Beer, wine, food fest to save Brainerd building

The second North Shore Wine, Beer, Cigar, and Food Festival will offer a day of spirits, food and music from 3 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27. The event, the major fundraiser for the Save Brainerd organization, will be held on the Brainerd grounds, Park Avenue (Route 176) and Douglas Avenue, just west of Milwaukee Avenue in Libertyville.

This year’s festival will continue the format from last year, with a ticket including a souvenir glass and 10 tastes from the selection of more than 350 wines and 150 beers.

Food also will be offered by local restaurants such as Morgan’s Bar & Grill, Tacos el Rey de Oro, Main Street Smokehouse, Nirvana Wine & Grillerie, Wisma and Sunset Foods.

New this year will be the Besley’s Homebrew Competition, with entrants competing for awards, including the top prize of having the winning recipe brewed and served at Mickey Finn’s by Brew Master Greg Brown.

Fine cigars will be offered by Neumann’s Cigars & More, and there will be a variety of live music, including The New Libertyvillians, John Harvey, Brian McDermott and Weekend Vinyl. Elite DJs will be “spinning the tunes” during breaks in the live music.

Tickets are $35 at the door and $25 in advance. Senior citizens will get a “2-for-1” price in advance. Designated drivers can obtain $10 tickets, which include two tickets for nonalcoholic drinks.

Tickets may be purchased in person at the Libertyville village hall, Mickey Finn’s, S & S Wine and Spirit Warehouse, and Morgan’s Bar and Grill, or through Pay Pal at the festival website, www.northshorewinebeerfest.com.Funds raised cover the group#146;s costs, such as repairs and cleanup of the building and publicity during the year. The eventual intent is to convert the former Libertyville High School and Jackson Gym into a self-sustaining community center.Volunteers are being sought to work on setup and tear down of the event in exchange for perks, including a free festival ticket ($35 value) and a T-shirt. A variety of jobs, from physical to organizational, need to be filled.Helpers are needed on the day of the festival, but also at various times during the days surrounding the event. For details or to volunteer, email save.brainerd@yahoo.com.