Where to find the season’s best beer festivals
Philadelphia started something when it staged its first Philly Beer Week, featuring a few restaurant-bar partners and a couple hundred events. Six years later, the 2013 event (May 31-June 9) has stretched to 10 days, 250-plus participants and 1,000 or so events. Last year, it attracted 70,000 participants.
Philly may lay claim to the nation’s largest beer-centric event. But it’s not the longest. North Carolina has declared the entire month of April NC Beer Month to celebrate its self-proclaimed status as the South’s “beer stronghold.” Tours, tastings, dinners, classes and packages that include lodging are available from Asheville and the Great Smoky Mountains to Raleigh and beyond.
Where to find beer-centric events? Just about everywhere, says the Brookston Beer Bulletin’s Jay Brooks, who notes there are more “official” beer weeks than weeks of the year.
Spawned by the burgeoning craft beer movement, these home-grown suds fests promote home-grown brews.
“The growth of beer festivals parallels the growth of brew pubs and microbreweries,” says Paul Ruschmann, who tracks the events on his website, Beerfestivals.org. Indeed, the number of U.S. craft breweries grew 15% last year to more than 2,000, and several hundred are poised to open, he says.
Time was when most beer fests took place in summer. But they’ve spilled into other seasons, including spring.
Besides Philly Beer Week and North Carolina’s April events, here are some other spring spots for beer lovers.
Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week, April 19-27
Annapolis Beer Week, April 20-27 in Annapolis, Md.
Great International Beer Festival, April 20 in ProvidenceI.
Albuquerque Beer Week, April 25-May 4
Food Foam Fest, April 26 in Little Rock
Great Vegas Festival of Beer, April 27 in Las Vegas
St. Louis Microfest, May 3-4 in St. Louis
Madison Craft Beer Week, May 3-12 in Madison, Wis.
Frederick Beer Week, May 11-18 in Frederick, Md.
San Antonio Beer Week, May 12-20
World Expo of Beer, May 17-18 in Frankenmuth, Mich.
Virginia Beer Festival, May 18-19 in Norfolk, Va.
American Craft Beer Fest, May 31-June 1 in Boston
Magic City Brewfest, May 31-June 1 in Birmingham, Ala.
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1 beer festival only for PEI
The P.E.I. Liquor Commission is putting an end to the dueling beer festivals that competed for attention in Charlottetown last September.
The commission will only allow one beer festival in 2013, and has issued a request for proposals.
There will be just one beer festival on P.E.I. in 2013. (iStock)
In 2012, there were two beer festivals held three weeks apart in September. Campbell Webster Entertainment held its second annual P.E.I. Beer Festival, offering 40 beers at a two-day event at the Delta. Then, as part of Fall Flavours, the P.E.I. Brewing Company held a three-day event, showcasing 11 Gahan beers and 30 others at the Charlottetown event site.
Jamie MacLeod, director of corporate services with the Liquor Commission, said suppliers were confused about which festival to support, and it was a lot of work for the commission.
“Prince Edward Island being a very small jurisdiction we felt one good beer festival, enhanced beer festival, would be better than having multiple beer festivals,” said MacLeod.
The commission is accepting bids and plans to pick one to run a beer festival during Fall Flavours. The model is similar to how May’s Festival of Wines, which had previously been run by the commission was privatized this year. That event will be run by Versatile Management for the first time, the same group that organizes Fall Flavours and the Shellfish Festival. Versatile’s contract will be renewed, if the event is successful.
MacLeod says the same will be done with the beer festival.
Jeff Squires, CEO of the P.E.I. Brewing Company, is eager to put in his bid.
“The reality is we’re in the beer business day after day after day, working in the industry,” said Squires.
“I have no trouble putting our experience up against anybody else’s and documenting that in an RFP.”
Campbell Webster thinks the Liquor Commission is making the right call in only allowing one event. His company will also apply.
For mobile device users: Is it a good idea to limit the number of beer festivals on P.E.I.?
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More than 80 events to celebrate North Carolina Beer Month
for years, North Carolina has lured visitors to its vineyards and wineries with much success.
This month, breweries will be in the spotlight for the inaugural North Carolina Beer Month.
