This weekend, it’s time to get your love-on, Fremont. The two-day music festival Northwest LoveFest takes place this Saturday and Sunday.

The festival was born from the belief that music festivals should have a positive effect on humanity and the environment we all share. The 2nd annual Northwest LoveFest will once again bring the community together to celebrate and support various nonprofits, vendors, artists and musicians who embody their message.

LoveFest providing free water, offsetting carbon with TerraPass and donating 1% of revenue to protecting Earth through 1% for the Planet. Since the festival borders the Burke-Gilman Trail, LoveFest, with the assistance of Bike Works, is providing free bike parking within the festival grounds; bring a lock for security.

Purified water is brought to LoveFest courtesy of Clean Water Foundation and Seattle University’s Engineers Without Borders so bring a drinking vessel for free water or buy a compostable cup for $1.

This year, within our Liquid Libation Lounge, the festival will feature Full Sail Brewing.They  will have their IPA, Pale Ale, Amber and their LTD 03, which is a crisp Pilsner-Style lager, on tap. They’ll also be featuring the best Hedges Family Estates wine.

The official LoveFest Afterparty will be at the Nectar Lounge, August 27th, 11 PM – 2 AM. Entry is free with LoveFest wristband, $5 without. Featuring Elemental Zazen, ASUN AKA Suntonio Bandanaz and Sunz of Sound. Click here to learn more.

Purchase tickets for LoveFest at Brown Paper Tickets.

Seattle Weekly released its 2011 Best of Seattle winners and there’s a bunch of Fremont-based businesses on the list.

• Fremont Fair was named Best Festival.
• Lighthouse Roasters was named Best Coffeehouse.
• Via Tribunali was named Best Thin-Crust Pizza.
• Uneeda Burger’s Classic burger was named Best Burger.
• Brouwer’s won the Best Beer Selection in a Restaurant and also won the Best Beer Selection in a Restaurant fan vote.
• Revel was named Best New Restaurant.
• Nectar Lounge was named Best Hip-Hop Venue.
• Jive TIme was named Best Place To Buy Vinyl.

Agree with the choices? Feel like a Fremont business or event got hosed? Check out the full list of winners here.

Originally posted on Phinneywood

Greenwood’s free kids tutoring and writing center, 826 Seattle, is hosting its second annual fundraiser this Sunday at Nectar Lounge in Fremont. Dance Your Cash Off is from 6-11 p.m. and is hosted by comedienne Lauren Weedman.

There’s still time to form your own dance team, or you can pay $10 to watch the dancing.

The judges are art and media journalist Nancy Guppy; her husband and improv guy Joe Guppy; movie critic Robert Horton; and members of The Derby Liberation Front (Rat City Roller Girls).

Your Good Cause: The amazing (and free!) programs of 826 Seattle, which anyone would happily dance five solid hours to support. 826 Seattle is a nonprofit writing center located in Greenwood that helps students, ages six to 18, develop their creative and expository writing skills. We are dedicated to helping students learn the essential skill of writing–all free of charge. Our doors are open to all young people, but our focus is on those that need our help the most.

There are three burning questions that all Fremonsters have on their minds.

1. Seriously, who goes out there, like, every night and puts new stuff on the Waiting for the Interurban statues?

2. I’ve got this really good idea for a Thai restaurant, how do I open one in Fremont?

3. Hey, who won the Beard & Stache Fest?

The answer to the first question is “Pixies that live under the Fremont Troll.” Duh.

The answer to the second question is, “In the time it took you to think that, five more already popped up so think of something else.”

As for the third question…why don’t you head over to Nectar this Sunday to find out for yourself?

Join The World is Fun at Nectar on Sunday, March 6th at 7:30pm to check out who won the third annual Beard and Stache Fest. “Fabulous” prizes will be awarded to the top three contestants as well as to the top team of five.

There will be several beard-centric performances for your enjoyment including:

• Bearded Rhythm, the dynamic duo of Seattle’s Adam Boehmer and San Francisco’s Ryan Calloway.Their partnered choreographies take root in the vintage jazz dance traditions of the 1920’s-1940’s, but with a modern humor and their own particular follicular flare.

• The second annual Bearded Lady competition! Women will compete by donning beards and/or mustaches that they have fabricated out of ANY material - the more creative the better! Any woman can register on site (be there at 7:30pm) and the winning bearded lady will be chosen by audience applause, so be sure to make some noise for your favorite.

• A special un-bearding. A bravely-bearded fellow has challenged YOU to help raise $500 to add to the total donation to Treehouse. If the $500 mark is met before his scheduled time, he will shave his beard off and bear all (or at least bear his smooth cheeks…and, no, not those cheeks) in front of the crowd.

