Happy Monday, Vancouver!

Today is a good day. Vancouver is officially on the national foodie map (more deets below) and…the Seahawks are going to the Super Bowl!!

Which brings up an interesting question…how many residents of Vancouver are Seahawks fans? We’ll update you in Thursday’s email!

Anyways, here's what to expect in today's edition of The PNW Report (Vancouver):

📰 Local News
☁️ Weather
🎉 Events & Things To Do
🤔 Lateral Thinking Puzzle

Let's get started!

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🍺 Trap Door Brewing to Open 42,000 Square Feet Food Cart Pod in Vancouver, WA

Trap Door Brewing is officially expanding with a monstrous 42,000-square-foot project called Prairie View Station (right at the corner of NE 119th St and NE 112th Ave). Groundbreaking kicks off this February, with a soft opening targeted for Fall 2026.

🍸 The Elbow Room Makes Elbow Room For… Receives James Beard Nomination

Hold onto your highballs, Vancouver! Our very own The Elbow Room has officially been named a semifinalist for the 2026 James Beard Awards in the "Best New Bar" category! This is a massive "pour" of respect for our local scene, marking one of the first times a Vancouver spot has stepped into the national spotlight of the "Oscars of the food world." If you’ve been sleeping on this Uptown gem, it’s time to wake up and smell the vermouth.

⚠️ Waterfront Gateway Project Takes Step Backwards

Looks like we’re taking a little detour, Vancouver. The highly anticipated Waterfront Gateway project (the massive plan meant to bridge the gap between City Hall and the river) is officially being scaled back. The developer, Lincoln, dropped the news that the original grand vision just isn't "feasible" in today’s market.

WEATHER

Finally, some much-needed, much-awaited rain! This is why we live here, after all!

Monday, 1/26: 49/33 🌤️ Partly Cloudy
Tuesday, 1/27: 46/39 🌥️ Cloudy
Wednesday, 1/28: 50/44 🌧️ Showers
Thursday, 1/29: 50/45 🌧️ Showers

EVENTS AND THINGS TO DO [1/26 - 1/29]

Looking for something fun to do this week? You’re in the right place! 🎉 

Stay tuned for Thursday morning’s newsletter, where we’ll give the lowdown on all the cool upcoming weekend events!

MONDAY, JANUARY 26th

🚶‍♀️ Audiobook Walking Club @ Camas Public Library | 9:30AM (FREE)
This free monthly meetup is for the audiobook addicts who want to listen while moving their legs. Participants have an hour to walk and listen before a half-hour of optional socializing. Make sure to check the weather for plot twists (i.e. cancellations).

🩸 Bloodworks Northwest Blood Drive @ Vancouver Library | 10AM – 2:30PM (FREE)
This isn’t your average library circulation…Cascade Park Library is checking out blood donations! Swing by the Bloodworks Northwest Blood Drive and save lives, one pint at a time. P.S. did you know that free snacks that taste even better when you’ve just saved a life?

💃 Line Dancing @ Cascade Park Library | 1PM (FREE)
It’s time to shelf your excuses and get in formation! Slide on over to the library for a free line dancing workout and prove that you have a lot more going on than just a pretty cover (spoiler alert: you totally do).

🧸 Stuffed Animal Sleepover & Storytime @ Cascade Park Library | 2PM (FREE)
Bring your favorite stuffed animal to a special story time at the library, and then drop them off for a week-long sleepover at the library! Swing back on Saturday, January 31st, to collect your friend and find out what kind of "tail" they have to tell. Here’s a tip: make sure they do not try to check out any books on taxidermy while they are unsupervised.

🖨️ 3D Printer Certification @ Three Creeks Library | 5:30PM (FREE)
Get certified on Fort Vancouver Regional Library’s Lulzbot Mini 3D printer and learn how to tinker, troubleshoot, and bring your big (or tiny) ideas to life. Bonus: once you’re certified, you can print independently…because who doesn’t want the power to literally make stuff appear out of thin air (okay, plastic filament, but still).

🏃‍♂️ Run Club @ Foot Traffic | 5:45PM (FREE)
Looking for an excuse to be active but mostly just want to socialize? This run club is 50% chatting, 50% running, and 100% a good time. They meet at the Trader Joe’s on Chkalov, you know, just in case you wanna grab some cheese for the drive home.

🎨 Paint and Sip with Nicole @ Vice Beer | 6PM ($44)
It is time to channel your inner Bob Ross and paint a blurry local legend! Nicole is leading the charge on painting a Sasquatch forest scene that will look great on your wall (or at least provide a good laugh for your houseguests). For $44, you get all the supplies and a pint of beer, wine, or cider to help…blur the lines.

