance to sing onstage with a live band? Yes. Cheap Miller High Life? Yes. A valid excuse to drink on a Monday (repeat, Monday) night? Yes, yes and, oh God, yes. Have a shot of Jager and live a little.

5. Every first and third Monday of the month Drunken Poetry gets its game on at Last Word Books in Olympia. You haven't lived if you haven't experienced Drunken Poetry at Last Word. For the rundown go here.  

LINK: More arts and entertainment events in the South Sound

LINK: Live music tonight