Craft beer fests keep bubbling up in the 'burbs
More than a decade ago, a Barrington resident suggested that the village create a craft beer festival to raise money for the Barrington Area Council on Aging.
“At the time, craft beers were just starting to become more popular,” said Barrington Area Council on Aging executive director Joyce Palmquist. “He was from Wisconsin, and they have this incredible brew fest in Madison. They had things downtown, but there just wasn't much going on in the Chicago metropolitan area.”
So, they developed the Barrington Brew Fest, which brought in about 350 people in its first year. Now the event's typical attendance is between 1,000 to 1,200 people. The 12th annual event on July 11, held in the parking lot of the downtown Barrington Metra station, will feature 90 beers from 40 breweries.
As Barrington's festival has grown, so has the competition. There are now dozens of craft beer fests running throughout the suburbs this year, all of which are trying to stand out and attract thirsty crowds.
“It's become kind of a trend where people are interested in these things,” Palmquist said.
The Lake Zurich Craft Beer Festival launched last year in response to requests from residents for more adult-focused community events. It will return Oct. 2 and 3 this year with more food vendors, live music, DJs and wine.
“It's always appealing to come out and enjoy your community,” said Bonnie Caputo, recreation manager for the Village of Lake Zurich. “You get the opportunity to taste different brands you might not have had before.”
Caputo said the fest mostly appeals to locals, but she expects the crowd to grow this year as people seek out something to do after the traditional summer festival season ends. “I think ours is really well-timed,” she said. “It's at that time when events are really dying down. The majority of the events we run are from May to August.”
Lou Dog Events, which runs 12 to 15 craft beer festivals throughout the Chicago area, also uses the time of year to distinguish between its events.
“Craft beer changes with the seasons, so the beer available in the spring is different than the summer or fall and winter,” said founder and president Josh Seago.
For the Naperville Winter Ale Fest, which ran on Feb. 28, the focus was on stouts, porters and barrel-aged beers served in the below-freezing weather with fresh roasted doughnuts. For the Lombard Ale Fest on June 13, the focus is on spring and summer brews with lighter beers, IPAs and pale ales. The Lisle Ale Fest on Sept. 26 will showcase Oktoberfest and pumpkin beers, running during the evening in illuminated tents. Each event also contributes a portion of its proceeds to a local nonprofit such as the Lisle Area Chamber of Commerce, Naper Settlement Museum or the Glenbard East Booster Club.
The company's biggest event is the Naperville Ale Fest on July 18, which brings in 5,000 people from as far as Iowa and downstate Illinois to try 220 beers from 100 brewers. “It's great for craft beer connoisseurs since we really bring in some rare and hard-to-find beers,” Seago said. “If you're new to craft beer, it's a great opportunity to come out and try all the different styles there are and find your favorite.”
Seago said the rise of craft beer festivals is related to how popular the brews have become. “If you're going to Binny's or Whole Foods and trying individual bottles, it would be really hard to try all the new beers, but you can do that in four hours here,” he said. “You get to interact with like-minded people and meet the brewers. We really encourage the brewers to come out and represent their brand.”
Meanwhile, Barrington is working to distinguish its festival from the newer ones. They've added a VIP experience for $80 instead of the normal $40 price. The bonus package lets beer lovers in 45 minutes early and gives them access to an area limited to 100 people with premium beers not available at the rest of the fest.
“It's a really nice value add,” Palmquist said. “They enjoy the ambience of the event, but they can stay away from the crowd if they want to.”
With so many communities hosting craft beer festivals, Seago said he's had to become more selective about where to run his events. “If you just go and do a festival every other weekend and they're all the same, it kind of dilutes the experience,” he said. “There's a lot of beer festivals in the area, but the demand for craft beer festivals keeps growing.”