Autumn doesn’t have to to be so august, does it? Between museums, author readings, and ballet performances, we also need to make time for beer, to trade culture for fermentation. That’s one of the chief draws to the annual Fremont Oktoberfest, with a half-dozen Northwest breweries pouring in the beer garden ($15 and up). But there’s more than suds on tap. Live music starts at 7 p.m. tonight (and noon this weekend); Sunday offers a 5K and “Dogtoberfest” canine beauty pageant; and of course there are children’s activities (in the Fremont Abbey) and pumpkin carving with chainsaws (1 p.m. Sat & Sun.). Sunday’s 5K—yes, wear costumes—and scavenger hunt both require entrance fees. Then, after you’ve run and scavenged, it’s back to the beer garden. The fine arts can wait until after the weekend—and the end of your hangover. BRIAN MILLER

Sept. 21-23, 2012