19 Mar Muncie Brew Fest Returns To Promote The Arts on April 21st
by Indiana On Tap editorial staff
The arts and craft beer are more than just passing acquaintances. Brewing beer is itself an art, one steeped in the sciences, just as there is science in art of architecture. The opposite is true as well, good scientific research has much art built into it. Both science and art are means to investigate our world.
This overlap is evidenced by the fact that it is the rare brewery that doesn’t participate in and support the arts, whether it be local artists’ work hanging on the walls or local bands playing on weekend nights. The breweries themselves are often works of art, whether they be rustic or industrial, with local craftsmen (or sweat equity from the owners) contributing to the decor and make up of the tasting rooms and bars.
The venue for Muncie Brewfest is one of its many assets. photo credit: Cornerstone Center for the Arts
Craft beer festivals have a bit of the arts thrown in, whether it be in the bands playing during the pouring, or the artists displaying their works during the Indiana On Tap tasting events. But few festivals meld the arts and craft beer as well as the Muncie Brewfest, coming up on April 21st at the Cornerstone Center for the Arts from 3 pm- 6 pm (2 pm entrance for VIP ticket holders).
The festival has expanded this year, with more breweries and an added third room in the Center for attendees to enjoy the wares of local and regional producers. The building that now houses Cornerstone was built as a Masonic Temple in 1926 through a donation by the Ball Brothers. Jeff Robinson, Director of Community Relations at Cornerstone, told me, “The only stipulation from the Ball Brothers was that the 1st floor have an auditorium (E.B. Ball Auditorium) for world class entertainment and a ballroom (Colonnade Room) for the community to gather in be open to the community year round.”
He added, “Everything above the 1st floor was off limits, unless you were a member. Interestingly, the Masons met on the 3rd floor until five years ago. Until then, nobody had seen the 3rd floor, unless you were a Mason or guest of a Mason.” Even if most people couldn’t enter much of the building back then, there are ballrooms on each floor, an auditorium, and many artworks in this Greek Revival masterpiece.
The three rooms being used for the festival are important enough to have their own names – The Grand Hall, The Legacy Room (formerly the blue lodge for the Masons) and the Majestic Room, (formerly the Eastern Star meeting room). With the addition of the third room, more tickets will be sold for this year’s festival, increasing attendance from 400 to 600.
Sean Brady of New Corner is ready for the festival -he’s got the hair high and tight. photo credit: Muncie Brewfest
All three rooms are gorgeous, with original carpets and murals. The architecture itself is interesting, with balconies in each room so that the elders could watch the ceremonies and make sure they were conducted correctly. Even the check in for the festival is held in a historic place, the main auditorium of the entire building, with original details and seating for over 200.
The breweries already signed up for the festival include all those from Muncie – The Guardian, Books and Brews, New Corner, Elm St., Thr3e Wise Men, and Redemption. In addition, many breweries from the regional area will be there; Half Moon from Kokomo, Metazoa, Bier, and Centerpoint from Indy, Deer Creek from Noblesville, and Bad Dad from Fairmount. It is especially nice to welcome Bad Dad, as this will be one of their first festivals since opening.
These are all breweries that are smaller and reflect the art-like nature of craft beer; no distribution issues and large area draws for these breweries. Like Cornerstone, they are local and want to stay and work local. The intimate nature and number of breweries makes sure that the event runs smoothly; no one likes it when breweries run out of beer or when the lines get too long. The brewers in almost every case will on hand to speak to the attendees and dispense a little beer knowledge.
The rooms for the festival are gorgeous. photo credit: Muncie brewfest
Monon Beverage Brokers will also be on hand, so some of their clients like Burn ‘Em, Scarlet Lane, Evil Czech or others could be poured as well. Three to five more breweries may be added as the festival approaches, so make sure to keep checking the website to see who else will be there. Breweries that participated last year will be bringing new beers that along with the new participating brewers, will make this year’s festival a brand new experience.
Besides the great beer, there will be other amenities at Muncie Brewfest. Artists/art instructors from Cornerstone will be spread throughout the festival performing and creating during the event. The artists will have interactive experience opportunities to help the festival attendees get in on the art making and learn more about the mission and workings of Cornerstone Center for the Arts. New for this year, ceramics instructor Eugene Boyd will throw commemorative 5 oz. mugs for each of the early bird visitors, again linking the arts to this important festival.
Speedy Dogs from Muncie will be selling gourmet dogs so that the tastings can go farther, and they will have vegetarian options for those who deny their cuspids. There will be music in the different rooms, including The Bashville Boys playing bluegrass with punk undertones – OK, this I have to hear. DJ Janell will be mixing tunes in another room, so there will be a definite variety for the attendees.
Hops & Vines Brew Bus will be back again this year to shuttle attendees from the festival to the local breweries for free from 5 pm – 9 pm. As I said last year, this is a feature I would like to see this extended to other festivals, especially those with a number of breweries in proximity to the festival. It is a responsible way to promote local businesses when people come to town.
Cornerstone offers art classes to all ages. photo credit: Cornerstone
The Muncie Brewfest is a great way to bring people into Muncie, while at the same time act as a major fundraiser for Cornerstone. Jeff said, “Cornerstone served more than 2300 students, in 2017, and is on track to exceed that number in 2018. Access to the arts for everyone is what Cornerstone is all about.” What’s more, “Every single student’s fees at Cornerstone are subsidized at nearly 50%. And we understand that affordability is subjective, so we offer additional financial aid and scholarships to students who qualify. In many cases, those who qualify pay nothing or receive a very steep discount.”
Cornerstone has music classes, dance, painting, ceramics – over 100 different arts education opportunities for the community. Only 1/3 of their funding comes from grants, the other 2/3 must come from sustaining projects, including fundraising efforts. It can’t be overstated how important fundraisers like the Muncie Brewfest are for carrying out Cornerstone’s mission.
This event is open to ages 21 and older. Early bird tickets are $40 per person, general admission tickets are $25 per person, and admission for designated drivers is just $10. Click here for tickets, or call 765-289-9687. For additional information, visit the Muncie Brewfest website.
Please support the festival’s major sponsors Midwest POS Solutions, PrimeTrust Federal Credit Union, and the Muncie Visitor’s Bureau. And just to show that this is truly a community event, additional support of the festival is provided by Guardian Brewing Co., New Corner Brewing Co., Elm Street Brewing Co., Books & Brews, and the Hops and Vines Bus.
No Comments