By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Downtown Hays Development Corporation is banking on the 2018 Brews on the Bricks event April 7 to be bigger and better than ever with more tickets and more brewers.
The event hopes to have 30 brewers and 20 home brewers compared to 20 breweries and 14 home brewers last year, Sara Bloom, executive director of Downtown Hays, said.
“We are expecting a lot more brewers this year, which means a lot more beer and a lot more beer varieties, but the event will be essentially a lot similar to how it has been in the last two years only it will be bigger and better, as it is every year. This year we have expanded the event so people can walk onto 10th Street. They can walk onto the Bricks with their alcohol and enjoy the food trucks. That will help with the crowd, and we are very excited for that.”
After speedy sell outs in its first two years, organizers are increasing the number of tickets available. There will be 250 VIP tickets available, 1,000 general admission tickets available and unlimited designated driver tickets available. VIP tickets will be $75 each, general admission tickets will be $38 and designated driver tickets will be $10.
“We are really excited to bring such a large event to the heart of our downtown,” Bloom said, “and we hope to continue the great tradition we have started with the event.”
VIP ticket holders get a full-size glass beer stein and a sampling glass to use during the event. VIP participants get an invitation to sampling of the home-brew competition, which will be in the new Downtown Pavilion, and entry into the event earlier from 12:30 to 2 p.m.
The VIP tents will have food stations to pair the different beers with. It will not be a sit-down event this year, but Bloom said she hoped this will be a more relaxed atmosphere during which VIPs will have more time to sample beers and paired foods.
General admission participants get a sampling glass and three hours of sampling. General admission is open 2 to 5 p.m. designated driver attendees get a plastic cup, which says ‘Don’t serve me. I’m the DD.’ The DDs can use their cup to get root beer, cream soda and water.
“They can still go and enjoy the event with their friends, and of course not partake in the beer, and make sure their friends are getting home safely,” Bloom said of designated drivers.
The tickets for the event will be sold in several lots to give people more opportunities to get tickets. Last year tickets sold out in 11 minutes.
The first set of tickets (200 general admission tickets and 100 VIP tickets) will go on sale at 8 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 1 at the Downtown Visitor’s Center, 106 W. 12th St. All but 200 of the remaining tickets will go on sale at 9 a.m. online at downtownhays.com.
At 11 a.m. Feb. 1, 100 tickets will go on sale at Gella’s Diner and Lb. Brewing Co. and another 100 tickets will go on sale at 4 p.m. at Defiance Brewing. Ticket purchases are being limited to four at a time.
“We want to make sure as many people as possible get to enjoy this event with us,” Bloom said. “By staggering it out, we are hoping a lot of people will have opportunities to buy those tickets. Plus it gives the brewers and breweries that support this event a little exposure as well.”
The deadline to enter the home-brew competition is 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 23. More information on the contest is available on the Hays Downtown website.
For brewers this year, Downton Hays is offering a free hotel room if they are coming from 150 miles away or more.
Any licensed food vendor has been invited to participate in the event. In the past, the event has featured Slater’s Pizza, Gella’s and Joe’s Redneck Grill. Vendor forms are available on the Downtown website.
“As far as the event goes, it is still going to be a lot of fun, a lot of brewers, live music, lots of great foods, lots of food vendors, and we are excited to bring it back downtown,” Bloom said.
Eagle Communications and 8th Street Liquor are sponsors for the event.