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It’s no secret that most craft beer festivals operate under the same premise – to dole out the most exciting and diverse selection of quality craft beer the organizers can secure to an eager and thirsty crowd. But there is an even more important yet understated component that most craft beer festivals share – the fact that an often sizable percentage of the event’s proceeds will go toward supporting a local charity.
How many of us gloss over these charitable commitments in our search to find the next best beer fest or to track down the list of the rarest brews being poured? And it’s not for lack of media exposure – go to any festival’s webpage and you’ll easily find the charitable beneficiary. I’d love to know how many festival-goers out there have retroactively thought to check how a beer fest’s donation impacted a local charity – or if they were too busy posting photos to Facebook and Instagram afterwards to remember what charitable organization they inadvertently supported with their ticket purchase.
As I wag my finger at all the distracted drinkers out there, the impetus for this article stems from my own ignorance on just how monumental these donations can be to local charities. I was blown away when I found out that one of the most recent festivals I attended, The Big Texas Beer Fest, was able to donate $10,200 to the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) from its festival proceeds. For those of you who aren’t in Texas, the NTFB is a massive hunger relief organization that distributes donated food through a network of more than 340 Food Assistance Partners in 13 counties.
“We are honored that Nellie and Chad chose the North Texas Food Bank to benefit from their event,” said Jan Pruitt, president and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank. “The second annual Big Texas Beer Fest raised more than $10,000 that will benefit families struggling with hunger. Because of their generosity, more than 30,000 meals will be provided to those in need.”
As a ticket-holder from the fest, it gives me some pride to know that my dollar went to more than just my drinking habit. But this is just one festival, in one state – it’s incredible to think about how many charitable causes we can support by just participating in what we love.
I’m challenging every one of you craft beer lovers to pay attention to the ways in which our local beer festivals really give back to the community (and no, it’s not just by bringing a fantastic array of breweries to one centralized location for your drinking pleasure). The next time you’re buying your ticket, take the time to find out where a portion of your purchase is going. If you’re already supporting local beer, it should warm your heart to know you’re supporting your local community, too.
