In 2024, Beach Cat Brewing owner Jake Gobeille wanted to create something meaningful for the Blaine community while honoring his late friend and local musician, Bradley Hill, who died by suicide the year before.
Gobeille reached out to the Blaine Food Bank with an idea for a music-based fundraiser and spoke with the food bank’s events coordinator and director. What emerged from that discussion is now “Catoberfest,” an annual Oktoberfest-themed music festival celebrating the coming of autumn, honoring the life of a friend, and raising funds for one of the community’s most essential non-profits.
“It’s turned into this really beautiful thing,” Gobeille says. “I’m grateful to be a part of it.”
On Saturday, September 12, “Catoberfest” will once again be held at Blaine’s Marine Park from noon to 7 p.m., and Bank of the Pacific, a longtime supporter of Blaine Food Bank, will also be on hand to celebrate.
Blaine Food Bank Benefits With Beer
“Catoberfest is one of the biggest events in Blaine,” says Kelly Hoekema, Bank of the Pacific’s Community Reinvestment Act and Compliance Officer. “It’s such a great cause and the community just really loves to come out for it.”
In its first year, the event raised about $23,000 for the Blaine Food Bank and drew about 325 attendees. Last year, attendance grew to over 550, with about $40,000 raised for Whatcom County’s second-largest food bank.
Like any good Oktoberfest, “Catoberfest” offers plenty of beer and cider options, not just from Beach Cat, but from a slew of Western Washington breweries and cider makers. Gobeille says brews from local outfits like Otherlands, Kulshan, Larrabee, and Menace will be joined by regional producers like Farmstrong, Anacortes Brewing, and several Seattle operations. All donate their beer for free as part of the fundraiser.
“It’s a joint effort,” Gobeille says. “It’s what the beer community is supposed to be about – community and helping each other and everybody around us. Being that beacon in the world for when things seem dark and grim, we can still provide a little bit of hope and sunshine.”
Blaine Food Bank Benefits Families
While beer and cider are part of the event, “Catoberfest” is also family-friendly, welcoming all ages. There are plenty of non-alcoholic drink options, along with lawn games like cornhole, vendor booths, food trucks, and live music from four different bands. A silent auction will also be part of the festivities.
“I think it’s important for our community to have opportunities to get out with their entire families, have some fun, do something positive where they’re enjoying their time but also supporting a local non-profit,” says Lisa Dobbin, Blaine Food Bank director. “I think it’s also a really good learning opportunity for kids to understand what the need is in the community.”
That need is only continuing to grow.
Dobbin said the food bank currently serves about 750 to 800 families per week, and roughly 10,000 to 12,000 individuals per month. Open three times weekly – Monday and Friday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon, and Wednesday evenings from 5 to 7 p.m., Blaine Food Bank operates seven days a week, year-round, with four part-time staff and around 80 volunteers.
Like many non-profits in the current economic climate of dwindling federal support, Dobbin says organizations are finding that help from their communities is as critical as ever.
“It’s really important to support food banks right now,” Dobbin says. “We have so many people who, through no fault of their own, are struggling. We see a lot of two-income families that just aren’t quite making enough. We’re seeing rising gas and grocery prices, which are making it incredibly difficult for families. We want to try to bridge that gap for them. So, to have the additional support of an event like “Catoberfest,” where we can get the community involved, it’s hard to sum up how important that is.”
The food bank has multiple trucks on the road each day, picking up food from local partners like grocery stores to sort through. Food that doesn’t make the food bank cut is donated to local farms for incorporation into animal feed, helping reduce overall food waste.
“Catoberfest” will be held Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Marine Park in Blaine. For more information, see the event website.
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