Geysers blow, and beer flows

Puyallup, Wash.

Oct. 6-9: With oompah bands and other German music, a 50,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor beer garden (and kids’ root beer garden), games, rides and scores of craft and food vendors, Oktoberfest Northwest (www.oktoberfestnw.com) is about as close as one can get to the old country on these shores. Next door, the region’s Nordic roots are saluted at the simultaneous Scandinavian Heritage Festival.

Puyallup Fairgrounds, 110 9th Ave. S.W., Puyallup. Free Oct. 6; other days $6. Age 5 and younger free.

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Seattle

Oct. 8-9: At the Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair & Book Arts Show (www.seattlebookfair.com) collectors will be tempted by thousands of rare volumes, prints, maps, posters and photographs offered by about 100 dealers, small presses and book artisans from around the country.

Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St., Seattle; (206) 684-7200. Tickets $5 (good for both days); children younger than 12 free.

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Yellowstone National Park

Oct. 8: The Yellowstone/Old Faithful Fall Cycling Tour 2005 starts at 9 a.m. in the town of West Yellowstone, Mont., and cruises 30 miles through the national park to Old Faithful. After a ranger-led interpretive tour of the geyser area, bike back to town -- or hop on a shuttle, provided by tour organizers -- for a 6 p.m. spaghetti dinner.

West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 458, West Yellowstone, MT 59758; (406) 646-7701, www.wyellowstone.com/bicycle. Registration $40, children 18 and younger $30.

-- Patricia Connell