• Presentation of Beard & Stache Fest donations to Treehouse and foster kids of King County

The event is free to attend, though charity donations are appreciated. Go enjoy the bearded goodness and help out a worthy cause while you’re there.

If there’s one thing a bar doesn’t want to be associated with, it’s DUI arrests. The Washington State Liquor Control Board not only keeps track of such things but are happy to share the info with everyone.

Two Fremont Bars, High Dive (8) and Nectar (11), made the Top 20 (or Bottom 20, as it were). Even if you combined those numbers, you still wouldn’t match who’s No. 1 on the list. It’s a tie between Earls on the Ave & Safeco Field with 21 each. Congrats?

The Board does note that these results are based on what the arrestee says at the time of their arrest and is considered strictly hearsay and would not be admissible in court.

That said, take a bus or cab it, will ya?

Some news and items of interest for Fremonsters…

• Last week we learned where the name of Fremont comes from, this week we learn how Ballard got its name.

• Check out a Feb. 24 dance party at Fremont’s Nectar Lounge, billed as “Billy Idol Aid.” Proceeds from the ’80s-themed party — $5 or four cans of food per person — will be donated to Northwest Harvest.

• Fremont has been identified as a hot spot for electric car ownership growth.

• Here’s some more information on the alleged Fremont Flasher, who is currently jailed on $20,000 bail.

• Know anyone who still spells it as “Freemont?”

• Is Fremont no longer a “cool” place to live in Seattle?

• “Jeopardy!” champion Ken Jennings, who recently competed against IBM’s Watson computing system, will donate his winnings to Fremont-based social enterprise VillageReach.

Chances are you’ve already got your New Year’s Even plans in effect. Just in case, here’s some ways around Fremont to say goodbye to 2010 and hello to 2011.

Moisture Festival New Year’s Even Dance Party -Starting at 8pm at Hale’s Palladium (4301 Leary NE), it’s an all-aged dance party and show. At midnight, they’ll be dropping the big red ball. Tickets available here.

OmCulture’s New Year’s Eve Celebration - Starting at 8pm, stay for five hours teeming with music and magic to bring your year’s journey to a close and pull back the curtains on the wonders of 2011.  Champagne served at midnight. $15 - $25 sliding scale at the door.

Nectar Lounge -DJ Swervewon, DJ 100Proof and speciall performances by R.I.P. Obese, and Viva La ReignCity highlight their New Year’s Bash. $10-15 adv, 21+

Bonza Bash (Fremont Studios) - The New Year’s Gala Ball features the Mach One Jazz Orchestra, DJs, a red carpet and complimentary coat check. Read all about it here.

High Dive (513 N. 36th) - Featuring Eldridge Gravy & The Court Supreme as well as Tubaluba. $15, 21+

TosT (513 N. 36th) - The lounge says good bye with a Lazybones Reunion with guests Airport Way. Prices TBA, 21+

There’s plenty of restaurants open in town as well. One place worth noting is Pie. While the shop itself isn’t open yet, their late-night window will be fully operational. Swing by to check out sweet and savory pies from the upstart.

Happy New Year!

Nectar was the site of a benefit concert Tuesday night for the family of the victims who died June 12 as a result of a fire no more than 5 minutes from the downtown Fremont venue.

At the door were posters from the Fremont Fire about the fire, the 4 children, their aunt, and their families, and the fund set up through Bank of America, Seattle Children’s Fire Fund. (Walk into any branch and make a donation to that fund.)

Allecia Clemons, who did not know her neighbors until the tragedy, felt compelled to organize this event as well as a potluck fundraiser 2 days after the accident. She doesn’t know how much money was raised, but she gave the jar directly to the family. She estimated it was several hundred dollars. Thousands more have come in through direct donations at the Fremont Fair (more than $1000) and the memorial funds, such as the “Waterways Employee Memorial Fund,” established by Waterways Cruises, the employer of the childrens’ mother Helen Gebregiorgis, the late Eyerusalem Gebregiorgis, and their father. The company seeded the fund with $5,000. Donate through any Chase Bank branch.

About 40 people, including Daniel Gebregiorgis, the brother and uncle to the victims, showed up to the event, which focused on folk singers organized by Allecia Clemons (pictured below), the next door neighbor of the family that perished in the blaze. The other acts on the bill included: Rose Laughlin (who grew up with Clemons in West Seattle), Ann Fiser, Michael Trew (who performed with Autumn Electric), Clallum Country and Allecia Clemons and the Sexy #’s.

“Helen lost her belongings, but also her children. She can replace her belongings,” said Clemons, who knows what it’s like to lose everything (in the way of material possessions), having been the victim of such a fire when she was 19.

