About Town: Civil Society Brewing Seventh Anniversary Block Party, Manatee Lagoon Kickoff
Manatee Lagoon Season Kickoff
With the water temps beginning to drop and that first real cold front likely on its way (a guy can only hope), that means two migratory patterns will soon be in play.
One, the snowbirds will be arriving. Get ready for more traffic and weeks-long lead times for restaurant reservations. (And, if you want to see a doctor you'd better schedule it for sometime in late 2023.)
Two, and on a much happier note, manatees will begin finding their way south and stopping by Manatee Lagoon.
Though it's nice to think they're stopping by just to say "hello," these gentle giants are actually coming to bask in the clean, warm-water outflows from Florida Power & Light Company’s adjacent Riviera Beach Next Generation Clean Energy Center. Sort of like a party-size hot tub, but for manatees.
This season's kick-off theme is "safe boating" with the goal of reminding boaters to be mindful and watchful for these slow-moving beauties.
This free celebration will be held 11 a.m. to 3 p.m both Saturday, Nov. 19 and Sunday, Nov. 20 and will feature free face painting, frozen treats, cornhole and other games.
Additionally, the first 400 visitors will receive a waterproof phone pouch with information on what to do if they see a manatee in distress.
On Sunday, Nov. 20, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission manatee biologist Amber Howell will discuss ways that the public can support manatee conservation.
Shortly after that, at 2 p.m., the "Lectures at the Lagoon" series returns with a presentation by Dr. Beth Brady of Mote Marine Laboratory titled "What Does the Manatee Say? Manatee Vocalizations in Florida and Beyond."
The lagoon is now its seventh year. The popular destination was built by FPL in 2016 as part of its environmental mission to teach the public about manatees, with a goal of inspiring communities to preserve and protect Florida’s environment and wildlife for future generations.
What: Manatee Lagoon Season Kick-off
Where: Manatee Lagoon, 6000 N. Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach
When: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19 and Sunday, Nov. 20
Cost: free
Information: www.visitmanateelagoon.com
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Civil Society Brewing 7th Annual Block Party
Happy Birthday Civil Society Brewing!
The brewery will celebrate its seventh anniversary on Saturday in Downtown Abacoa.
This annual block party will feature food, music and beers from more than 50 breweries from around the country.
Nearly running the entire alphabet name-wise, some of those breweries include Arkane Aleworks, Crooked Crab Brewing Company, Inner Voice Brewing, Ocelot Brewing Company, Tripping Animals Brewing, Vitamin Sea Brewing and many more.
Though there will be plenty of guest brewers on site, the guys at Civil Society Brewing will be rolling out some special beers for the event.
They are doing a Seventh Anniversary Triple IPA, which features five types of hops including citra, riwaka, enigma, mosaic and El Dorado.
For their VIP guests, they will have a Seventh Anniversary Stout bottle. This 12.5%, barrel-aged, imperial stout features wild Thai banana, Oreo cookie and chocolate.
To soak up some of those tasty suds, there will barbecue from Third's BBQ, Cuban fare from Panolo's out of Miami and some fantastic creations from Frankenfurter Gourmet Dogs.
Founded in 2016 by Karl Volstad and high school friend Evan Miller, and then bringing in Karl's brother Caleb Volstad and cousin Chris Volstad, Civil Society Brewing is a family affair. The brew tanks are even named after family members.
In only their first year, their hard work and passion for good beer paid off big time when they were voted fifth best brewery in the country by Ratebeer. The award was that much sweeter in that it was based on user reviews.
The beers at Civil Society Brewing are creative, refreshing and delicious, and the names they come up with for them are beyond creative — in fact, they border on wildly fun to delightfully irreverent.
Let's just run through a few. There's Shrimp Tempura, Fresh Blood, I Put A Spell On You, Paint the Skies, Chicken Tendie Sub, Electric Rain, Hurricane Prep, Pontoon Cruise, Weapon of Choice and Nocturnal Transformation just to name a few.
Seriously, if this is what the first seven years has led to, it's going to be a great party; and the next seven years should be just as awesome if not awesomer.
What: Civil Society Brewing Co. Seventh Anniversary
Where: Downtown Abacoa, 1200 Town Center Drive, Jupiter
When: noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19
Cost: tickets start at $60
Information: 561-885-6680; civilsocietybrewing.com
Eddie Ritz is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He has lived in the West Palm Beach area for more than 30 years and, from mild to wild, will cover noteworthy community happenings.You can reach him at eritz@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: About Town: Civil Society Brewing Block Party, Manatee Lagoon Kickoff
