A world of beers will hit Coquitlam's Town Centre Park in the middle of the city’s 125th anniversary celebrations this summer.
Early bird tickets are now being sold for the July 30 and 31 Coquitlam Kinsmen International Craft Beer Festival, which is being organized by Kinsmen Brent Shaw and Jim Bagan — both of whom have experience with the business of booze — in partnership with the BC Craft Brewers Guild.
More than 10,000 people are expected to attend the 19-plus party that will see about 60 breweries represented from around the world — half of them from B.C.
Among the vendors represented will be Old Yale (Chilliwack); Mt. Begbie (Revelstoke); Cannery Brewing (Penticton); Tin Whistle (Penticton); Asahi (Japan), Ayinger (Germany); and San Miguel (Philippines), and Port Moody's four craft brewers — Moody Ales, Yellow Dog Brewing, Twin Sails and soon-to-open Parkside — may also attend.
Bagan said he and Shaw approached their fellow Kinsmen about hosting a craft beer festival in Coquitlam.
The club is fronting the start-up costs but the pair hope to raise enough money through ticket sales and sponsorships to give back to future Kinsmen projects such as updating the Como Lake Park children’s playground.
“We have lived in this community for a long time and we have watched the craft industry grow,” Bagan said during a tour of the park Monday. “We feel the Tri-Cities has been neglected for events like these. We're really missing out.”
Shaw and Bagan are modelling their festival after such gatherings as the Whistler Beer Festival, Fest of Ale in Penticton and the Great Canadian Beer Festival in Victoria, which is held the weekend after Labour Day.
They wanted to time their Coquitlam fest with the August long weekend — just after the Coquitlam 125th Kaleidoscope fest and RibFest in Port Moody. And with the Canadian dollar so low these days, they believe many Metro Vancouver residents will be home for summer stay-cations while Americans flock to the region to take advantage of the favourable exchange rate.
"With the expected rise in the popularity of stay-cations for B.C. and Canadian residents, and increased travel from the United States, the Coquitlam Tourism Office will be working with event organizers on attracting both day trip visitors as well as overnight visitation to Coquitlam," Coquitlam tourism manager Eric Kalnins said. "It's an ideal year to kick off an event like this and there is already a buzz associated with it."
Still, with the beer fest scheduled for mid-summer, organizers also anticipating it’ll be a hot weekend. As a result, tents and misting stations will be dotted around the site to keep participants cool.
But for those who want to soak up the rays, there will be plenty of outdoor zones to relax, including in front of the stage where entertainers will play all afternoon.
Here's how the event will work: Guests will buy entrance tickets online at www.kinsmencraftbeerfestival.com for $35 plus tax (early bird). At the gate, a four-ounce collectible glass and program with food coupons will be available for pickup, and a general or VIP band will be placed on your wrist. Tokens, which can also be purchased online or at the venue, will be the currency to get a four-ounce sample of beer; each sample costs one token, equal to $1.50. VIP tickets ($65) will allow guests to get in early — at noon — skip lineups and have access to VIP tents.
Bagan said security will be high — one guard for every 64 guests — and patrons' sobriety will be checked before they leave the fenced-off site.
As well, a Safe Ride Home booth will be located next to the gate that will feature free transit tickets and taxi vouchers. Operation Red Nose will have volunteers on standby as well, with the aim to raise money for its causes. And donations will be accepted for One Dime At A Time, a charity that raises funds for cystic fibrosis.
Bagan said the Kinsmen hope to make the event an annual one. “There are lots of things to do for families around here. I think it’s about time we have something for the adults, too — something where we can relax and enjoy ourselves in these beautiful surroundings — while also giving back to our community.”
• To sponsor the inaugural Coquitlam Kinsmen International Craft Beer Festival, email info@kinsmencraftbeerfest.com. Volunteers will be given a one-day free pass and t-shirt. Visit www.kinsmencraftbeerfest.com to sign up.
jwarren@tricitynews.com
@jwarrenTC