Suggested donations of $10 were taken at the door, where people could also buy $5 raffle tickets. The raffle prize was a donation from six-time Grammy winner John Legend, who provided 4 tickets & backstage passes to his concert at the Puyallup Fair in September.

The first few singers, with their melancholy and contemplative ballads, reflected the more somber mood of the events that brought everyone together last night.

Rose Laughlin

Ann Fiser

But Michael Trew and Autumn Electric picked up the pace, injecting an infectious, rollicking beat and energy that would fit in with any Seattle pop/indie bill.

Joined by many friends, Daniel Gebregiorgis stayed mostly on the second floor of Nectar overlooking the first floor. Hipsters upstairs; a crunchier, older crowd downstairs; but all there to support the family. Many others would have made it, Clemons said, but the tragedy is still too fresh.

“I just got a phone call from a neighbor in the apartment complex. She can’t make it tonight. It’s too hard. Most of them are still traumatized,” said Clemons, who said the fire has brought them together. “The constant reminder of seeing that building is hard.”

The morning of the fire, Clemons and her neighbors ran to try to help, but once they got to the apartment, they ran into flames “as big as the door. There was no way to get out - or in.”

She hopes this will be the first of many fundraisers, with the ultimate goal for Clemons to raise enough money to buy a condo - in Fremont - for Helen Gebregiorgis.

Another concert fundraiser is scheduled at Nectar on July 13, this one in partnership with Kube 93.3 FM and local mainstream and hip hop artists.

Things are slowing down a bit for the holidays, but there’s still plenty of live music to be heard over the weekend.

Tonight is the 43rd incarnation of The Round at Fremont Abbey, featuring artists such as Aaron Sprinkle of Fair, Josh Dawson of Slender Means, Gabe Archer of The Pale Pacific, as well as slam poets and painters to add some variety. The holiday party, open to all ages, will benefit youth programs. Doors open at 7:30 and tickets cost $8-12 on a sliding scale.

At High Dive, tonight marks the final show for band Atomic Bride and the 39 Steps. The show will also include The Bug Nasties, The Saboteurs, Spaceship Excellent, and Electrolux. It also starts at 8 p.m. and has a $6 cover charge.

Nectar will have a hip-hop show tonight, with Macklemore Clockwork, Xperience, Candidt and DJ Marc Sense. The show starts at 9 p.m.- tickets were $8 in advance. Tost will have Salem and 3 Spot on hand; Salem has been heavily featured at ski and snowboard events across the country. Cover is $6 at Tost, and the show starts at 9 p.m.

Tomorrow will feature electronic music at Nectar from James Pants, Daedalus, Velella Velella, and WD4D. Tickets cost $10 in advance and the show starts at 9 p.m. Meanwhile, High Dive will have two CD release parties for Iris I and Something Vital, and will also feature Bee Simonds and Vibrant Society. Tost will have the Jake Shaw Trio, Role: 1 at 9 p.m. for $5.

Sunday is a little quieter. Only the High Dive will feature live music on the 14th- they will have Lady Drama, Eclectic Approach, Order of the Crimson Wizard, and The Vague Prophets at 7 p.m. for $6.

If you’re looking for a concert to go to in Fremont this weekend, Nectar, High Dive and Tost have something to offer for all kinds of music lovers

On Friday, High Dive is hosting Crack Sabbath, a heavy metal band at 9 p.m., and during happy hour will feature both Sweet Chariot and Ref the Fox. Tickets for the Crack Sabbath show are $9. Meanwhile, Nectar will be featuring World/Jam music including Diano Garcia, DJ Tomas, and Picoso at 9 p.m. for $8 per person. Tost will have old-school funk/new-school jazz act The Special Purpose with guests, also at 9 p.m., for a $5 cover charge. The Ballroom will also feature their regular DJ, DJ Dyce.

Saturday will see Nectar having an evening of international, Bhangra, and Bollywood pop featuring Bollygrooves with DJs Anshul and Elad. Tickets cost $10 before 11:30 p.m. and $12 after that. The show will begin at 10 p.m. High Dive will feature Crack Sabbath again on Saturday, but two different bands will play during happy hour- Ratfish Bone and Flashes of Quincey. Tost will feature an electronica/hip-hop trio at 9 p.m., with no cover charge, while the Ballroom will feature DJ Pete Bitty.

Sunday at Nectar will be an indie rock mix of Love Is All, Vivian Girls, and Nodzzz at 8 p.m. for $10 in advance. High Dive will feature Grey Sky Falling, Lost in the Bamboo, and S.O.S. at 7 p.m. for a $5 cover charge.

If you get any photos from the concerts, be sure to share them in our Flickr pool!