The Celebrate Sarasota beer festival had lots of beer, but so much more was going on that even teetotalers found plenty to do and see. And the money it raised went to a good cause.
Chili and wings were on the menu, as teams of cooks handed out samples of their creations, hoping to be named the winner of each category. A bike show allowed riders to show off their wheels, and a cornhole tournament had folks line up to toss their beanbags. That’s not mentioning the mechanical shark, live local bands, food and drink vendors, or local entrepreneurs showcasing their businesses.
The beer selection leaned toward macrobrews and widely available imports, but there were a few craft gems available: Victory, Southern Tier and Blue Point among them. I was happy to see some samples from new breweries in the Florida craft beer scene. Jalehouse Beer, based in Sarasota but currently contract-brewed by Florida Beer Co. in Melbourne, had its Jalehouse Light and Jalehouse Lock Down Lager available in bottles. (Jalehouse was named the Best Beer of the festival).
Also being served from bottles were the three Florida Avenue beers from Tampa’s Cold Storage Craft Brewery: IPA, Ale and Blueberry.
The Beks Group organized the festival to benefit the Sarasota and Manatee Kiwanis Clubs.
“It’s a good turnout,” said Tim Bekkering of The Beks Group, a Sarasota-based organization that sponsors fundraising festivals and events. “You couldn’t ask for better weather, people are happy, and the parking lot is full.”
In fact, I was a bit worried when I saw the parking lot rapidly filling when I arrived about 20 minutes after the start of the festival. I envisioned long lines and having to fight crowds, but my fears proved wrong when I stepped onto the festival grounds. The booths and events were spread out on the grounds of Sarasota’s 60-acre Phillippi Estate Park, with plenty of room to spare. That helped handle the crowd, no doubt attracted in some part by partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the 70s.
Bekkering said in a follow-up email that the money raised has not yet been calculated, but “thousands attended, thousands of beers were drank and thousand of dollars were raised for Kiwanis.”
He added that the event will happen again next year, though maybe at a larger venue.
You can check out more photos from Celebrate Sarasota right here.
