Pub in the Park Craft Beer and Food Truck festival returns to Lake in the Hills

This weekend, 50 brewers will bring their beer samples to Lake in the Hills' Pub in the Park Craft Beer and Food Truck Festival, rain or shine, according to Liz Wakeman, chairwoman of the event.

"We try to have as many brewers pouring their beer as possible, so the craft beer aficionados can talk to them and see what they think about the different brews," Wakeman said.

Wakeman, who is a Lake in the Hills resident, attends multiple brewfests throughout the year to seek out unique concoctions, sampling everything, even though she admits she's not much of a beer fan.

"I'm acquiring a taste," she said. "I taste, but I rely upon what other people are saying. Now I'm starting to appreciate that the idea of these festivals are for people to appreciate and discern different types of beer."

Along the way she has found that there are some types that appeal to her.

"I've discovered a variety of coffee or vanilla flavored stouts," Wakeman said. "The craft beer industry has created an incredible lineup of flavors."

Discovering new tastes is the point of the evening, according to Mike Dallas, owner of Scorched Earth Brewing Company in Algonquin and participant in the upcoming event.

"I always suggest that people might be a little bit nervous about some beers, but I always try to push them. You're at a festival, you came here to push your experiences, get excited about what craft beer is doing today, rather than drinking 15 IPAs, why don't you push it out there," Dallas urged.

Seasonal beers are a popular component of the brewery industry, said Dallas, who lives in unincorporated McHenry County.

"We just came out of Oktoberfest season, we're coming into pumpkin season," he said. "We're coming into holiday spice beer."

Of course, there's no shame in enjoying a more traditional brew.

"Some people love what comes from hops, the bitterness, the flavor," Dallas said. "Some people want to see what breweries are doing that's new. Are they using a fruit or a puree, what are they using to make things different?"

The event is put on by and will benefit the People for Parks Foundation of Lake in the Hills, according to Wakeman.

"It goes to scholarships, we buy benches and other equipment for parks, we've purchased equipment to use at the preschool," she said. "This year we're trying to raise money to buy a replacement bus for the recreation group. The bus that they have is requiring a bit of repair."

The event is held on an asphalt surface with a central tent to shield beer fans from inclement weather. A music act called Felix and Fingers Feuding Fingers will perform.

"(They) are two pianists that play songs requested by the audience and it becomes a big singalong with popular music. They'll be there the whole time."

Attendees must have a valid, government-issued ID to prove they are 21 to enter the festival. Designated Drivers can purchase a significantly reduced entrance fee- - starting at $15 - and will wear a bracelet to signify they won't be partaking of alcohol. There are a few brewers that offer root beer and soda; water will be available.

Wakeman stresses that, despite the necessity of rules, attendees shouldn't worry about the mayhem that may be associated with some types of alcohol-based events.

"I've been to about 15 of these events and I have not observed people drinking that way. People really do go and take samples and taste and are very responsible," she said.

"This is not like going and having a drunken brawl. At last year's even there were a couple of volunteers who observed someone who drank too much and we made sure that they had a ride home; there were only two of those situations."

"The beer festival gives some people the opportunity to get close to the beers they like or try some of the beers from a brewery they're interested in and they don't have to drive to them," said Dallas, whose brewery opened in August 2014.

"A lot of the craft breweries are using their ingenuity and local ingredients, pushing the boundaries of what beer can be," Dallas added​. "That's why everyone's there at the fest, so embrace that, enjoy that, look for something new."

If you go

What: Pub in the Park Craft Beer and Food Truck Festival

When: 4 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15. VIP exclusive hour from 3 to 4 p.m. Last pour is at 7:15 p.m.

Where: Sunset Park, 5200 Miller Road, Lake in the Hills

Cost: General admission, $45; VIP, $65; designated driver, $15.

Details: Tickets include glass for unlimited sampling. Purchase tickets through 2 p.m. Oct. 15 at <a href="http://www.pubinthepark.org">www.pubinthepark.org</a>. Tickets sold at the gate will incur a $10 surcharge. Parking is free.