Throughout April, there will be tours, tastings, dinners, classes and events at breweries, festivals and restaurants across the state.
And it’s all to celebrate the cool, frothy beverage that’s gained a tasty reputation throughout the state’s independent microbreweries.
“We are always looking for things that are resonating with the public and the media, and the ‘craft beerscape’ scene has really started to blossom here,” said Margo Metzger, public relations manager with the state’s Division of Tourism. “We’ve had success with tourism marketing with North Carolina’s vineyards, so it was a natural fit to apply that concept to our breweries.”
April was chosen because there already are a number of well-established beer festivals this month, providing a logical time to add more beer celebrations. The World Beer Festival, for example, will take place in downtown Raleigh’s Moore Square on April 13, while the Hickory Hops Brew Festival is April 20 in downtown Hickory.
April is also a bit of an off-season time for tourism, Metzger said, and Beer Month should help boost tourism before the summer season picks up.
Destinations are spread from the mountains to the coast, Metzger said. There will be 80-plus events with some more involved than others.
“Beer Month has made them come up with more creative stuff than we’ve ever seen,” said Metzger. “We think our brewery scene is as good as any other in the country.”
For local brewmasters Mark Fesche of Huske Hardware and Reuben Stocks of the Mash House, Beer Month is another chance to shine a spotlight on Fayetteville’s brewery scene.
“April’s a busy month to be a brewer,” said Fesche. “There are some great festivals, and Beer Month is another neat idea we’re happy to be involved with.”
Fesche said Huske Hardware will have a presence at the World Beer Festival in Raleigh, Hickory Hops, the Good Vibes Beer Festival in Wilmington and the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival.
Fesche said he will release two new seasonal beers during April to coincide with Beer Month – a light lager for spring, and a watermelon wheat beer for summer.
Stocks said he’s looking forward to seeing how Beer Month can expand in the future.
“We’ll be participating in the major beer festivals during Beer Month, especially Hickory Hops,” said Stocks. “That’s the brewer’s brew fest. That’s the one you want to really do well at. It’s a who’s who of North Carolina brewers.”
Stocks said he also will release a German spring lager in conjunction with Beer Month.
The Railhouse Brewery in Aberdeen hopes to capitalize on Beer Month to show off its expanded building, which has become a venue for musical acts, open-mic nights and brewery tours. Within the next month, the brewery will open a restaurant with a full menu.
There are dozens of activities taking place during North Carolina Beer Month. For details, go to ncbeermonth.com.
Aberdeen’s Railhouse Brewery will have two events. On April 18, there will be a special five-course meal at The Bell Tree Tavern in Southern Pines. Railhouse will provide five different beers to pair with each course. Ticket prices have not been announced. The brewery will host a home brewing demonstration and brewery tour on April 20 at 2 p.m. Go to thebelltreetavern.com.
The “Beer City USA” Experience will be Friday to April 14 in Asheville and will include lodging at Aloft Downtown Asheville, a LaZoom Comedy Tour, visits to Highland Brewing and other hops spots, dining and more.
The Hickory Hops Brew Festival is April 20 in Hickory, hosted by Olde Hickory Brewing, with 40-plus regional breweries represented, along with music, food and the Carolinas Championship of Beers.
Spring Fling in Pittsboro is a spirited festival on April 20, featuring food, music and a new release from Carolina Brewery.
French Broad River Floats will be April 20 and 27 in Asheville. The Asheville Adventure Rentals excursion event includes a tour and tasting at Altamont Brewing, a new arrival on the Asheville beer scene.
NC Beer Lover’s Weekend will take place April 26-27 in Greensboro with lodging at the O. Henry Hotel plus a beer dinner and beer-cooking class.
The NC Brews Walkabout is April 27 at Blowing Rock and will feature a tasting tour through the Blue Ridge Mountains town with lodging packages that include a branded N.C. Beer Month stein from Traditions Pottery.
The unique Brewgaloo event in downtown Raleigh is April 27 and will be a celebration of the area’s beer craftsmanship and culinary creativity.
