By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Tickets go on sale today for a new Downtown Hays Development Corp. event — Barrels and Bites.
The event will be 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6, in downtown Hays.
The event is replacing Wines and Steins. This year, the event will include heavy hors d’oeuvres, wine and spirits.
“Wines and Steins has been going on for almost a decade, and if DHDC is known for anything, it is known for change and new things, so we have decided we’re going to say goodbye to Wines and Steins and create a completely new event called Barrels and Bites,” Sara Bloom, DHDC director, said.
DHDC also sponsors Brews on the Bricks, a beer festival. People had approached DHDC about having a wine festival. DHDC was also approached by a local distillery about offering its products at a downtown event.
There still will be a stroll of downtown businesses, but DHDC is limiting that stroll to 12 businesses. Inside each business, event goers will have several choices of drinks. Each business will feature either a winery or distillery. This will include whiskies, bourbons and vodkas.
“We will have wineries and distilleries that will be coming to Hays, and they will be pouring their products and talking about their products and giving tastings of their products and telling you about their process,” Bloom said.
She added, “We are really excited to be featuring some of those local and regional wineries and distilleries because, just like craft beer, vineyards and distilleries are popping up and becoming more popular. We are excited to explore that world as well.”
Bloom said event goers will enjoy wonderful hors d’oeuvres as part of the event.
“Everything from salmon and pork sliders, a charcuterie table … bacon-wrapped chicken, crab rangoon pizza, meatballs and cheeseballs,” Bloom said.
Desserts will be served after the stroll at an after party from 9 to 11 p.m., weather permitting, at the Downtown Pavilion. Some of the items on that menu will include, cookies, brownies, truffles and a chocolate fountain.
The after party will host live and silent auctions. With every auction item purchased, you will take home an additional dessert item.
Some of the auction items include tickets to the FHSU Encore series, autographed memorabilia from Nathan Shepherd, art pieces, all-season FHSU sport passes, and dinner and vacation packages.
All proceeds from the event benefit DHDC. Barrels and Bites is one of only two fundraisers for the organization, with the other being Brews on the Bricks.
Only 300 tickets will be sold. Tickets are $65 each, $70 for individual tickets online and $450 for a table of eight or $460 for a table of eight online.
“It is always really exciting for us to host an inaugural event such as this,” Bloom said. “We hope the community can get excited along with us. We want to continue to thank the community for their support of downtown Hays and our organization Downtown Hays Development Corporation. Through these events we’re able to continue to be able to follow our mission, which is to be able to bring awareness of downtown Hays and continue to develop and revitalize it, so thank you all for your support.”
— Photos courtesy DHD