Everyone knows Thursday night is Trivia Night. At Fullsteam, we call it Celebrity Trivia, and at one time that’s what it was. Alas, we’re not the paparazzi and tracking down celebs is hard work. But now it’s February, The Month of Awesome, and there’s no such thing as hard work, just merriment and fun and gentle breezes laced with the scent of clean laundry. Cue Downy commercial? Anyway, we’re bringing celebrities back this month, starting this Thursday, February 2nd with the lady who runs one of Durham’s most beloved institutions. Please roll out the proverbial red carpet for Erin Kauffman, Manager of the Durham Farmer’s Market!

Yay, Erin!

She’ll be there along with regular host Zach Norris, hosting a round devoted to questions about local food and farming. Fancy yourself a fellow expert? You should probably come prove it. The game starts at 9 p.m. and, yes, there are prizes.

And one more very important thing! If you or someone you know is a local celebrity, however you’d like to define it, please fill out this nomination form or simply email me at amanda@fullsteam.ag. Don’t be shy! You can’t hide behind those dark glasses forever.

Here at the Office of Community & Fun, we felt it was important to write a post that would make people want to come to Drag Queen Bingo. So we tried, but then we realized that’s like trying to write a post to encourage people to eat candy. EAT CANDY! DRAG BINGO! What more is there to say?

So here’s a video that incorporates candy and queens:

And here are some relevant details: Drag Bingo is coming to Fullsteam this Wednesday at 9 p.m, which makes it the unofficial kick-off to the Month of Awesome aka February here at the tavern. What does that mean for you? It means you should come, if only to bask in the presence of Mary K Mart, Drag Bingo hostess and lady of the hour. As for the bingo, it’s not your grandma’s scene (no disrespect to your grandma… you should bring her too). It’s eight quick rounds of bingo with a break in the middle. No word yet on whether there’s a halftime show. There are definitely prizes involved. The winner of every round gets a $25 gift certificate to Fullsteam. That means free beer!

So, in conclusion, EAT CANDY! DRAG BINGO! FREE BEER (for winners)!

And the fun keeps rolling on…

Oh, February, arguably the most hated month of them all. It’s winter…still. New Years resolutions are crumbling. Valentine’s Day is somewhere between mildly annoying and full-blown stressful, depending on your situation. People say that the best thing about it is that it’s over sooner. Well we thought we’d reclaim poor February and make it the Month of Awesome. Remember when we made 2010 the Year of Awesome? This is like that, but with February.

So what are we going to do?

First, we’re expanding our hours starting February 1st.

Second, we’re revitalizing regular events like Drinks With Fullsteam and Celebrity Trivia (oh yes, stay tuned).

Third, we’re kicking off some brand new monthly fun stuff. Belly Dancing! Drag Bingo!

Did someone say Mardi Gras?

We told February about our plan and it was so excited that it’s giving us an extra day. That’s 29 days of awesome. Wow, February, you never looked so good. Did you do something with your hair? You said you’re just feeling awesome? Awesome! Glad we could help. More Month of Awesome updates are on the way.

Anyone for a game of cards? C.A.R.E. NC is hosting a poker tournament this Saturday at the tavern to benefit the awesome work they do. In case you’re unfamiliar, C.A.R.E. NC started last year with a pretty brilliant idea. They take shelter dogs and train them to be therapeutic companions for senior citizens. Then the dogs visit assisted living facilities and hang out with residents until they’re adopted. Seniors get the amazing benefits of animal companionship, and the dogs’ training makes them better pets. Everyone wins!

You can win too! One of the tournament prizes is a Myrtle Beach vacation! Another is a DPAC VIP package! If you’re not a card shark, there are great raffles to enter too. Local businesses have been donating left and right. Burt’s Bees! Massages! Sports memorabilia! AND word on the street is that Ted from Bottle Revolution is giving a $50 gift card to the person who knocks him out! (No, not literally).

Details: The $50 entry fee gets you 10,000 in chips, a Fullsteam beer, and a t-shirt. Official tournament start time is 1 p.m. Don’t want to play? You can cheer from the sidelines and still make a donation to C.A.R.E. And does it even need to be said that this is a dog-friendly event?* Register at carencinc.org or by calling 919 818 5529.

*Disclaimer: Dogs cannot actually enter the tournament

So for a while we’ve been doing a little thing on the third Tuesday of the month called Drinks With Fullsteam. It’s been a pretty casual affair—some people with some beer sit down with some of our brew staff and talk shop. Drinks With Fullsteam plans to get a little classier in 2012. Don’t we all?

From now on, each session will have a theme. Our first theme was: Seasonal Ingredients &  Seasonal Beers! Our brewery staff talked about how they choose and use the bounty of seasonal offerings available to us in North Carolina, from figs to rhubarb to basil… and beyond (kudzu, anyone?). Themes for upcoming talks will be announced ahead of time.

These will be informal talks with plenty of time for questions and conversation. The tavern will be happy to sell you a pint that you can take into the brewery during the session, which should last around 45 minutes. We’ll be at the brewery glass door to check you in.

What else is new in 2012? We’re now offering tickets for Drinks with Fullsteam! You can reserve them on our Eventbrite page. Tickets are free but there are only 20 spots per session, so please reserve for only as many as you know will attend.

So, RECAP! Drinks With Fullsteam is the third Tuesday of every month. Tickets are here and free. Beer will be there and not free. We will be there (but also not free!). Hope to see you there and classy.