🤣 Chicks & Giggles @ Donnell’s | 6PM - 8PM (FREE)
Mondays don’t have to be so miserable…laugh your way into the week at Donnell’s! Grab a drink, find a good seat, and get ready for an evening of raw, unfiltered comedy from some of the funniest locals around.

🤣 Open Mic Comedy @ Underbar | 8PM - 10PM (FREE)
Underbar’s Open Mic, hosted by Juan Duran, is the place to be to beat the Monday blues. Their drink selection doesn’t hurt either tbh…sip sip hooray!

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27th

💼 Business Resource Fair @ Clark College CTC | 7:30AM (FREE)
If you have ever dreamt of being trapped in a room with twelve state agencies (and omg who hasn’t 🤪), today is your lucky day! The Greater Vancouver Chamber is hosting a Business Resources Fair at Clark College Columbia Tech Center. This is a rare chance to grill the experts from the Department of Revenue or Labor & Industries without being on a recorded line. Think of it as a speed-dating event, but instead of a second date, you might actually get a straight answer about your tax liability?

🌳 Travel Your Tree @ Clark County Genealogical Society | 10AM (FREE)
Ready to shake your family tree…without having a fall out? Professional genealogist Lisa Vogele will teach you how to track down the exact village where your great-great-grandfather decided he had enough of the old country or find the battlefield where your relatives learned to duck. How in-tree-guing!

✍️ Shut Up and Write! @ The ARTS Centered | 5:15PM (FREE)
Calling all writers (yes, even you with the half-finished novel hiding in Google Docs)! This is focused weekly writing time to just show up, get words on the page, and meet some fellow word nerds. Write, write, write!

🚲 Urbanism Happy Hour @ Tap Union | 6:30PM (FREE)
Grab your helmet and your happy hour appetite…it’s time for Cycle Vancouver’s Urbanism Happy Hour at Tap Union! Meet fellow two-wheeled enthusiasts, swap stories from the bike lane, and toast to better mobility, stronger community, and fewer potholes.

🎱 Autumn Pinny Cup Tournament @ Silver Ball Social Club | 7PM ($12)
Ready to have a ball? Head over to Silver Ball Social Club for a flippin’ cool pinball tournament. Players will be matched together on teams, regardless of skill levels, so get ready to roll over your opponents!

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28th

🏠 Marshall House Tour @ Officer’s Row | 10AM (FREE)
Step into the past (literally) with a tour of the Marshall House on Officer’s Row! Wander through period furnishings, military memorabilia, and General Marshall’s impeccably preserved study. Tours are available Wednesday through Friday from 10AM - 2PM. Walk-ins welcome!

🪡 Open Craft @ Hook & Needle Fiber | 4PM - 7PM (FREE)
For when you’re feeling crafty, but also a little too lazy to follow official directions. Bring your supplies, hang out, and make something beautiful at this open craft session...or a tangled mess. We don’t judge!

🧒 Prepare with Pedro @ Cascade Park Library | 4:30PM (FREE)
The Red Cross is unleashing Pedro the Penguin to teach kiddos (grades K-2) how to stay cool when things get hot (i.e. how to prevent and handle home fires). Hey, it’s much better to have a prepared penguin than a confused kid when the sirens start blaring, right?!

🎺 Music Night @ Willful Wine | 5PM – 7PM (FREE)
Sip wine and sway awkwardly at this delightful evening of music and merlot. Willful Wine knows how to pair a Pinot with a trumpet solo. Wine not?!

🃏 Tabletop and Taps @ Vault31 Bar | 6PM (FREE)
Board games are always a good idea. Join your fellow nerds at this board game meet-up and get ready to pwn some n00bs at Catan. Bring your A-game, or just bring yourself and let the dice and drinks (or both?!) decide your fate.

🖼️ Bye Felicia Collage Workshop @ Brothers Cascadia Evergreen Pub | 6PM ($25)
Join Alyssa from PaperCut Society for a "BYE FELICIA" collage workshop where participants will cut, fold, and glue your way through a collective exorcism of last year's baggage to make room for 2026. All supplies are provided!

🎶 Stefon Harris & Blackout Benefit Concert @ Clark College | 7:30PM ($20)
If your idea of "jazz" is just a elevator ride gone wrong, it’s time to fix that. Today, the 62nd Clark College Jazz Festival is kicking off with a headline performance by Grammy-nominated vibraphonist Stefon Harris & Blackout. Doors open at 7PM at Gaiser Hall, where you can witness some mallet-swinging magic that puts your kitchen percussion to shame. A suggested donation of $20 gets you in the door, while $250 gets you VIP treatment and a chance to meet Stefon (without looking like a groupie).

