'Another Great Year' for Plainfield Brew Fest: Organizer

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Herbst was at the Oct. 28 village committee of the whole meeting to give village trustees a recap of the third annual event — and to present a $25,000 donation check to Plainfield Riverfront Foundation president Rob Epley.

Roughly 30 to 40 more tickets were sold in 2013 compared, with a total of more than 2,800 attendees, Herbst said. The event also drew 200 volunteers, 65 breweries, 15 sponsors and six food vendors.

The proceeds from the event allowed organizers to donate $25,000 to efforts to revitalize Plainfield's riverfront, plus another $5,000 to another charity, Pints for Prostates.

This year, guests at the Aug. 24 celebration of craft beer enjoyed artisan food vendors, live music and brewing demonstrations. For the first time, Herbst said, the event was moved from the front of Riverfront Park to the back of the riverfront. He credited volunteer Ed Arter with helping clean up and prep the new site, and said the new location provided a better view of the river.

"It was a pretty amazing sight to see the maze of people just walking towards the entry," Herbst said. "It was really just watching a dream come true."

Although he questioned whether the hours of the event were enough — the fest was from noon to 6 p.m. for VIPs and 1 to 6 p.m. for the general admission crowd — trustee Bill Lamb called the event "a valuable addition to Plainfield."

Trustee Margie Bonuchi also praised the fest, calling it a "professional event." 

"We appreciate the funding that comes our way for the riverfront," Bonuchi added.

Trustee Dan Rippy said he stopped by the fest this year for the first time, noting that it brought a young, professional crowd to the village.

"It was exactly the type of people you want to draw to the community," he said.