Craft Beer Fest Draws More Than 3,000 People

They came from California, Massachusetts and all over the Midwest, in pursuit of fun, sun and, of course, beer.

And at the end of the day, it appeared the 3,000-plus people who flooded the Plainfield riverfront Saturday left satisfied, as did the 57 local and national breweries that made up the inaugural in Plainfield.

“My job right is now is making sure everyone is happy,” said Steve Caton, fest co-founder and owner of in Plainfield.

“I see the few little small things we have to correct, but for the most part, everyone seems very happy and very surprised about how big it is and (how) beautiful the riverfront is. I love the turnout so far. The weather is great, but this is an experience we would like to continue.”

To make the festival a success, Caton gave credit to a hearty contingency of 260 local volunteers who worked tirelessly before and throughout the event.

"This was all grassroots asking for people to help us out, and they just showed up,” he said. “I want to thank our community and all the volunteers that helped organize this.”

In addition to the sampling dozens of craft beers, patrons had an opportunity to learn more about the brewing process, the huge variety of beers and ales, and how beer pints are formed.  

Al and Terri Buryta were among those who put themselves in the category of satisfied customers.

The couple traveled from Michigan to visit their son at Midwestern University in Downers Grove and paired their trip with stop at the fest to expand their palettes and experience some new types of beer.

“This is great,” said Al Buryta, who's also a brewer. “There are no big lines here. This is really nice.”

Several vendors said they had an equally positive first impression.

“As far as we’re concerned, it’s been steady all day,” said Shawn Connelly, a representative for Big Muddy Brewery, based in southern Illinois.

“(One) of the things for us is there’s a lot of people here with a connection to (Southern Illinois University) and they’ll see the logo or they’ll see something and they’ll stop over. It’s been good.”

The craft beer fest is the brainchild of Caton and Dale Lewis, owner of . Tickets cost $40 for 25 two-ounce pours ($50 on the day of the event) and all proceeds will go toward the , the one-time site of in the early 1900s.

Limestone's bar manager Jeff Biddinger said he appreciated the loyalty by his patrons.

“It’s nice to see the regulars who support us every day, especially with all the good beer here," Biddinger said. "By them coming back to Limestone after they’ve had our beer before, you know you’re making a good beer.”

A common sight around the festival grounds were pretzel necklaces hanging from the necks of patrons. They served a dual purpose: clearing the palette so that one beer's flavor didn't mix with another and providing an easily accessible snack you didn't have to hold in your hand.

“From one place you might have a deep chocolate beer and then try and go have another beer, you’re going to definitely get the essence of the last beer you had (without the pretzel),” Naperville resident Jon Retfrow said.

With live music throughout the day, quality food from local vendors and an assortment of merchandise, is there anything Caton would do differently next year?

“The number one thing is our calculation of how much ice we need,” Caton said. “We’ve emptied Meier’s ice, Jewel’s ice, and two gas stations. We’re on our third gas station after having a semi-truck load dropped off. That was a miscalculation. But that’s the thing, it’s all small logistics.”