By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Downtown Hays Development Corp. is selling more tickets and will offer more beer than ever for its fourth-annual Brews on the Bricks Craft Beer Festival on May 4.
“We are super excited because every year this festival continues to surprise us and change and evolve,” said Sara Bloom, DHDC executive director. “Four years ago, we were thrilled when the tickets sold out in four hours. And then we were completely caught off guard the next year when they sold out in 15 minutes. Now they are selling out closer to four minutes.”
There will be 2,000 tickets available, of which 250 will be VIP tickets.
Tickets go on sale Friday, Feb. 1.
Ticket sale times and locations are below:
• 7 a.m., Downtown Visitors Center, 1200 Main, Suite 102 (The DHDC office will open at 5 a.m. to start handing out numbers, but you must be back in line at 6:45 a.m. to purchase your tickets.) Two hundred general admission tickets and 50 VIP tickets will be available at this time.
• 8 a.m., online sales at www.downtownhays.com. The remaining 200 VIP tickets and 1,250 general admission tickets will go on sale.
• 5 p.m., Gella’s Diner and Lb. Brewing Co., 117 E. 11th. 150 general admission tickets for sale.
• 5 p.m., Defiance Brewery, 2050 East U.S. 40. 150 general admission tickets for sale.
Both breweries will be handing out numbers for ticket purchases. People can purchase and enjoy a brew while they wait for tickets to go on sale, Bloom said.
There will be a total four-ticket purchase limit per person, per location.
Ticket prices are:
• VIP, $80 in office, $85 online
• General admission, $40 in office, $45 online
General admission tickets get you in from 2 to 5 p.m. and a small sampling glass. You can try samples from 50 breweries this year. Brewers usually bring two to four beers each.
VIP ticket holders get in early at 12:30 p.m. They receive a small sampling glass as well as a full-size commemorative beer mug.
The event also hosts food trucks and food vendors that will provide samples.
“It is pretty special to be VIP,” Bloom said, “because instead of fighting 2,000 people, we only let about 250 to 300 in. It is a very nice, intimate part of the event. You get to enjoy the food pairings along with the brews that are there at the event.”
The Home Brew Competition is coming back for the third year. VIP ticket holders are the only ones who get to sample the home brews. The Home Brew tent will be moved to the west side of 10th Street, so VIP ticket holders won’t have to cross Main Street.
The event will be judged by the experts on Friday night, so the VIP ticket holders can sample from the winners on Saturday. Brews goers will still be able to vote for a People Choice winner on Saturday.
Bloom talked about other changes in the event this year.
Because the date has bee moved to May 4, which is also known as Star Wars Day, DHDC will sell a limited number of Star Wars-themed Brews T-shirts. Green T-shirts will feature Yoda, and a black T-shirts will feature Darth Vader.
May 4 is also National Home Brewer Day. To her knowledge, there are no other craft brew festivals in the area on that date, Bloom said. The later date hopefully will be more convenient for the brewers and warmer than last year’s event.
Bloom explained why the event is important to DHDC and downtown Hays.
Further information on the event is available on DHDC website, including forms if you are a brewer or food vendor who wishes to attend or company who wishes to sponsor the event. The DHDC is also always looking for volunteers.
Eagle Communications, which owns and operates the Hays Post, is the Golden Stein Sponsor for this event.