Wheaton Brew Fest 'appeals to everyone'
If you're looking for a craft beer festival that gives back, look no further than the fifth annual Wheaton Brew Fest taking place this weekend in Memorial Park.
"It's a great fest that appeals to everyone," said Kristina Nemetz, Wheaton Park District's superintendent of marketing and special events. "If you want to drink for a good cause, this is the fest you go to."
Proceeds from the event, which runs from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at 208 W. Union Ave., go to the DuPage County Historical Museum Foundation and CASA DuPage, which pairs volunteers with abused, neglected and dependent children to advocate on their behalf in the county's juvenile court system.
Every beer-drinking attendee receives a commemorative pint glass and passes for 32 two-ounce samples. Tickets are $45 for general admission and $75 for VIP.
Wheaton Park District is giving away one VIP ticket a day this week on the Wheaton Brew Fest Facebook page. Winners will be announced by noon the next day.
With more than 80 beers and 33 brewers, Nemetz said the fest will appeal to both beer afficionados or new craft beer drinkers and people just looking to enjoy a day in the park.
"This year we definitely tried to seek out some different beers than we had in the past," she said. "Sours are becoming bigger, so we have a few sours at the fest."
New breweries at the festival include Crazy Mountain, Exit Strategy, Latitude 42, Scorched Earth and Slapshot. Local brewers include Dry City and Emmett's from Wheaton, Two Brothers from Warrenville, Church Street from Itasca and 51st Ward from Westmont.
"We have one international brewery, lots of national and a good handful of local," Nemetz said.
The VIP tickets include early admittance to the fest at noon, a food buffet sponsored by Whole Foods from 1 to 3 p.m. and a Wheaton Brew Fest shirt. VIP attendees also will get a chance to sample four beers not available in the general admission tents, such as an "ancient ale" by Dogfish Head and a sour strawberry rhubarb gose from Scorched Earth.
Nemetz said volunteers will be serving the beer, but a representative from each brewery will be on hand to answer questions.
Four Star Brass Band will play New Orleans-style music at the start of the festival and 1980s tribute band The Breakfast Club will play from 2 to 4 p.m.
Metra's Union Pacific/West Line runs two blocks south of the park and first-time users of Uber can get $20 off their first ride with the code WBF2015. Organizers hope that will draw in people from outside Wheaton and encourage attendees to get home safely.
Designated driver tickets, which include three nonalcoholic beverages, also are available for $20 general admission or $35 for VIP. Motorists should avoid Karlskoga Avenue, as it will be closed between Wheaton Avenue and North Hale Street from midnight Thursday until 7 p.m. Saturday.
Tickets will be on sale online through Friday. A limited number of tickets will be available at the gate, but the prices will be higher, with general admission going for $60 and VIP priced at $90. No more than 2,000 tickets will be sold, to prevent overcrowding.
For information or to order tickets, visit wheatonparkdistrict.com/events/brewfest.