Carolina Brewery Grill, the brewpub in Chapel Hill will unveil Myth Perpetuator Double IPA to commemorate Beer Month. Weekly tastings on Saturdays and tours will continue through the month.
Beer Month will feature, well, a lot of beer, including several new releases. Here are a few to look out for, in addition to new beers from Huske Hardware and the Mash House. General Lenoir’s Old Ale, from Howard Brewing in Lenoir, is based on a Revolutionary War hero’s recipe. Up On the Sun is a Belgian-style saison from Birdsong Brewing in Charlotte. Pisgah Cosmos Baltic Porter is from Pisgah Brewing in Black Mountain. The Oyster Stout collaboration is from Wilmington’s Front Street Brewery and Charlotte’s NoDa Brewing. And there’s a Red Rye Ale from brewers in the Great Smoky Mountains.
The annual Blues-N-Brews Festival at Festival Park in downtown Fayetteville celebrates its 10th year on June 1 from 5 to 10 p.m. The festival combines tastings from breweries across the state with bluegrass and blues music. Go to cfrt.org for details.
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Beers abound at annual local brew fest
Classic City BrewFest
Classic City Brew Fest will take place at Foundry Park Inn on April 7.
Posted: Saturday, April 6, 2013 9:00 am
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Updated: 8:46 pm, Sat Apr 6, 2013.
RedAndBlack.com
Posted on
April 6, 2013
If you have ever had dreams of being surrounded by over 300 different beers with a chance to try them all, they may be coming true this weekend.
“It’s pretty huge, but it’s not a huge, crowded beer festival,” said Owen Ogletree, founder and director of the Classic City Brew Fest. “You know when you go to some beer festivals and it’s hard to get a table and you have to wait in line forever — that’s not the way this one is. We try to keep this one smaller and more fun and easier to get to the beer, talk to the brewers and enjoy the whole experience.”
The Classic City Brew Fest has been an annual April event in Athens for 18 years. The beer festival has helped beer lovers and brewers from all over the world come together and enjoy the best craft beer there is to offer. The festival will take over the Foundry Park Inn complex this Sunday, and 150 volunteers have stepped up to help 100 different brewers to bring their favorite and rarest beers to Athens.
“We have a big concentration of beer from regional breweries and local breweries all around the Southeast,” Ogletree said, “but also there are craft beers from all around the United States and all around the world. We have beer from England, Belgium and Germany, so it’s really kind of a world beer experience. These are beers that are kind of world class and that are very famous.”
Festivals like this are where breweries get a chance to show off their most popular beer. But brewers will also bring their rare beers that you cannot find just anywhere, like their seasonal beers or aging beers that are not sold in stores anymore.
“There are over 100 different styles of beer that you can try,” Ogletree said. “Anything from light, spicy Belgian beers to really strong, heavy, dark black, 12-percent-alcohol stouts that are really kind of a dessert beer.”
Aside from the individual brewers’ booths set up all around the Foundry and the Melting Point, there will be a central pavillion devoted to 20, 10-gallon cask ales. The cask ales are a treat to beer lovers because they are naturally carbonated and some will have special flavors and ingredients added.
Tropical Breeze Steel Band, a Caribbean band, will play at the festival. The band is led by Tony McCutchen, a former UGA professor of percussion, and it’s members are almost all former UGA students. The Melting Point will also be selling food for those who want something more solid to go with their beer.
The Classic City Brew Fest is meant to be both an educational and immersive experience for any and all beer lovers who are strictly 21 years old and up. Each attendant who purchases a ticket will be given a glass and be able to try any beer they want in two-ounce pours. The Brew Fest takes pride in being an event where people can learn about beer from the brewers and distributors, and enjoy the taste of their best beer while doing it.
“I think it’s a really important reason why craft beer has done so well in Athens is because young people in Athens have been coming to this beer festival for the past 18 years,” Ogletree said. “And they learn about craft beer and go off into the world away from the University of Georgia, and they take that love of craft beer with them.”
CLASSIC CITY BREW FEST
WHEN: April 7, 2:30-6 p.m.
