My friend, Debbie, and I were volunteering down at the YWCA Elgin (or Y-dub as I like to so fondly call it) last Friday night. We were done about 8 o’clock and decided to head down to Festival Park where Elgin’s Brew Fest was happening. Debbie went last year and had lots of good things to say about it, so I was excited to see (and hear) what this was all about.
It works out well that Elgin is the smallest biggest city around, because we were parked on Chicago Street in front of the YW, and we were able to enjoy a nice leisurely walk to the park. On our way, we saw many people out and about. Some were walking to Festival Park, as we were; some were dining al fresco at Al’s, and some were just out for a pleasant stroll in the city. But Debbie and I were on a mission.
We arrived at Festival Park and paid the $5 entry fee. This is a pretty good price considering what was being offered. I have been to other festivals that showcased favorite Chicagoland bands, and it was a lot more than 5 bucks. And who can complain, anyway? The proceeds to this outdoor music and food extravaganza went to the Boys & Girls Club of Elgin!
Hence, we paid our entry fee and right away we noted that there was a nice crowd sprinkled throughout the park, but this did not affect the lines at the ticket booth, beer tent or food tents. We were able to walk right up without a major wait in any of the lines. Back to the beer – it is Brewfest, after all…We had choices! Not just the choice of regular or lite, either. The other options included more full flavored brews such as Goose Island’s 312, or perhaps your taste buds would have preferred to explore the full bodied flavor of a Shiner Bock, or even had the chance to enjoy locally brewed beers from Geneva’s Stockholm’s. And for those folks who were not of the brew tasting population, you were able to enjoy a nice glass of wine, soda or water. Like I said…there were options!
Debbie and I have now taken all the steps to ensure enjoyment at this outdoor musical festival…We paid our entry fee, have beer in hand, and can hear some pretty good music coming from the huge music stage at the other end of Festival Park! As we made our way to the stage, we saw that fest goers had brought their portable chairs and blankets to create the best seats in the house (or out of the house, I should say!) We also learned that “Modern Day Romeo’s” were on stage and “Infinity” was next. The fest offered six different bands throughout the 2-day event, and by the looks of it, these two bands for sure, had fans! There were tons of people dancing and singing along to the music!
What a great summer night…being in downtown Elgin with friends, listening to great music, enjoying a local brew among a really nice crowd, and not being at home doing the laundry on a Friday night! (Yes, that is many times my Friday night!)
I will for sure take this in again in 2012, but if you missed this year’s Brewfest…no worries – it is an annual event that takes place every Father’s Day weekend. Fast forward one year, and you can already check off your list, “Figure out Father’s Day Gift”! Take your Dad to this fun-filled, music-filled, food-filled fest!
