Springs Beer Fest celebrates 12 years with scores more pours
When it comes to the busy roster of summer beer festivals, it’s often all about timing.
As such, a preponement of the Springs Beer Festival, from its traditional early-August date to late July, was a good one for schedules all around. The number of breweries pouring at the Saturday event in America the Beautiful Park is up by almost 50 percent, from 35 to 52.
“We moved the fest up two weeks because of conflicts with other beer festivals, and I think that really helped us recruit those other breweries,” said Katherine Mills, program and events manager for CraftWorks Foundation, the charity arm of the corporation behind the Old Chicago and Rock Bottom brewery and restaurant chains and a fest co-organizer, along with Bristol Brewing Co.
Now in its 12th year, the city’s largest outdoor beer festival benefits local charities such as the Boys and Girls Club of the Pikes Peak Region, Springs Rescue Mission and TESSA.
“It’s an event that we love to do,” said Mills, whose foundation partners with charities to host golf tournaments, brew fests and other campaigns, including a Summer Camp Challenge fundraising campaign launching Aug. 8 at its Old Chicago locations to benefit Big Brothers, Big Sisters Pikes Peak.
The Springs Beer Fest, one of two beer festivals the foundation puts on nationwide, is among its larger events. In addition to more than 120 beers available for sampling, there will be live local music and food vendors.
“With more than 50 breweries — including a lot of cideries — and each pouring four beers, people are going to have a lot of options and a lot of chances to try new and interesting things,” Mills said.
The annual event began as a tailgate party by beer-loving friends and continues today as a memorial for one of its founding members, late Bristol general manager Josh Osterhoudt, who died in 2012.
“It was really small in the beginning, but since then it’s moved locations and grown,” Mills said. “We still are happy to have Bristol involved in the event and to keep Josh’s memory alive through the Springs Beer Fest.”