WHERE: Foundry Park Inn
PRICE: $39.99 at brewfest.net (21+ only)
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London Beer Festival Round-Up: April
Largely due to the early Easter bank holiday, there are fewer April beer festivals than usual. It’s likely, however, that more pubs will announce St George’s Day celebrations nearer the time – if you know of any please post them in the comments!
4-6 April
The Angel, Hayes. A range of 10 guest ales will be on offer at the pub’s third beer festival, which features live music every night.
Bexley Beer Festival, Old Dartfordians Sports Club. Based at a new venue, the eighth Bexley Beer Festival features more than 65 ales and ciders, as well as hot food and snacks. Entry is £2.50 or £1.50 for CAMRA members, and you can find opening times and a beer list on the website.
18-21 April
The Bull’s Head, Croydon. There will be 11 ales and 2 ciders on offer during the festival.
Waltham Forest Sports and Social Club, Walthamstow. Celebrating the ‘colourful world of beer and breweries’, their tenth festival offers 25 ales, ciders and perries as well as food and live entertainment. The festival opens at 12pm each day (it closes at 5pm on Sunday) and entry is £2 before 8pm, or free for CAMRA members.
19-20 April
The Hook Beer Festival, Surbiton. Supporting London’s Air Ambulance amongst other great charities, the Hook Beer Festival boasts a great list of beers and ciders from around the UK. It’s best to purchase tickets (£5) in advance and you can find out how to do so by visiting the website.
19-28 April
The Willoughby Arms, Kingston Upon Thames. The pub’s St George’s Day beer and cider festival will offer a range of tasty beverages alongside entertainment. Check the website nearer the time for full details.
25-27 April
The Hope, Carshalton. Few details are available about the pub’s ‘Spirit of Albion’ festival as yet – check the website nearer the time for more details.
Buy the Londonist book of London pub crawls for less than the price of a pint.
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Battle of the Brews at the fairgrounds
In recent years, it has become increasingly obvious that Wine Country can also be Beer Country.
With the rise of Northern California “craft” brewers, producing their own custom brews on a smaller scale than the mass beer producers with major brand names, a large following has developed.
Battle of the Brews, 2011 (HO)
“Craft beer has grown exponentially, and continues to grow,” said Jim Jacobs, marketing director for the Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma.
And as the fan base swelled, beer festivals naturally bubbled up, too. There are two in Sonoma County this weekend.
One of the region’s pioneer craft beer events, the 17th annual Battle of the Brews featuring nearly 40 breweries, will be held Saturday (April 6) at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa.
And the Sonoma Community Center’s third annual Beervana festival, announcing the winners of its annual amateur brewing competition, happens today (April 5) at the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Building in the city of Sonoma. The annual Sonoma County Beerfest returns June 1 to Santa Rosa’s Wells Fargo Center for the Arts.
“There are so many beer fests, it’s unbelievable,” Jacobs said. “There are hundreds now. On a summer weekend, you could have 16 beer festivals going on in Northern California.”
Craft beer owes much of its success to the public’s growing support for locally made food and drink, and draws much of its audience from the under-30 crowd, Jacobs said.
“The younger folks who are turning 21 are moving to craft beer more than their parents. They’re skipping the domestic beers — Bud, Coors, Miller and all the rest,” he explained.
But it’s worth noting that Miller and Coors also will be among the beers poured at the Battle of the Brews, which historically has sold out as many as 2,500 tickets in advance.
Fried egg, bacon and blue grilled Cheese from the Farmer’s Wife, voted Best in Show at the 2012 ‘Wich Hunt (photo by Heather Irwin)
The event added two new features last year — the Craft Cup juried beer competition and the ’Wich Hunt sandwich contest — to reach beyond the typically younger craft beer audience to the local food-and-drink fans who have made many wine festivals successful.
See last year’s ‘Wich Hunt winner at BiteClub
“Historically the crowd for the Battle of the Brews was younger, but that’s changing. Now we see fathers and sons coming,” said Dusty Destruel, president of the Active 20-30 Club No. 50 in Santa Rosa, the event’s sponsor.
You can reach Staff Writer Dan Taylor at 521-5243 or dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com. See his ARTS blog at arts.blogs.pressdemocrat.com.