🤣 Comedy Night @ Shanahan’s | 8PM (FREE)
Grab the mic (literally) every Wednesday! In-person sign-ups kick off at 7:30, and the stage lights blaze at 8:00. Hosted by the one and only Sean Grace, this is your chance to shine, stumble, or just watch others do both.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29th

🎷 Jazz Festival @ Clark College | 8AM – 9PM ($10)
The Clark College Jazz Festival continues! From January 29 through the 31st, over 60 middle and high school bands will descend upon the Clark College campus to compete for the legendary Sweepstakes Trophy. Jazz hands, everybody!

🏠 Marshall House Tour @ Officer’s Row | 10AM (FREE)
Step into the past (literally) with a tour of the Marshall House on Officer’s Row! Wander through period furnishings, military memorabilia, and General Marshall’s impeccably preserved study. Tours are available Wednesday through Friday from 10AM - 2PM. Walk-ins welcome!

🪶 The Craft of Writing @ Vancouver Library | 10:30AM (FREE)
This writer’s group dives into the craft of writing with a mix of exercises, book discussions, and friendly workshopping. Explore published gems across memoir, fiction, and non-fiction, then test-drive your own stories in a supportive, collaborative setting.

🛍️ Makers Market @ Caps n’ Taps | 6PM (FREE)
If you enjoy your retail therapy with a side of liquid courage, steer your designated driver toward Caps N’ Taps for a a Maker’s Market where you can browse the un-beer-lievable works from local vendors.

🏃‍♀️ Vancouver Run, Grub, and Chug @ The Vancouver Waterfront | 6:45PM (FREE)
Run for your health, and drink for...well, fun. Kind of like a race but with fewer rules and more rewards. This run club meets weekly, so if this is your vibe, guess what? You can do it next week, too!

WEEKLY EVENTS

Note: please call or visit each establishment’s website before visiting for a particular event in case details have changed.

BINGO

[MONDAY] Music Bingo Monday @ Ghost Runners Brewery | 7PM (FREE)
[TUESDAY] Bingo @ Grapes n Hops | 6PM (FREE)
[WEDNESDAY] Not Boring Music Bingo @ Fortside Brewing | 6PM (FREE)
[WEDNESDAY] Bar Card Bingo @ Vancouver Elks Lodge | 6PM (FREE)
[THURSDAY] 5 Star Bingo @ Doomsday Brewing Pub | 6PM (FREE)
[THURSDAY] Adult Bingo @ Underbar | 7PM (FREE)

TRIVIA

[MONDAY] Monday Night Trivia @ Shorewood Restaurant and Bar | 6PM (FREE)[MONDAY] Trivia Night @ Pour Choices Pub | 6:30PM (FREE)
[MONDAY] 5 Star Trivia @ Gossip in the Grain | 6:30PM (FREE)
[MONDAY] Trivia Night @ Thirsty Sasquatch | 8PM (FREE)
[MONDAY] Trivia Monday @ Full Heart Irish Pub | 9PM (FREE) 
[TUESDAY] Trivia Night @ Oak Tree Station | 6PM (FREE)
[TUESDAY] Last Call Trivia @ Tip Top Tavern | 7PM (FREE)
[TUESDAY] 5 Star Trivia @ Playmakers Hazel Dell | 7PM (FREE) 
[TUESDAY] Trivia Tuesday @ Underbar | 7PM (FREE)
[TUESDAY] 5 Star Trivia @ JB’s Taphouse and Grill | 7PM (FREE)
[TUESDAY] Trivia Night @ Ole’s Outpost | 7PM (FREE)
[WEDNESDAY] Not Rocket Science Trivia @ Coral Club | 7:30PM (FREE)
[WEDNESDAY] 5 Star Trivia @ Grapes n Hops | 6PM (FREE)
[WEDNESDAY] Last Call Trivia @ Victor23 | 7PM (FREE)
[THURSDAY] 5 Star Trivia @ Doomsday Brewing Pub and Pizza | 6PM (FREE)
[THURSDAY] 5 Star Trivia Night @ Ghost Runner Brewery | 7PM (FREE)
[THURSDAY] 5 Star Trivia Night @ Grady’s Public House | 7PM (FREE)
[THURSDAY] Not Rocket Science Trivia @ Brickhouse | 7PM (FREE)

Lateral Thinking Puzzle of the Day

🧠 Time to put your thinking cap on!

Welcome to our Lateral Thinking Puzzle section, where things aren’t always as they seem. Ready to challenge your brain with some tricky scenarios and unexpected twists? Let’s see if you can crack the puzzle!

We’ll give you the answer in Thursday’s edition of The PNW Report (Vancouver)!

Today’s Puzzle: What has one eye but can’t see?

Last Thursday’s Question + Answer: What is always in front of you but can’t be seen? [Answer: The future!]