By Tyler Maheu
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CLAREMONT — Prepare your mugs and finest beer drinking fits, as the Claremont Brewfest: Battle of the Brews and 5K returns this Saturday, September 17, 2022.
This year’s event is reportedly set to feature over 40 individual breweries, from 36 separate entities according to Chairman of the Claremont Brewfest Committee, and Brewery Coordinator, Mike Dewey. According to Dewey, the Claremont Brewfest was created by a couple of locals in the early 2010’s. After running the event for a couple of years, they decided it was two big for a two-person team and approached the Claremont Kiwanis Club about taking up the mantle. The first Kiwanis Club edition of the event occurred in 2014 and has been running strong as a staple of late-September entertainment for of-drinking-age adults ever since.
The boozy event typically brings around 1000 drinkers to Claremont, and this year projects to be no different. “We average around 1300 people,” said Dewey over the phone on Tuesday evening. “Pre-sale is never an indication of what day-of numbers are gonna be because we sell more at-gate tickets than pre-sale.” This may be the case for general admission, but the festival’s VIP pre-sale only tickets sold like hot cakes. “VIP is only available as pre-sale, and we sold out in a little bit over two days,” Dewey stated. “We would’ve sold out quicker, but when there was only one ticket left, it stretched out that timeframe.”
Two major factors could affect the turnout at this year’s rendition. Firstly, this will be the first year post-COVID, which Dewey says could make a difference. “Turnout was a little lower last year but was still very good. Being this far away from all the shutdowns, I think we should have a very good turnout,” he said. Secondly, this weekend’s forecast. At time of writing, Saturday is predicted to be partly sunny with a high of 74 degrees, perfect for an afternoon drinking with friends. However, if rain does hit, Dewey stresses that the event is rain or shine, and there are two large tents capable of shielding patrons from the elements.
An event of this magnitude requires many months of prep work and a mass of volunteers. “On the committee, we have about a dozen people, and we start planning in January. On the day of the event, we have about 45-50 people,” said Dewey, who also stated that it is a “huge amount of work.” He said that the planning process begins in January as the committee goes to the city of Claremont for permission to hold the festival, then refinement based off of the previous year’s event takes place. From there, the committee works to line up the bands, breweries, and vendors. “If we haven’t already lined up the band by January, we end up not getting who we want,” said Dewey. “By March, I have already started reaching out to breweries and figuring out who we want to invite. If I wanted to, I could send invitations to over 60, but we have to be careful that we don’t end up with more than we want.”
Performing at this year’s event will be the band of Bob & Shane for the VIP hour, and general admission alcohol connoisseurs will be treated to music from The Conniption Fits. Beer won’t be the only thing on the menu Saturday afternoon, as several local food vendors will be on hand to fill patron’s stomachs.
A large focus of the Claremont Brewfest is the “Battle of the Brews”, the competition portion of the event. Attendees will receive a ballot upon entrance, where they can vote on their favorite drinks of the day. Prizes will be handed out in the following categories: Best VIP Beverage, Best IPA, Best Double IPA, Best Pale Ale, Best Stout, Best Porter, Best Sour, Best Seasonal, Best Non-Beer Beverage, and Best Beverage. Best VIP Beverage will be given to a first and second place winner, while Best Beverage will feature first, second, and third place trophies.
Dewey preached that the Claremont Brewfest is filled with tons of hometown flavor. “There is a huge hometown feel to our event,” he stated. “I have been to many brewfests, and none of them have felt as comfortable, relaxed, and like a cookout type feel as this.” He also stressed that all money raised from this event goes to the Claremont Kiwanis Club, which will then give back the funds to benefit the children of the Greater Claremont Area.
Things get rolling on Saturday with the Brewfest 5K at 11:30 AM, which will roll off from Barnes Park. Following that, the VIP hour begins at noon, featuring special brews, tunes, and hors d’oeuvres prepared by Newport’s Old Courthouse Restaurant. General Admission tickets will be sold at the gate, which will open at 1 PM. The event runs until the “Last Pour” at 4 PM. General Admission tickets, 5K tickets, packages, and Designated Drivers are still available to be purchased online at www.claremontbrewfest.com. Event goers are encouraged to drink responsibly.
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