Tickets going on sale for Naperville Winter Ale Fest
When tickets for the second annual Naperville Winter Ale Fest go on sale over Thanksgiving weekend, organizer Josh Seago of Lou Dog Events expects them to disappear quickly.
"We moved up the sale to accommodate families getting together to plan and holiday sales. This event is the perfect holiday gift for both young and old and groups looking for a fun event to break up the winter," says Seago.
"We see groups of young and older people, softball league and college reunions, families and couples buying tickets around the holidays. Tickets make a great stocking stuffer for the craft beer aficionado or the uninitiated looking for an unusual, fun afternoon in the midst of the winter season."
The Naperville Winter Ale Fest, the only full-scale outdoor winter craft beer event in Illinois, will be held Saturday, Feb. 28, at Naperville's Frontier Park and will showcase more than 120 American craft beers by 65 breweries from around the country.
New to the fest this year are craft ciders as well as the Infusion Tent, offering infused beers with unique flavor components like coffee, chocolate, vanilla bean, fruits, peppers, nutmeg and other spices.
Organizers are working with brewers to develop infused beers based on traditional holiday recipes, such as Christmas Pudding, Hot Toddy and Mexican Hot Chocolate, as well as Gingerbread Cookie Hard Cider. Two Brothers Coffee Roasters also will offer coffee tastings. Nonalcoholic beverages will be available.
The event, held from noon to 4 p.m., also will feature food offerings including returning favorites Toasty Cheese, Bridgeport Pasty and the Calle Wagon. Two heated tents, fire pit seating areas and patio heaters will ensure visitors will be warmed by more than the beer.
Adding to the sizzle is Four Star Brass Band, a Chicago-based New Orleans-style brass band that will heat up the party atmosphere throughout the event. Ice-sculpting demonstrations are sure to entertain.
One price admission will allow guests to enjoy 3-oz. samples of IPA's, Belgiums, Porters, Stouts, Lagers and Fall- and Winter-style ales, according to organizer Josh Seago, who is excited to introduce fest-goers to new brewers.
"A craft beer festival is as much about the experience as it is the beer," he says. "A great craft beer festival must have great beer. But the opportunity to interact with fellow enthusiasts, meet the brewers and sample beer in a unique setting is what makes it an experience."
Improvements to the fest this year include signage, on-site handicapped parking and drop-off, increased security to assist in directing parking and increased rest facilities.
A portion of the proceeds from Naperville Winter Ale Fest will benefit the Naperville Parks Foundation for program and camp scholarships. Tickets for the Naperville Winter Ale Fest are $45 for 18 tastings, a commemorative Winter Fest glass and program guide, and $15 for designated drivers, and are available at www.napervillewinteralefest.com.
No one younger than 21 will be admitted. The event will be held snow or shine, with free parking available at Neuqua Valley High School. For tickets and information, visit www.napervillewinteralefest.com.