Hudson Valley Beer Festival Offers Great Turn Out
by Mike Cardano
On Sept. 14, at Riverfront Park in Beacon, the 7th annual Hudson River Craft Beer Festival commenced. From 1:30 to 6:30 p.m., over 80 vendors from around the country came to the Hudson Valley to showcase their original and authentic craft beers. The yearly event showcased over 180 different craft beers as well as fan-favorite hard ciders and wine. Featuring a crowd of over 3,200 people 21 years old and older, everyone did their best trying to pace themselves tasting new and inviting alcohol. The hyped-up gathering also presented live music and delicious offerings from food trucks from around the area.
For the serious drinkers, the day started at 12:30 p.m. promptly. Those attending had an opportunity to be a VIP member for the event at a prepaid price of $75. These “very important people” received a food voucher of five dollars, a ticket to receive a free hat and an hour early entry. General admission was $55 at the door and started at 1:30 p.m.
Whether these individuals were VIP or general admission, everyone received a souvenir glass for the day. Some chose to come to the event and only pay $10 as a “designated driver;” this did not give these individuals access to drink.
The event was hosted by the Hudson Valley’s own Townsquare Media. They made over $140,000 from both ticket sales and sponsorships and did a fantastic job of putting it all together. Anthony Verano, Promotions and Live Events Manager at Townsquare Media, worked tirelessly putting together the event.
“I sat down with all of the distributors and we went through their inventory and picked out the best selection we could,” Verano said. “I tried to do an even spread of IPA’s, some sours, and of course we needed to have some fair share of the pumpkin beer.”
Thrifty Beverage was in attendance, a craft beer store located right in the heart of Poughkeepsie. They are a unique group that tries to turn away from the norm and wants to sell new and innovative craft beers to its customers. They pride themselves on getting the lowest prices in craft beer, while also finding the most rare. They have recently implemented a Build-Your-Own six pack deal where you can choose anything from their inventory and create your own six pack.
“Places like Maine and New Hampshire, not many people know about their beer and that is what we are trying to do here,” said Casper of Thrifty Beverage. “A creative environment that lets people try and find fresh new brews.”
For the 7th year in a row, the Hudson River Craft Beer Festival was a hit. As this event rises in popularity, this festival will continue for years to come.