Battle of the Brews: offers two dozen brewers and vendors at 4 p.m. Saturday (April 6) at Sonoma County Fairgrounds,
1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa.
$40. Preceded at 1 p.m. by Craft Cup beer and ‘Wich Hunt sandwich competitions. $95 for access to all. battleofthebrews.com
Beervana: Winners of the Amateur Beer Brewing competition will be announced at the Sonoma Community Center’s third annual event, with 60 beers from two dozen regional breweries featured, at 5:30-9 p.m. today (April 5) at the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Building, 126 First St. W., Sonoma. $40 until April 4; $45 at the door. 938-4626, sonomacommunitycenter.org
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Double the cheers as town hosts two beer festivals
A total of 40 real ales from the UK and overseas will be available to sample at the beer festival at The White Hart, Station Approach, which began earlier this week and will run until Sunday April 21.
As well as the British beers on offer, there will be ales from brewers in New Zealand, Greece, Russia, Canada, the USA, Netherlands and Czech Republic.
The festival will feature new, seasonal and speciality beers including a passion fruit beer, coffee and chocolate bean beer, wheat beer, blackberry porter, cask lager and a coffee porter.
Many of the beers are available in the pub for the first time, having been brewed exclusively for the festival.
Pub manager James Lane said: “The festival will give people the opportunity to enjoy a superb selection of UK and international beers, many of which have not been served in the pub before.
“It is also the perfect way for real ale enthusiasts to support microbrewers, as we are featuring many of their beers.
“The festival promises to be great fun and I am certain that my customers will enjoy themselves.”
All beers are priced £1.99 a pint.
Customers will be able to sample any three of the real ales in special third of a pint glasses for the price of a pint.
Tasting notes on all of the beers will be available.
The latter stages of the event will coincide with the fifth annual Walsden Cricket and Bowling Club beer festival.
Taking place at the club’s Scott Street base from April 18-21, it will feature more than 20 real ales and ciders.
Beers from the local area and around the UK will be available to sample.
The festival will be open on April 18 from 5pm until late; on April 19 from noon until late; on April 20 from noon until late; and on April 21 from noon until late.
Food will be available at all sessions and those attending on Sunday, April 21, will also be able to watch the Walsden v Littleborough cricket match.
Entry is £2. Free admission for CAMRA members.
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April 1, 2013: P&G Campaign Bets Big on Baseball, Beer Festivals Feud, New …
1. COVERING ALL BASES: In its new ad campaign for Head Shoulders and Old Spice, Procter Gamble is looking to own baseball strikeouts. In addition to wrapping New York’s number 7 subway train leading to this year’s All-Star Game site Citi Field, the effort includes getting fans to use the hashtag #Whiff every time a pitcher strikes out an opponent. Ad Age: “PG will give $1 for each strikeout to Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities and fuel social media by giving the M.L.B. club whose fans rack up the most #Whiff tweets monthly an additional $10,000 for local chapters.” http://bit.ly/16p1aaq
2. DRINKING GAMES: With warmer weather comes the festivals and apparently a fight between Chicago beer fests. The Chicago Beer Festival is claiming the Soldier Field Festival—the inaugural American Beer Classic—tattled to the Illinois state board, preventing it from hosting the unlimited tastings as advertised to ticket buyers. Huffington Post: http://huff.to/16575PS
3. SOCIAL GRACES: As smartphones and social media grow in importance, a new wave of bloggers, consultants, and YouTube videos are looking to teach the digital generation how to properly conduct themselves in offline as well as online situations. The New York Times: http://nyti.ms/Y2wfyh
With this in mind, how should planners adapt events to handle attendees more interested in what’s on their screens than what’s happening in front of them? Tell us: tips@bizbash.com
4. FIGHTING FOR FACE-TO-FACE: The U.S. Travel Association is continuing its efforts to convince Washington of the value of government meetings. In an email, association president and C.E.O. Roger Dow detailed some victories, including the defeat of a recent Senate amendment to limit government meetings to no more than 25 people. Additionally, the association’s next Travel Effect research report will look at the value and productivity of federal travel and government conferences.
