Unlimited beer tastings from 30 craft breweries will be the highlight of the second annual St. Augustine Brewers’ Festival, held from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 9 at the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park in St. Augustine. Each ticketholder will receive a commemorative 6-ounce tasting glass. Tickets are available starting March 1 at stabrewersfest.com
Admission is $40 in advance, and $45 the day of the event. There is limited on-site parking.
VIP tickets are available for $100 each and include guaranteed on-site parking, access to the climate-controlled pavilion, private restrooms, a catered buffet, a festival tasting glass, and full festival access. There will be no charge for individuals attending the festival as a designated driver for festival goers.
The event is organized by four St. Augustine breweries: Dog Rose Brewing Company, Old Coast Ales, Ancient City Brewing, and Bog Brewery Company. The group is establishing a nonprofit called Brewing a Community.
“We started the Brewers’ Fest with the encouragement of the St. Johns County Visitors & Convention Bureau, in hopes to bring an annual event to St. Augustine in May,” explained Doug Murr, one of the festival organizers and owner of Dog Rose Brewing Co. “With an established brewing community in St. Augustine and throughout the state, we knew we would be able to put together a fest that could showcase breweries from all over Florida. By creating Brewing a Community, we are able to host beer-centric charity events throughout the community.”
Food trucks will include Funkadelic, El Agave Azul Mexican Street Food, and Wingin’ It.
The live entertainment lineup includes Lonesome Bert & The Skinny Lizard, The Dewars, Let’s Ride, and Not Quite Dead.
Proceeds will go to the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, a nonprofit that preserves history by maintaining the 145-year-old Light Station and five other historic buildings on the site. Proceeds also will benefit Keepers with the Coast, which provides a water refill station during the event.
“We are thrilled to be selected as a beneficiary of the St. Augustine Brewers’ Festival. Everything we do at the Museum saves our maritime past,” said Kathy Fleming, Executive Director of the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum.
Heritage Boatworks volunteers from the Museum will have a handmade wooden boat at the St. Augustine Brewers Festival, with tickets available for a drawing. Suggested minimum donation is $5 per ticket or 5 tickets for $20.
Merchandise for sale during the event will include T-shirts, koozies, and hats, all created by Skinny Lizard T-shirt Printers. Leonard’s Photography will provide a fun photo booth for guests. A Kids Zone for little ones will have face painting and a bounce house.
“This was such a wonderful event last year, it will be great for us to be a part of it again,” said Bob Buehn, a retired Navy captain who is chairman of the Board of Trustees of the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. “We so appreciate the support as we work to maintain the Light Station and keep alive the stories of the Nation’s Oldest Port.”
For tickets and more information about the St. Augustine Craft Brewers Fest, visit stabrewersfest.com
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ABOUT THE ST. AUGUSTINE LIGHTHOUSE & MARITIME MUSEUM:
A defensive and navigation tool and landmark of St. Augustine for 145 years, the St. Augustine Light Station watches over the waters of the Nation’s Oldest PortTM. Through interactive exhibits, guided tours and maritime research, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, Inc. is on a mission to discover, preserve, present and keep alive the stories of the Nation’s Oldest Port® as symbolized by our working lighthouse. We are the parent organization to the Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program (LAMP) and an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. (StAugustineLighthouse.org)
ABOUT THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE OF MUSEUMS:
The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums. The American Alliance of Museums has been bringing museums together since 1906, helping to develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum community. As the ultimate mark of distinction in the museum field, accreditation signifies excellence and credibility. Accreditation helps to ensure the integrity and accessibility of museum collections, and reinforces the education and public service roles of museums and promote good governance practices and ethical behavior. Representing more than 35,000 individual museum professionals and volunteers, institutions, and corporate partners serving the museum field, the Alliance stands for the broad scope of the museum community. (www.aam-us.org)