After a run of 20-plus years, the Decatur Beer Festival took a two-year hiatus during the pandemic. But now it’s back, with a new name, a new location and a new mission.
Festival founders Dave Blanchard, Mike Gallagher and Tom Moore, aka the Brick Store Boys, are behind the beer, food and music event, set for Oct. 15 at Decatur’s historic Legacy Park.
Recently, I talked with Gallagher, who explained that the festival was designed to support the new Decatur-based nonprofit, SUDS — Simply Us Doing Our Share, that he, Blanchard and Moore founded. And with that, they wanted to turn the page with a different venue.
“When we first started, there weren’t many beer festivals, so it was a boon to the city and to the local businesses. But I think that shifted,” Gallagher said. “It became a little more of a hindrance in some cases. But the other piece is freshening it up and doing something different.”
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Located on the southeastern side of Decatur, a little over a mile from downtown Decatur, Legacy Park figured into the plan for several reasons.
“There’s more green space over there. The whole festival will be on grass, and you don’t have to put up as much fencing and infrastructure,” Gallagher said. “It’s basically this community do-good development supporting the nonprofits that are housed there, including Global Growers Network.”
Gallagher also noted that the long break during the pandemic allowed the team to reimagine what the beer festival could and should be.
“It will be more elevated, and hopefully it will feel like a smaller, home-grown VIP experience,” he said. “If you love drinking beer and eating at Brick Store, this is the backyard version of that.”
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Throughout the day, there will be food from chefs Terry Koval of the Deer and the Dove and Shay Lavi of Nur Kitchen and Third Space, along with guest chefs based at Legacy Park.
“We did get confirmation that some of the chefs that are based at Legacy Park have agreed to come out and talk about their heritage, and the food they’re growing at Global Growers, and the dishes they’re creating,” Gallagher noted.
“Terry is doing a couple of things with Riverview Farms pork, and Shay is doing hummus four different ways. Eric Ottensmeyer, our executive chef at Brick Store, will be doing some things, too. So these guys are putting together some fun dishes.”
Along with Blanchard, former Brick Store beer manager Dan Fontaine is in charge of the beer list, which includes some 70 selections.
“It’s basically an extension of BSP’s beer list, but rooted a little more in American craft, with a few international beers,” Gallagher said.
As for music, Blacktop Rockets, Bogey and the Viceroy, and Penelope Road will be on the Amplify soundstage.
For Gallagher, what’s most important, though, is that money from the event will be donated to help support the organizations that call Legacy Park home.
“We’ve given away over $1.7 million in the festivals we’ve done, so this year, whatever is left will go to the Legacy nonprofits,” he said. “And then in 2023, we’ll open it back up to any organization in the city of Decatur that’s doing good work.”
EVENT PREVIEW
SUDS beer fest. Noon-4 p.m. Oct. 15. Legacy Park, 500 S. Columbia Drive, Decatur. Tickets: $65. 21 and up includes SUDS beer glass and unlimited sips from over 70 craft beer makers. freshtix.com/events/suds.
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