5. GETTING THE BALL ROLLING: With the Washington National Opera Ball moving from June to April, organizers are hoping to boost the event’s fund-raising take and attendance. WWD: “… Ball organizers have yet to match the $2.6 million raised by [Placido] Domingo’s last year when the ball, hosted by China in 2011, attracted 800 guests. Last year’s event, hosted by the United Arab Emirates, brought in $1.1 million and 500 guests. This year, with the gala coming at the peak of the fund-raising season—and in the midst of both a continued weak economy and sequester-mandated cutbacks in federal spending—it’s anyone’s guess how many embassies will host pre-ball dinners.” http://wwd.us/16eimh7
* LOCAL NEWS *
BOSTON: New Generation Energy and Trade will host the Mint Party on April 20. DJ Deja will spin, and there will be a specialty vodka-grapefruit cocktail dubbed the “Environ-Mint.”
Sheraton Framingham Hotel and Conference will complete its multimillion-dollar renovation in May. The updated venue will have a renovated lobby, ballroom, and fitness center; the guest rooms have also been refreshed, and there’s a new concept for the restaurant and lounge.
CHICAGO: Untitled will host American WhiskeyFest on April 25. The event, an unofficial kickoff for WhiskeyFest, will let guests sample some 50 whiskeys and meet distillers from all over the country.
Advocate Christ Medical Center will host its Salute Gala at the Field Museum on April 27. “Oh, What a Night” is the theme of this year’s event.
DALLAS: Event company Freeman has acquired U.K.-based event services firm SO Group. Press release: http://yhoo.it/125A7lT
LAS VEGAS: John Legend will headline the 12th annual Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational April 5 at the Aria Resort and Casino. The event will be hosted by Wayne Brady and the Blue Man group will perform.
Las Vegas Hotel Casino’s Burger Bistro opened March 28. The menu offers six different burger options including turkey breast and lump and black fin crab, as well as toppings like foie gras terrine with sweet apples.
LOS ANGELES: The Kaleidoscope Ball is April 7 at the Beverly Hills Hotel. The event will benefit the U.C.L.A. Children’s Discovery and Innovation Institute at Mattel Children’s Hospital U.C.L.A. LL Cool J will be presented with the Kaleidoscope Award and Blue Sky Riders featuring Kenny Loggins, Georgia Middleman, and Garry Burr will perform. A silent auction will include dollhouses created by notable designers and architects.
The Hollywood Film Awards will take place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on October 21.
MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA: The Westin Beach Resort Spa in Fort Lauderdale opened Amatsu Sushi Sake Friday. The restaurant seats 32 and features rolls made by Japanese cuisine veteran Kon W. Lee, hot and cold sakes, and Atlantic Ocean views. Amatsu is Japanese for “heavenly.”
NEW YORK: According to the New York Post, on April 17 the Human Rights Campaign and Calvin Klein will host an event to support marriage equality. Held at the fashion brand’s store on Madison Avenue, the affair will see guests including Neil Patrick Harris, Stefano Tonchi, Alan Cumming, Linda Evangelista, André Balazs, and Uma Thurman. http://bit.ly/Z0NDj9
The Village Voice will host its third annual 4Knots Music Festival on June 29. The free event will be held at South Street Seaport and the after-party will take place at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Performers will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Project Group’s latest restaurant, the Greenwich Project, is slated to open April 4. The Greenwich Village eatery will be available for buyouts and seat 40 upstairs and 34 downstairs. The food menu will offer meat, seafood, and vegetarian options and the cocktail menu includes classic and New York-inspired cocktails, as well as the “bartender’s choice” option where guests can choose from a list of cocktail characteristics like “savory,” ‘light,” and “boozy.”
ORLANDO: L. Gale Lemeran and one of the co-founders of Stonewood Grill Tavern will open 10 Pie Five Pizza Company restaurants in Florida. The first restaurant is slated to open late 2013, and the stores will be spread over the Orlando, Melbourne, Daytona Beach, and Gainesville areas. http://bit.ly/1080Iuq
PARK CITY, UTAH: The second annual Park City Celebrity Smile Ski Challenge took place Saturday at Canyons Resort. Celebrity skiers included Kate Walsh, Zachary Levi, and NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke. Funds raised will benefit Operation Smile, a medical charity dedicated to helping children that suffer from cleft lip and cleft palate.
