By Julia Paul
What’s better than spending Fathers Day with your son drinking local craft beer? Spending Fathers Day with the entire family drinking Ontario’s best craft beverages, listening to live music and perusing all of the food trucks at this year’s Brews and Food Fest.
On Sunday, June 16, the Rotary Club of St. Marys is hosting the fourth edition of the Brews and Food Fest at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, rain or shine.
Come try mouthwatering food at an overabundance of food trucks. With the purchase of a ticket, attendees can try the best in local craft beverages including craft beer, cider, wine and spirits, too.
“For the first year, the focus was definitely on craft beer … but if you ask me how (the event) has changed and evolved over the years, it’s still very much a craft beer celebration, but we realize not everyone likes craft beer, so we have brought in distilleries, cider producers, ready-made cocktail makers, that’s probably where it has evolved the most,” said Mark Oliver, Brews and Food Fest event chair.
“ … With it always happening on Fathers Day, we need to make this a family event.”
The whole family can enjoy nine different food trucks with offerings ranging from Italian to Mexican to Indian, fish and chips to gourmet hot dogs and much, much more. People both over and under the drinking age will love the musical entertainment provided by Upside of Maybe, a rock group from Stratford, who will perform four sets throughout the day. For the adults, there will be 12 different local Ontario vendors presenting craft beer, cider, spirits and pre-mixed cocktails to try.
VIP tickets allow early access to the Brews and Food Fest beginning at 12 p.m. while regular ticketholders can join the event from 1-6 p.m.
“We would like to thank the Baseball Hall of Fame for allowing us the use of their facilities the day after the induction ceremony,” said Oliver. “Rotary and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame have a long history. Rotary was instrumental in getting the Baseball Hall of Fame to St. Marys, so our relationship goes back a long ways. It’s just natural to have the event at the Baseball Hall of Fame. This is our 100th year as a club, so Rotary is excited to be celebrating their 100th anniversary.
“ … (We’re) excited and happy to be putting on this event for the people of St. Marys and the surrounding area. Tickets have sold as far away as Toronto, Michigan and up north around Owen Sound.”
Tickets are not guaranteed at the door, so be sure to buy advanced tickets online before tickets are sold out. Regular admission is $38.61 while VIP admission is $43.93. It is suggested to read the FAQ on their website before arriving. For tickets and FAQs, visit www.brewsandfood.ca.