SEPT. 7, 2018
A3
T he C oast News
Carlsbad Brewfest to celebrate 5th anniversary By Steve Puterski
CARLSBAD — Six years ago, two members of the Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary Club decided a sustainable and fun event was needed for the club. What they proposed, and now has doubled in size, is the Carlsbad Brewfest. Celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, the festival has become a fast-growing draw for craft beer enthusiasts. This year, the event runs from noon to 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 8 at Holiday Park. “Holiday Park is really a gem to the city,” co-chair Mike Pfankuch said. “Compared to some of the other ones that have them in the streets … the whole venue at Holiday Park is very enticing for the participants.” The event was created to piggyback off the highly successful and long-running Oktoberfest. Initially, the Brewfest was the only one on the first weekend of September within 100 miles of Carlsbad, said co-chair J.R. Phillips. Now, there are 30, forcing the event to stay rel-
evant and provide value for brewers, patrons, sponsors and the community. And steadily, the festival has done exactly that as this year’s event will showcase 38 vendors, 34 of which are craft breweries, two cider-focused producers and two wineries. In addition, a Kombucha producer will be in attendance. However, growth has not been as explosive as expected, Phillips said, and one reason their marketing efforts avoid using the rotary club name. It’s a stereotype, he said, that patrons will assume the event is not catered toward beer enthusiasts. It’s one reason, Pfankuch said, the festival incorporates so many games and interactive activities. For example, musical chairs is one of the most popular games, along with corn hole, tortilla tossing and incorporating a live deejay to keep the atmosphere fun and loose. New this year is an Encinitas-based company that will showcase its virtual
reality platform. Attendees will be able to play several virtual reality games, which includes an escape room. “What makes us different, our event is very interactive,” Phillips said. “The interactive part is something we are very proud of. We’ve tried to create and environment that’s very collaborative, collegial and fun.” With Brewfest being organized by the Hi-Noon Rotary Club, naturally the proceeds of the event are donated to various charities. This year, the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation, Carlsbad Education Foundation, rotary and the newest addition, Bikes 4 the Barrio, will receive the funds. Pfankuch said the bike program is led by Electra Bikes and One Big Club. Rotary and OBC donated six bikes to students at Jefferson Elementary School in December 2017. “We really enjoy being able to give some bikes to deserving kids that can’t afford them otherwise,” Pfankuch said. “It gives
101 Main reps to attend Walk Bike Places By Aaron Burgin
ENCINITAS — Representatives from two of the city's Main Street organizations are attending a major bike/walk conference later this month to find solutions for the city's growing transportation issues. Kellie Hinze, the executive director of Leucadia 101 Main Street Association, and Jody Hubbard, an Encinitas City Council candidate who is also a representative for the Cardiff 101 Main Street Association, are attending the Walk Bike Places convention Sept. 16 to Sept. 19 in New Orleans. The convention, organized by the Project for Public Spaces and in its 20th year, is billed as “the premier conference in North America for walking, bicycling and placemaking professionals from the public and private sectors.” Hinze and Hubbard said they are attending because they frequently hear from residents who complain that the city’s transportation network is becoming increasingly inhospitable to non-vehicular transportation. “During my campaign, I've talked to people and asked them what their biggest concern is, and the prevailing theme I keep hearing is transportation issues,” said Hubbard, who is also a planning commissioner. “They feel with the increase in automobile traf-
fic that walking and biking have become more dangerous, and it’s getting to the point where everyone is frustrated.” Hinze said that she’s heard “much of the same” in Leucadia, where city officials are currently supporting a plan to transform the main arterial, Coast Highway 101, into a pedestrianand bike-friendly street, but the plan is facing resistance from neighbors and the Coastal Commission. “People are feeling constrained, our highway over the years was built to be a freeway, but over time, the uses around it have changed, and people are looking for alternatives to car travel,” Hinze said. “But it's not safe, as our current road is designed, to support the different modes of transportation.” The Walk Bike Places convention will include a series of mobile workshops, “super sessions” and breakout sessions on a variety of topics, including how to create bike- and pedestrian-friendly spaces, engaging the public in the design of such projects, maximizing limited dollars for projects, electric bicycle safety and laws and safe routes to school. Both Hubbard and Hinze said they plan on presenting their findings to the public after they return from the conference.
Cardiff 101 is planning a socalled “pop up” at Seaside Market from 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 14 where Hubbard will present what she learned from the conference.
them some self-esteem and transportation to school.” As for the event, Phillips said the focus is on growth and how to crack 2,000 attendees. This year, he expects a record crowd between 1,200 to 1,500, but still wants to grow and remain competitive with other brewfests or events in North County. Still, the steady growth has been impressive, he said, as the rotary made $12,000 in its second year, $30,000 in year three and
drinking beer, but understanding beer,” Phillips said. “We had to create an event that these brewers saw value in or otherwise we would struggle to get people to give away free beer and time.” Tickets are $55 for general admission, $40 for appreciation tickets (military, police, firefighters, lifeguard, nurses, etc.) and $20 for a designated driver. The event will also have a limited supply of credits for ridesharing.
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Green Tips
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Back to school shopping? Keep Carlsbad beautiful with these tips for a sustainable school year.
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Don’t Overbuy Don’t be tempted to buy more than you need. Determine what can be reused from last year.
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$51,000 last year. But the main mission is to create sustainability and bring value to the stakeholders and sponsors. The purpose of the event, though, was to give patrons insight into the craft beer industry, especially since San Diego is a hub for brewers. Last year, the event had several guest speakers discuss brewing, how to pair beers and other aspects of enjoying a cold brew. “We wanted to create an event that wasn’t about
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