TORONTO: Madison8 will host its first Events and Wedding Boutique Trunk Show on April 2 at the Oliver Bonacini Planning Studio. The evening will include cocktails, canapes, and desserts, as well as mingling with local wedding and event planners.
WASHINGTON: In honor of the “Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes, 1909–1929: When Art Danced with Music” exhibit at the National Gallery of Art, chef Michel Richard will create a special menu for the Gallery’s Garden Café, which will be called the Garden Caf
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Gainesville refuses to tap annual beer festival
When Mike Campbell got the call to participate in the Greater Gator Beer Festival last year, he was ready to join the tradition.
The general manager of EndZone, 1209 W. University Ave., provided food and drinks for the VIP area of the beer and food sampling festival.
This year, the City of Gainesville didn’t allow the 16-year-old festival to return to Magnolia Parke, 4700 NW 39th Ave.
“It’s a bummer,” Campbell said. “Things like this, they’re needed. People get together, hang out — it’s high-spirited fun.”
Chuck Fazio and Ricki Black, festival coordinators, said they were told by the city attorney’s office that ordinances or statutes hadn’t changed, only their interpretation.
“It’s all bologna with a capital B,” Fazio said. “After 16 years and nothing changing, it seems a little fishy.”
Gainesville Spokesman Bob Woods said the city attorney’s office decided the city needed to change how it interpreted the ordinance that dealt with alcoholic beverage sales permits for outdoor special events.
In early 2012, a group of city staff determined the code didn’t allow the city to issue such permits in most circumstances, City Attorney Nicolle Shalley wrote in an email to city staff March 7.
During the March 21 City Commission meeting, an item that requested the revision of the ordinance to expand permits citywide was approved.
Fazio and Black have been hosting Florida Beer Festivals for 20 years, after they attended a beer festival in San Francisco. They started in Orlando and brought the festival to Gainesville in 1997.
“It was an immediate hit,” Fazio said.
They host eight to 10 festivals a year around Florida in cities like Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale and Sarasota, which usually draw 2,000 to 3,500 people.
For the price of admission, each festival features at least 100 different kinds of 2-ounce beer samples from distributors, suppliers and breweries. Fazio said he and Black also seek restaurants to provide free samples because they don’t want people to drink all day without eating.
Last year, Gainesville businesses like Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, Willy’s Mexicana Grill and Loosey’s participated in the festival.
Fazio had hoped to bring the festival back this summer, but he said it will probably have to wait until next year, when the city is done revising the ordinance.
“We have a lot of people very upset,” he said, “but you can’t fight City Hall.”
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Sip in Springtime with Three Upcoming April Beer Festivals
World Beer Festival Raleigh
The folks from All About Beer Magazine run a couple of beer festivals each and every year, and its already time for the one in Raleigh, North Carolina to do its thing. It all takes place at Moore Square in the downtown area on April 13, and all you have to do is pick your preferred session. Theres plenty on tap between 12pm and 4pm as well as between 6pm and 10pm.
Admission is $45 for either session, and thatll get you a souvenir cup, unlimited beer samples, nonalcoholic beverages, and all the entertainment you can handle. Food vendors will be on hand as well for when you get the beer munchies, and thats only a matter of time thanks to the offerings from local breweries like Carolina Brewing Company, Boone Brewing Company, and Raleigh Brewing Company.
Memphis Brewfest
Rounding out this months fun and festivities is the beer event taking place over in Memphis, as the citys Brewfest is scheduled to start the sudsy stuff on April 27, 2013 between 4pm and 7:30pm. Stouts, lagers, and ales will be in attendance, so be sure to stop and smell the Yazoo Pale Ale, Lucky Bucket IPA, and BBC Darkstar Porter.
This years festival does its thing outdoors in the courtyard of AutoZone Parkat the corner of Third Street and Union Avenue. Tickets will set you back $38 in advance, but after April 20 theyll cost you $41. All the beers that you care to sample are included in your admission, but just be sure to bring a little extra cash in case you are hungry for a snack.
[Photo: lpolinsky]
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