It’s all about the beer at the California Beer Festival, Marin County.
With 70 different craft brews on tap and local participation from breweries such as Hopmonk Tavern and Lagunitas Brewery, ale lovers won’t want to miss this foaming event on Saturday, June 29 from 12:30 to 5 p.m. at Stafford Lake in Novato.
Breweries will be coming from across the state so beer lovers can sample their ales. Some of them include: Speakeasy Ales & Lagers, Sierra Nevada, Karl Strauss Brewing Company, Anchor Brewing, Hoppy Brewing Company, as well as Hangar 24 Craft Brewery and Ninkasi Brewing Company with huge followings in the craft beer market.
This is the second year the event has been scheduled in Marin County. Its festivals in Ventura, Santa Cruz and Claremont/San Dimas sell out every year.
“We are excited to be bringing some of the best brews in the country to the North Bay,” said founder Vincenzo Giammanco. “The picturesque lakeside setting nudged between Marin and Sonoma counties is a perfect location for a day of beer sampling, enjoying music, and barbecue. We are looking forward to the same success here as at our other popular festivals though out the state.”
Admission is $40, which includes one craft beer heaven ticket, a souvenir cup, beer sampling, and barbecue tasting. Beer tasting begins at 1 and ends at 4:30 p.m.
The festival is looking for barbecue teams to participate in its first cook-off. Teams of four, including friends, family, co-workers, are invited to compete for more than $1,000 in prizes. Teams will be judged in four different categories: chicken, beef brisket, pork and beer based on appearance, taste, texture and overall.
Music lovers will enjoy the sounds of three party bands including Petty Theft, Monophonics and Metal Shop. Petty Theft, who hails from Petaluma, is the ultimate Tribute to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. They have gained a following all over the Bay Area singing songs from American Girl to Free Falling.
Metal Shop brings back all the greatest hits from the Hair generation. We are talking arena rock with hits from Guns ‘n’ Roses, Billy Idol, Joan Jett, Led Zeppelin, Metallica and Journey. With authentic costumes, choreography and memorable sing-a-longs, relive the spirit of your first rock concert at this salute to the bands that made hard rock and heavy metal legendary.
Monophonics is a San Francisco’s psychedelic soul band that is just returning from an international tour. Psychedelic Soul, sometimes called black Rock, is a sub-genre of soul music, which mixes the characteristics of soul with psychedelic Rock. It came to prominence in the late 1960s and 1970s, playing a major role in the development of soul and funk music.
Proceeds from the California Beer Festival benefit the Gen Giammanco Foundation. Tickets and additional info are available at www.californiabeerfestival.com.
