Riverfront Brew Fest Set for Aug. 27, Expected to Raise $40,000 for Park

If all goes according to plan, 4,000 craft beer lovers will gather along the banks of the DuPage River on Aug. 27 for the debut of the Midwest Brewers Festival.

The event is being organized by the owners of Limestone Brewing Company and Finnegan's Irish Pub as a benefit for the Riverfront Foundation, which is raising money to restore Plainfield’s historic Electric Park.

It’s estimated the fest will bring in $40,000 for the foundation, Limestone owner Steve Caton told the Plainfield Village Board Monday night.

If successful, it could become a recurring festival, he said.

“We know it’s going to be a fantastic event,” Finnegan’s owner Dale Lewis said. “By this time next year, we could have double (the attendance) and change.”

In order for it to happen, however, the village board must adopt an amendment to Plainfield’s ordinance governing the regulation of the sale and consumption of alcoholic liquors. In it, a definition of “craft beer” and a new H-1 liquor license for the temporary sale of craft beer would be established.

The ordinance amendment will need to be approved at the May 16 board meeting if the group is going to remain on its timetable.

Trustees had plenty of questions for the fest organizers and Interim Police Chief John Konopek over such issues as who would be allowed to serve the beer, how they would keep minors out of the event and what precautions there would be to prevent people from being over-served.

Konopek acknowledged he was initially unsure if they’d be able to hammer out an arrangement he would be satisfied with, but lauded the organizers for coming up with an extremely detailed plan that dealt with every possible scenario. It has his endorsement, he said.

“To be honest, there were concerns,” he said. “Dale and Steve addressed most of those concerns as we went along.”

The one-day event will begin at 11 a.m. and end at 8 p.m. Admission is $40 if purchased in advance and $50 on the day of the fest, with special $100 VIP tickets also available. Attendees will be given tickets for 15 2-ounce “pours” from a choice of 150 types of beer provided by 50 craft brewers. Additional beer tickets can be purchased at a cost of $20 for 10.

Craft beer events tend to appeal to people who have made a science out of sampling new varieties of ale, Caton said. Most who attend are not there for the purpose of getting drunk and rowdy, he said.

“They tend to be a docile crowd,” he said. “They’re very nerdy about beer.”

However, the organizers want to guarantee that intoxicated patrons don’t drive home so have created a special “designated driver” ticket for $10, which comes with unlimited soda as a perk. They will also have cab companies on call, and will be providing shuttles to the train stations to encourage people from outside of Plainfield to commute to the event rather than drive, Caton said.

One unique aspect of the Midwest Fest will be the food, which will be provided by restaurants that make fare designed to complement beer, Lewis said. The live music will also be chosen with that in mind, he said.

“It won’t be your typical carnival food,” Lewis said. “This is not going to be a music fest with beer. It’s a beer fest with food and music.”

So far, more than a half dozen craft brewers have signed on, including Two Brothers, Galena, Flossmoor, Gordon Biersch, Half Acre, Harrison’s and Brickstone. Organizers are in talks with Goose Island about being a major sponsor.

Board members said they were more inclined to support the concept now that the festival has been scaled back from two days, with camping, to just one day. Even though the event is scheduled to end at 8 p.m., rather than 11 p.m. as had been originally proposed, Trustee Garrett Peck encouraged Caton and Lewis to meet with neighbors and do whatever is necessary to ensure they’re on board with the festival.

“I don’t want to have 50 people outside my door with pitchforks and torches,” he said.  

Every person at the festival will be given a wristband designating their status: ticket holder, designated driver, beer vendor, fest volunteer and so on. Vendors will be asked to bring employees who have completed the Illinois Beverage Alcohol Sellers and Servers Education and Training program or its equivalent, and 50 fest volunteers will undergo the same training, Caton said.