09 Jun Hundreds turn out for Brewfest
ANDERSON, Ind. — As the first-ever Anderson Brewfest headed toward its final hour, Shanna Henry was tired but happy with how the festival had turned out.
Henry, the festival director of the Brewfest, said she was amazed by the number of people who had turned out to sample craft beers from 16 Indiana breweries. The crowd easily surpassed the group’s goal of 500 people.
“I couldn’t be happier,” Henry said. “We even had some vendors run out of beer, so obviously people are having a good time and enjoying it. All I’m hearing is great feedback.”
She said the positive reviews and some people asking for another festival next year mean a lot to her after all the hard work.
Joe Brandon of Anderson was one of the many enjoying the experience. He said he arrived at 1 p.m., when the Brewfest started, and visited every one of the beer tents set up along Meridian Street. But he couldn’t pick a favorite brew.
“I think this is just awesome,” Brandon said. “I can’t believe there’s this much fun happening here. This is too cool for Anderson.”
Jennifer Welker, also an Anderson resident, said this kind of turnout for an event in Anderson produced a tremendous amount of pride for the city’s residents.
“It’s nice to have something different here in Anderson,” Welker said. “It’s bringing people downtown.”
Welker said the atmosphere had been great all day and the crowd was very laid back. Bands played throughout the day, providing a soundtrack as people enjoyed their beer and conversed.
Welker said she was also impressed with the number of local breweries Indiana had to offer.
“I didn’t know there were this many local beers,” she said, “and I didn’t realize this many people enjoyed this kind of beer. It’s great to see.”
As with any occasion involving alcohol, security was a priority for Henry and everyone else involved with the Brewfest. She said there hadn’t been any incidents as of 4 p.m.
The beer was served only three ounces at a time, but there was an unlimited amount of servings a person could have. Henry said nearly everyone was being responsible.
“We’ve actually sold a lot of sober driver tickets today,” she said. “So that makes for a good feeling that people are being smart about how they’re getting home.”
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